P&O orders largest ships for ferry crossing
Ferry Online Travel News 16/06/2008
New vessels have been ordered for the Dover to Calais crossing
A Finnish shipbuilder has been hired to build two new ferries for P&O Ferries crossing between Dover and Calais. P&O signed a letter of intent with Aker Yards last week.
P&O anticipates that the first of the new ferries will be ready to begin service in December 2010 and the second by 2011. The new vessels will replace the Pride of Dover and Pride of Calais which currently operate along the route.
The new ships will be the largest to operate in the short-sea sector and will increase the freight carrying capacity of the old ships dramatically. The new ferries can carry double the freight and still accommodate cars and caravans its three vehicle decks. The addition of a third deck allows for an additional 250 tourist vehicles on board.
“Facilities for freight drivers and passengers alike will set a new benchmark in quality standards. This is a major investment in the future of our business and is a very exciting development,” said P&O CEO Helen Deeble.
The new services would offer improved onboard retail services as well as updated food and beverages.
Neil Towns, the head of buying for P& O Ferries said in a recent interview: “We have engaged with industry design experts from shipping, food and beverage and retail markets to ensure the designs we build and base our service around are in line with ‘future’ trends.”
Towns concluded, “Our retail offer will progress our current strategy, with the core categories forming the basis of the shops. We will be signing a design contract with a retail industry-renowned company in the next week to help ensure we take our already excellent shops onto the next stage, with the customer remaining, as always, central to our thinking.”
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