Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR SAILINGS WITH P&O FERRIES
P&O Ferries has the following alterations to its services over the festive period:
Dover - Calais
Reduced services on 24 December (last sailing from Dover at 14.45hrs and from Calais at 17.55hrs)
No services on Christmas Day
Reduced services on 26 December (eight sailings from Dover between 07.35hrs and 23.15hrs, six sailings from Calais between 10.45hrs and 21.45hrs)
Normal services on 31 December and New Year's Day.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
As P&O are the only company operating now to Calais this might be important for those going across so have locked it in position temporarily.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Yes, very useful to have these times listed above especially as you say they are the only ferry these days going to and from Calais
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
looks to be the same as most years, early finish christmas eve and later start on boxing day.
i suppose dfds will be doing similar.
Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
Good to know the timings helpfull for anyone who is going to travel, as now we only have one alternative left open to us.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Time to relax this thread now.. hopefully anyone travelling will have got the idea. If I hear anything from DFDS about their arrangements I will add it here in due course.
There was a sudden upsurge in demand yesterday as large queues built up.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,919
DFDS likely to run a far smaller serviece
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
Have had a quick look and DFDS Christmas and New Year services are detailed on this link:
http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/customer-service/dover-dunkirk/travel-update/
which states as follows:
Christmas Eve: last departure 1200
Christmas Day: no sailings
Boxing Day: first departure 1200
27th -30th: full schedule
New Years Eve: last departure 1600
New Years Day: first departure 0800
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
Dover Seaways recommenced the DFDS service at noon on Boxing Day.
Here departing Eastern Entrance with Pride of Burgundy and Pride of Kent laid up on the Eastern Arm.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Interesting picture there Ed.
It looks like its back to business as near normal...I took the following picture yesterday afternoon of the Spirit of Britain. It was facing the wrong way!! its usually sitting there rear end first if you see what i mean. At first glance i thought it had powered in from France and failed to stop!!
Well no..not really..just kidding.
It was the only ship in the harbour again and it didnt appear to be operational, later it went off down the coast heading west...going to I know not where...
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
According to
www.marinetraffic.com she is presently moored at Falmouth.
Any ideas, Ed? I gather she is being drydocked.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
The Spirit of Britain was delivered almost a year ago and has gone to Falmouth for the guarantee drydock which takes place after the first year. Representatives of the shipbuilders attend and arrange to rectify any deficiencies uncovered.
She has had a lot of mechanical trouble, particularly with the propeller shafts and bearings, and is experiencing excessive vibration.
Her sister ship, Spirit of France, was completed at the same yard, STX Europe in Rauma, Finland, back in September. P&O have refused to accept her until the vibration issues are dealt with. The intention being that, once the causes of the excessive vibration have been established and dealt with, then a similar remedy can be applied to the Spirit of Britain.
Spirit of France has been conducting sea trials for months attempting to solve the problem. Her lines carried away in a storm a couple of months ago and she went aground causing a bit of damage which has further delayed matters. Believe they are hoping that she will finally enter service in late January, early February.
Each of these ships carries double the amount of the ships they are replacing whilst burning the same amount of fuel. The original intention was that they would replace the Pride of Dover, Pride of Calais, and possibly also the Pride of Burgundy and European Seaway. When the Spirit of Britain arrived, the Pride of Dover went off to lay up in Tilbury, where she remains.
Things have changed with the demise of SeaFrance. The freighter European Seaway was also laid up in Tilbury but has been put back into service. Scuttlebutt has it that P&O now want as many ships on the Calais run as they can manage, in order to exclude another operator from running into Calais. To this end, it is rumoured that the Pride of Calais will be tarted up to soldier on for a couple more years.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
thanks for info ed, my understanding is that the next sea trial in rauma is scheduled for the 3rd january.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes indeed thanks for all that Ed..a great bit of info there.
Very interesting what you say there about vibration. Only last week I was giving a demonstration here in my flat , naming it as the ship currently docking at the moment kind of thing ...because when the Spirit of Britain is docking or departing..everything in my flat vibrates like with no other vessel. I think it gets worse or lesser depending on the atmospherics, but I can always tell when its docking...without looking of course.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Nothing much to do with the New Year Sailing Schedule but thought I would show you a picture or two of this very large container vessel which came right in close yesterday, almost to join us in the harbour. Occasionally a ship will do this...perhaps seeking out a pilot or something but this guy did a very welcome close 'flypast' yesterday. Wasnt able to see the name.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Paul, if you go to
http://marinetraffic.com/ais/ and enter Dover in the Port box, you will see what ships are in or around Dover. Or if you want to know the whereabouts of a particular ship, you can do that too.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Have just had a look at that website Peter and yes an excellent one..fascinating too...such a lot of shipping moving up and down the channel, amazing to see how much is moving about in such close range. Ive added it to my favourite bar for future ref. Many thanks.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
incredible website, so much traffic in our waters.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Yes, one of my favourites.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
email: dover7@msn.com
email: dover7@msn.com
email: dover7@msn.com
