P&O New Ships Blog

Spirit of France Leaves Finland For Dover

P&O Ferries Admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:30:16 +0000

P&O Ferries today (24 January) took delivery of its second new €180 million ship, Spirit of France, during a handover ceremony at the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland.

Spirit of France then began its 1,400 mile voyage to Dover under the command of Captain Steve Johnson, Senior Master. The estimated time of arrival at Dover is 11.00hrs on Saturday 28 January. Final preparations will then be made for the new ship to take up service on the Dover – Calais route by mid February.

Helen Deeble, chief executive, said: “This investment gives us the finest cross-Channel ferries ever commissioned for the Dover Strait and is a bold statement of our determination to continue to raise the bar in terms of the quality and comfort of ferry travel. I look forward to welcoming customers on board the first sailing of Spirit of France in due course.”

As the Spirit of France left her berth in Rauma at 12:50pm UK time, Fleet Director John Garner described the weather conditions for departure as “perfect”. Although it was minus five degrees with a light dusting of snow, it was bright sunshine with no sea ice anticipated en route to Dover.

Spirit of France leaves it's berth in Rauma, Finland today, en route to Dover

P&O Ferries To Take Delivery Of Second New Ship

P&O Ferries Admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:13:04 +0000

P&O Ferries will on Tuesday 24 January take delivery of its second new €180 million ship, Spirit of France, during a handover ceremony at the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland.

Spirit of France will then commence its 1,400 mile voyage to Dover under the command of Captain Steve Johnson, senior master. The ship will arrive in Dover on Saturday 28 January and will undergo berthing trials in both Dover and Calais before entering service on the premier Channel crossing prior to mid-February.

At more than 47,000 gross tons and 213 metres in length, Spirit of France, and sister ship Spirit of Britain, which began service last year, are the largest ferries ever built for the Dover Strait. Their combined cost of €360 million is the largest investment ever made by P&O Ferries.

P&O Ferries operates 22 ships on routes to Northern Ireland, Ireland, Holland, Belgium and France, carrying more than nine million passengers, more than one and a half million cars and two million trucks a year.

Photo Update – June 2011

P&O Ferries Admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:00:25 +0000

STX Europe, Finland. With sea trials set to begin at the end of the month, the Spirit of France is looking more like her sister ship by the day. Hopefully, we’ll be able to bring you pictures of her at sea for the first time early in July.

Spirit of France - June 2011

Much of the dockside painting is now complete so that work on the other side can commence when she returns from sea trials and berths bow first

The view across the vast bridge of the Spirit of France as final preparations are underway for sea trials

Photo Update – May 2011

P&O Ferries Admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 08:36:44 +0000

The blog has been a little bit quiet recently, but with work well underway to fit-out the internal spaces of the Spirit of France the truth is, at this stage, there’s not much to see that we didn’t already see with her predecessor.

However, with less than 5 months left until she arrives in Dover I’ve included our latest photos to show you how she is coming along….

View from the outside passenger deck, not what you'd typically expect the view in a shipyard to look like!

Afloat For The First Time!

P&O Ferries Admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:10:17 +0000

The Spirit of France took to the water for the first time last Friday (18th Feb) when she was floated out of her construction dock at the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland.

P&O Ferries CEO Helen Deeble and the ship’s senior master Captain Steve Johnson were amongst those who braved temperatures as low as -20 degree centigrade to commemorate the flooding of the dry dock. In fact, temperatures were so cold, the official speeches were delivered into a microphone hurriedly protected from freezing by an oven glove!

Over the next six months the Spirit of France is due to be fitted out and then delivered to P&O Ferries in September to work alongside her identical twin the Spirit of Britain.

Spirit of France afloat for the first time at the STX Europe yard in Finland

Photo Update – February 2011

P&O Ferries Admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:52:14 +0000

STX Europe, Finland. With all the excitement and media attention surrounding the arrival of the Spirit of Britain, it’s easy to forget that back in Finland her sister ship, the Spirit of France, is coming along nicely.

These latest pictures show the Spirit of France now complete with funnel and with her enormous propellers in place.

Spirit of France - February 2011

The funnel section of the Spirit of France is lifted into position

The dock workers really add a sense of scale to this picture of the main propellers

SuperCalaisFerryTastic – Have you picked your spot yet?

P&O Ferries Admin — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:01:14 +0000

If you haven’t yet picked a spot on out virtual Superferry, you are running out of time!

We’ve hidden fantastic European holiday prizes, ferry travel and onboard shopping vouchers all over our virtual superferry. There’s even a special ‘Free P&O Ferries Travel for a Decade’ hidden in one of the rooms! Will you select a winning spot?

What’s more, for every friend you reccomend that enters the giveaway, we will automatically give you another randomly selected spot, increasing your chances of winning even more!

Play SuperCalaisFerryTastic Now

SuperFerryCalaisTastic – Have you played yet?

The Camera Never Lies

P&O Ferries Admin — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:12:22 +0000

I’ve heard a few people mutter that the Spirit of Britain didn’t look ‘that big’ when she entered the Port of Dover last Sunday. Perhaps from up on the cliffs her size was not immediately apparent.

Thanks then to the Senior Master of the Pride of Canterbury Captain Steve Johnson (who incidentally will also be Senior Master of the Spirit of France) who from his unique vantage point was able to perfectly capture the size of the new ship in comparison to the Pride of Calais.

The Spirit of Britain alongside the Pride of Calais

As impressive as her height and length are, the beam/width of the Spirit of Britain is amazing!

Spirit of Britain arrives in her new home!

P&O Ferries Admin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:30:56 +0000

Having negotiated over 100 miles of ice flow (the worst seen in 30 years), 40mph snow storms and some very testing sea conditions in the North Sea, the Spirit of Britain finally entered Dover harbour shortly after 11am on Sunday 9th January.

Greeted by glorious sunshine and hundreds of onlookers lining the cliffs and seafront, the vessel made a trip across the harbour prior to berthing in the Eastern Docks for the very first time. In fact the sense of the occasion was wonderfully captured by a welcoming salute from rival SeaFrance’s Berlioz as the Spirit of Britain entered the harbour.

Upon arrival Captain David Miller enthused about the vessel’s exquisite sea-keeping qualities even in some pretty unsavory conditions. He noted that this bodes well for the smoothness of the journey it should be able to deliver on her new Dover-Calais service.

Included below are a couple of pictures of the Spirit of Britain arriving on Sunday together with a hint of what you can expect to find onboard when she enters service at the end of next week.

Spirit of Britain enters Dover Harbour

Spirit of Britain recieves a traditional celebratory shower from two Dover Harbour Board tugs

Seating area outside the Shop & Collect outlet

No forgetting which staircase you came up from the car deck on now – the ‘Red Stairs’

Loose furniture, choice of seating, spectacular views – welcome to the new Food Court

The artist impressions although accurate, do not do justice to the reality of the spectacular Family Lounge

A ships model displayed proudly in the Aft Lounge

Spirit Of Britain Sails For Dover

P&O Ferries Admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:00:21 +0000

P&O Ferries took delivery of its new €180 million ship Spirit of Britain today (5 January) during a handover ceremony at the stxeurope shipyard in Rauma, Finland.

The ship then followed a route cleared by icebreakers to commence its delivery voyage to Dover. The estimated time of arrival at Dover is Sunday 9 January at 11.00hrs if sea ice conditions in the Baltic are as anticipated.

Upon arrival the ship will undergo final preparations for entry into service on the Dover – Calais route from 21 January.

At 49,000 gross registered tonnes and 213 metres in length, Spirit of Britain is by far the largest ferry ever designed for service on the Dover Strait. The new ship is the first of a pair coming into service for P&O Ferries between Dover and Calais this year, with sister ship Spirit of France to follow in September. Each has capacity for up to 2,000 passengers and vehicle deck space for a line of traffic almost four kilometres long.

Helen Deeble, chief executive, said: “These are exciting times for P&O Ferries. We start the New Year with a magnificent new ship and will take delivery of a second before the year is out. The combined cost of €360 million for the two ships represents the largest investment ever made by P&O Ferries as we continue to strive to set new standards for our customers.”

The Spirit of Britain during sea trials in December