DFDS Rosslare

[ccs]

Any update on the car / passenger service from Rosslare to Dunkirk? Was thinking of making a trip in January but can see nothing on the DFDS website.

Video review here

[Steven]

DFDS has made passenger sailings available on Rosslare - Dunkirk until the end of the year.  They are also now taking passenger on VISBORG.

Booking info here @A83 https://www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/ferry-crossings/rosslare-dunkirk

[A83]

Thanks mightymax23. Great to see this service up and running for cars and passengers. I will look forward to a trip up the English Channel.

[giftgrub]

Regina Seaways on the way to Gdańsk, presumably for refit, so looks like just the Visborg for the moment on the Rosslare Dunkerque run.

[Niall]

Optima Seaways is heading to Dunkerque from Klaipeda

[jpwoodh]

I took the Regina Seaways on the 22nd from Dunkirk, and for a ship heading to Dry Dock for a month, she was in excellent condition.

There were 12 passenger cars onboard, so a good additional revenue stream for DFDS. Freight space was as good as full.

The service onboard and overall ship quality beats the OK Stena Horizon and terrible Irish Ferries Epsilon. An all inclusive meal and cabin package was great addition.

The meal quality was good, although the food style was much more suited to an Eastern European than the predominantly Irish passengers on board.  Since the ship is allocated to the Irish crossings for a while now, I'm surprised to see posters onboard still focused on its previous Baltic life. 

Dunkirk is so well connected to the European motorway network so exiting the port is much better than Cherbourg.

DFDS are now taking bookings for January on the route.

[giftgrub]

Great update, thanks for posting, very interesting route for DFDS and great to see it developing.

[jpwoodh]

I read this morning that DFDS have acquired another Irish freight company with 100k Irish Sea truck crossings annually, and wonder if they will start an Irish Sea route?

[marsav68]

I read this morning that DFDS have acquired another Irish freight company with 100k Irish Sea truck crossings annually, and wonder if they will start an Irish Sea route?

Yes they have purchased McBurney Transport in NI. I seen on another board that at the moment Mc Burney are a major customer for P&O out of Larne. This could seriously impact that route.

[giftgrub]

Regina Seaways is out of drydock in Gdansk but has not left the shipyard yet. It looks like it received a full repaint while in drydock so should be sparkling on its return.

Image below from facebook posted a few days ago.

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[giftgrub]

Regina Seaways has gone back into drydock in Gdańsk, can't be long until it returns to service in Rosslare.

[jpwoodh]

DFDS have released their fares for the rest of 2023.

https://www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/ferry-crossings/rosslare-dunkirk


Peak summer fare is €650 one way for car, cabin and meals for four.

[giftgrub]

Regina Seaways out of drydock and on sea trials, should be nearly finished in Gdańsk.

Mentioned on another Facebook message that perhaps Visborg might be leaving the route.

If that is the case and DFDS have no further use for Visborg (though they probably have a lot of routes they could operate it on) might we see a charter to another Irish Sea operator?


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[Niall]

She's heading back to Dunkerque to take up her Rosslare service alongside Visborg whil Optima Seaways returns to the Baltic

[giftgrub]

According to a post on Linkedin, the Visborg will finish service today on the DFDS Rosslare route, its being replaced by the returning Regina Seaways which will operate the route alongside the Optima Seaways.