P&O Fleet Movements

[TC]

Reminds me of the Epsilon incident.  European Causeway / Highlander have a very good service record.  Good to know passengers and crew are safe and no injuries.  P&O very rarely cancel a sailing, it will be interesting to see what comes to the top when incident is investigated.

An interesting note is European Highlander, European Causeway, and Stena Nordica, all sail under the flag of the Bahamas. 
There are also strong rumors the Dover ships are going to be flying FOC's soon (Limassol / Cyprus).

Also looks like European Seaway will be covering refits in Larne.  The latter underwent quite an extensive refit, paint taken back to metal work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrYBXPHUq4

[giftgrub]

Great video thanks for posting link, did not think they had stabilisers on this series of Ferries, were they fitted during refit ?

[TC]

Great video thanks for posting link, did not think they had stabilisers on this series of Ferries, were they fitted during refit ?

I believe European Seaway always had them, as did half sisters, Pride of Kent, Canterbury, and Burgundy.

European Endeavour, the Dublin to Liverpool regular,  built for Norse Merchant Ferries,  doesn't have them.

I have travelled on E.E. many times, good time-keeper.  Reasonable ship, crew keep her tidy, though its about time she got a Stena style refit.  Her sister, former Stena Alegra, had stabilisers fitted, and looks very smart following rebuild.

[Cladyman]

P&o twitter fees saying both 4am sailings are likely to sail.

Must not be any significant damage to Causeway itself if sailing less than 24hrs after incident.

A few of the Lorry Drivers sleeping I. Trucks got a rude awakening.

[giftgrub]

Some images and details from The Sun

https://www.thesun.ie/news/3534256/cairnryan-ferry-passenger-shares-horror-as-trucker-dad-of-five-thought-boat-was-capsizing-fearing-this-is-it-after-vessel-battered-by-extreme-weather/amp/

[Steven]

Great video thanks for posting link, did not think they had stabilisers on this series of Ferries, were they fitted during refit ?

I believe European Seaway always had them, as did half sisters, Pride of Kent, Canterbury, and Burgundy.

European Endeavour, the Dublin to Liverpool regular,  built for Norse Merchant Ferries,  doesn't have them.

I have travelled on E.E. many times, good time-keeper.  Reasonable ship, crew keep her tidy, though its about time she got a Stena style refit.  Her sister, former Stena Alegra, had stabilisers fitted, and looks very smart following rebuild.

Endeavour has flume tanks which was thought sufficient at the time for what were intended to be primarily freight ferries.  From memory Murillo (now CRAICOVIA) which is a similar vessel on the same hull form but with more passenger accommodation was built with fin stabilisers.


EUROPEAN SEAWAY is returning to Larne in May as refit relief vessel again.  Good long docking period for Highlander and Causeway this year from May 6th to June 19th.

https://www.niferry.co.uk/pos-european-seaway-to-return-to-larne-in-2019/

[Steven]

Reminds me of the Epsilon incident.  European Causeway / Highlander have a very good service record.  Good to know passengers and crew are safe and no injuries.  P&O very rarely cancel a sailing, it will be interesting to see what comes to the top when incident is investigated.

An interesting note is European Highlander, European Causeway, and Stena Nordica, all sail under the flag of the Bahamas. 
There are also strong rumors the Dover ships are going to be flying FOC's soon (Limassol / Cyprus).

Also looks like European Seaway will be covering refits in Larne.  The latter underwent quite an extensive refit, paint taken back to metal work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrYBXPHUq4

P&O have confirmed the Spirits will be flying the Cypriot flag from early in the new year.  The rest of the fleet are to stay as they are (for now anyway).  The official reason is they need to stay on an EU flag.  Something to do with tax and finance.  Crew are apparently to stay the same on the same terms but that hasn't stopped the rumours.

[ferryfan]

It is being reported that P&O will now be registering their entire Dover fleet to Cyprus.

[TC]

I thought it very strange when P&O claimed they were only reflagging two vessels.  Not surprised with the latest announcement. P&O are claiming the British crews will be retained, so quite different to the Irish Ferries scenario.
However the latter are citing the need to have the vessels on an EU flag as the core reason....  Not sure how that works. 

Pride of York which sails between Hull and Zeebrugge is flagged in the Bahamas.  Likewise in the 1990s, Stena Fantasia was registered in the Bahamas, and her fleetmate, Stena Londoner.  So I don't see how not being on an EU flag is such an issue.

In reality this is part of a gradual re-flagging of the whole fleet.  First P&O Irish Sea in late 1990s, then Portsmouth (Pride of Bilbao in 2008), then P&O North Sea (c. 2010), and now Dover....  Mission Accomplished!

[Steven]

It is being reported that P&O will now be registering their entire Dover fleet to Cyprus.

Tell me about it.  NI Ferry SIte is getting a barrage of traffic.  My now former web host wasn't to pleased lol

http://www.niferry.co.uk/po-ferries-to-re-flag-dover-calais-flagships-from-u-k-to-cyprus/

I thought it very strange when P&O claimed they were only reflagging two vessels.  Not surprised with the latest announcement. P&O are claiming the British crews will be retained, so quite different to the Irish Ferries scenario.
However the latter are citing the need to have the vessels on an EU flag as the core reason....  Not sure how that works. 

Pride of York which sails between Hull and Zeebrugge is flagged in the Bahamas.  Likewise in the 1990s, Stena Fantasia was registered in the Bahamas, and her fleetmate, Stena Londoner.  So I don't see how not being on an EU flag is such an issue.

In reality this is part of a gradual re-flagging of the whole fleet.  First P&O Irish Sea in late 1990s, then Portsmouth (Pride of Bilbao in 2008), then P&O North Sea (c. 2010), and now Dover....  Mission Accomplished!

I think its partially because they directly blamed that word beginning with B.  There could well be a legitimate reason for the Spirits to retain an EU flag as their financing possibly has this requirement (does anyone really believe P&O paid cash upfront for them?).  I doubt the other vessels would have such restrictions unless they have been remortgaged.  There was also mention in the original statement to shippax about the potential for fewer delays in port due to a reduced likelihood of inspections (as EU vessels) should the hardest of B's happen.  In reality, not much needs to change apart from the fact they will be paying even less UK tax.  At least all the Dover vessels have remained flagged in the EU and not elsewhere like the Irish Sea fleet.  It doesn't necessarily mean the end of UK crews - to be honest, they could have had less UK crew under the UK flag anyway (and it's not like they don't already have crew members from beyond the countries bordering the channel and the North Sea!).

It will be interesting to see what they do next.

[Davy Jones]

Norbay on her way to Gdansk.

[TC]

Expect this is part of the life-extension program.   I'm guessing the paint will be stripped back to the metal.
European Seaway received this recently.  Expect the interior will get an update. 

[Steven]

Oddly P&O didn't provide any cover vessel for the first week of their dry dockings this year.  It meant they handed a lot of traffic to Seatruck who had to transfer some of it through Warrenpoint!!!  MISTRAL is in place now she's available but it looks like they booked a slot at Remontowa and couldn't get cover in time.

Expect this is part of the life-extension program.   I'm guessing the paint will be stripped back to the metal.
European Seaway received this recently.  Expect the interior will get an update. 

Seaway needed it badly - she's always just got a bit of a lick and a promise.  That's P&O European Ferries/P&O Stena eradicated at last!  She also got some female passenger toilets which will make her more suitable for her relief duties on the North Channel as it was one of the main complaints last time (people having to use cabin toilets).

The handover of onboard shopping to Dufry should be starting around now as well.  It will be interesting to see what changes.

[TC]

Norbay is looking smart. Looks like the old paint has been removed and total repaint undertaken.
Expect the interior has been modernised.

https://www.portalmorski.pl/stocznie-statki/42016-imponujaca-liczba-promow-w-gdanskiej-stoczni-remontowa-sa-zdjecia?fbclid=IwAR0TtLHcVgqdsCoITvv8NwXO_hItrIBgIQe3nEDpfMSVrk-vVlkvuqLu7ag

[Rob 1987]

Norbay is Now Underway ETA Liverpool 23rd March  7.00