P & O FERRIES "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY"

"PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" was built in Germany by SCHICHAU SEEBECKWERFT in 1991 as the "EUROPEAN PATHWAY", the ship started on the Dover-Zeebrugge route in January 2002 operated by P & O European Ferries. In March of 1998 P & O and STENA LINE merged their short sea operations, the new company was called P & O STENA LINE, this alliance lasted until 2002 when P & O bought 40% of the shares from STENA LINE, the new company would trade as P & O FERRIES. The newly formed company decided that sister ships EUROPEAN PATHWAY and EUROPEAN HIGHWAY would go for a massive reconversion that would see the passenger capacity increased from 200 to 2000 passengers, this was known as the "PROJECT DARWIN", the new buildings would take place in Germany at LLOYD WERFT. The new "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" arrived at Dover for the first time in May of 2003, she and her sister, now named "PRIDE OF KENT" were to be used on the Dover-Calais route, when built in 1991 EUROPEAN PATHWAY was 20.986 GRT, after the 2002/3 rebuilt the gross tonnage was increased to 30.365. I remember sailing on both ships in 2003, they were announced as new by P & O, in fact the transformation was immense and they were virtually new. The "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" is seen here on sunday the 12th of February at Dover and the day after arriving at Calais