"NORMAN ASTURIAS" started a new service from Poole to Santander this November

LD LINES started this month on the 3.11.2013 a new service from Poole to Santander with two sailings per week, tuesdays and saturdays, the ship is the "NORMAN ASTURIAS" previously on the Saint-Nazaire to Gijon route, now that COTENTIN was withdrawn from the same service by BRITTANY FERRIES this could be another option for the growing numbers of passengers travelling to Spain, she cannot be compared with the BF Cruise Ferries but is definitely an option offering budget crossings. For other entries here about "NORMAN ASTURIAS" when she started the service between Saint-Nazaire and Gijon as the BALTIC AMBER please click here

Back on board "NORMAN VOYAGER"

I was back on board "NORMAN VOYAGER" on the 7.4.2013, this was my third trip on the ship, the last one was one week before her November refit last year, I was pleased to see her almos full with passengers and freight, a lot to do of course with the Easter Holidays, also the ship has changed for the better, there is more open spaces on board for the passengers to enjoy, she still looks very well looked after with a caring crew. "NORMAN VOYAGER" is not by any means a cruise ferry, passengers don't cruise, there's not many facilities on board, but overall it is a pleasant crossing if of course you like travelling by sea, the opening of the new open deck spaces can only contribute for the well being of passengers particularly during spring and summer months. Her food served on the Self-Service Restaurant, only one available, was a lot worse than last time I was on board with very limited options, more demand for the same limited number of crew could be the reason. After her last refit she also lost the LD LINES logo and letters painted on her hull, it has been suggested that she will be painted with the DFDS livery later this year after another refit, we will be here to post future developments on the subject. Photos 7.4.2013

Blue is the colour on the Dover/Calais route

Blue is definitely the dominant colour on the Cross Channel Ferries operating on the Dover/Calais service, DFDS and PO FERRIES have used the blue livery for many years, with the collapse in 2011 of SEAFRANCE, the joint company formed by DFDS/LD LINES, with the NORMAN SPIRIT was the only exception to the rule with her red and yes also blue colours, that's been changed recently with the ship renamed CALAIS SEAWAYS and also painted with the DFDS all blue colours, the only exception to the rule became the newly formed MY FERRY LINK which is now using a few letters and stripes red to make a change on the competition. I hope readers of this blog don't get bored with this text, the same way we feel the Dover/Calais ferries are boring in terms of colours. Photos 28.3.2013

New HIGH SPEED FERRY service with BRITTANY FERRIES

BRITTANY FERRIES has announced today the beginning of a new HIGH SPEED FERRY Service from Portsmouth to Le Havre, the new operation will link the UK Port with Normandie starting 17.5.2013 and will run throughout the summer until September, BF will use the NORMANDIE EXPRESS, the crossing will take approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes, the last HIGH SPEED service on this route was secured by LD LINES with their fast craft NORMAN ARROW which was withdrawn from service in 2011. Photos included, NORMANDIE EXPRESS sailing from Portsmouth in June 2011 and NORMAN ARROW departing Le Havre also in June of 2011, the NORMAN SPIRIT can be seen in one of the photos, at the time the only Cruise Ferry operating on the route, this ship has been replaced by the NORMAN VOYAGER and is today operating on the Dover/Calais route still operated by LD LINES.

Maritime Le Havre from "NORMAN VOYAGER"

Photos 10.11.2012

"NORMAN VOYAGER" ready for sea at Le Havre

"NORMAN VOYAGER" ready for sea and leaving the harbour of Le Havre, yesterday 10.11.2012

my first trip on "NORMAN VOYAGER"

In the space of just nine days I did a round trip Portsmouth/Le Havre/Portsmouth on board "NORMAN VOYAGER", it was my very first trips on the ship. The vessel is part of 14 very similar ships built by Italian shipyards CANTIERI NAVALE VISENTINE, she was introduced in November of 2008 so she is only four years old. "NORMAN VOYAGER" is owned by Epic Shipping Ltd she was introduced on the Portsmouth/Le Havre route in 2011, the vessel is  26.904 GRT and has a top speed of 22.8 knots. Between 2009 and 2011 the ship was operated by Celtic Link Ferries who chartered her from LD LINES for the Cherbourg to Rosslare route, during this period in December of 2009 she received an award for saving three crew members of a struggling yacht out of Cherbourg, a plaque proudly displayed on board. The interiors of the ship are very basic but really well looked after, she actually is better preserved than the NORMAN ASTURIAS employed on the Saint-Nazaire to Gijon service also with LD LINES and delivers better food, the "boeuf bourgignon" is excellent. The ship has been operating since 2011 on the Portsmouth to Le Havre service with LD LINES, part of the project MOTORWAYS OF THE SEA. Photos 1st and 10th November 2012