Ship spotting from on board "DEAL SEAWAYS"

Today was my second trip this year on the DFDS/LD LINES ship "DEAL SEAWAYS", my old friend "BARFLEUR" of BRITTANY FERRIES. My crossing was the 9am from Calais to Dover, very windy and rainy day with the ship needing help from a local tug to slip her moorings, the weather improved a lot and just half an hour from our arrival to Dover I was able to go back where I belong, on deck with my camera and ready for ship spotting, above some of the photos registered today, 6.10.2012. From top to bottom, "DEAL SEAWAYS" at sea followed by the P&O FERRIES, PRIDE OF BURGUNDY, approaching Dover, sailing vessel, SPIRIT OF BRITAIN on her way out of Dover and cruise ship BRAEMAR.

Life after SEAFRANCE on the English Channel

After the end of SEAFRANCE, P & O FERRIES and the new joint-venture DFDS/LD LINES are now the new competitors on the famous and rather busy Dover/Calais route, above photos taken at Calais 17.6.2012 showing some of the vessels currently operating. Please click to enlarge

"DEAL SEAWAYS" new ship on the Dover / Calais service

Further to my previous post here is the "DEAL SEAWAYS" in this particular instance arriving Calais on the 17.6.2012 at the end of one of her five daily crossings from Dover, she is the new fleet mate of the NORMAN SPIRIT on this new LD LINES/DFDS joint-venture

Back on board former BRITTANY FERRIES "BARFLEUR"

Last Saturday the 16.6.2012, I was back on board the new LD LINES ship for the Dover / Calais service "DEAL SEAWAYS", this excellent Ferry is the 1992 Finland purpose built "BARFLEUR" for the service Poole/Cherbourg operated by BRITTANY FERRIES. BARFLEUR has been losing money on the service for two years which led to the vessel being laid-up by BF for a couple of times in as many years. The new joint-venture LD LINES / DFDS on the Dover/Calais route started early in the year with the NORMAN SPIRIT, for some time and as previously commented on this blog, the new competitors to P&O FERRIES on this service have been looking for a suitable ship to join the NORMAN SPIRIT, the BARFLEUR after some brief alterations became the new fleet mate for the latter, she is still a BF ship but is on long-time charter with the new operators, two things I don't like about the ship today, her name and her new livery colours but at least she is kept busy and sailing, the best possible way to preserve a ship from ageing.

LD LINES/DFDS new service cross channel

LD LINES joined DFDS on a new adventure, the service from Dover to Calais, with the end of SEAFRANCE they represent the only competition to P & O FERRIES, on the Dover-Calais route, which just invested over 360 million euros on their new SPIRIT CLASS ships, images taken from LD LINES website advertising the new Cross Channel service, for all information and bookings please visit www.ldlines.co.uk

New Dover-Calais service with DFDS/LD LINES starting today

The new DFDS/LD LINES service between Dover and Calais in finally under way today, the ship to be used is the LD LINES "NORMAN SPIRIT" seen here last year at Le Havre on the 23rd of June. According to recent news, the company is looking for a second ship, "NORMAN SPIRIT" is flying the French Flag

DFDS/LD LINES ready to start new Dover-Calais route

The new joint DFDS/LD LINES passenger and freight ferry service between Dover and Calais is due to start on the 17th of February with the French flagged "NORMAN SPIRIT", the ship was previously operated by LD LINES on the Portsmouth to Le Havre route, a second vessel will be operated as soon as a suitable ship is available and of course meets the new company's needs, please click link on post below to read the press release about the new service. Photos of the "NORMAN SPIRIT" last year at Le Havre