Dover / Calais one of the busiest Ferry Routes in the World

Ferries arriving, departing, loading, unloading, getting ready for sea, a constant activity of one of the busiest Ferry Routes in the World, photos taken on board the new "SPIRIT OF FRANCE" leaving Dover on her way to Calais, the 9.25am departure. Photos 9.12.2013

Port of Dover on a hot summer's day

Maritime scene at Dover last sunday on a glorious summer's day, ships on display SPIRIT OF BRITAIN, cargo ship ELSEBETH, PRIDE OF CANTERBURY and RODIN, photos 6.7.2013

"PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" at Calais

"PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" at Calais, photos taken 17.6.2012, for all the information on the ship and her sister "PRIDE OF KENT" please click here

"PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" departing Calais

Captured here last month is the P & O FERRIES "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" leaving Calais on yet another voyage for Dover, these ships do an average of five crossings per day, each with the duration of 90 minutes. Photos Calais 17.6.2012

Cruise Ferries at Calais

You never get tired of Calais if you are just a ship spotter, a ships enthusiast, or both, captured here on the 16.6.2012 are the LD LINES "NORMAN SPIRIT", the superb brand new P&O FERRIES "SPIRIT OF BRITAIN" and the P & O FERRIES "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY"

On board "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" last week

                    Two of the four Diesel engines ready to manoeuvre the ship

                              Self-Service Restaurant

                        Bars on board serving the brilliant COSTA Coffee

                       HORIZON LOUNGE, family room and children playground

                                           Bar with a very British Pub Decor and ambiance

Images taken on board "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" last week on the 2sd of March 2012, you won't tell from the photos that there were over 800 passengers on board the ship for that crossing from Calais to Dover, this is the way I like to do it, respect other people's privacy, be discrete, some people don't like and quite rightly so to appear on photos taken by strangers                                    

"PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" docking in Dover

P & O FERRIES "PRIDE OF CANTERBURY" docking at Dover last thursday, photos taken from "SPIRIT OF FRANCE"

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