FERRY SHIPPING / COVID-19

By | 2020 Newsletter week 12 | No Comments

Thank you to all the companies and subscribers that have provided us with information regarding the impact of the virus crisis.

We have produced this overview. As things change fast, we cannot guarantee that the information is up to date. Please check the respective websites.

Balearia

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Balearia can no longer take passenger on their ferries. All National and International Commercial flights and ships have been banned from the Balearic Islands and passengers will not be allowed to disembark from planes or ferries.

The Moroccan government has decided to suspend its communications with Spain until further notice. Balearia is suspending passenger service departures for the Algeciras – Tangiers Med. and Almería – Nador routes until the current situation returns to normal. However, the route will continue operating for freight transport in order to ensure supply for the region.

Brittany Ferries

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Brittany Ferries has reshuffled its fleet and routes.

  • NORMANDIE (Portsmouth – Caen) will be taken out of service until 9 April at the earliest.
  • CONNEMARA (Portsmouth – Bilbao), MONT ST MICHEL (Portsmouth – Caen), CAP FINISTÈRE (UK – Spain) freight only.
  • Brittany Ferries will cease its weekly rotation connecting Roscoff in France with Rosslare in Ireland. KERRY will however continue two rotations per week, carrying freight between Rosslare and Bilbao.
  • ETRETAT (Portsmouth – Le Havre) has been taken out of service on 17 March. Laid up Le Havre.
  • Following her dry-dock in Poland, PONT-AVEN did not return to service as planned. She’s laid up in Le Havre until at least 9 April 2020.
  • Ro-Ro PELICAN, linking Bilbao with Poole will take only unaccompanied trailers.

Additional measures:

  • Passengers and freight drivers will be asked to remain in their cabins. Cabins will be open to all travellers.
  • Sales and catering facilities will be closed on board. Passenger movements will be restricted and meals will be taken in cabins. Customers will be informed by SMS that they will have to stay in their cabins and that the on-board shops will be closed.
  • Passengers will be asked to bring their own food and drink on board. This is to protect everyone on board – including Brittany Ferries crews who are working hard to maintain services for as long as possible.
  • All passengers are advised that they must travel only if it is essential to do so. Furthermore British passengers travelling to Spain are advised that they must take evidence of a permanent address in Spain, or they will be stopped after arrival by the authorities.

Brittany Ferries employs French crew. The company said it had to prepare for the non-availability of crew members because of illness or the need to take care of relatives at home.

DFDS

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Copenhagen-Oslo route suspended. PEARL SEAWAYS and CROWN SEAWAYS laid up in Copenhagen. Danish aid package for business means that crews on Pearl and Crown can be sent home with pay.

DFDS is temporarily suspending sailings on its Newcastle to Amsterdam (IJmuiden) ferry route.

The last sailings on the route before the temporary suspension will be from Amsterdam on Saturday 21 March and from Newcastle on Sunday 22 March.

Passenger capacity will be reduced to 50% on DFDS sailings from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk and Newhaven to Dieppe. There will not be a reduction in sailings, the schedules will remain the same.

DFDS stopped bookings of accompanied units and any other passengers on North Sea routes from Gothenburg to Ghent, Immingham or Zeebrugge.

Units that are normally driver accompanied can of course continue to be shipped, but only on an unaccompanied basis.

Finnlines

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Finland will start to restrict travelling to Finland as from 19 March 2020 midnight. These limitations remain in force until 13 April 2020.

Finnlines will do their best to ensure that people have the possibility to get home and undertake essential travel:

Finnish citizens and people living in Finland can return to Finland. Note, that the travellers should stay at their homes 14 days after returning home.

Foreign travellers in Finland can return to their home countries.

EU citizens are allowed to return via Finland to their home countries.

Cargo transportation will continue as usual and drivers will be transported normally since essential traveling for work is allowed.

More on Finnlines News.