P&O Ferries
The Pride of Dover
M/V Pride of Dover is a cross-channel ferry built in 1987 for Townsend Thoresen. Pride of Dover was the last new ship to appear in service with the famous Townsend Thoresen orange hull though she was delivered with the P&O house flag painted on her funnel which was changed from the 'TT' logo during construction. Townsend Thoresen was renamed P&O European Ferries late in 1987 and Pride of Dover was swiftly repainted in the new company colours. The industry generally regards Pride Of Dover and her sister Pride Of Calais as the most successful ferries ever built for English channel service. The ships boast superb handling characteristics and excellent seakeeping abilities. Between 1998 and 2002 she was under the control of P&O Stena Line and carried the name P&OSL Dover from 1999 until she was repainted into new P&O Ferries livery when her name returned to Pride of Dover.
Pride of Dover primarily operates the Dover–Calais route but on a number of occasions has made crossings between Dover and Zeebrugge as a result of industrial action in France.
Pride of Dover will leave service in either 2010 or 2011 to be replaced by one of two new ferries ordered by P&O Ferries, both of which will have a bigger capacity and almost double the amount of tonnage, at 49,000 tonnes, making them the largest ferries to ever cross the channel.
The Pride of Calais
The Pride of Calais is a cross-channel ferry operated by P&O Ferries. She was built by Townsend Thoresen in 1987, and launched on the 11th of April of that same year, as the sister ship to the Pride of Dover. She can carry 650 cars and 2290 passengers. she has always served on the Dover-Calais route, but during French blockades she has sailed to Zeebrugge.
Pride of Calais will leave service in either 2010 or 2011 to be replaced by one of two new ferries ordered by P&O Ferries, both of which will have a bigger capacity and almost double the amount of tonnage, at 49,000 tonnes, making them the largest ferries to ever cross the channel.
The Pride of Burgundy
The Pride of Burgundy is a cross-channel ferry operated by P&O Ferries. She started life as the nearly-built European Causeway but her design was changed seriously (half of deck 7 is still cabins). She is one of the smallest Dover – Calais ferries, only taking 1,420 passengers and 600 cars.
This ship consists of 9 decks. The vehicles are placed at deck 3-5. Passengers' leisure area is at deck 7-8. The open deck is at the aft of deck 9. Smoking area and non-smoking area is separated at open deck.
The Pride of Kent
The ship Pride of Kent is a cross-channel ferry operated by P&O Ferries, generally on the Dover to Calais service. It is the current 'flagship' of the P&O Dover-based fleet. She is the second ship to bear the name—the Spirit of Free Enterprise was renamed Pride of Kent in 1987 (later P&OSL Kent in 1998) and continued to sail the Dover-Calais route until 2003.
Pride of Canterbury
Pride of Canterbury is a cross-channel ferry operated by P&O Ferries. Like her sisters, European Seaway, Pride of Burgundy & Pride of Kent, Pride of Canterbury was also built in the early 1990s (launched 1992) as European Pathway. Between 1992 and 2002 she sailed between Dover and Zeebrugge. She was converted in the winter of 2002/spring 2003 and re-entered service as Pride of Canterbury (replacing the ageing P&OSL Canterbury).She currently sails from Dover to Calais.
The European Seaway
The European Seaway is a cross-channel ferry operated by P&O Ferries. one of only 3 freight craft built which survived, was built in 1991. She started out on the Dover – Zeebrugge route until 2000 when she did alternate sailings to Calais and Zeebrugge. In 2003 she was moved to Dover – Calais full time (no sail in 2004) after the Zeebrugge route closed.
The European Endeavour
The European Endeavour is a ferry which will began operating with P&O Ferries in November 2007. P&O took delivery of the ship in October 2007 from Acciona Trasmediterranea. She is the 28th member of the current P&O fleet and is the second P&O ship to have carried the name European Endeavour, the first is now the Gardenia of Trans Europe Ferries.
The Pride of Bilbao
As of 1994, Pride of Bilbao has been registered in Portsmouth. In 2002 she received a major refurbishment, during which the vast majority of public spaces were updated and brought in line with P&O Ferries' new corporate branding of onboard facilities, as well as updating her livery. In addition to this, all Club Cabins and Suites received new carpets and textiles as well as having their en-suites remodelled and refurbished.
The vessel currently (as of 2007) operates between Portsmouth and Bilbao, completing one return sailing every three days.
She has also been previously used to provide a weekly service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg - the "Party Cruise".
The Pride of Rotterdam
The Pride of Rotterdam (along with her sister ship Pride of Hull) is the P&O Ferries flagship of the fleet and is one of the world's largest cruiseferries. Working alternately each ferry departs at 9pm each evening and makes a 12 hour night time crossing of the North Sea working the route between the ports of Hull (East Riding of Yorkshire, England) and Europort in Rotterdam (Zuid-Holland, Netherlands). The construction of the cruiseferry was carried out at Fincantieri's Marghera yard in Venice. The Pride of Rotterdam took less than 14 months to build.
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