MS Ostend Spirit
Encyclopedia
The Ostend Spirit is a passenger and vehicle ferry
operated jointly by LD Lines
and TransEuropa Ferries
between Ostend
and Ramsgate
.
operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport
(RMT) in 1991, entering service in 1992 on their route between Dover
and Ostend
. She remained in service with RMT when their UK port was switched to Ramsgate
and until their operations ceased in 1997.
On 14 September 1994, a tragic accident resulted in 6 deaths when a linkspan
collapsed. Foot passengers were boarding the Prins Filip at Ramsgate. All publicity at the time was focused on Sally Line
and Thanet District Council
, the port owners, and not RMT or the Prins Filip.
Following a lay-up in Dunkirk, she was acquired by Stena Line
in 1998, renamed Stena Royal and initially used on freight services between Dover and Zeebrugge on charter to P&O Stena Line
. In 1999 P&O Stena Line decided to extend the charter and transferred the ship to its Dover-Calais
route. Stena Royal was extensively refurbished to include the P&O Stena 'Brand World' concept and entered service on the Calais route as the POSL Aquitaine, following the naming pattern for P&O Stena Line vessels.
In 2000, the POSL Aquitaine failed to stop whilst berthing at Calais due to a propeller fault. The crash caused many injuries and extensive damage to both the ship and berth.
P&O Stena Line was a short-lived venture, ending in 2002 when P&O acquired Stena Line's share in the operation. However, the POSL Aquitaine remained in service, initially under the name PO Aquitaine, then as the Pride of Aquitaine from early 2003 until May 2005 when she was withdrawn following the introduction of two new P&O ferries.
In October 2005, she began sailing on her present route between Portsmouth and Le Havre as Norman Spirit. LD Lines, a French-owned company with existing ferry operations on the Mediterranean Sea
, began this service following P&O's withdrawal from it the previous month.
In June 2006, Norman Spirit was reflagged to the British registry from the Italian second registry. She is now registered in Southampton
rather than Genoa
, although when she entered service with LD Lines she was registered in Dover
.
In September 2009, LD Lines announced that from November 2009 the vessel will be used on their service between Boulogne-sur-Mer
and Dover
, which she currently operates.
In March 2010 the Norman Spirit was chartered by TransEuropa Ferries
. In a joint service between TransEuropa Ferries
and LD Lines
, the ship was renamed Ostende Spirit and began sailing between Ostend
and Ramsgate
.
After changing the vessel name back to "Norman Spirit", it was announced on 28th November 2011 that DFDS Seaways
would charter the vessel from LD Lines to operate on their Dover/Dunkerque service. This was to help alleviate unexpected traffic preassure on the route caused by the announcement of SeaFrance going into administration.
Current passenger facilities include a number of bars and restaurants, lounges, shops and children's areas. Wireless
internet access is available throughout the ship (Discontinued as of December 2010).
Bars and Restaurants
Shops
Other Facilities
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
operated jointly by LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
and TransEuropa Ferries
Transeuropa Ferries
TransEuropa Ferries operates a ferry service between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium. TransEuropa Ferries n.v. is the cross channel satellite arm of TransEuropa Shipping Lines d.o.o. of Slovenia....
between Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
and Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
.
History
The Prins Filip was built for BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport
Regie voor Maritiem Transport
Regie voor Maritiem Transport was the Belgian state-owned ferry service and operated ferries on the Ostend-Dover route under the name Oostende Lines. For the last few years until its demise in February 1997, the ferries from Ostend went to Ramsgate instead of Dover, in partnership with Sally Line...
(RMT) in 1991, entering service in 1992 on their route between Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
. She remained in service with RMT when their UK port was switched to Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
and until their operations ceased in 1997.
On 14 September 1994, a tragic accident resulted in 6 deaths when a linkspan
Linkspan
A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a RO-RO vessel or ferry.Linkspans are usually found at ferry terminals where a vessel uses a combination of ramps either at the stern, bow or side to load or unload cars, vans, trucks and...
collapsed. Foot passengers were boarding the Prins Filip at Ramsgate. All publicity at the time was focused on Sally Line
Sally Line
Sally Line UK was a British ferry operator on the English Channel and North Sea.-History:Sally Line was founded in 1981 by Michael Kingshott as a subsidiary of the Finland-based Rederi Ab Sally, and initially marketed as Sally Viking Line, with a livery that was nearly identical with that of...
and Thanet District Council
Thanet District Council
Thanet District Council is the local government body for the Thanet district. Its administrative centre is Margate. It is one of the district councils in Kent...
, the port owners, and not RMT or the Prins Filip.
Following a lay-up in Dunkirk, she was acquired by Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
in 1998, renamed Stena Royal and initially used on freight services between Dover and Zeebrugge on charter to P&O Stena Line
P&O Stena Line
P&O Stena Line was formed in 1998 after the merger of P&O European Ferries Ltd and the Dover and Newhaven operations of Stena Line.-History:...
. In 1999 P&O Stena Line decided to extend the charter and transferred the ship to its Dover-Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
route. Stena Royal was extensively refurbished to include the P&O Stena 'Brand World' concept and entered service on the Calais route as the POSL Aquitaine, following the naming pattern for P&O Stena Line vessels.
In 2000, the POSL Aquitaine failed to stop whilst berthing at Calais due to a propeller fault. The crash caused many injuries and extensive damage to both the ship and berth.
P&O Stena Line was a short-lived venture, ending in 2002 when P&O acquired Stena Line's share in the operation. However, the POSL Aquitaine remained in service, initially under the name PO Aquitaine, then as the Pride of Aquitaine from early 2003 until May 2005 when she was withdrawn following the introduction of two new P&O ferries.
In October 2005, she began sailing on her present route between Portsmouth and Le Havre as Norman Spirit. LD Lines, a French-owned company with existing ferry operations on the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, began this service following P&O's withdrawal from it the previous month.
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
rather than Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, although when she entered service with LD Lines she was registered in Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
.
In September 2009, LD Lines announced that from November 2009 the vessel will be used on their service between Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
and Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, which she currently operates.
In March 2010 the Norman Spirit was chartered by TransEuropa Ferries
Transeuropa Ferries
TransEuropa Ferries operates a ferry service between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium. TransEuropa Ferries n.v. is the cross channel satellite arm of TransEuropa Shipping Lines d.o.o. of Slovenia....
. In a joint service between TransEuropa Ferries
Transeuropa Ferries
TransEuropa Ferries operates a ferry service between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium. TransEuropa Ferries n.v. is the cross channel satellite arm of TransEuropa Shipping Lines d.o.o. of Slovenia....
and LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
, the ship was renamed Ostende Spirit and began sailing between Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
and Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
.
After changing the vessel name back to "Norman Spirit", it was announced on 28th November 2011 that DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways is a large Danish shipping company operating passenger and freight services across Northern Europe. Following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010, DFDS restructured its other shipping divisions into the previously passenger only operation of DFDS Seaways.-History:The company has...
would charter the vessel from LD Lines to operate on their Dover/Dunkerque service. This was to help alleviate unexpected traffic preassure on the route caused by the announcement of SeaFrance going into administration.
Facilities
When built, the then Prins Filip incorporated several state-of-the-art safety features, such as flood barriers on the vehicle decks. There was also an airline-style on-board safety video http://users.pandora.be/eddy.lannoo/PF_frame.htm.Current passenger facilities include a number of bars and restaurants, lounges, shops and children's areas. Wireless
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
internet access is available throughout the ship (Discontinued as of December 2010).
Bars and Restaurants
- Little Italy Self Service Restaurant - Deck 7.
- Renamed from the P&O brand International Food Court.
- Pitstop Freight Drivers Restaurant - Deck 7
- Converted from a shop to the Routemasters Freight Drivers Restaurant by P&O Stena Line.
- Blue Mountain Cafe - Deck 7.
- The other Harbour Coffee Company outlets on board the Pride of Aquitaine. Was also part of the shop that was converted to Routemasters under P&O Stena Line. This area was Blue Mountain Cafe Express prior to the 2006 refit but is now the only Blue Mountain outlet on board.
- The Dirty Duck Pub - Deck 8.
- Previously Silverstones Bar under P&O Stena Line and P&O FerriesP&O FerriesP&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
- Cotton Club Lounge Bar/Club Class - Deck 9.
- This was formerly the Conference Centre on the Prins Filip and the Club Lounge on the Pride of Aquitaine.
Shops
- Ocean Shopping - Deck 7.
- Originally a music lounge and bar this was converted by P&O Stena Line into a Duty Free Supermarket under the Channel Shopping brand.
Other Facilities
- Cotton Club Lounge Bar/Club Class - Deck 9.
- This was formerly the Conference Centre on the Prins Filip and the Club Lounge on the Pride of Aquitaine.
- Sleeper Seat Lounge - Deck 8.
- This lounge was installed in late 2006 in the area formerly occupied by the Blue Mountain Cafe and original Velvet Lounge. The area was one of the Harbour Coffee Company outlets installed by P&O Stena Line and before that a Reclining Seat Lounge. The sleeper seats are fully reclinable and with a fold down foot rest turn into a 2.1 metre long bed similar to those found in Business ClassBusiness classBusiness class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
on some airlines. Norman Spirit is currently the only ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
ferry to have fully reclinable seats.
- Club Reclining Seats - Tweed Lounge and Velvet Lounge - Deck 8.
- The Tweed Lounge was originally the Club Class Lounge but became Langans Brasserie under P&O Stena Line. The first Velvet Lounge was originally a reclining seat lounge but became part of the Harbour Coffee Company area. When the ship entered service with LD Lines both areas once again were used for their original purpose. The Velvet Lounge was moved to the area previously occupied by the Channel Burger fast food restaurant during a refit in late 2006. It was formerly the Cinemas on Prins Filip but converted to First Base Burger Bar by P&O Stena Line.
- Horizon Lounge - Deck 7.
- Standard reclining seats with bar and snack counter. This area was originally cabins but these were removed by P&O Stena Line and have not been replaced by LD Lines.
- 59 en-suite cabins (8 single-berth, 42 two-berth and 9 four-berth) - Deck 8.
- 20 newly installed couchette cabins and 1 en-suite cabin for the disabled - Deck 7.
- Children's Playroom - Deck 7.
Trivia
A Prins Filip simulator game was made for PCExternal links
- Norman Spirit from LD Lines' official website
- Fan site devoted to the Prins Filip (includes the official on-board safety video)
- Photographs of the MS Norman Spirit
- MS Norman Spirit on Ship Blog