Irish Ferries announces fleet changes on Dover-Calais and Rosslare-Pembroke routes

The Dover/Calais route will be improved in June with the introduction of a larger ferry, the Spirit of Britain. This vessel has a much higher capacity than the vessel it replaces, the Isle of Innisfree. The Spirit of Britain will be able to carry up to 180 lorries, allowing for a much higher volume of freight than the previous vessel.

The Isle of Innisfree, previously serving the Dover-Calais route, will be redeployed to the Rosslare-Pembroke route. This move also offers increased capacity on this route, with the Isle of Innisfree able to accommodate up to 83 freight vehicles. 

In a separate development, Irish Ferries announced a strategic agreement with P&O Ferries to share freight and passenger space on their Dover-Calais route, reports  Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.

Irish Ferries anticipates this agreement to benefit its freight customers initially, offering a “turn up and go” service during the summer months. The passenger service is expected to be integrated into the agreement in a phased approach.

The companies emphasised that despite the shared capacity, all commercial activities remain under the control of each individual ferry operator.

Irish Ferries has assured that existing bookings will not be affected by these upcoming fleet adjustments.