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New 6x weekly Rosslare - Dunkerque (France) Ferry

24

Comments

  • #32
    embraer170
    Registered Users Posts: 2,416 ✭✭✭embraer170


    The existing Stena Horizon and Irish Ferries Epsilon (and BF Connemara) services hardly offer much for passengers so I don't think DFDS would be so different or a surprise.


  • #33
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,847 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    embraer170 wrote: »
    DFDS have not yet opened Rosslare for passenger. Even if they do (which they have said they might), cabin capacity on the Rosslare vessels is pretty limited and would be almost fully used with a decent load of accompanied freight in single driver cabins.

    I'd say not many drivers will go on this route, they'll just drop the trailers at the port and pick up the returns. 2 days lost driving when getting paid feck all is a big hit.


  • #34
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,906 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    CLDN have added a new Cork-Zeebrugge route for unaccompanied freight.
    https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-40202513.html


  • #35
    embraer170
    Registered Users Posts: 2,416 ✭✭✭embraer170


    Plenty of interesting news in recent days.

    WB Yeats switching with Epsilon and taking over the Cherbourg route for three weeks.

    And a few Epsilon UK services this weekend cancelled and replaced with an additional Cherbourg departure on Friday.


  • #36
    Jim Gazebo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,355 ✭✭✭Jim Gazebo


    Rosslare is surely over capacity now? One strong gale down there and 3/4 ships looking to come in, skippers not used to it, it's very exposed... Hopefully they've thought of all that as well. Could get messy..


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  • #37
    Tabnabs
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,684 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    I wouldn't worry so much about the skippers ability, but more about the ability to effectively stack all the trucks now on this route. The local road network must be an issue also. Some videos on social media of significant tail backs already. A few cancelled sailings from bad weather and there'll be a big mess both in the port and on the access road.


  • #38
    Dohvolle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,260 ✭✭✭Dohvolle


    The road from the Ferry Terminal to the New Ross Rd roundabout is not fit for purpose. It wasn't before, it isn't now. Barntown needs to be bypassed too, for their own sake.
    Also, how long before RNLI operations are impacted by Rosslare Port operations?


  • #39
    RonanG86
    Registered Users Posts: 690 ✭✭✭RonanG86


    Jim Gazebo wrote: »
    Rosslare is surely over capacity now? One strong gale down there and 3/4 ships looking to come in, skippers not used to it, it's very exposed... Hopefully they've thought of all that as well. Could get messy..

    The anchorage is getting a lot of use, but they do space them out when they're there. Example from the ship porn thread: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=115766823&postcount=1842

    The Stena Foreteller in the background of that shot was actually North of Rosslare point when that picture was taken.

    The quite large Stena Embla was there on Wednesday, it's taking over the France route whilst the Horizon is down for maintenance. But apparently the Horizon will be replaced long-term by the Estrid, which is the same size as the Embla, due to the extra demand on the route: https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2021/0113/1189595-stena-line-ferry/

    Whilst obviously they need the size, that's a fully loaded passenger ferry with all the facilities. Wonder about the efficiency of that for a route that's largely freight traffic.


  • #40
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    Jim Gazebo wrote: »
    Rosslare is surely over capacity now? One strong gale down there and 3/4 ships looking to come in, skippers not used to it, it's very exposed... Hopefully they've thought of all that as well. Could get messy..

    I used to work on the French route 20 years ago, and whilst the English ships would berth in bad weather, the French boat always went out in it, that's the thing about Rosslare, it's a deep sea harbour, in bad weather when the UK boats tied up, we had to steam up the Irish Sea and wait and let the bad weather pass, and when it came to turning the ship, we had to ring down to the restaurants to give them a warning.

    Rosslare will be fine, if they schedule it right, and so far it looks like they are covering themselves regarding the existing schedules.

    I was speaking to my brother who's a truck driver and has been on the DFDS boats, and he's saying that the French route is fully subscribed, he also mentioned that there is way loads more of Northern Irish reg Hauliers using the route who would have normally used landbridge.

    Have to say it's great to see Rosslare flourish.


  • #41
    RadioRetro
    Registered Users Posts: 2,090 ✭✭✭RadioRetro


    Brittany Ferries swapping to a larger vessel according to a local paper reporter...

    https://twitter.com/byrne_padraig/status/1350378189101662208


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  • #42
    vicwatson
    Registered Users Posts: 28,403 ✭✭✭✭vicwatson


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    I wouldn't worry so much about the skippers ability, but more about the ability to effectively stack all the trucks now on this route. The local road network must be an issue also. Some videos on social media of significant tail backs already. A few cancelled sailings from bad weather and there'll be a big mess both in the port and on the access road.

    Not true

    That was a once off, things are flowing very freely down there, and no issue with road access


  • #43
    vicwatson
    Registered Users Posts: 28,403 ✭✭✭✭vicwatson


    Dohvolle wrote: »
    The road from the Ferry Terminal to the New Ross Rd roundabout is not fit for purpose. It wasn't before, it isn't now. Barntown needs to be bypassed too, for their own sake.
    Also, how long before RNLI operations are impacted by Rosslare Port operations?

    Most of the time this road you refer to is dead


  • #44
    Dohvolle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,260 ✭✭✭Dohvolle


    vicwatson wrote: »
    Most of the time this road you refer to is dead

    It may have been last year, but empty a couple of truck ferries onto it, and things will change. Basically everything that once went via Dublin and Belfast, will now see Rosslare as a better option.


  • #45
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,776 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    vicwatson wrote: »
    Not true

    That was a once off, things are flowing very freely down there, and no issue with road access

    Strange, I was talking to a pal earlier who lives in Broadway and works in Rosslare Harbour and he said its getting busy and there is considerable concern about the ability of the road network to cope when normal freight levels return.

    I'm quite sure the people in Kilrane and Tagoat and Killinick will be concerned.

    Time to get the M11/M25 final section plotted and built asap.


  • #46
    vicwatson
    Registered Users Posts: 28,403 ✭✭✭✭vicwatson


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    Strange, I was talking to a pal earlier who lives in Broadway and works in Rosslare Harbour and he said its getting busy and there is considerable concern about the ability of the road network to cope when normal freight levels return.

    I'm quite sure the people in Kilrane and Tagoat and Killinick will be concerned.

    Time to get the M11/M25 final section plotted and built asap.

    Won’t happen for years

    No concern about the road network


  • #47
    Jim Gazebo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,355 ✭✭✭Jim Gazebo


    NoDrama wrote: »
    I used to work on the French route 20 years ago, and whilst the English ships would berth in bad weather, the French boat always went out in it, that's the thing about Rosslare, it's a deep sea harbour, in bad weather when the UK boats tied up, we had to steam up the Irish Sea and wait and let the bad weather pass, and when it came to turning the ship, we had to ring down to the restaurants to give them a warning.

    Rosslare will be fine, if they schedule it right, and so far it looks like they are covering themselves regarding the existing schedules.

    I was speaking to my brother who's a truck driver and has been on the DFDS boats, and he's saying that the French route is fully subscribed, he also mentioned that there is way loads more of Northern Irish reg Hauliers using the route who would have normally used landbridge.

    Have to say it's great to see Rosslare flourish.

    Totally agree about flourishing, I just know the way it is exposed and with so many extra new vessels, and then the pressure not to be the one that says I'm not going in today. I just hope they've thought ahead that's all regarding risk assessments for having so many ships down there.


  • #48
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,776 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    vicwatson wrote: »
    Won’t happen for years

    No concern about the road network

    With 40 odd sailings per week to the Continent alone once things get fully up to speed, on top of the return of private tourist traffic using these services, I really don't know how you can say that. Not just the capacity of the roads, but the safety aspects and road surface deterioration as well as insufficient stacking space in the Harbour.

    Putting your head in the sand about all of this is just foolish.


  • #49
    Tabnabs
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,684 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Look at the A55 in Anglesey. A road that was for years a problem with traffic to and from the port, until it was upgraded to a dual carriageway. If the current levels of freight are continued and then once passenger traffic returns, anyone saying it's grand is deluding themselves. Why are there long-standing plans to upgrade the road before the recent boom if the current road capacity is fine?


  • #50
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,851 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    Thankfully plans are afoot to improve the access to/from the port (it was posted in another thread)

    https://oilgate2rosslareharbour.ie
    (watch the video, it's great)

    And it looks like they are going about it the right way, looking for input from all the stakeholders.


  • #51
    Dohvolle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,260 ✭✭✭Dohvolle


    AndyBoBandy wrote: »
    Thankfully plans are afoot to improve the access to/from the port (it was posted in another thread)

    https://oilgate2rosslareharbour.ie
    (watch the video, it's great)

    And it looks like they are going about it the right way, looking for input from all the stakeholders.

    I must watch that video again next time I have trouble sleeping.


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  • #52
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,040 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    With 40 odd sailings per week to the Continent alone once things get fully up to speed, on top of the return of private tourist traffic using these services, I really don't know how you can say that. Not just the capacity of the roads, but the safety aspects and road surface deterioration as well as insufficient stacking space in the Harbour.

    Putting your head in the sand about all of this is just foolish.

    Making up numbers to make out there is some impending crisis is equally foolish.

    Where are you getting 40 continental sailings from? there are less than 20 a week (6 DFDS, 6 Stena, 1 Brittany to France, 2 Brittany to Spain). On average only 1.5 extra sailings a day on previous Rosslare numbers.

    If, and it is a big if, the shift away from ROI-UK traffic is permanent it will also mean a reduction in traffic for the 4 daily Rosslare-UK sailings or even a reduction in those sailings/routes.

    A plan is already in place to provide a new freight access and handling to the port to the north of the current route bypassing the harbour village.

    It is way too soon to know how much traffic will permanently route directly to the continent and how much shipping will be needed to sustain it, these extra services may not all survive long term.


  • #53
    RadioRetro
    Registered Users Posts: 2,090 ✭✭✭RadioRetro


    Another "We're gonna need a bigger boat" feeling comes to pass in Rosslare Harbour...

    https://twitter.com/Rosslareuroport/status/1351213637122318337


  • #54
    Dohvolle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,260 ✭✭✭Dohvolle


    It's interesting that for years Cork struggled to get a functioning cruise ferry on the Cork-Roscoff route (summer only) and was looking forward to an upgrade, when the newer ferries were reshuffled, then in the space of a few weeks, Rosslare gets Cap straight from full refit??


  • #55
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,906 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    Dohvolle wrote: »
    It's interesting that for years Cork struggled to get a functioning cruise ferry on the Cork-Roscoff route (summer only) and was looking forward to an upgrade, when the newer ferries were reshuffled, then in the space of a few weeks, Rosslare gets Cap straight from full refit??

    In fairness the Pont Aven is not a shabby boat though!


  • #56
    Dohvolle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,260 ✭✭✭Dohvolle


    CJhaughey wrote: »
    In fairness the Pont Aven is not a shabby boat though!

    No, but there are better ships doing shorter routes within the company.


  • #57
    neris
    Registered Users Posts: 20,029 ✭✭✭✭neris


    Wonder if theres extra demand beyond whats available now for Ireland France will Rosslare struggle for capacity and see that demand being passed back to Dublin or onto Cork.


  • #58
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,776 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Dohvolle wrote: »
    No, but there are better ships doing shorter routes within the company.

    It might be interesting but its not surprising. Putting Cap F on the Rosslare service makes absolute sense from every perspective. Shorter crossing, huge freight demand so always high load factor, the route will be massively profitable.

    Cork is just a seasonal tourist route really. Families heading to campsites in France.


  • #59
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,040 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    It might be interesting but its not surprising. Putting Cap F on the Rosslare service makes absolute sense from every perspective. Shorter crossing, huge freight demand so always high load factor, the route will be massively profitable.

    Cap Finestre is only covering Rosslare for a few weeks while Connemara fills in on their Poole service which is constrained by size limits in Poole Harbour.

    Even though it is a larger ship and has better passenger facilities Cap has a lower freight capacity than Connemara.


  • #60
    Dohvolle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,260 ✭✭✭Dohvolle


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    It might be interesting but its not surprising. Putting Cap F on the Rosslare service makes absolute sense from every perspective. Shorter crossing, huge freight demand so always high load factor, the route will be massively profitable.

    Cork is just a seasonal tourist route really. Families heading to campsites in France.

    Not sure that there is a huge difference time wise.
    Cork very annoyed that the Spain link was pulled with such short notice. Local relationship with BF suffered as a result.


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  • #61
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,776 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Cherbourg port authority announcing yesterday that so far in January they handled 9,000 truck movements, already more than any full quarter of 2019.

    I think these statistics must surely present questions about port and infrastructure serving Rosslare Harbour.


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