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Shipspotters all over the world => Shipping News and information => Topic started by: Hawkeye on January 16, 2010, 01:47:46 AM

Title: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Hawkeye on January 16, 2010, 01:47:46 AM
Found this today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/8461624.stm
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on January 16, 2010, 03:56:20 PM
Thats a shame, I've done some great trips on her including her second crossing back in 1993. Brilliant views of Portsmouth Harbour & the Port of Bilbao on these crossing.

Regards

Bob
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Kelvin Davies on January 16, 2010, 07:15:14 PM
Bob,
I think this is a sad indictment of what sort of company P&O has become.
From one of the UK's pioneering shipping lines, Peninsula & Orient, to a major seller of shares and asset strippers.
They couldn't run a ferry service from Portsmouth to France so they gave it up as it wasn't viable.
LD Lines took it on and are doing pretty good business on the Portsmouth to Le Havre route, while Brittany Ferries cover the Cherbourg and Caen crossings.
Now they find they can't run the Pride of Bilbao at a profit, yet Brittany Ferries are happily operating on this route, with a second ship, Cap Finist
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Andrew McAlpine on January 16, 2010, 09:30:28 PM
This is very sad news indeed, it is a very enjoyable trip and she is a nice vessel despite her age.

Why P&O say this service is not viable is beyond me as Kelvin points out other ferry operators seem to be doing just fine from Portsmouth.

As for P&O well this is just one more step to the name disappearing, I joined the company in the early nineties and at that time they had fingers in lots of pies, with companies such as Bovis Homes, Ferrymasters, and of course the various shipping interests ie tankers, bulk shipping, ferries, containers & port operations.
Now the P&O name is nothing more than a brand name for the Carnival Group and an increasingly shrinking ferry operator.

The shareholders have no doubt done very well with the group being dismantled from within over the years, the P&ONedlloyd division for example was just turning the corner when the directors sold out to Maersk. Iam a shreholder myself but i am saddened every time i read another story about P&O as I would very much prefer to have seen the company go from strength to strength and be the last great british shipping company.

I will be sure to take another trip on her before the service ends and I will be raising a glass in the bar to the P&O name.

Andrew
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on January 17, 2010, 12:14:55 PM
Quote

ukspotter wrote:
I will be sure to take another trip on her before the service ends and I will be raising a glass in the bar to the P&O name


Me too Andrew, already checking out a date.. or two  :-)

Regards

Bob
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on February 07, 2010, 04:21:46 PM
Some great deals available on the Bilbao minicruise at the moment.

Monday to Thursday only
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Bob Scott on February 07, 2010, 04:37:20 PM
Don't even think of going, though, unless you know you are a good sailor.
Even on a large ferry, the Bay of Biscay is no place for the seasick-prone at any time of year, let alone February.
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on February 07, 2010, 06:41:27 PM
Hi Bob,

Me & the wife have done this trip quite a few times, some rough but most pretty calm, in fact we did a trip in February once and it was like a millpond  :-)
Never been troubled with sea sickness so we are probably lucky. We have just booked up for late March so fingers crossed.

Anyway, a bit of bounching about is good for entertainment  :lol:

Regards

Bob
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: shipfriend on September 05, 2010, 03:56:53 PM
Does anyone have an idea what happens o the ship after leaving P&O?
It was only a charter ship. Who's the owner?
Is it possible that the ship goes to Viking Line?

Max
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Hawkeye on September 05, 2010, 04:30:18 PM
The owner is actually Irish Continental Group of Dublin. They bought the ship about five months after P&O chartered her from Viking Line. I beleive they run Irish Ferries at the moment, so we could be seeing her on one of their routes.
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: shipfriend on September 06, 2010, 06:13:19 PM
Thank you very much.
I thought the owner was Viking Line.
Maybe they double the capacity on the Ireland <-> France route. ;)
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: shipfriend on October 01, 2010, 06:29:37 AM
I have seen that the ship is going to Falmouth today (Oct 1, 2010) and I think the ship will be laid up there for a certain time until the ship will operate for another company.
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on October 01, 2010, 03:29:01 PM
Brittany Ferries are starting a new Portsmouth/Bilbao route in spring 2011 using the Cape Finisterre.

Bob
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Trelawney on October 01, 2010, 04:58:59 PM
Pride of Bilbao is due in Falmouth this week for dry docking as part of the handover from P&O to owners Irish Continental.

Don't believe that there are any published plans beyond that.
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on October 01, 2010, 05:04:56 PM
She's already showing on AIS as moored in Falmouth having arrived today.

Regards

Bob
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Trelawney on October 28, 2010, 08:16:13 PM
Falmouth port movements show Bilbao will be sailing on 30 Oct (no destination mentioned)
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Allan Wright on November 07, 2010, 08:48:29 PM
Hi all, i went down to Falmouth on the 28th Oct, there wasn't much activity happening around her. She's still transmitting from there at present. So god knows if / when she will depart.

http://shipping.fotopic.net/p68020865.html

Hopefully she will find a new home soon

All the best

Allan
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Robert J Smith on December 03, 2010, 05:46:14 PM
Just found this on wikipedia, looks like she could be going back to the Baltic with St Peter Line

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Pride_of_Bilbao

Future

As of November 2010, it is not yet known what will happen to the ship now that she has been withdrawn from service with P&O Ferries. She is currently laid up in Falmouth. The name was shortened to Bilbao and is now registered in the Bahamas. It is known that she has received a new paint job and major engine repairs whilst in dry dock in Falmouth. This suggests that she will be chartered to a new company in the near future. It is currently rumoured that MV Bilbao will be joining St Peter Line and be renamed Princess Anastasia. More information is to follow.

Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Kim Viktor on December 03, 2010, 08:12:36 PM
Yes St Peter Line will buy her, and put her in between Stockholm-Tallinn-S.t Petersburg.
http://www.stpeterline.com/en/NewsArchive/tabid/115/vw/1/ItemID/39/Default.aspx
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: shipfriend on December 12, 2010, 10:36:05 AM
There are some news about the ferry:

The ship will be operated by St. Peter Line from April 2011. The ship will be renamed in "Princess Anastasia" and the ship will operate between St Petersburg and Stockholm (weekend via Tallinn). The crossing time will be ca. 25 hours, acoording to St. Peter Line.
There will be two weekly departures.  :)
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Trelawney on December 29, 2010, 08:40:09 PM
Bilbao sailed from Falmouth today (Yesterday), and is currently heading east up the English Channel just off Cherbourg.  Destination Skagen.
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Scotsman on January 02, 2011, 01:25:32 PM
The way I heard it, the financial subsidy was not renewed to P&O.  This may have been the real cause of the withdrawal of the service.

I work in the port of Bilbao, loading my own company ships on a monthly basis, so the information came came from various sources.  Looking at the small number of passengers on the decks, I sometimes wondered how long the calls would last...........

I attach a photo of the "Cape Finisterre" entering Bilbao on November 24th.  She came in mid-morning and sailed the same afternoon.  Very slow berthing operation due to being her first visit.

Scotsman.
Title: Re: P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.
Post by: Trelawney on January 06, 2011, 10:24:51 PM
Bilbao currently berthed in Klaipeda. Presumably for rennovations prior to going to work at St Petersberg.