ShipSpotting.com Forum
Shipspotters all over the world => Shipping News and information => Topic started by: Hawkeye on January 16, 2010, 01:47:46 AM
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Found this today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/8461624.stm
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Some great deals available on the Bilbao minicruise at the moment.
Monday to Thursday only
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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Thank you very much.
I thought the owner was Viking Line.
Maybe they double the capacity on the Ireland <-> France route. ;)
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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.
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Brittany Ferries are starting a new Portsmouth/Bilbao route in spring 2011 using the Cape Finisterre.
Bob
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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.
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She's already showing on AIS as moored in Falmouth having arrived today.
Regards
Bob
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Falmouth port movements show Bilbao will be sailing on 30 Oct (no destination mentioned)
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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
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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.
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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
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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. :)
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Bilbao sailed from Falmouth today (Yesterday), and is currently heading east up the English Channel just off Cherbourg. Destination Skagen.
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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.
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Bilbao currently berthed in Klaipeda. Presumably for rennovations prior to going to work at St Petersberg.