P&O withdraw the Bilbao service.

[Trelawney]

Falmouth port movements show Bilbao will be sailing on 30 Oct (no destination mentioned)

[Allan Wright]

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

[Robert J Smith]

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As of November 2010, it is not yet known what will happen to the ship now that she has been withdrawn from service with P&O Ferries.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.

[Kim Viktor]

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

[shipfriend]

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. 

[Trelawney]

Bilbao sailed from Falmouth today (Yesterday), and is currently heading east up the English Channel just off Cherbourg.  Destination Skagen.

[Scotsman]

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.

[Trelawney]

Bilbao currently berthed in Klaipeda. Presumably for rennovations prior to going to work at St Petersberg.