PO Pioneer ferry

MS P&O Pioneer ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel owned and operated by the UK company P&O FERRIES. The ship has a max capacity of 1500 passengers and 200 cars and 175 lorries/semi-trailer trucks. The vessel was launched in 2022 (inaugurated in 2023 June) and operates on the UK-France/English Channel route Dover-Calais (crossing time 1,5 hours) together with the sistership P&O Liberte.

The vessel (IMO number 9895161) is currently Cyprus-flagged (MMSI 210385000) and registered in Limassol.

Cabins

The ferry P&O Pioneer has no cabins (passenger staterooms) due to the route's short crossing distance. Instead, the ship offers Reserved Seating Lounge (luxury Club-class bar lounge furnished with comfortable leather couches).

Reserved seats are available for pre-booking. These deals are inclusive of complimentary beverages (champagne, tea, coffee, soft drinks) and newspapers.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The ship design features two large glass walls (portside and starboard, each 2-deck-high/spanning decks 8-9) to allow natural light into the public areas and provide passengers with unobstructed outside views. Each ship also has ~1500 m2 (16145 ft2) of outdoor deck space for panoramic sea views.

P&O Pioneer ship's main passenger-accessible facilities include The Food Court (buffet-style restaurant), Brasserie (French restaurant serving gourmet food and fine wines), patisseries (coffee shops serving light snacks, pastries, hot and cold beverages), shops, Starbucks Coffee Bar.

Pioneer Lounge is the main bar lounge with comfortable seating and served by its own bar (light snacks and drinks /tea, coffee, sodas).

Shipboard shopping offers a wide choice of brand products to be purchased at discount/cheaper in comparison to UK high street prices. Up to 40% discounts are offered on luxury brand perfumes, skincare, and cosmetics. Up to 30% discounts are offered on alcohol (spirits, wines, beers). The shops also sell bestseller books, newspapers, magazines, toys, games, electronics.

The ship is entirely non-smoking, and smoking is not permitted even on the outdoor deck areas.

The ferry has no children-dedicated staff or facilities (Arcade, Playroom) and doesn't provide kids' entertainment (supervised activities).

The top deck houses the Helideck (midship helicopter landing area used in cases of emergency) and the communication equipment (radars, antennas).

Six lifts (passenger elevators) and indoor staircases connect all passenger decks with the garages/cargo decks.

Ship technology

Being currently the world's largest/longest double-ended ferries, each vessel has two Wheelhouses/Navigation Bridges (one on each end). P&O decided to use the double-ended hull design to save ~10 min of in-port docking/undocking time as there is no need to maneuver for berthing or departing the dock. The four Azipods are in-hull mounted (2x bow, 2x stern) and can rotate 360 degrees, providing better maneuverability.

The double-ended ferry design allows vehicles to be loaded/unloaded via the ship's both ends (bow and stern). Such ferryboats are used mainly on short routes (including river crossings) as they save maneuvering time and lower fuel consumption (and risks) before docking. A unique feature for such ships is the doubled propulsion (identical units installed at each end). This results in better stopping power and greater maneuverability in comparison to standard ferries.

The WHRS system provides heating for the fuel tanks, fuel heaters, fuel purifier heaters, as well as for the HVAC system (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) producing hot water and also heating the machinery rooms and all spaces below Deck 8. A computer-based power management system alows additional energy/fuel savings by turning off the lighting and ventilation (in empty areas), optimizing the powerplant/battery/waste heat recovery systems. Additional energy is saved as the design allows up to 2/3rds of the vessel to be closed during off-peak crossings.

The ship's batteries are by XALT Energy (Midland Michigan USA-based company specializing in lithium-ion cells, battery packs and system development). They have enough power capacity to allow leaving the homeports without powering the diesel generators. Being plug-in ready by design, the ship's propulsion can be converted from diesel-electric to battery-electric in the near future. Currently, the batteries are charged with the diesel engines' surplus energy and discharged when the boat requires peaks of power.

Car decks

The ferry has three cargo decks/garages, including two for trucks (Lower and Main) and one for the cars/vans (Upper).

• All onboard emergency instructions are displayed in staterooms, on the TV screens and at the ship's assembly stations (aka muster stations). Life jackets are issued at the assembly stations. In case of emergency, the use of elevators/passenger lifts is forbidden.
• Disabled passengers or those requiring specific assistance should visit the ship's Information Desk (open 24-hours).
• Apply handbrake and place the vehicle in park or 1st gear position. Switch off the ignition, alarm, electrical equipment, headlights. Gas cylinders, if any, must be switched off. Lock the vehicle.
• From your vehicle take only valuables and essential hand baggage.
• Make a note of your vehicle's location and garage deck number/stairway before leaving the car deck.
• Access to the ship's vehicle (cargo) decks during the voyage is prohibited.
• Smoking on vehicle decks, as well as in cabins and passenger lounges is forbidden.
• Wait for the onboard announcement before returning to your vehicle.

In order to avoid air pollution, don't start the engine until instructed.

The shipowner P&O Ferries (fleet, 2002-founded, headquartered in Dover England) is a UK ferry company operating on the shipping routes UK-France, UK-Ireland, UK-Holland (mini-cruises), UK-Belgium (mini-cruises) and Scotland-Northern Ireland.