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 maximum capacity of 1,500 passengers, 200 cars, and 175 lorries/semi-trailer trucks. The vessel was launched in 2022 (inaugurated in June 2023) and operates on the UK–France/English Channel route Dover–Calais (crossing time approx. 1.5 hours) together with her 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 a Reserved Seating Lounge (a luxury Club-class bar lounge furnished with comfortable leather couches).

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

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The ship’s design features two large glass walls (portside and starboard, each two decks high and spanning decks 8–9) that allow natural light into the public areas and provide unobstructed outside views. Each vessel also has approximately 1,500 m2 (16,145 ft2) of outdoor deck space for panoramic sea views.

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

Pioneer Lounge is the main bar lounge, offering comfortable seating and served by its own bar (light snacks and drinks, including tea, coffee, and soft drinks).

Shipboard shopping offers a wide selection of branded products at discounted prices compared to UK high street rates. Discounts of up to 40% are available on luxury brand perfumes, skincare, and cosmetics, while alcohol (spirits, wines, beers) is discounted by up to 30%. The shops also sell bestseller books, newspapers, magazines, toys, games, and electronics.

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

The ferry has no dedicated children’s staff or facilities (such as arcades or playrooms) and does not provide organized kids’ entertainment or supervised activities.

The top deck houses the helideck (a midship helicopter landing area used in emergency situations) as well as the ship’s communication equipment (radars and antennas).

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

Ship technology

Currently the world’s largest and longest double-ended ferries, each vessel is equipped with two wheelhouses/navigation bridges (one at each end). P&O selected the double-ended hull design to save approximately 10 minutes of in-port docking and undocking time, as no turning maneuvers are required when berthing or departing. The four Azipods are in-hull mounted (two forward and two aft) and can rotate 360 degrees, providing excellent maneuverability.

The double-ended ferry design allows vehicles to be loaded and unloaded from both ends (bow and stern). Such ferries are primarily used on short routes (including river crossings) as they reduce maneuvering time, fuel consumption, and operational risks before docking. A distinctive feature of these vessels is the duplicated propulsion system, with identical units installed at each end, resulting in improved stopping power and superior maneuverability compared to conventional ferries.

The WHRS (waste heat recovery system) provides heating for fuel tanks, fuel heaters, fuel purifier heaters, and the HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), producing hot water and heating machinery spaces and all areas below Deck 8. A computer-based power management system enables additional energy and fuel savings by switching off lighting and ventilation in unused areas and optimizing the powerplant, battery, and waste heat recovery systems. Further energy savings are achieved as up to two-thirds of the vessel can be closed during off-peak crossings.

The ship’s batteries are supplied by XALT Energy (a Midland, Michigan, USA-based company specializing in lithium-ion cells, battery packs, and system development). The batteries have sufficient capacity to allow departure from homeports without running the diesel generators. Designed to be plug-in ready, the vessel’s propulsion system can be converted from diesel-electric to battery-electric operation in the near future. Currently, the batteries are charged using surplus energy from the diesel engines and discharged when peak power demand is required.

Car decks

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

• All onboard emergency instructions are displayed in public areas, on TV screens, and at the ship’s assembly (muster) stations. Life jackets are issued at the assembly stations. In an emergency, the use of elevators/passenger lifts is prohibited.
• Passengers with disabilities or those requiring special assistance should visit the ship’s Information Desk (open 24 hours).
• Apply the handbrake and place the vehicle in park or first gear. Switch off the ignition, alarm, electrical equipment, and headlights. Gas cylinders, if any, must be turned off. Lock the vehicle.
• Take only valuables and essential hand baggage from your vehicle.
• Make a note of your vehicle’s location and the 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 passenger lounges, is forbidden.
• Wait for the onboard announcement before returning to your vehicle.

To avoid air pollution, do not start the engine until instructed.

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