Spirit of France ferry

Spirit of France ferry current position

Spirit of France ferry current location is at North Sea (coordinates 50.97784 N / 1.87148 E) cruising en route to DOV-CAL-DOV. The AIS position was reported 5 minutes ago.

Current Position

Specifications of Spirit of France ferry

Year of build2012  /  Age: 12
Flag state Cyprus
BuilderSTX Europe-Aker Yards (Rauma, Finland)
Classcar and passenger ferry (Ro-Ro ship)
Ferry route / homeportsEnglish Channel (Dover-Calais)
Building costEUR 180 million
Speed22 kn / 41 km/h / 25 mph
Length (LOA)212 m / 696 ft
Beam (width)31 m / 102 ft
Gross Tonnage47592 gt
Passengers1750 - 2000
Crew200
Cars1059
Freight vehicles180
Decks12
Sister-shipsSpirit of Britain
OwnerP&O Ferries Cyprus Ltd
OperatorP&O FERRIES UK

Spirit of France ferry Review

Review of Spirit of France ferry

MS Spirit of France ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel owned and operated by the UK company P&O FERRIES. The ship has a max capacity of 2000 passengers and 1059 cars (or 180 lorries). The vessel was launched in 2012 and currently operates on the UK-France ferry route Dover-Calais (crossing time 1,5 hours).

The vessel (IMO number 9533816) is currently Cyprus-flagged (MMSI 209490000) and registered in Limassol.

Cabins

As cruise ferry, Spirit of France has no cabins (passenger staterooms) due to the route's short crossing distance. Instead, the ship offers Reserved Seating Lounge - a 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 dining and entertainment options

The ship's main dining facilities include Food Court (serving international cuisine and fresh-made traditional British fare), Brasserie (French restaurant serving gourmet food and fine wines), patisseries (coffee shops serving light snacks, pastries, hot and cold drinks / including Starbucks Coffee).

PO FERRIES Spirit of France ferry ship

The ship has a dedicated family lounge with comfortable seating. The lounge is served by its own bar (light snacks and beverages - tea, coffee, soft drinks). During summer months opens an outdoor/open-air alfresco bar.

Shopping at the onboard shops offers a wide choice of brand products at discounted prices in comparison to UK high street prices. Up to 40% discounts are offered on luxury perfumes, skincare, cosmetics. Up to 30% discounts are offered on alcohol (spirits, wines, beers). The shops also sell bestseller books, newspapers, magazines, toys, games,

The cruise ferry Spirit of France has children-dedicated onboard areas, including playroom and movie room (for watching videos). During summer holidays' family breaks, the ferry company provides onboard kids entertainment program with specially trained staff and supervised activities (painting, drawing, treasure hunts, arts, and crafts).

Car decks

Follows a list of car decks-related safety procedures:

  • 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.

ferry company PO FERRIES logo - CruiseMapper

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.

Spirit of France ferry ship related cruise news

Spirit of France ferry Wiki

On August 8, 2008, P&O Ferries signed a EUR 360 million shipbuilding contract with Aker Yards (STX Finland, Rauma Shipyard) for the construction of 2 cruise ferries specifically designed for the Dover-Calais ferry route. These were the largest ferries ever built for the English Channel crossing service. The new design featured an optimized hull for minimum fuel consumption. The ship is powered by four MAN marine diesel engines (model 8ZAL40S) with total power output 38,4 MW.

The newbuilds were the world's first passenger ferries to comply with IMO's new SRtP ("Safe Return to Port") requirements. These new SOLAS regulations were applicable to passenger ships with keels laid after July 1, 2010, and with LOA lengths 120+ m (394 ft). The new rules require that in case a passenger's vessel becomes a casualty, its onboard basic services will be provided and its main systems will remain operational to allow safe return to port.

On May 13, 2010, P&O Ferries officially announced the vessels' names and their scheduled deliveries - "Spirit of Britain" (January 2011) and "Spirit of France" (January 2012). On June 8, 2010, at the Rauma Shipyard, Spirit of Britain was floated out and Spirit of France's keel was laid. Spirit of France was floated out on February 18, 2011. The ship was officially delivered on January 24, 2012. In the same day started the 4-day long, 1400 mi (2250 km) relocation voyage from Rauma to Dover (arriving on January 28). The ship's inaugural crossing Dover to Calais (with passengers) was on February 9.

An interesting fact is that P&O refused to accept the vessel's delivery due to vibration problems during its sea trials in Finland.

In 2019, ship's flag-state/registry was changed from UK (MMSI 235082717) to Cyprus (MMSI 209490000).