Ferry - Oostende Lines - Prins Filip - postcard c.1980s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  Prins Filip [Ferry] Oostende Line
• Publisher:  AVM, Oostende
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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MS Calais Seaways is a passenger and vehicle ferry operated jointly by LD Lines and DFDS Seaways between Dover and Calais.

The Prins Filip was built for Belgian operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT) in 1991, entering service in 1992 on their route between Dover and Ostend. She remained in service with RMT when their UK port was switched to Ramsgate and until their operations ceased in 1997.

On 14 September 1994, a tragic accident resulted in 6 deaths when a linkspan collapsed. Foot passengers were boarding the Prins Filip at Ramsgate. All publicity at the time was focused on Sally Line and Thanet District Council, the port owners, and not RMT or the Prins Filip.^[1]

Following a lay-up in Dunkirk, she was acquired by Stena Line in 1998, renamed Stena Royal and initially used on freight services between Dover and Zeebrugge on charter to P&O Stena Line. In 1999, P&O Stena Line decided to extend the charter and transferred the ship to its Dover-Calais route. Stena Royal was extensively refurbished to include the P&O Stena 'Brand World' concept and entered service on the Calais route as the POSL Aquitaine, following the naming pattern for P&O Stena Line vessels.

In 2000, the POSL Aquitaine failed to stop whilst berthing at Calais due to a propeller fault. The crash caused many injuries and extensive damage to both the ship and berth.

P&O Stena Line was a short-lived venture, ending in 2002 when P&O acquired Stena Line's share in the operation. However, the POSL Aquitaine remained in service, initially under the name PO Aquitaine, then as the Pride of Aquitaine from early 2003 until May 2005 when she was withdrawn following the introduction of two new P&O ferries.

In October 2005, she began sailing on her present route between Portsmouth and Le Havre as Norman Spirit. LD Lines, a French-owned company with existing ferry operations on the Mediterranean Sea, began this service following P&O's withdrawal from it the previous month.

In June 2006, Norman Spirit was re-flagged to the British registry from the Italian second registry. She is now registered in Southampton rather than Genoa, although when she entered service with LD Lines she was registered in Dover.

In September 2009, LD Lines announced that from November 2009 the vessel would be used on their service between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Dover.

In March 2010 the Norman Spirit was chartered by TransEuropa Ferries. In a joint service between TransEuropa Ferries and LD Lines, the ship was renamed Ostende Spirit and began sailing between Ostend and Ramsgate.

After changing the vessel name back to Norman Spirit, it was announced on 28 November 2011 that DFDS Seaways would charter the vessel from LD Lines to operate on their Dover-Dunkerque service. This was to help alleviate unexpected traffic pressure on the route caused by the announcement of SeaFrance going into administration.

At 13:00 on 17 February 2012, the Norman Spirit was 'relaunched' by model and actress Kelly Brook to start a new service for DFDS Seaways and LD Lines, with up to five return crossings per day on the Dover-Calais route.

Following the merger between the two companies in February 2013, and a technical stop fifteen days shipyard Gdansk in Poland to redevelop the reception passenger, the Norman Spirit made his return to the port of Calais at 06:08 on 17 March 2013 in the morning, sporting a new name Calais Seaways,^[2] and a new color.

type=printed

period=post-war (1945 - present)

postage condition=unposted

number of items=single

size=continental/ modern (150x100mm)

county/ country=belgium