End of an Era!

[Solitaire]

This morning, The Pride of Portsmouth left Portsmouth Harbour for the last time and headed off to Falmouth. The Normandie held station to let her leave and all the way down the harbour, horns sounded. The White Link's all send their farewells, personal names were used! The captain of the P of P was quite emotional as was QHM as they signed off for the last time. As the captain said - End of an Era!

 

[GC1]

It's only a lump of metal for Christs sake /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[paulrossall]

What going to happen to her?

 

[Solitaire]

And 800 people's jobs!

 

[GC1]

So where is the replacement? You made no mention of jobs to be lost in your tear jerking post /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Solitaire]

[ QUOTE ]
What going to happen to her?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure, I had heard that they had been sold, to somewhere in the Far East if I recall, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Solitaire]

Pete, don't start!

 

[[2068]]

There will be a replacement service, employing approx 50 people from the UK, as opposed to the 800 UK people employed on the outgoing one.

dv.

 

[GC1]

So sorry David, I should have been more thoughtful of others feelings /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[raven]

It's really sad, but a sign of the times.

The 800 job losses are always a shame but the liklihood is that most of the jobs will be non British jobs anyway because P&O have crewed most of their ships with cheap labour from Philippines and such like.

I do a hell of a lot of business with P&O Ferries and know that they are battling like mad to turn the business around in the face of some awesome competition.

They have not made money on any of the cross channel routes for years and in fact I understand that their only profitable route is the North Sea crossing Hull - Rotterdam with Pride Of Hull and Pride Of Rotterdam.

They pulled off The Irish Sea routes and are downscaling elsewhere.

The shame of it is that they and other ferry operators are losing out to The Tunnel which itself is losing millions of pounds.

I still reckon they should stop using the Tunnel for transport and begin using it for the purpose it would most usefully suit......an effin great waste disposal chute so we can get rid of all our cr+p into France! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Solitaire]

[ QUOTE ]


The 800 job losses are always a shame but the liklihood is that most of the jobs will be non British jobs anyway because P&O have crewed most of their ships with cheap labour from Philippines and such like.



[/ QUOTE ]

You would not have said that if you'd been privy to the local news down here in the south. There has been a lot about the job losses effecting Brits over the past week.

 

[Solitaire]

[ QUOTE ]
So sorry David, I should have been more thoughtful of others feelings /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Now,don't you feel better for that? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif See, you can prove you are human /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[plombier]

The P of P together with her sister ship, Pride of Le Harve, were going to be chartered by Brittany Ferries but the deal was referred to the Competitions(?) Commission who turned it down. BF then pulled out of the deal.


"Louis Dreyfus (LD) Lines in partnership with 2morrow Group and the Port of Portsmouth have announced a new ferry service between Portsmouth and Le Havre starting on October 3rd 2005.

The LD Lines service will provide a no-frills, value for money service incorporating demand driven pricing rather than the over complex duration model currently used by ferry operators. This simplified transparent pricing policy will be similar to that used successfully by low cost airlines.

The daily service will depart from Portsmouth at 2300 arriving the following morning in Le Havre at 0730. It will then leave from Le Havre at 1700 arriving back in Portsmouth at 2130.

The vessel operating the route is the Norman Spirit, a modern Ro-Pax ferry built in 1992, which will initially be configured to carry a combination of freight vehicles, cars, caravans, motorhomes, motorcycles and 900 passengers. The onboard accommodation consists of many economy and club class reclining seats, as well as a limited number of quality 1, 2 and 4 berth cabins."

 

[britemp]

And why did the 800 jobs go in England and not in France, because if they make a French employee redundant, even if he has only been there a week, they have to pay them 50,000 euros! Which is why the whole eurozone is going to economic hell! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Scaramoosh]

I suspect they went in Portsmouth because PO stopped while the French keep running rather than a great Euro plot.

 

[Clive_Rigden]

I think the French have more need of the jobs than we.

 

[bob_tyler]

Both the Prides are now moored just above the King Harry Ferry in the River Fal.

The Falmouth Chief Pilot said on BBC Radio Cornwall this morning that they are likely to be there for a couple of months before proceeding into the Falmouth Docks for a refit, paint etc.

They will then be going to the Med for a service between Naples and Palermo.