New Year's celebrations for large gatherings would be distinctly drab affairs without the spectacle of fireworks. As such, bosses of the Higher Ferry, which operates on the Dart in Dartmouth, are set to reward the local community with an onboard fireworks display rivalled only by Sydney. Well, perhaps not quite on that scale – but there will be a few bangers and Roman candles sparkling over the Dart, which ought ...

In November, the chief executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners, Jim Stewart, announced that talks were taking place with Brittany Ferries, regarding a possible return to service for the Barfleur ferry. Brittany Ferries' group commercial passenger director, Mike Bevens, has recently confirmed that the Barfleur will be returning to Poole Harbour in the New Year. Mr Bevens said: "This service was withdrawn because it was consistently making a loss, but the response ...

Portland has been chosen as the site for a proposed new crossing to France. HighSpeedFerries aims to establish a passenger and car ferry service between Portland and Cherbourg in the near future. Jonathan Packer, a director at HighSpeedFerries, commented: "Portland offers the fastest crossing to France on the Western Channel. HighSpeedFerries could get you to France in two hours, with a service two or three times a day in season." Mr ...

The travel disruptions caused by the recent big freeze, which blanketed much of the British Isles in heavy snow and ice, have resulted in a surge of passengers for Stena Line. According to the ferry operator, an additional 5,000 passengers were absorbed on its Belfast to Stranraer route in the several days leading to Christmas. Stena Line also announced that it would likely carry around 105,000 passengers between December 20th ...

In March, eight people were trapped after a gangway collapsed as passengers boarded a Steam Packet Company ferry in Heysham, Lancashire. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) discovered that the Isle of Man ferry did not operate entirely safe procedures during the embarking and disembarking of passengers. The MAIB also identified weaknesses in the vessel's passenger access structure. The MAIB report concluded that the gangway collapse, which left eight people stuck ...

Although at the centre of a fierce battle for privatisation and amid Arctic weather conditions, the Port of Dover has managed to succeed where Heathrow failed, in staying open through the big freeze. Heathrow Airport has experienced severe disruptions over the past week, with thousands of passengers finding themselves stranded after their festive flights were delayed or cancelled due to the adverse weather. The Port of Dover, on the other hand, ...

The Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) has advised that, despite the odd problem affecting minor ports, most ferry services around the UK and Ireland are operating without any "significant delays." The news comes as the aviation industry in Europe continues to suffer the effects of the wintry weather, with many flights across the continent cancelled or delayed. Bill Gibbons, PSA director, said: "Our ferry company members are very experienced in continuing to ...

With chaos reigning at the country's airports, there's still time to get to (or from) the continent by ferry. We've helped scores of passengers on their way to their destination - many greatly relieved to know that they will make it home in time for the big day. Options are: France Ferries Dover to Calais Caen Cherbourg Roscoff St Malo Holland Hull to Rotterdam Newcastle to Ijmuiden Harwich to Hook of Holland Belgium Hull Zeebrugge Spain Portsmouth & Plymouth to Santander Space is running low on ...

Following on from the significant disruption caused earlier this year by the volcanic ash cloud, ferry operators are once again coming to the rescue of stranded passengers. With major airports including Heathrow and Gatwick struggling under the wintry conditions, there are still options available for thos who can make it to a ferry port. The Dover-Calais services all have some availability at the time of writing, but space is selling out ...

As ferry services across Britain experience disruption due to the adverse weather conditions, Condor Ferries has issued an advance apology to passengers travelling between France and the Channel Islands ahead of anticipated delays. Unlike other ferry operators in the UK, however, Condor Ferries has issued the apology not in consequence of the wintry weather but after technical faults struck one of its vessels. Condor Ferries has stated that a failure in ...