MS Calais Seaways

The Prins Filip was built for Belgian operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT) in 1991, entering service in 1992 on its route between Dover and Ostend. She remained in service with RMT when its UK port was switched to Ramsgate and until RMT's operations ceased in 1997.[1]

On 14 September 1994, an 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.[2]

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.

POSL Aquitaine (ex-Prins Filip) fails to stop

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initially under the name PO Aquitaine, then as the Pride of Aquitaine from early 2003 until May 2005 when she was withdrawn following the introduction of two new P&O ferries.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 the 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.

Ostend Spirit as MS Norman Spirit

In June 2006, Norman Spirit was re-flagged to the British registry from the Italian second registry. She was 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 its 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 its Dover-Dunkerque service. This was to help alleviate unexpected traffic pressure on the route caused by the announcement that SeaFrance was 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 for fifteen days in shipyard Gdańsk, Poland, to redevelop the passenger reception, the Norman Spirit made her return to the port of Calais on 17 March 2013, sporting a new name Calais Seaways,[3] and a new colour.

Calais Seaways is due to be replaced in 2021 by the new ship; Côte D’opale.

• Media related to IMO 8908466 at Wikimedia Commons
• Norman Spirit from LD Lines' official website
• Photographs of the MS Norman Spirit
• MS Norman Spirit on Ship Blog