DFDS has confirmed that bookings for all sailing services will open by the end of the month, as it shared its current ‘work in progress’ sailing schedule.
The Danish ferry provider today issued a progress report on the sailing schedules between Jersey, and Poole and Portsmouth.
Later starting date
DFDS will be serving the island with two high-speed craft, a conventional passenger vessel and a dedicated freight vessel.
Sailings to Portsmouth will start from 28 March 2025, whilst those to Poole are set to commence from mid-April.
CLICK TO READ IN FULL: DFDS has shared the current plans for the schedules.
The later starting date for the service to Poole is to enable DFDS to complete a £1.5m refit of the high-speed craft Levante Jet to refurbish accommodation and upgrade the on-board restaurant and shopping experience.
Feedback sought
In an update issued this afternoon, the ferry company said there was “plenty of scope to add departures to this schedule where there is demand”.
The statement continued: “DFDS is continuing to work with stakeholders on the island to build in feedback on the schedules, which will be completed before the launch of the booking platform at the end of the month.
“The schedules between Jersey and the UK includes a return, direct service to the UK on most days of the week, ensuring consistent and reliable connectivity for local islanders, allowing people to start planning their immediate travel.
“On a weekly basis, the services will have the capacity to accommodate an average of 15,000 passengers in peak season.”
Islanders can “start to plan their travel”
Chris Parker, Route Director for Jersey, said: “We are conscious that islanders are waiting for more information about our services, and we want to give an update on where we are to be transparent about the timetables to enable travellers to start to plan their travel.
“The schedules allow us to offer reliable and frequent services to local islanders and visitors from the UK, ensuring consistent connectivity, and we have flexibility to add extra departures in response to the feedback we are receiving.
“We will continue to develop and enhance our services for islanders over the coming months, working closely with industry bodies and the Government, encouraging feedback, and operating with transparency and integrity.”
DFDS said it is in the process of finalising the sailing schedules for Saint Malo and expect these to be published next week.
The Danish shipping giant added that it is committed to working with Jersey and Guernsey, and other ferry operators, to provide inter-island links.
Bookings for all services will open by 31 January, and DFDS will be running a joint campaign with Visit Jersey to promote travel to the island.
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