BJSLIV Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Looks like regular travellers on LD Lines are going to get used to new routines. The Norman Spirit is leaving Portsmouth in the next few weeks to take over from the high speed craft on the Dover-Boulogne route. That means that they will be able to carry more freight on that route and have fewer problems with cancellations due to high winds. However that leaves the recently arrived (Transmanche) Cote D'Albatre to cover Le Havre. It will be the old leaving Portsmouth at night, returning from Le Havre at teatime timetable. But no more sleeper seats, hardly any more cabins than the Spirit, and little place to kip on the floor. Who knows what will happen if C d'A has to return to Newhaven to cover that route! Next Spring the High Speed Norman Arrow will be added to the Le Havre route for six months of additional capacity. Presumably it will then revert to a one boat service during the winter, until the new large boat Norman Leader arrives in 2011. I'm sure we will get used to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 So if they get a couple of new craft, will they call them 'Norman Conquest' and 'Norman Wisdom' ?[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 So long as it's not NormanH I don't mind [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Perhaps the Newhaven ship, because of its proximity tp Brighton, should be renamed Norman Cook? Or perhaps Norman D Landings...Thanks for the info anyway. An alternative faster crossing next year looks promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I am booked on to Norman spirit in just over a week, and am pleased to see it is still running then. However, I note our christmas booking (which was Norman Spirit) will now probably be the Cote d'Albatre. I hope that I have got in early enough with the cabin booking to not be bumped off. Having said that, the CdA looks a very nice ship, and has to be better than the awful Norman Voyager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Its funny only today I was wondering if the new, super whizzy, mucho expensive and critically slab sided vomit comet was going to cope with the winds as well as the Speedferries vessel, now I know the answer.So a much slower crossing for me but what on earth are they going to do with the behemoth for the next 6 months? it is too big an investment to leave idle like the old Newhaven Dieppe catamaran.I reckon that there is more to this than meets the eye, perhaps the protests about the tidal waves hitting the beaches on the Côte D'opale that didnt have life guard stations, it was already forced to slow down I believe, making the service less rentable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Guerriere Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 They may be getting an old grumpy ferry called the Norman Tebbitt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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