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Details of the services DFDS is set to provide for Jersey were confirmed this morning – with up to four round-trips a day to Saint Malo on the cards, along with services to Poole and Portsmouth.
The announcement that DFDS had won the bid for Jersey's future freight and passenger ferry services came last night, with Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel stating that the Danish shipping company was the "strongest strategic partner" for the island.
More details were shared in a press conference this morning, with Deputy Morel adding that there had been "a clear difference" between the bids of competitors DFDS and Brittany Ferries.
Video: Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham and Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel speaking at a press conference this morning.
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham also confirmed that DFDS's offering included an initial service to Portsmouth and Saint Malo, served by a "dedicated fleet" of four vessels.
Freight users will pay via flat-rate cards, rather than volume-based pricing, the Chief Minister added, which he said would "open the market for competition".
Deputy Farnham thanked both bidders, Brittany Ferries and DFDS, for their "thoroughness and competitiveness" and recognised Condor's contributions in Jersey in the previous years.
Filip Hermann, DFDS's Business Unit Channel and Baltics vice-president who attended the meeting virtually, added: "We will work as hard as we can.
"We have dropped every single other priority in DFDS to get this ready.
"Of course, we will everything in our power to get it up and running as soon as we can."
Announcing DFDS as the preferred bidder means contract negotiations can start, though both Ministers and Mr Hermann agreed these should be finished quickly.
Subject to the completion of these discussions, the 2025 timetable is due to be published by the end of next week.
DFDS said that islanders wishing to book a ferry for next year can fill in an expression of interest form online, and the operator will be in touch when bookings are opened.
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