Condor Ferries Future Fleet

[nickgsy]

Also looking at 1998 as built pictures of Ben and from what I can see, no where on deck 7 has railings to support outside balcony passenger deck. Correct me if I am wrong but I certainly didn't find it and use it when I was on it in 1999! And believe me thise outside steps were full of people standing on them!!!

Anyway I digress from the main subject thread - Condor's fleet!! And I stand by what I say Ben is not suitable for here in Channel Islands. Too old. Too few cabin berths. Only see being used if we're desperate and Condor gets booted out and she is the only ship a new operator can get their hands on 

[hhvferry]

The Ben was built to a really tight budget and Sea Containers wouldn't sign off on the extra space that local management wanted. She was really, really badly received when first built and has evolved to, I would say, barely adequate since then with the extension and various improvements. She's very reliable of course which is important but, of all that series of ships, she is by far the weakest in interior layout and design and passenger experience - in my view.

The Manxman is such an improvement in all those aspects it's like night and day; let's hope she can become as reliable in service over time.

[ropax]

Maybe you have other informations than me ?

My are these:
- The Islands want NOT continue with Condor in future, they want a much better or as originally said "the best" ferry service.
- So the staff and crew will taken over by the new operator and Condor can sell the ferries to the new operator or to anywhere else.
- If Stena will give really an offer it is just only to avoid that their main-competitor DFDS get even more news routes for their network. Stena has generally the plan never again to use fast ferries. Would be the biggest surprise since 20 years if they in future would operate with 3 big Cats (and 2 RoPax) there. Or they change all ca. 25 years their strategy and will follow DFDS with future Cat-operations ?
That DFDS has / plan with 5 + 2 Cats could change everything... .
- The Islands wants NEW-BUILDINGS
- But my speculation is that another ferry-company (so NOT Brittany, NOT Condor, NOT DFDS, NOT Stena) will get these routes.
Brittany and Condor has not enough money for minimum 2 new-buildings. And i have no idea how anything should be better with biggest freight-logistics-companies, taking the routes only, for to have a bigger route-network and that the competitor will not get them - and without any experience how to fill year-around big Pax-Cats with hundreds of people.
- So why discuss here about any 25 or 27 or 34 years old (in 2026, Barfleur) ferries ? Would this be "the best" ferry-service ? No... .

But - as said - this is just only my personally speculation - it could be wrong also.
But i think that Condor will not buy anymore new or used ferries now. They have enough ferries for to operate everything in 2024 / 2025, they have no money for to buy more ferries and i doubt really that they will need any ferries after 2025. 

[vikingvoyager]

and without any experience how to fill year-around big Pax-Cats with hundreds of people.

Which is something you have invented.

I've seen nothing from local Channel Island contributors, the relevant governments or any of our other contributors here that suggests that anyone thinks that this is a priority for the Channel Islands.  

[nickgsy]

Maybe you have other informations than me ?

 and without any experience how to fill year-around big Pax-Cats with hundreds of people.

Amazing talking about filling big pax cats year round for CI  routes. Again.This obsession with big pax cats is like a broken record.

How many times do we have to reiterate that the Channel Islands are not the same as Bornholm or the Canaries ferry market. There is no all year market for high speed ferry capacity. No waiting lists of pensioners waiting to board buses to Poole to come to the Channel Islands in winter months! The winter passenger market is 90 per cent air / 10 per cent or less sea.