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Brittany orders two new ferries for UK long-haul routes
Brittany Ferries has confirmed the charter of two brand new cruise-ferries to serve its long-haul UK to Spain routes.
Both ships will be built at the Avic International Weihai shipyard in China, with the first arriving in time for the 2021 holiday season.
The operator said this investment underlined its commitment to Portsmouth and to its Spanish routes.
It comes after work began this spring on a brand new liquefied natural gas cruise ferry, Honfleur, to serve its most popular Portsmouth – Caen crossing.
Together the three ships will spearhead a five-year £400 million fleet-renewal and modernisation programme.
"Spain is by far the most popular foreign destination for UK holidaymakers, and we have seen significant growth in demand," said Brittany Ferries’ president Jean-Marc Roue.
"Post-Brexit, we expect this to continue and today’s announcement is a clear statement of intent. As well as passenger traffic, we believe that an increase in freight capacity will open the door to more hauliers seeking direct access between Britain and the Iberian peninsula."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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