P&O North Sea Ferries publishes details of new ships

&O NORTH Sea Ferries has published a new brochure with details of its two forthcoming cabin-only ships, both due to be launched on the Hull-Rotterdam route this year.

The 60,600-ton ride of Rotterdam will be introduced in May and its sister vessel ride of Hull in December. Each £90m ship will have a capacity of 1,360 passengers and 250 cars. The new ships will replace Norsun and Norsea,

which will undergo £3.5m refits to replace reclining seats with cabins before being transferred to the Hull-Zeebrugge route.

A company spokesman said the 2001 brochure included a new price structure to reflect the decision to phase out reclining seats.     

“The most popular accommodation at the moment is our cabins and we sell down

from there to fill the seats,” he said. The days when people wanted

reclining seats are now behind us.”

The new ships will also have modern entertainment facilities such as cyber-cafes and two-tier show lounges. rices on the Hull-Rotterdam route will lead in at £45 single and £80 return for sailings in a four-berth

inside cabin.