Onboard P&O Ferries "Spirit of Britain". Dover, England, UK to Calais, France

Date: Friday 26th August 2011
Ferry Operator: P&O Ferries
Ship Name: "Spirit of Britain"
Ship type: Cross-channel ferry
Ship Builder: STX Europe, Rauma, Finland
Launch Date: 8th June 2010
Maiden Voyage: 21st January 2011
Tonnage: 49,000 tonnes
Length: 210 m (689.0 ft)
Beam: 31.4 m (103.0 ft)
Draft: 6.5 m (21.3 ft)
Installed power: 4 x MAN 7L 48/60 Diesels
Propulsion: 2 x controllable pitch propellers and 3 x Bow thrusters
Speed: 22 kn (41 km/h) (25.31 mph)
Capacity: 1,750 passengers; 1059 Cars; 180 Lorries
Departure Port: Port of Dover (Eastern Docks), Dover, Kent, England, UK
Departure Berth No: 7
Arrival Port: Port de Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
Arrival Berth No: 8
Boarding Time: 12:15pm BST
Departure Time: 12:40pm BST
Arrival Time: 3:29pm CEST
Total crossing time: 1 hr 30 mins

On the start of our trip to Luxembourg with Just You holidays, we were lucky enough to have the "Spirit of Britain as our cross-channel ferry. This is the largest ferry ever designed for the Calais crossing.

0:03 - Approaching the Port of Dover with the White Cliifs in the background.

0:51 - Entering the Port of Dover (Eastern Docks).

1:17 - Heading towards the Coach interchange.

1:48 - Departing the Coach interchange.

2:09 - Boarding the "Spirit of Britain".

2:54 - Looking at the P&O Ferries "Pride of Burgundy" from the sun deck onboard the "Spirit of Britain". (3:04) Cars unloading.


3:24 - Close up of the White Cliffs and the Berths at the Port of Dover.

3:48 - Engineers closing the gates and the vehicle bridge goes up.

4:07 - Engineer pulls the rope.

4:22 - Departing the Port of Dover. (4:33) View of the White Cliffs and a close up of the P&O Ferries "Pride of Burgundy". (5:54) SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais coming into Berth 4. (6:11) The harbour wall and entering out into the English Channel. (6:27) Looking back at the Port of Dover. (6:35) Panorama of the White Cliffs of Dover.

6:42 - Information board on Deck 8, Lower Level.

6:55 - Waves.

7:00 - Distant view of the French coastline and passing ships in the English Channel.

7:31 - Seating area.

7:36 - Approaching Calais with the beaches in the distance.

7:53 - Entering the Port of Calais with a view of the town.

8:19 - P&O Ferries "Pride of Kent" departing Calais.

9:11 - Vehicles being loaded onto SeaFrance "Rodin" at Berth 7.

9:29 - Walking to the coach on deck C4.

9:43 - Driving up to the exit.

10:10 - Very heavy rain at Calais.

10:27 - Coming out of the vehicle deck at Berth 8.

11:03 - Leaving the shipping lane and heading towards the exit.

11:12 - Looking back at our ship, "Spirit of Britain" at Berth 8.

11:42 - Passing the Calais Ferry Terminal.

12:12 - Leaving the Port of Calais.

Filmed using the Sony HDR-HC9 HDV1080i High Definition Handycam.

Category:

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[TheHappyChap101]

@craiglsimons We go to Calais once or twice a year for some shopping, we buy all the local cheeses and wine ect, and bring them home with us; like a trip to tescos, on a ferry ;) haha! very nice for a weekend break :) Although thinking back, we were in Club Lounge so we probably wouldn't have seen you :(

[craiglsimons]

@TheHappyChap101 I know that it is very popular, but if you go to your local supermarket, you'll find that quite a lot of the French wines and cheeses are cheaper than in France thanks to the rapid decline in the Euro. £1 = €1.14, so there isn't really any saving. Still, it's a good excuse for a weekend break! Always like going to France.

I would like to have gone to the Club Lounge, but I was with a group, so it was difficult to do what I wanted =( Hope you had a good weekend break =)

[TheHappyChap101]

Wow, I probably saw you! I was there on that day too! :)

[craiglsimons]

@TheHappyChap101 Whoa... Really?? Where were you off to last Friday, Joe?

[wbadude]

Nice video as usual my friend :)

[craiglsimons]

@wbadude Thanks very much =D

[TheHappyChap101]

@craiglsimons Hmmm yeah, still, everything from France tastes nicer than our supermarkets, LOL. But I know what you mean :P

Club Lounge is awesome, I thoroughly recommend trying it if you get the chance! :) Although the SOB's club lounge was a tad small, but if anything it just made it feel a bit more exclusive, lol. Pride of Canterbury's lounge is (IMO) the best, and Pride of Burgundy's is the worst, again IMO. As soon as you walk in it's like "here is your free champagne!" :')

[Aviationnation10]

@craiglsimons Planes take you to where you want to get not in the middle of no where spend half your holiday driving when you can hop on hop off! me too they are my addiction!

[craiglsimons]

@Aviationnation10 That's right! It's a very long way of getting to your final destination. Planes rule any day =D From Luton, Nice is only 1 hr 30/40 mins, as we're that much nearer than you. I love the plane sooooooooooo much!

[Aviationnation10]

@craiglsimons I remember the last time NEVER again o i couldnt even look out the window id look at the waves and feel dizzy! form where i live Cork,Ireland it takes 18 hours on a good day to near Brest normandy and another few hours to get where you actually want to go and you can fly to Paris in 1.45 Rennes about 2 and Nice 2.5!