With just under three weeks to go until it takes over as the island’s ferry operator, DFDS has released pictures of the ships it is aiming to build for Jersey – and defended its dynamic pricing model.
Filip Hermann, VP and Head of the Business Unit Channel & Baltics, and Chris Parker, Jersey Route Director, spoke at a Chamber of Commerce lunch event yesterday to a record 250 members of Jersey’s business community.
The talk covered DFDS’s plans for a new fleet and the representatives answered questions about dynamic pricing and frequent passenger discounts – but did not have an update on inter-island services.
Three new ships
Mr Hermann introduced the three ships that the Danish company is planning on building in the coming years.
Pictured: Slides from the talk showed the ships that DFDS is planning to build for Jersey.
He said the company would start by introducing a high-speed vessel in 2028, followed by a freight-only ship in 2030, and a slow passenger ship in 2031.
The fast ship, due to serve the St Malo route, will be electrified.
“Because of the short distances, because of the technology, there is an opportunity to electrify the transportation between Jersey and France,” Mr Hermann said.
Pictured: The new high-speed ferry planned for the St Malo route.
Pictured: Designs for the slow passenger ferry were made during the tender process.
“Of course, it requires infrastructure in ports and so forth. But of course, it is an exciting project, and one of the first projects for us to deep-dive into. And it’s a beautiful vessel.”
Designs for the Ro-Pax passenger ferry were made in the tender phase, he said.
“These things don’t come for free”
Faced with criticism of the dynamic pricing model which sees ticket prices change with time, and the lack of frequent traveller discounts, Mr Parker said the company was considering different options – but defended the higher price points, saying the company needed to invest in the fleet it is building.
The pair faced strong criticism at the event, with one attendee telling them he “wished the Government hadn’t gone for [DFDS]”.
Speaking to Express after the event, Mr Parker said: “We need to make sure that we have a resilient, sustainable business. We want to reinvest in our fleet. These things don’t come for free.
Pictured: Chris Parker, Jersey Route Director for DFDS.
Pictured: Filip Hermann, DFDS VP and Head of Business Unit Channel and Baltics.
“However, we also need to be competitive, fair. We want people to travel on our vessels.
“So over the next couple of weeks, as well as the day trips, we are looking at some further offers for islanders: offers starting from Jersey to reward that element of being part of the Jersey community, and we are looking at various options for frequent travel schemes to see what works best in the Jersey market.”
Mr Hermann added: “I believe we’re looking at a couple of products. One is day trips from Jersey to France.
“We’re also looking at a loyalty program which will reward again, Jersey residents, frequent travellers.”
Mr Parker defended the pricing model, which he said was needed in order to finance the new ships and for the company to be resilient.
“We’re listening and we are learning, but I do think it’s quite important that we have the confidence and say we’re operating four vessels on behalf of Jersey,” he added.
“We want to make that reinvestment over the next 10 years. We need to make a return as a business. We need that resilience – and there is a cost to that as well as the benefit that we provide.”
Mr Parker outlined some further options: frequent traveller schemes, multi-trip schemes, membership schemes, or schemes for specific situations like students moving to university.
Guernsey route
Asked whether DFDS would look to take over the Guernsey route if the opportunity arose, Mr Hermann said the firm had “a good relationship with Guernsey” but that details of the Condor contract were only speculation.
Meanwhile, the company had spent more time on the St Malo schedule than all the other routes combined, Mr Parker said, adding that the schedule had been adjusted.
“We have 30 days on which there is it’s possible to do a day trip for more than five hours,” he said.
“Right now, there’s a further 30 days on which it’s possible to do a day trip of four plus hours.”
54 staff to be recruited
DFDS has 54 positions to fill in Jersey, Mr Parker said.
Of these, “a minimum” of 20 to 25 people would be recruited from Condor.
He said the company was “pretty well along” hiring for the most critical positions.
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