Nearly 4 months after it was suspended because of travel restrictions related to the spread of COVID, the Baltic ferry service resumed just in time for the summer holiday season.
The ferry company DFDS Seaways announced that following the UK's decision to lift travel restrictions, it resumes passenger shipping between Newcastle upon Tyne and Amsterdam Holland, as well as the regular cross-channel service between the UK and France.
When the travel restrictions went into effect in Europe, DFDS had reduced its capacity focusing on freight shipping on 20 routes. Passenger shipping was limited to essential travel and there were also restrictions on the number of passengers per cabin. The company laid up a total of 12 (of its 50) ferries and suspended service on the Copenhagen-Oslo and Newcastle-Amsterdam routes.
DFDS offers daily crossings between Newcastle and Amsterdam with two ships - King Seaways and Princess Seaways. Both are still laid up at Port Ijmuiden Holland. Service is due to resume from The Netherlands on July 16, and on the following day from the UK.
English Channel ferry services (UK-France) resumed on July 10. The Channel routes had continued to sail for freight and essential travellers ensuring the transport of vital goods.
DFDS resumed crossings on the Oslo-Copenhagen route and between Frederikshavn Denmark and Oslo on June 25. Two cruiseferries are scheduled to operate this service which is focused on car passengers (traveling with their vehicles).
DFDS said that it would have to adapt to the market conditions including changes to its operations. As a result, it would be laying off 650 people from its workforce of about 8,600 employees.