DFDS apologises for change to ferry sailings

There has been disruption to DFDS sailings to and from Jersey

The ferry operator DFDS has apologised after some of its passengers had their sailings to France changed at short notice.

Danish firm DFDS was selected to provide Jersey's lifeline passenger and freight services in 2024, after winning a government contract to operate sailings for the next 20 years.

Passenger Marcus Stone said his sailing to St Malo was moved from the morning to the evening of 18 April, meaning he would no longer be able to attend a family gathering on Good Friday.

A DFDS spokesperson asked for "understanding and patience" and said it had added extra sailings in response.

'Working hard'

DFDS said: "Due to high demand for travel in and out of Jersey, we have added extra sailings [17 April] to accommodate this demand.

"While we bed into our new schedule, we ask for our passengers understanding and patience when bookings need to be altered.

"We are working hard to deliver a high standard of service in our role as Jersey's ferry operator."

Mr Stone said the situation had never happened to him "in 40-odd years of sailing" and he was left with questions as to why the changes had taken place.

"It would be nice to know if this was just a technical glitch, or whether this is part of an overselling policy which will lead to it happening going forward in the future," he said.

In response to a query about staff shortages DFDS said its team was "extremely dedicated to helping us deliver a reliable and efficient schedule for our passengers."

It added: "We are grateful for their commitment and flexibility during our first few weeks of operating Jersey's ferry service."