The Danish shipping company DFDS presented its renewed King Seaways to the travel industry in IJmuiden on Tuesday. All of the nearly 550 cabins on board the ship have undergone a major makeover. This also applies to the almost 500 cabins of the Princess Seaways, which, like the King Seaways, sails on the route between IJmuiden and Newcastle in northern England. More than 30 travel agents, tour operators and other partners were invited to view the results of the ten million euro renovation. Partners from Germany and England were also invited. The ship was moored at the Felison Terminal in IJmuiden, the permanent berth. After lunch, the ship departed for Newcastle, which is an hour and a half from the border with Scotland. “Research shows that our passengers are very satisfied. They appreciate the quality of the food on board, they love our crew, and they also love our entertainment. But there was criticism of our cabins, which were a bit outdated. That’s why we’ve invested ten million euros to completely renew it,’ says Teun Wim Leene, Route Director of DFDS. The result of that investment is impressive. Regular guests no longer know the cabins of both ships. The cabins have new paintwork, new carpet in bright colors, new chairs and desks, and new mirrors and bedside tables. In addition, additional USB ports have been added for all electronic devices. The bathrooms have also been renovated. The range of cabins ranges from economy, sea view and pet-friendly cabins to Commodore and Commodore de Luxe, including Commodore de Luxe Lounge. The sister ships King Seaways (with seating for 1,325 passengers) and Princess Seaways (with a capacity of 1,250 passengers) sail overnight on the IJmuiden-Newcastle route. The sailing time is just under 17 hours. With 850 passengers per sailing, the average occupancy over the whole year is quite high, says Leene. ‘In the summer season, our ships are fully booked.’ The renewed collaboration with travel agents, which started again before corona (including commission) is bearing fruit, says Albertine Hofland, Global Sales Manager of DFDS.
‘More and more police officers know where to find us. We were interrupted for a while by corona, but are now going full steam ahead again.’ DFDS carries between 500,000 and 600,000 passengers per year on the IJmuiden-Newcastle route. DFDS is awaiting new ships for the IJmuiden-Newcastle route. These are expected in late 2028 or early 2029. More in TravMagazine coming soon. Photo: Teun Wim Leene and Albertine Hofland.
