P&O Ferries 2000-built Ro-Pax EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY will now dry dock during July having missed her original slot due to the absence of EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER. According to the P&O Ferries online booking engine, EUROPEAN SEAWAY will take over from ‘Causeway’ with the 20:00 departure ex Larne on Sunday, June 30th. EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY is currently indicated as returning on Monday 8th July with the 10:30 sailing from Larne to Cairnryan. As always these dates are subject to change.
The reduction in passenger capacity through using EUROPEAN SEAWAY during the first week of July is far from ideal for P&O Ferries, but publicly accessible information suggests P&O Ferries hand was somewhat forced due to regulatory requirements. EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY had been due to dry dock during the final three weeks of June but issues encountered with part-sister EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER during her own dry docking meant this had to be delayed. As her original period in dry dock was to have been three weeks it’s possible EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY will return to dry dock during Autumn in order to complete all the planned works.
At present EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER, which is still at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, is expected to return with the 07:30 sailing from Larne to Cairnryan on Friday 28th June. The delay in getting EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY to dry dock also means that EUROPEAN SEAWAY will be returning to her normal Dover to Calais route at least a week later than previously planned.
