Norbay Vessel Reviews and Specifications

On April 20, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) initiated an inspection of the P&O ferry 'Norbay' as the company strives to restore its operations following the dismissal of nearly 800 crew members. Currently docked in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool, the 'Norbay' has been idle since March 17. P&O Ferries is optimistic that after the inspection, the vessel will be cleared to resume voyages on the popular Liverpool-Dublin route. The MCA is set to evaluate a total of eight vessels from the company, ensuring compliance with international standards, particularly in areas critical to safety such as emergency procedures, firefighting capabilities, and evacuation protocols. It's noteworthy that both the 'Spirit Of Britain' and 'Pride Of Kent' remain detained due to identified safety issues.

On March 17, 2022, P&O Ferries made the controversial decision to recall all of its vessels to port, resulting in the dismissal of 800 crew members. The company plans to replace its workforce with cheaper agency staff. Currently, the P&O fleet is out of service and docked at various locations. Here is the current status of the fleet: - Pride of Kent / Canterbury: Dover - Spirit of Britain: Dover - Spirit of France: Schiedam (in refit) - Pride of Hull: Hull - Pride of Rotterdam: Rotterdam - European Highlander: Cairnryan - European Causeway: Larne - Norbay: Liverpool - Norbank: Liverpool As of now, it remains uncertain whether the workforce changes will impact Dutch vessels. New replacement crews are already positioned at ports in Dover, Cairnryan, and Larne, ready to take over operations.

The ferry 'Norbay' finally departed from Liverpool late on April 21 at 11:40 p.m., ending a four-day entrapping at Seaforth that had left essential supplies in distress. The turmoil began on April 9, stemming from a disagreement with Peel Ports, the operators of the Port of Liverpool, who demanded nearly £600,000 for what they claimed were outstanding fees. P&O Ferries contested this figure, asserting it was closer to two-thirds of that amount, and sought a payment flexibility as they grappled with losses running into tens of thousands of pounds daily due to pandemic-related shutdowns. Complicating matters was the furloughing of P&O's primary contact at The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, which disrupted their vital communications. An agreement has now been reached, allowing the 'Norbay' to resume operations shortly. This dispute has raised concerns, particularly as P&O was responsible for transporting food, medicine, and other crucial goods between Dublin and Merseyside, servicing both the city and the wider northern England area. Concurrently, the conflict intensified over the weekend as two more ferries found themselves stranded at Dublin Port, caught in the ongoing standoff between P&O and the Port of Liverpool. Additionally, two freight ferries – one owned and one chartered by P&O – were unable to depart for Liverpool due to the ongoing disagreement. In a bid to explore alternatives, the 'Norbank' was spotted on Sunday conducting berthing trials at the Port of Mostyn in Flintshire. The situation has escalated to involve government officials in Ireland, with a senior representative from the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin warning that prolonged negotiations could jeopardize the supply chain in Ireland. A formal statement from Peel Ports was anticipated soon.