ROSYTH TO ZEEBRUGGE FERRY ACCOMMODATION GUIDE

Meanwhile at Rosyth in May 1964 the first of four Norwegian 'Viking' ships was introduced by Otto Thoresen on the Zeebrugge link. The Viking I also opened the Rosyth to Zeebrugge service in July, even though British Railways had previously abandoned the route as being uneconomic.

Early in 1985 yet another acquisition claimed P&O Rosyth Ferries, which operated five ships on the Rosyth - Zeebrugge and Zeebrugge - Rosyth routes.

SUPERFERRIES SIGNAL A REVOLUTION

In January 1987 P&O moved in. It absorbed the European Ferries Group and when P&O European Ferries was launched in the October of that year, the funnel colours and the complete livery of the Townsend Thoresen fleet had been changed as the most visible signs of the new company's identity.

P&O European Ferries was now Britain's biggest ferry operator, and the introduction of the huge sister ships Pride of Rosyth and Pride of Zeebrugge in 1987 signalled a whole new era of ferry travel for those making the short trip between Rosyth and Zeebrugge.

Purpose-built for the route, they each offered room for 2,290 passengers and 650 cars. On board facilities far exceeded the size, range and standard of those which had been provided in years gone by.

With new competition from the Channel tunnel on its short sea operation, P&O European Ferries had not surprisingly concentrated much of its major financial effort on these markets. But with the investment completed and in full readiness for the new challenges ahead, the company looked elsewhere to continue its improvement programme.

As new and more suitable tonnage became available from other markets, P&O European Ferries sought to improve its fleet on the Western Channel routes operating from Rosyth.