Ferry bookings available for Jersey, France and UK

Bookings for a new ferry service between Jersey, France and the UK are now possible.

The booking portal on the DFDS website launched on Friday morning with routes running from Poole, Portsmouth, St Malo and St Helier between 28 March and 30 September.

Jersey route director Chris Parker said the Danish ferry firm would "continue to refine and enhance" the schedule in response to feedback and demand.

The DFDS fleet is comprised of one Ro-Pax vessel, two high-speed crafts and a dedicated freight vessel.

Jersey's chief minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham has warned islanders to expect the first weeks of the new ferry schedule to be a "little bumpy".

Mr Parker responded by saying the change in ferry operators from Condor to DFDS would take place "almost from one day to the next".

He said both ferry firms were working together with Ports of Jersey to make the transition "as smooth as possible".

He added: "My hope is that there isn't that bumpy ride - or at least it's not visible.

"We need to be like a swan - where there's a lot of activity under the water but it's smooth sailing above."

Mr Parker said the schedule for day crossings had not yet been published because so little time had passed since the contract was signed at the end of December.

"It was most important to get the main fares out today but we know people are waiting for day trips and we'll get those on sale as soon as we possibly can," he said.

He added that DFDS would be likely to introduce a discount system for frequent ferry users and was also considering a discount for students going to university on the mainland.

DFDS has been awarded the contract to operate Jersey's ferry services for 20 years.

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].