– This ensures an even better offer for our travelers and freight customers on the shortest corridor between Norway and the continent, says CEO of Fjord Line Brian Thorsted Hansen. The ferry company believes that the passenger base is larger from Kristiansand than Langesund. The two sister ships will run throughout the year and strengthen the offer. This will result in more departures from Kristiansand to Hirtshals. – We believe that our travelers get a better and more reliable offer from Kristiansand, says Hansen. Brian Thorsted Hansen in Fjord Line says the change means that there will be a year-round offer with Fjord Line ships from Southern Norway to Denmark. Photo: SOREN LUND HVIID Four daily round trips Fjord Line states that the ships will sail on the route Kristiansand-Hirtshals-Stavanger-Bergen. In the high season from 24 June to 6 August, there will be a total of four round trips from Kristiansand to Hirtshals. Three with the high-speed catamaran Fjord FSTR, which already serves the route, and one with one of the sister ships Stavangerfjord or Bergensfjord, says Hansen. Stavangerfjord starts sailing in May, while Bergensfjord is expected in June. The ships have room for 1,500 passengers and 600 cars, according to Fædrelandsvennen. They also have 300 cabins. Fjord Line currently has a ferry on the Kristiansand-Hirtshals route. It is the catamaran Fjord FSTR. Photo: Thomas Sommerset / news – Cheers for all competition news meets Geir Olsen at the ferry quay in Kristiansand a few hours after the news becomes known. Olsen is positive about the expansion. – I think it is good for the audience that more actors will come. We cheer for all competition, he says. Geir Olsen hopes more ferries on the Kristiansand-Hirtshals route will lead to lower prices. Photo: Vetle Hjortland / news Can get a refund for the journey The change means that MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord will no longer call at Langesund Harbour. Travelers who have already booked departures to or from Langesund will be rebooked to travel to or from Kristiansand. If this is not desirable, they can choose to be reimbursed for the trip or get a gift card that can be used on another trip, writes Fjord Line in a press release. Fjord Line has had traffic to and from Langesund since 2014. Must expand in the long term Last year Kristiansand Harbor had close to 1.4 million passengers. Port director Atle Kristian Johannessen says Fjord Line’s change of port strengthens the region and Kristiansand as a destination. – For business in the region, it is important to have close ties to Europe. We see that a lot of goods pass through the ferry terminal, so I think getting another ferry connection is very important, says Johannessen. – Is there room for more ferries? – Yes, it is. But we see that in the long term we have to do something about the capacity and possibly expand with a third ferry charter. Port director of Kristiansand Havn Atle Kristian Johannessen states that they are an attractive port and an attractive region. Photo: Vetle Hjortland / news More tourists out of season Visit Sørlandet hopes and believes that Fjord Line’s investment in Kristiansand will ensure more tourists out of season. – It’s really good. We can bring in the nearby areas even more, both from Denmark, the Netherlands and even down towards Belgium and northern France, says managing director Hege Julianne Nevestad. The head of tourism also believes that the establishment is good for business. Newly appointed general manager of Visit Sørlandet, Hege Julianne Nevestad, hopes more Fjord Line ferries will ensure more tourists in the off-season. Photo: Damares Stenbakk / Visit Sørlandet Positive with competition Competitor Color Line, which has a ferry on the route, did not have the opportunity to be interviewed today, but writes in an e-mail that they work every day, all year round to offer their travelers as good an offer as possible. – In such a picture, competition contributes positively. At the same time, we are excited about how the Port of Kristiansand plans to solve it, says executive vice president for communications and society Erik Brynhildsbakken.
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Fjord Line moves ferries from Langesund to Kristiansand – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
