The routes are

• Hull - Europoort
• Hull - Zeebrugge
• Middlesbrough - Zeebrugge (freight only)
• Middlesbrough - Europoort (freight only)
• Felixstowe - Europoort (freight only)
• Felixstowe - Zeebrugge (freight only)

In 1998 the company carried more than one million passengers.

North Sea Ferries, now solely owned by P&O who paid £25.5 million to secure Royal Nedlloyd Group of Holland's half share, operates nightly passenger and freight services out of Hull to Rotterdam (Europoort) and Zeebrugge.

It also operates freight-only ships from Hull and Middlesbrough to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge, the Middlesbrough services using chartered tonnage. The Felixstowe - Rotterdam route is operated with four own ships; the Felixstowe - Zeebrugge route is operated with two chartered ships.

Vessels operated by the company between the UK and the Continent on combined passenger and freight services are Norsea and Norsun, each almost 32,000 tons, and Norland and Norstar, both more than 26,000 tons, plus the superfreighters Norbank and Norbay and the smaller cargo ferries Norcape, Norcliff, Norcove, Norking and Norqueen.

The company carries about one million passengers, 220,000 cars and 700,000 commercial vehicles each year.

CUSTOM BUILT WITH COMFORT IN MIND

Norsea and Norsun were custom-built for North Sea Ferries' 200-mile route between Hull and Rotterdam (Europoort) and designed to offer new levels of comfort, service and convenience. On-board features for relaxation and entertainment include lounge bars, quiet rooms, a disco, casino, cinema, children's playroom and duty-free shopping.

For overnight comfort on the 14-hour crossing there are five different two and four-berth cabin options, for up to 1,124 passengers plus airline style reclining seats.

Norsea was built by Govan Shipbuilders on the Clyde and Norsun was built by Nippon Kokan in Japan. They were planned with passenger cabins placed well forward and away from the bustle of public areas and machinery spaces.

Their fuller than typical hull form was dictated by the need for maximum freight deadweight capacity in an expanding trade, and due to limitations within Hull's lock system.

North Sea Ferries increased its capacity for its nightly Hull-Zeebrugge service with a £16 million refit programme for the Norland and Norstar. They were lengthened, increasing the night capacity in each direction from 250 to 900 passengers.

The lengthening was undertaken in Bremerhaven by the original builders, Seebeckwerft AG. They were out of service for seven weeks before resuming in the summer of 1987.

OFFICES

Head Office (Netherlands): Beneluxhaven, Europoort, PO Box 1123, 3180AC, Rozenburg ZH, Netherlands. Tel: (0181) 255500. Fax: (0181) 255215.
UK Office: King George Dock, Hedon Road, Hull, HU9 5QA. Tel: (01482) 377177. Fax: (01482) 706438.
Belgium Office: Leopold II Dam 13, Kaaien 106-108, B-8380 Zeebrugge, Belgium. Tel: (050) 543430. Fax: (050) 547112.
German Office: Graf-Adolf-Stra§e 41, 40210 Dusseldorf, Germany. Tel: (0211) 87671311. Fax: (0211) 87671333.