Leading ferry operator

DFDS, one of the largest ferry operators in Europe, providing passenger and freight services, has won the prestigious World's Leading Ferry Operator Award. DFDS has been recognized as the best passenger ferry operator for ten years in a row at the World Travel Awards, which recognize exceptional achievements and professionalism in the travel industry.

"The World Travel Awards, which are unique to the travel industry Oscars, are based on the voices of travel industry experts and the public. The fact that for ten years in a row we have been considered the best service operator by experts and passengers is a great recognition, ”says Vaidas Klumbys, DFDS Communications Manager for the Baltic States.

This year, 9 ferry companies carrying passengers in New Zealand waters, as well as in the North, Baltic, Mediterranean and Irish seas and important international shipping channels, competed for the title of the world's leading ferry operator. According to the DFDS representative, this is the second important award won by DFDS in a very short time - at the beginning of the month, DFDS was named the Best European Ferry Operator. "These awards are especially significant this year, when passenger shipping is facing unprecedented difficulties, when new security measures are being introduced on ships, the number of passengers and services are being limited, and the number of voyages is being reduced. It is clear that both the travel experts and the passengers who used DFDS appreciated the hard and professional work done by the ferry crew and shore staff. ”

According to V. Klumbis, although the struggle for survival of the entire travel sector is taking place this year, ro-pax ships carrying both cargo and passengers have not experienced such a dramatic drop in passenger flows in the Baltic Sea compared to the so-called net passenger ferries. During the first three quarters of 2020, the flow of passengers transported by DFDS ferries in the Baltic Sea decreased by about 20 percent. V. Klumbys mentions that the Sirena Seaways ferry, which has been supplementing the DFDS Baltic Sea Fleet since the middle of this year, has strengthened the route between Estonia and Sweden and helped to meet the need for travel between these countries due to changes in competition.

Speaking about future plans, V. Klumbys expressed hope that the pandemic will be controlled next year. “In any case, the winner is the business that will be able to optimize its operations to manage Covid-19 cases within the company, organize people's work intelligently and responsibly. We make every effort to always be properly prepared to take care of our customers ’safety, to meet their changing needs, and to improve their travel experience. We hope that this will be helped by the two next-generation ferries that are expected to appear in the Baltic Sea in the second half of next year and the beginning of 2022. The length of both ferries will reach 230 m, they will be able to carry 4 and a half kilometers of wheeled equipment and 600 passengers ”.

DFDS operates more than 20 ferry routes across Europe (9 of which also carry passengers). The company carries over 5 million passengers a year. There are currently 7 DFDS ferries operating in the Baltic Sea, serving four routes: from Klaipeda to Kiel (Germany), Karlshamn (Sweden) and Copenhagen / Fredericia (Denmark) and from Paldiski (Estonia) to Kapelskar (Sweden).