9 3 The refit of the ships provides something for everyone, whether that ’s grabbing a bite to eat, enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee or exploring the onboard duty-free shop REV ITAL I SATION armchairs and sofa seating, alongside the purpose-built area for coffee, pastries, chocolates and cold drinks, have really helped to create an area where families and other travellers can relax,” says Newbery. “The new lighting and colours that we have included will definitely deliver that big ‘wow’ factor,” he adds. “Remodelling to create a more open feel and adding seating areas next to windows has meant that everyone can now enjoy the natural light and beautiful sea views that are so unique to ferry travel. Passengers are on a journey, and we want to provide a relaxing experience onboard, where each area is unique and will appeal to different people.” As is expected in a project of this size, redesigning the ferries was a complex procedure. “We started by looking at the data and taking a deep dive into what our passengers were telling us,” says Newbery. “We then appointed SMC Design to help us redevelop our catering outlets and create a new look and feel across them all. “After finalising the design concept, we then had to strip everything back and rebuild. This was a huge job that involved a wide range of stakeholders, including the designers, our technical teams, partners at Fayard in Denmark, marine outfitters Aecor Marine and Trimline, and many others. It’s been a great collaboration all round, and we couldn’t be happier about the results.” Newbery is incredibly excited and proud of the improvements, which he believes will give DFDS passengers the best possible start to their journey. “These products meet the standards people want from ferry travel and allow passengers to create memories and have fun while en route to their destination,” he says. “The refit programme on these vessels has allowed us to offer something for everyone: relaxing and unwinding, grabbing a bite to eat, enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee or a cold drink, watching some television, or exploring all the things our duty-free shop has to offer.” DFDS has also been tracking the ships’ profitability and feedback from its passengers to determine whether everyone else is equally impressed with the revitalisations. “So far, we’ve seen some fantastic comments on Twitter about how good the ships look,” says Newbery. “We’ve also seen an increase in average spend per head, which tells us that travellers are responding really well to all the improvements we’ve made.” CFI
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