Isle of Man Steam Packet Company passengers, past, present and future, are being invited to contribute their views as the Company prepares for major investment in its fleet.
With a new Sea Services Agreement fully operational from next year, plans are in place to secure a new purpose-built vessel which will be designed and built over the next two to three years to replace the services currently provided by the Company’s conventional ferry, Ben-my-Chree.
Island Global Research has been commissioned to carry out a survey which should take 10-15 minutes to complete and focuses on on-board facility preferences.
Chief Executive Mark Woodward explained: ‘These are exciting times for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and we are looking forward to securing a new vessel as part of our future investment plans. As a Company which plays an integral role in the Manx community and promoting tourism in the Isle of Man, we naturally welcome comments from all members of the public as we plan which on-board facilities and services should be prioritised when we introduce a new vessel.’
He continued: ‘The new vessel will serve us in many ways and there are many considerations and compromises which need to be factored in throughout the process. At this stage, one of our top priorities is ensuring the new vessel meets the needs of both foot and vehicle passengers, in addition to the freight services operated daily to and from the Island.
‘While there are a variety of technical and safety requirements that have to be considered when designing a new vessel, we hope that the practical views collected from the survey being conducted by Island Global Research will help us fine tune the design to benefit our customers.’
The survey can be found by visiting: https://survey.islandglobalresearch.com/s3/Steam-Packet-Company-Ferry-Survey
The Steam Packet Company is also committed to maintaining a third back-up vessel, intended to be the Ben-my-Chree when the replacement vessel arrives, which will enhance back-up for both passenger and freight links and help increase capacity during the TT and Festival of Motorcycling.
The survey closed at 12:00 noon on Thursday 19th December 2019
