Chamber Warns Over DFDS Winter Schedule Delay

Chamber Presses DFDS Over Delay in Winter Ferry Schedule

Islanders and hospitality businesses are still unable to book ferry travel to the UK or France beyond the end of October, prompting concern from the Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

While sailings up to the end of the October half-term were released in early July, DFDS has yet to publish its winter timetable. The Chamber says it has been stressing to DFDS the importance of making schedules available quickly to help both residents and the tourism sector plan ahead.

Chamber CEO Murray Norton told Channel 103 he expects the timetable to be published next week. “They [DFDS] are acutely aware of the concerns we’ve expressed and are working urgently to deliver finalised, detailed and accurate schedules that require minimal changes for customers,” he said.

According to Mr Norton, DFDS aims to release the rest of this year’s sailings online on Tuesday 19 August, with schedules through to October 2026 due in September. He said delays were partly due to finalising timings with various port authorities. DFDS confirmed to Channel 103 that the announcement is planned for Tuesday.

The uncertainty comes amid falling visitor numbers. Data to the end of June shows arrivals to Jersey down 16% year-on-year, with 118,200 fewer bed nights—a 13% drop. Earlier figures revealed ferry passenger numbers on the St Malo route halved in May compared to the same month in 2024, with the prolonged delay in awarding the ferry contract widely seen as a contributing factor.

By contrast, Guernsey—having appointed Brittany Ferries as its operator—has reported a marked rise in visitors from France, attributing the growth to its choice of provider. Brittany Ferries published its UK and France schedules for Guernsey through to November 2026 in early July.