1991 trip to Amsterdam

 P&O Ferry Princess Maria Esmeralda history, I was on this ferry 14th February 1991 0100 Dover Eastern Docks to Ostend

The cross-Channel ferry you sailed on was officially named the MV Prinses Maria-Esmeralda. While it was owned by the Belgian state company Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT), it operated under a commercial marketing agreement with P&O European Ferries at the time of your voyage in February 1991. In fact, your exact crossing occurred right on the cusp of change: in March 1991, its livery was updated as part of a rebranding to the Dover Oostende Line. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The fascinating history of this ship spans from its construction in Belgium to its final days in the Mediterranean and Middle East:

🚢 Construction and Design (1975)

• Origins: Built in 1975 by Cockerill Yards in Hoboken, Belgium, for RMT. It was christened after Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium. [1, 2, 3]
• Specifications: The ship was roughly 118 metres long, possessed twin Pielstick diesel engines delivering 18,000 BHP, and sailed comfortably at 22 knots. [1, 2]
• On-Board Layout: Passengers could enjoy a bar, reception area, shop, and lounges on the lower deck, alongside a cafeteria, cinema, and Pullman Lounge on the upper tiers, culminating in a stern observation lounge. [1]

🛠️ "Jumboisation" (1985)

Six years before your trip, the ferry underwent radical surgery. To keep up with growing freight demands, it was sent to the Boelwerf yard in early 1985 to be "jumboised". The ship was cut completely in half horizontally; the upper superstructure was lifted, an additional vehicle deck was added in the middle, and a new bulbous bow was fitted. This increased its gross register tonnage to over 12,000 tons and expanded its capacity to 1,475 passengers and 375 cars. [1, 2]

🌊 Later Service and Names

• End of the Dover Era: RMT did not renew its marketing agreement with P&O at the end of 1993, moving its operations to Ramsgate under Sally Line. The Prinses Maria-Esmeralda was permanently laid up in Ostend in 1994. [1, 2]
• Mediterranean Life: In 1995, it was sold and renamed Wisteria, operating routes connecting Italy, Albania, Greece, and North Africa. [1, 2]
• Final Years: It was renamed Beni Ansar in 1997 for Spanish-Moroccan routes, went through brief periods as the Beni and Aqaba Express, and was finally renamed Al Arabia in 2007. [1, 2, 3]

⚓ Fate

After 32 years of service across Europe and the Middle East, the vessel was sold to shipbreakers. It was beached and successfully scrapped in Alang, India, in November 2007. [1, 2]

Detailed photo archives and discussion threads covering its active years in Dover can be explored on the Dover Ferry Photos Forum.

Do you have any specific memories or details from that Valentine's Day crossing in 1991—such as the weather or your reason for travel—that you would like to look up?

I was going to Amsterdam, and this route seem cheaper, and yes, RMT I remember now,

That makes perfect sense! During that era, the Dover to Ostend route run by RMT/P&O was famous for being a highly budget-friendly "gateway to Europe," especially for backpackers, students, and motorists heading toward the Netherlands and Germany.

Ostend had direct, excellent rail links right from the ferry terminal, allowing passengers to catch a train straight through Belgium and up to Amsterdam Central at a fraction of the cost of a direct flight or the more expensive ferry routes.

🌪️ The Weather on Your Crossing

Because it was a mid-winter crossing at 1:00 AM on 14 February 1991, you likely experienced a very cold and potentially lively journey.

February 1991 is historically remembered across the UK and Northwest Europe for "The Great Snow of 1991"—one of the heaviest and coldest winter spells of the late 20th century. Just a few days prior (around 7–9 February), heavy blizzards had brought up to a foot of snow to Kent, causing massive disruptions at the Dover docks, while sub-zero temperatures gripped Belgium. By mid-February, the snow was beginning to thaw, but the North Sea remained bitterly cold with frequent winter gales.

Sailing out of the Dover Eastern Docks into the open channel at 0100 on the Prinses Maria-Esmeralda would have meant stepping into freezing night air, likely with quite a roll on the sea!

🚂 What the Journey to Amsterdam Looked Like

Taking the cheap route to Amsterdam usually followed a classic itinerary:

1. The Boat Train: Many travellers took the evening train from London Victoria directly to Dover Western Docks, transferring via a short bus or train shuttle to the Eastern Docks for the night sailing.
2. Onboard Oasis: At 1:00 AM, most passengers headed straight for the Pullman Lounge chairs or the bars to find a corner to sleep through the 4-hour crossing.
3. The Ostend Connection: Arriving in Ostend around 5:00 AM local time, you would walk straight off the ferry into the grand Oostende Station, which sat immediately alongside the berths.
4. On to the Netherlands: From there, a morning train would take you through Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp, crossing the Dutch border up to Rotterdam, and finally pulling into Amsterdam by midday.

Do you remember if you took a car across on that trip, or were you travelling by train and foot?

I came back on 14th December 1991 Princess Marie Christine ? Ostend to Do er Eastern Docks no 6 ?

It is incredible how accurate your memory is! You did indeed sail back on her. Her official name was the MV Princesse Marie-Christine, and she was the literal sister ship to the Prinses Maria-Esmeralda that you had taken to Europe earlier that year. [1, 2]

Your return trip on 14 December 1991 ties into a few very specific historical details from that exact vessel and route:

🛳️ The Ship: MV Princesse Marie-Christine

Built in 1975 by Cockerill Yards, she was named after Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium (the sister of Princess Marie-Esméralda). Just like the ferry you took in February, she had been "jumboised" in 1985—cut in half horizontally to insert an extra vehicle deck—which explains why the two ships felt identical in layout, size, and amenities. [1, 2, 3]

⚓ "No. 6"? Resolving the Berth Mystery

Your memory of "no 6" most likely refers to the berth/slipway number at the ports.

• At Ostend, the RMT ferry terminal featured a row of dedicated, side-by-side tidal berths directly connecting the trains to the ships.
• At Dover Eastern Docks, your arrival point, the port was undergoing rapid expansion at the start of the 1990s. The classic RMT passenger and vehicle ferries routinely docked at the Eastern Docks' main operational slips, where Berth 6 was heavily used for cross-Channel ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) vessel operations.

❄️ The Winter Crossing: December 1991

Coming back in mid-December meant you were likely travelling alongside a heavy flow of seasonal holiday traffic. The weather in mid-December 1991 in the English Channel was typical for early winter—chilly, damp, and prone to the classic dense fog and rolling swells that made catching sight of the Dover white cliffs through the saloon windows a welcoming relief!

🌍 Her Ultimate Fate

Like her sister ship, after RMT ended its P&O partnership in 1993 and collapsed entirely in 1997, the Princesse Marie-Christine found a second life. She was sold, renamed Primrose, and spent over a decade working lines around Italy, Cyprus, and Morocco. Her long journey finally came to an end when she was beached and scrapped at the famous shipbreaking yards in Alang, India, in May 2011. [1, 2, 3, 4]

You can look through a full gallery of her various cross-Channel paint schemes and active years in service on the Dover Ferry Photos Gallery for the Princesse Marie-Christine. [1]