With speculation it is in financial trouble, officials sought to calm the waters by insisting the ferry operator was not going into liquidation ahead of further news on Thursday.

P&O Ferries’ second new €180 million ship, Spirit of France, has set sail on her maiden voyage to Calais. With capacity for up to 2,000 passengers, and three separate vehicle decks capable of carrying nearly four kilometres of traffic parked end to end, the giant ship joins her identical twin sister the Spirit of Britain in revolutionising travel on the Dover Strait.

P&O Ferries has taken delivery of its second new €180 million ship, Spirit of France, during a handover ceremony at the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland. Spirit of France then began its 1,400 mile voyage to Dover under the command of Captain Steve Johnson, Senior Master. 

P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 and 2012 will mark the 175th anniversary of when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was awarded the lucrative Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. To celebrate, P&O Cruises is offering a special 175th anniversary discounts on its cruise holidays during the peak “wave” period of December, January and February.

P&O Ferries has confirmed it will strongly contest any attempt by the French authorities to use “illegal” state aid to prop up failed French operator SeaFrance. SeaFrance, in administration since June 2010, is presently the subject of a French court hearing to decide whether it will be sold or liquidated.

P&O Ferries is set for a busy August Bank Holiday, with its Dover-Calais service alone set to carry close to 100,000 passengers over the three-day weekend. P&O Ferries was last year recognised as the World’s Leading Ferry Operator by the World Travel Awards.