“But it really has been a pleasure.” 

He said, since the tender hasn’t been published yet, that it’s too early to say what kind of service the community could expect from DFDS. 

“It's too early for me to say anything about the vessels, the schedules and so forth.  

“But I can say that DFDS is an old company. We have more than 150 years of experience in operating vessels and providing reliable services and when it comes to reliability, it's a big part of what the Islanders want and that's what we're good at.” 

Pictured: DFDS VP Filip Werne Hermann. 

When asked about the different needs between Guernsey and Jersey Mr Hermann said: 

"There are different preferences and destinations and services and so forth and it's becoming more and more clear to us what those are. 

"It’s clear that there's not one solution that fits both islands perfectly. We have to adapt to the needs of both.” 

Pictured: The DFDS ship – the Finlandia Seaways – underwent berthing trials earlier this year (picture taken in Jersey).

Mr Hermann said the biggest takeaway has been a desire from the community for a service that is reliable and transparent. 

“Over the last couple of days, the biggest takeaway has been the focus on reliability and transparency.  

“Those two things are mentioned again and again and again. That's what Islanders want to see.” 

DFDS history 

DFDS (Det Forenede Dampsklbs-Selskab) was founded in the 1800s and operates 25 freight and passenger routes around the world. 

It has been operating routes in the English Channel for decades, between destinations such as Dover and Dunkirk. 

"DFDS is an old company and we have a long-term strategy with long-term investments. 

“The long-term agreement with the islands fits very well into [this strategy] - we believe that we have the scale [needed for the Channel Islands].” 

The governments of Guernsey and Jersey announced an open tender process for the island’s passenger and ferry links earlier this year. A service that has in recent years been provided by Condor.