Danskebåden: – Changing times
The Danish boat between Oslo and Copenhagen changes sailing times. This will be a better time for shopping in Denmark – and for a longer lunch on board.
This is clear after DFDS, which sails with the ships «Crown Seaways» and «Pearl Seaways», moves the departure times from Oslo and Copenhagen respectively. The two ships leave the ports at the same time and also arrive at their next port 19 hours later.
In today’s sailing schedule, the ships unload at 14.00 and come ashore again at 09.15. But the times need to change.
Previously, the ships sailed directly between Oslo and Copenhagen, but now sail past Frederikshavn in Jutland on their way to and from Oslo most days.
You can read more about the exceptions a little further down.
End of the «dance boat»
The reason for this is that the shipping company Stena Line chose to close the route between Oslo and Frederikshavn just a few days after Norway shut down the corona in March 2020.
It started with the Swedish shipping company Stena Line already on 16 March 2020 with 950 employees.
Launches new tickets
The reason was a large decrease in the number of passengers due to the coronavirus. Three days later it became known at Stena Line laid down the popular route between Oslo and Frederikshavn after 40 years.
The Danish boat Stena Saga, which also became known as the «dance boat», had thus sailed its last trip on the current stretch and later became sold to a Cypriot shipping company.
New triangle
On 26 June 2020, the competitor DFDS started up its new route with the two ships which had previously been directly between Oslo and Copenhagen. Now the route became one instead triangular connection between Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen.
The DFDS route between Oslo and Copenhagen is called «Danskebåten» in Norway, while Danes call it «Oslobåden».
Little known passport trap
And now the company is changing the sailing times. From 28 March, the ships will leave land at 15.00, with arrival in a new port and new town the next morning at 10.00
This means that passengers have better time for breakfast on board, as well as shopping in the duty-free shop on the ships. Tax-free sales are an important part of the revenue for DFDS.
In addition, the round-trip passengers come ashore at a time that better suits the store’s opening hours in Copenhagen and Oslo. This makes it easier to complete both shopping and a lunch ashore before the ship returns five hours later.