Fred. Olsen Express has everything ready to facilitate summer vacations and getaways between islands during the month of August. In this sense, the shipping company will make a total of 2,206 trips in which the displacement of more than 416,000 passengers and more than 108,000 vehicles is expected for this month, figures similar to those of the previous year.
Likewise, about 9,000 pets will enjoy the different accommodations offered by the company. Among the most demanded routes, with forecasts of around 100,000 passengers, are those that connect Tenerife with Gran Canaria, Tenerife with La Gomera and Gran Canaria with Fuerteventura, which year after year is positioned as one of the favorite summer destinations among the shipping company's connections.
Also noteworthy is the connection between Playa Blanca, in Lanzarote, and Corralejo, in Fuerteventura, which currently offers a service consisting of three ships, one for the transport of passengers, vehicles and goods, and two others focused on excursions, with the recent incorporation of the Buganvilla Express mini-ferry.
In the words of the fleet director of Fred. Olsen Express, Juan Ignacio Liaño, “as part of our commitment to offer passengers a comfortable, flexible service that meets their needs, we have reinforced our connections during the month of August, as we do every year with the summer schedules. A key moment in which many choose us to travel between islands and enjoy their vacations. Our objective continues to be to guarantee connections, even in periods of high demand such as summer, so that all those who wish to can plan their vacations in a simpler way and with all the members of the family”.
Pets on board: one year since the launch of the new pet-friendly accommodations
More than 63,000 pets have traveled in Fred. Olsen Express's pet-friendly accommodations since the new services were implemented in June 2023. Since then, the shipping company offers three travel modalities that can be booked during ticket purchase. For companion animals of any weight and size, the Pet Sofa modality is available, a mat with seat attachment to provide greater security.
For pets up to 10 kilos that travel in their approved carrier, Pet Carrier is available. Finally, the Pet Room accommodation consists of houses located in the outdoor areas of the ships, with great ventilation and accessible throughout the journey. These fixed and safe structures, available in different sizes, and which have personalized cameras to follow the pet's journey in real time with access through an exclusive QR.
Passengers who have used this service have rated it with an 8.89 out of 10, which demonstrates the good reception of the possibility of traveling with all family members in a comfortable and safe way. The head of on-board services at Fred. Olsen Express, Erik Lehmann, states that “we are very satisfied and grateful for the results obtained with the service in its first year of life and for the feedback we have received. The three accommodations for pets were designed and contrasted with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in response to the needs of our furry passengers and as part of our commitment to offer the best travel experience for the whole family”.
And he adds that “Specifically, 63,194 pets have been able to travel with their owners in a comfortable and safe way, enjoying the crossings, which encourages us, even more, to continue working in this line”. The route that connects Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Agaete, in Gran Canaria, is the most used by travelers with pets, with 16,955 transported in pet-friendly accommodations throughout this first year of the new services. They are followed in popularity by the connections between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura (16,315 pets) and between Tenerife and La Gomera (9,349 pets).
About Fred. Olsen Express
Fred. Olsen Express celebrates 50 years connecting the Canary Islands by sea. The shipping company began its journey in 1974 with the first Ferry Gomera between San Sebastián de La Gomera and Los Cristianos, in Tenerife. Since then, it has maintained its commitment to the development of maritime transport in the archipelago, through a service offered by latest generation ships and based on comfort, speed and flexibility.
Faithful to its vocation of generating wealth among the Canarian community, the shipping company has a human team of close to 1,000 people. Currently, Fred. Olsen Express has a fleet of 7 high-speed ships, 3 mini-ferries and a ship for the transport of goods, with which it operates six inter-island maritime lines and a coastal route in the south of La Gomera.
In addition, it connects the archipelago with the peninsula through the connection of Gran Canaria and Tenerife with Huelva. Fred. Olsen Express is a leader in the inter-island market. It makes an average of 22,000 trips per year, and annually transports more than 3.5 million people, more than 63,000 pets, around one million cars and around 1,300,000 linear meters of cargo, that is, about 100,000 vehicles for the transport of goods. Since its origin, more than 85 million passengers have trusted the company.
In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Canary Islands Sustainable Development agenda 2030, through its ‘In Harmony with the Sea’ program Fred. Olsen Express applies innovation in all its processes to reduce its footprint on the environment as much as possible.