SeaFrance Suspension of Service

[Robinhood]

Unashamedly posted on from information on "Motorhomefacts" in case anyone on here is unaware, and booked to travel.

 

Given the current court proceedings to decide the future of the company, services have been suspended as of this morning. (this may or may not be temporary depending on the outcome of the proceedings)

 

More information at:

 

http://www.seafrance.com

 

Information on "facts" implies that DFDS are picking up the existing bookings, but Dover-Dunkerque or v v. I can't vouch for this, and would suggest anyone with an imminent booking phones the number on the Seafrance homepage.

[rupert123]

I have two trips left on my current carnet and have been on to SeaFarnce this morning. Their advice is to telephone them back on Thursday when they will have details of the various possible outcomes. They are saying that they may carry on as normal or current bookings will be picked up by another operator but will not say who at this time. As a last resort any outstanding bookings that have been made you can apply for a full refund from the ferry operators association, a backup service bit like the travel agents one.

[Tony Jones]

There's to be a decision tomorrow from the French courts.

http://www.lesechos.fr/seafrance.htm

 

There are two bids on the table, one from a DFDS/LD consortium, one from a "workers' co-operative." The court has to rule (not quite sure why!) whether either of these is legal/acceptable.

If not, it's liquidation - and I'm down £82 for next summer's booking (first time for years I used a DEBIT card!! :-( )

 

Needless to say, Eurotunnel are trying to muddy the waters, arguing that a takeover, by reducing the number of different companies on the Channel, is "anti-competitve!"

Er, hadn't they noticed that liquidation would also reduce the number of operators? But of course, that'd reduce the number of actual ferries and crossings too - which would suit them better!

[rupert123]

Tony Jones - 2011-11-15 4:46 PM

 

There's to be a decision tomorrow from the French courts.

http://www.lesechos.fr/seafrance.htm

 

There are two bids on the table, one from a DFDS/LD consortium, one from a "workers' co-operative." The court has to rule (not quite sure why!) whether either of these is legal/acceptable.

If not, it's liquidation - and I'm down £82 for next summer's booking (first time for years I used a DEBIT card!! :-( )

 

Needless to say, Eurotunnel are trying to muddy the waters, arguing that a takeover, by reducing the number of different companies on the Channel, is "anti-competitve!"

Er, hadn't they noticed that liquidation would also reduce the number of operators? But of course, that'd reduce the number of actual ferries and crossings too - which would suit them better!

 

Tony read my post above you will be able to claim you money back if the company simply closes.

[Guest pelmetman]

On our local news tonight, P&O are re flagging their ferries to the Bahamas8-)...............I wonder if they will offer a Hull too Bahamas service:D 

[Tony Jones]

Thanks for the heads-up on that Henry - I was speed-reading and missed that bit of your post!

 

Still, given the choice I'd sooner have my booking honoured by a successor, than have to claim a refund and then book again at what may not be such a good price. Oh well, we'll see tomorrow!

[Tony Jones]

Looks like it's all over for Seafrance then.

 

http://www.lesechos.fr/investisseurs/actualites-boursieres/reuters_00399559-la-compagnie-seafrance-en-liquidation-judiciaire-avec-un-delai-249924.php

 

Since my booking is for July and the "delai" is only until January, I'd better find out about this Ferry Operators' Association!

 

End of an era for us - ever since we "restarted" visiting France as a newly-"childless" couple, back in 1999, we've used SF more than any other carrier. I'll miss those artist-themed ships, especially when a new one was launched and we'd be hoping to get on it, and the "Café de Paris" on board .... ah well, must move on!

[Mike B.]

Tony Jones - 2011-11-16 12:42 PM

 

Looks like it's all over for Seafrance then.

 

http://www.lesechos.fr/investisseurs/actualites-boursieres/reuters_00399559-la-compagnie-seafrance-en-liquidation-judiciaire-avec-un-delai-249924.php

 

Since my booking is for July and the "delai" is only until January, I'd better find out about this Ferry Operators' Association!

 

End of an era for us - ever since we "restarted" visiting France as a newly-"childless" couple, back in 1999, we've used SF more than any other carrier. I'll miss those artist-themed ships, especially when a new one was launched and we'd be hoping to get on it, and the "Café de Paris" on board .... ah well, must move on!

 

Tony

Don't know if you are in CC but if so providing you book before end of month you can get a MH up to 10m long ferry for £48 return Dover/Dunkirk with DFDS (Old Norfolk line)

If not you can still get a good price direct albeit not as good as CC.

You can travel anytime in 2012. See my post re ferry prices as I got £68 for van & car out beginning of June back end July.

Mike

[Robinhood]

A link in English:

 

http://connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-Channel-tribunal-DFDS-Dover-Calais-13173-view-article.html

[Brit_Stops]

Time for a "staycation" maybe? ;-)

 

Steve

[mel wood]

rupert123 - 2011-11-15 12:56 PM

 

As a last resort any outstanding bookings that have been made you can apply for a full refund from the ferry operators association, a backup service bit like the travel agents one.

 

 

 

Hi - can you please provide any deatils of "the ferry operators' association"? I have just 'googled' those words and could find no such association. (Maybe the wording is not the correct name.) Thanks.

 

Tony Jones - like yourself we have used Sea France over the last decade or so and have always been delighted with their service. IF they do go out of business we will miss them. In our opinion they were a great company to deal with and travel with: I guess their prices were too good to keep the company viable.

 

 

 

Incidently, I have just learnt from our Credit Card provider that the cut off point for Credit Card protecion under a particular Consumer Protection law is £75 (not £100 as someone on a different thread stated recently).

[Mike B.]

Brit_Stops - 2011-11-16 1:38 PM

 

Time for a "staycation" maybe? ;-)

 

Steve

 

Would love to but can't afford the pitch costs! Cheaper to pay for a ferry than it is to pay the prices in England. Then of course there are our glorious summers!

Mike

[Brit_Stops]

Mike B. - 2011-11-16 2:25 PM

 

Brit_Stops - 2011-11-16 1:38 PM

 

Time for a "staycation" maybe? ;-)

 

Steve

 

Would love to but can't afford the pitch costs!

Mike

 

Yes, if only there was an alternative.... ;-) ;-)

 

Steve (sorry, I'll stop now!)

I

I

v

[mel wood]

Mike B. - 2011-11-16 2:25 PM

 

Brit_Stops - 2011-11-16 1:38 PM

 

Time for a "staycation" maybe? ;-)

 

Steve

 

Would love to but can't afford the pitch costs! Cheaper to pay for a ferry than it is to pay the prices in England. Then of course there are our glorious summers!

Mike

 

 

We enjoy touring European countries AND also the UK.

 

I do wish folks wouldn't "knock" touring in the UK. We spent over 7 weeks in May/June touring Scotland, including the Orkneys and the Shetlands and our average nightly cost was just over £9. Prices ranged from £18 for a hard standing pitch with electricity at a superb site in Kirkwall to £5 for a CS site in a lawned garden next to the sea, (We also had many free nights.)

 

We also spent a glorious sunny week at Whitby for £59.50pence in AUGUST (and there were free showers).

 

In Europe we sometimes use the ACSI discount card but we also had other low cost stays in England during Spring and Autumn which cost less than those discounted prices.

 

I don't mean for this thread to go "off-topic" but I couldn't allow such 'inaccuracies' to go unchallenged. (There are also other costs for medical inurance and vehicle breakdown/repatriation costs when touring over the Channel.)

 

We hope to go to mainland Europe next year but the costs will be greater than our Scottish holiday this year which, in TOTAL, was about £600 cheaper than the equivalent time spent in mainland Europe in 2010, despite the Scottish ferry journeys costing about £350 and fuel in the Highlands and Islands being £1.48 - £1.54 a litre.

 

 

[rupert123]

Latest situation from SeaFrance and the insurance backup. Any tickets will certainly be valid until the 28 January 2012, after this date it will depend on wether they have been taken over. DFDS the prefered bidder have agreed to take over current tickets as part of any deal. The insurance, if they do go bust, is operated by SeaFrance themselves and any tickets that may be outstanding in this case will be fully refunded via this service. It is pointless trying to claim at the moment as they are resuming normal service so all tickets will currently be seen as still valid. I have since found out that the Ferry operators thing, unlike the travel agents, is operated by the companies themselves via an insurance scheme.

[mel wood]

rupert123 - 2011-11-16 2:58 PM

 

DFDS the prefered bidder have agreed to take over current tickets as part of any deal. The insurance, if they do go bust, is operated by SeaFrance themselves and any tickets that may be outstanding in this case will be fully refunded via this service.

I have since found out that the Ferry operators thing, unlike the travel agents, is operated by the companies themselves via an insurance scheme.

 

Hi,

 

Where have you gained this information please?

 

A link to an official source or a website address would be useful.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

mel wood - 2011-11-16 2:47 PM

.....................................We hope to go to mainland Europe next year but the costs will be greater than our Scottish holiday this year which, in TOTAL, was about £600 cheaper than the equivalent time spent in mainland Europe in 2010, despite the Scottish ferry journeys costing about £350 and fuel in the Highlands and Islands being £1.48 - £1.54 a litre.

 

Apologies for the further OT, but now I'm intrigued! :-)

 

From what you say above, Mel, it seems you saved approximately £100 per week over six weeks touring the UK in 2011, compared to what you described as touring "mainland Europe" for a similar period of time in 2010. I'm not seeking to "knock" either location, but are you sure this reliably compares like with like?

 

Our experience over nearly six years has been that food is, give or take, is approximately the same, fuel, and so travel, is cheaper, information for visits generally free, parking frequently free, public transport generally cheaper, over 60's discounts generally more forthcoming, visits to places of interest generally cheaper, and campsites of comparable quality cheaper. So, overall, despite the £60 per year for European recovery, about £25 for return (Tesco) tunnel journey, and £150 for annual multi-trip max 90 days travel/medical insurance, mainland Europe, with certain exceptions (e.g. Italy) is no more costly overall, and often marginally cheaper, to visit than the UK. It's that £100 per week, despite spending £350 (almost another £60 per week!) on UK ferries, that just doesn't square with our experience. Would you be prepared to expand a little on how you got such low UK prices?

[Mike B.]

mel wood - 2011-11-16 2:47 PM

 

Mike B. - 2011-11-16 2:25 PM

 

Brit_Stops - 2011-11-16 1:38 PM

 

Time for a "staycation" maybe? ;-)

 

Steve

 

Would love to but can't afford the pitch costs! Cheaper to pay for a ferry than it is to pay the prices in England. Then of course there are our glorious summers!

Mike

 

 

We enjoy touring European countries AND also the UK.

 

I do wish folks wouldn't "knock" touring in the UK. We spent over 7 weeks in May/June touring Scotland, including the Orkneys and the Shetlands and our average nightly cost was just over £9. Prices ranged from £18 for a hard standing pitch with electricity at a superb site in Kirkwall to £5 for a CS site in a lawned garden next to the sea, (We also had many free nights.)

 

We also spent a glorious sunny week at Whitby for £59.50pence in AUGUST (and there were free showers).

 

In Europe we sometimes use the ACSI discount card but we also had other low cost stays in England during Spring and Autumn which cost less than those discounted prices.

 

I don't mean for this thread to go "off-topic" but I couldn't allow such 'inaccuracies' to go unchallenged. (There are also other costs for medical inurance and vehicle breakdown/repatriation costs when touring over the Channel.)

 

We hope to go to mainland Europe next year but the costs will be greater than our Scottish holiday this year which, in TOTAL, was about £600 cheaper than the equivalent time spent in mainland Europe in 2010, despite the Scottish ferry journeys costing about £350 and fuel in the Highlands and Islands being £1.48 - £1.54 a litre.

 

 

Pardon me for any 'inaccuracies' but I cannot see how your comparison makes sense.

If you use campsites then yes but I can't afford them. Save for Scotland I am unaware of anywhere to wildcamp in UK or 'aires' that are available so it is CLs which this year appear to be £10 and upwards. If you knew all the facts of my journeys ie Brakedown Insurance (inc in my vehicle foc) Medical ins (inc in special Bank offer foc) Ferry £58 and aires/stellplatz average £6 you will see how my months in Germany & France last year could not possibly be compared with a 2 month tour of England & Wales. Your ferry alone cost nearly as much as my 2 months in Europe.

Add to that Diesel at £1.05 average per litre, Meal out for about £20 for 2 and wine at £1 bottle or £1.45, £40 and £5 respectively, it is a no brainer to me.

That said, it is a matter of choice, if you want to stay in UK then do so and if I prefer to go to Europe don't tell me I am inaccurate or 'knocking' anybody or anyone. It is my personal choice.

 

My appologies to OP for going off topic.

 

Mike

[Tony Jones]

Me again.

 

The only Association I've found is the Passenger Shipping Assoc., http://www.the-psa.co.uk/ , and they won't be much help for two reasons:

 

1) Seafrance doesn't seem to be a member; http://www.the-psa.co.uk/default.asp?PID=16&PPID=3

 

2) Quote: "The PSA bond covers package holidays operated by ferry companies, but not A to B crossings." http://www.the-psa.co.uk/default.asp?PID=5&PPID=5

 

So unless DFDS do manage a takeover, we're on our own. I've not taken out Seafrance's own insurance, I've yet to look into whether my usual travel cover will pay out on this.

 

But we WILL be crossing the water, whatever!

[Tony Jones]

Robinhood - 2011-11-16 1:25 PM

 

A link in English:

 

http://connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-Channel-tribunal-DFDS-Dover-Calais-13173-view-article.html

 

Thanks for that "Robin." Maybe there will be another offer, or perhaps the DFDS/LD outfit will increase theirs, so I'll wait until the Dec deadline before booking anything else.

[lennyhb]

mel wood - 2011-11-16 2:47 PM

 

I don't mean for this thread to go "off-topic" but I couldn't allow such 'inaccuracies' to go unchallenged. (There are also other costs for medical inurance and vehicle breakdown/repatriation costs when touring over the Channel.)

 

We hope to go to mainland Europe next year but the costs will be greater than our Scottish holiday this year which, in TOTAL, was about £600 cheaper than the equivalent time spent in mainland Europe in 2010, despite the Scottish ferry journeys costing about £350 and fuel in the Highlands and Islands being £1.48 - £1.54 a litre.

 

 

I can't see how you arrive at that conclusion.

 

We had 2 weeks in Scotland in April & 3 weeks in France in September spent about the same on both trips so French trip was 30% a week cheaper. Did quite a few more miles in France fuel bill was less. European annual breakdown cover is £58 with our insurance company if we didn't have that separate UK cover would cost more so no extra cost, Medical insurance free with our bank account.

[Robinhood]

Tony Jones - 2011-11-16 4:14 PM

 

Me again.

 

The only Association I've found is the Passenger Shipping Assoc., http://www.the-psa.co.uk/ , and they won't be much help for two reasons:

 

1) Seafrance doesn't seem to be a member; http://www.the-psa.co.uk/default.asp?PID=16&PPID=3

 

2) Quote: "The PSA bond covers package holidays operated by ferry companies, but not A to B crossings." http://www.the-psa.co.uk/default.asp?PID=5&PPID=5

 

So unless DFDS do manage a takeover, we're on our own. I've not taken out Seafrance's own insurance, I've yet to look into whether my usual travel cover will pay out on this.

 

But we WILL be crossing the water, whatever!

 

.....yes, I'd already been there ;-)

 

Seafrance do in fact appear to be a member, but not a bonded member, which is what one should be looking for (and is the page you reference).

 

The clause on A to B crossings is also relevant.

 

My own suspicion is that a deal will eventually be done (and that it will be with DFDS/LDA - unless the unions sink the ships first B-) ).

 

It isn't at all clear to me what position it will leave current bookings in, however, and I can't imagine anyone (at least those in the know) is going to take up a new booking with Seafrance (unless it's in the very near future, and they want a nice quiet crossing :-) )

[mel wood]

lennyhb - 2011-11-16 4:17 PM

 

mel wood - 2011-11-16 2:47 PM

 

I don't mean for this thread to go "off-topic" but I couldn't allow such 'inaccuracies' to go unchallenged. (There are also other costs for medical inurance and vehicle breakdown/repatriation costs when touring over the Channel.)

 

We hope to go to mainland Europe next year but the costs will be greater than our Scottish holiday this year which, in TOTAL, was about £600 cheaper than the equivalent time spent in mainland Europe in 2010, despite the Scottish ferry journeys costing about £350 and fuel in the Highlands and Islands being £1.48 - £1.54 a litre.

 

 

I can't see how you arrive at that conclusion.

 

Whethor or not you can't see how I arrive at that conclusion I am giving you basic FACTS. We keep a record of our spending and so we KNOW what we spent.

[mel wood]

 

Time for a "staycation" maybe? ;-)

 

Steve

 

Would love to but can't afford the pitch costs! Cheaper to pay for a ferry than it is to pay the prices in England. Then of course there are our glorious summers!

Mike

 

 

That said, it is a matter of choice, if you want to stay in UK then do so and if I prefer to go to Europe don't tell me I am inaccurate or 'knocking' anybody or anyone. It is my personal choice.

 

Mike

 

 

 

I don't want to 'fall out' with anyone.

 

As I put in my post we tour in the UK AND mainland Europe. We KNOW how much we spent on both trips and we DO find good value sites HOME AND ABROAD.

 

We know our costs (including CL and CS sites for under £10) - you know yours. Let's leave it there without any animosity.

 

[Bulletguy]

Damn!! This is very bad news indeed.

 

Been looking at Ferry prices the past few weeks now trying to get a decent price crossing for December. Only yesterday cheapest was P&O at £69 with SeaFrance at £73. Now there is effectively no competition, P&O's £69 fare is now £82! :-( :-(

 

I just wonder how much longer folk can stand for this?