Retread24800 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 So two days before we set off for the UK we get an E-mail from DFDS arbitrarily cancelling our cabin booking and offering us a standard seat. I tried to explain the reason why we needed a cabin, Wife with mobility problems, recent Knee replacements etc. but was told that they had NO cabins on this route on the 2300 sailing. So if you've booked this crossing I suggest you do what I did.Cancel grab the £200+ rebate and re book with Brittany Ferries on their 12.00 economie ferry same route, similar cabin and £60.00 in my pocket.In the past I've traveled this route with LD no problem, fair prices and I've enjoyed a good sleep waking just before arrival at 0800 fresh for the journey South. I really think they have shot themselves in the foot by replacing the old vessel with one without any cabins, those standard seats are absolutely diabolical and if you can cat nap in them I would be surprised. What a bunch of Merchant Bankers. OK, rant over. And I feel a lot better now!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Double checked our crossing July and we have seating booked so we should be ok????? chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Chris, We travelled DFDS and booked reclining seats for overnight crossing. With all of the snoring, coughing and snuffleling it was how I would imagine trying to get to sleep at the Zoo. Never again will I use DFDS. Some people took air beds and sleeping bags and dossed down anywhere on the floor, passage ways, alcoves, dining area etc. So if anyone insists or needs to go to Le Havre using DFDS then, sleeping bag, airbed and Ear Plugs at the ready should be considered standared fare. We now use Brittany from Ports and P&O from Dover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 We went overnight once (not DFDS) in reclinging sleeper seats, as we could not get a cabin due to the motorbikes going to Le-Mans NEVER again, as Mike said the noise and disturbance of the other passengers, in the special area, was so bad, you could not even dose off, let alone get a restfull sleep We would never travel overnight again, we go fast cat to Cherbourg 3 hours crossing, and for us just 10 mins to the terminal., so a no brainer for us PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Oh dear. Looks like we have to prepare for this crossing. We will pull into an aire asap and stop straight to stay a day or 2 to rest anyway. Husband is partially deaf so it will be me who suffers!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Journey from hell but all DFDS crossings are!......fast tunnel crossing and overnight on a peaceful Aire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean.clarke Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Agree with the above, however being very local it was handy to drive on at 23:00, go straight to your cabin to sleep, wake up call at 06:00, have a quick coffee and then straight to the van to drive off. That said, wouldn't entertain the crossing without a cabin, not for me I am afraid. Off to France end of April and will probably take the tunnel..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Cup Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 On earlier posts I complained about LD Lies use of their previous ferry, due to lack of passenger accommodation both of seats and cabins. Now that that ferry has been taken over by Brittany Ferries for the same route, I guess that complaint has been answered. By a total lack of cabins on LD Lines' replacement. That really is ridiculous for an overnight crossing. I was genuinely just about to book for the end of next month. Guess I'll have to think again. Brittany Ferries presumably have not found extra cabin space, so I'd end up spending more (even at their so called bargain rates) for poor accommodation. I have said I'd never do that trip again without a cabin. So, let's see, how many Tesco Eurotunnel vouchers have I got? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hymer1942 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Must agree with Eddie, fast and easy on the Train. Not cheap but you nearly always get what you pay for. Barrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Used up all our Tesco vouchers for Jan and May trip so the DFDS crossing is the NEC offer. Think we will have to see how it goes. Going out is overnight but return is a day crossing. chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Tea Cup - 2014-03-27 6:01 PMOn earlier posts I complained about LD Lies use of their previous ferry, due to lack of passenger accommodation both of seats and cabins. Now that that ferry has been taken over by Brittany Ferries for the same route, I guess that complaint has been answered. By a total lack of cabins on LD Lines' replacement. That really is ridiculous for an overnight crossing. I was genuinely just about to book for the end of next month. Guess I'll have to think again. Brittany Ferries presumably have not found extra cabin space, so I'd end up spending more (even at their so called bargain rates) for poor accommodation. I have said I'd never do that trip again without a cabin. So, let's see, how many Tesco Eurotunnel vouchers have I got?Accommodation details of the "Etretat" ferry are shown here http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/economie/etretat/accommodationWith a capacity of 200 cars and 375 passengers, the 103 cabins seems not unreasonable (at least for the Portsmouth-Le Havre route). There are ships in Brittany Ferries fleet with a much lower cabin/passenger ratio - for example, "Barfleur" can carry 900 passengers and is said to have just 72 cabins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I used Portsmouth-St Malo (with cabin) a few years ago and found that OK because the crossing was long enough to get a decent sleep but the shorter crossings to Le Havre and Cannes were terrible - got very little sleep because of the shorter time in bed. Return crossing was during the daytime and felt like a pleasant cruise, passing the Channel islands. Not sure if this route still works that way. Eurotunnel worked well for us but it has suddenly got expensive if you are towing a trailer so the last couple of times we used an evening (cheaper) outbound Dover-Calais crossing, then sleep on the Marina Aire in Calais where there is always room and quiet. Return crossing we sleep at Calais again then cross early morning (also cheaper) and get a nice breakfast on board (P&O, worth the extra) and then straight on to the M25 to drive home. Done it twice so far and it went smoothly both times, even carrying a dog. Also discovered last time that booking a single outbound trip and then booking the return on line from France worked well as long as you book the return crossing a week or so before you want to cross. The prices only seem jump up as you get to the last three or four days before the crossing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter21 Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Just back via tunnel....quick and easy. We have three dogs (temporarily), and as all dog owners know they have to be wormed before you cross back to the UK. Autumn....vet at Honfleur....123 euros for three treatments. This trip...vet at La Mailleraye sur Seine...37.50 euros for three. It pays to shop around. They advertise 15 euros per dog plus cost of worming tablet so we must have had a quantity discount. And the vet was charming. Note that the aire at La Mailleraye is still closed due to building works in the village. We stayed at an aire 3 miles to the west, close to the Pont de Brotonne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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