Ferry deals to France - Summer 2015

MorganIRL

That link still seems to work there's a €110 diff in cost between stena and IF. I've used IF the last 2 yrs although stenas ferry times aren't as gd I'm thinking we can get around them with the xtra money we'd be saving.

Bif

MorganIRL wrote: »

That link still seems to work there's a €110 diff in cost between stena and IF. I've used IF the last 2 yrs although stenas ferry times aren't as gd I'm thinking we can get around them with the xtra money we'd be saving.

Is there much difference in the 2 ferries used?

MorganIRL

After using that stena link above and the francec15 further up thread for the same dates. I was saving €110 euros in total. Cabins on stena seem cheaper that's where the saving is I think.

First Up

Bif wrote: »

Is there much difference in the 2 ferries used?

Quite a bit. The Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde is older but more spacious and with a number of bars and restaurants, ranging from a snack bar to full waiter service. They also have an entertainment show in the summer season. The 3 star cabins on the OW are fine and are what I would recommend - the 2 star are a bit basic and the 4 star aren't worth it.

The Stena ship is newer but has more limited facilities - one bar, one restaurant and (to me) it feels more like a freight drivers ferry than one aimed at families etc. But I got into a few rows in another forum for saying this and some people will swear to you that the Stena boat is brilliant and the Oscar Wilde is a rust bucket so I think there's a few agendas on the go!

Have a look at the websites which describe the ships pretty well.

Stone Deaf 4evr

@ Bif

Regardless of what boat you eventually do book on, remember that its only a part of your holiday and you’ll only be on it for the best part of a day.
You won’t get scurvy, or boarded by somali pirates, and you wont be segregated by class, with the toffs having partridge for tea on the top deck with the working class in the belly of the boat drinking warm porter and having a display of irish music and dancing. All the boats are grand.

Weigh up the cost to get to your destination from the front door of your house, then look at time taken, then decide if one outweighs the other.
For example, I could go cheaper from rosslare, but I’d sooner pay the extra few quid and sail from cork, as I’m living within 20 mins of the port.

First Up

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

@ Bif

Regardless of what boat you eventually do book on, remember that its only a part of your holiday and you’ll only be on it for the best part of a day.
You won’t get scurvy, or boarded by somali pirates, and you wont be segregated by class, with the toffs having partridge for tea on the top deck with the working class in the belly of the boat drinking warm porter and having a display of irish music and dancing. All the boats are grand.

Weigh up the cost to get to your destination from the front door of your house, then look at time taken, then decide if one outweighs the other.
For example, I could go cheaper from rosslare, but I’d sooner pay the extra few quid and sail from cork, as I’m living within 20 mins of the port.

All fair comment. The Brittany Ferries ship is very good - it just depends on whether Roscoff suits as your arrival/departure point.

BenEadir

First Up wrote: »

Quite a bit. The Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde is older but more spacious and with a number of bars and restaurants, ranging from a snack bar to full waiter service. They also have an entertainment show in the summer season. The 3 star cabins on the OW are fine and are what I would recommend - the 2 star are a bit basic and the 4 star aren't worth it.

The Stena ship is newer but has more limited facilities - one bar, one restaurant and (to me) it feels more like a freight drivers ferry than one aimed at families etc. But I got into a few rows in another forum for saying this and some people will swear to you that the Stena boat is brilliant and the Oscar Wilde is a rust bucket so I think there's a few agendas on the go!

Have a look at the websites which describe the ships pretty well.

If you've young kids and want variety in terms of entertainment, lounges (one with entertainment, one "reading" type lounge) and restaurants (casual/self service/waiter service) then the OW is the way to go. If your kids are older and you're happy to sit for a few hours in a comfy lounge having a few drinks watching movies on tablets/reading/playing cars etc instead of being entertained the Stena ferry is fine and I find their cabins better than the 3 star cabins on the OW, the beds are wider and comfier which means a lot to me!!

I've been on both a good few times and for the same price I'd probably go with the OW as the kids enjoy it and sitting in the lounge having a few drinks watching the "show" really emphasizes that your holiday has begun. It's cheezy as hell though

From a pure €'s perspective if there is €200 to be saved I'd rather put that towards a better quality mobile on the camp site or just add it to the spending money on holiday. All other things considered the entertainment on board is really the only difference for me (I ate in the full service restaurant once and never again, over priced AND rubbish. Don't mind over priced but rubbish as well took the pi$$) so is the show worth €200?

For me it's a clear "No".

Bif

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

@ Bif

Regardless of what boat you eventually do book on, remember that its only a part of your holiday and you’ll only be on it for the best part of a day.
You won’t get scurvy, or boarded by somali pirates, and you wont be segregated by class, with the toffs having partridge for tea on the top deck with the working class in the belly of the boat drinking warm porter and having a display of irish music and dancing. All the boats are grand.

Weigh up the cost to get to your destination from the front door of your house, then look at time taken, then decide if one outweighs the other.
For example, I could go cheaper from rosslare, but I’d sooner pay the extra few quid and sail from cork, as I’m living within 20 mins of the port.

Have booked already so no worries about scurvy, pirates or anything else thanks...just asking for opinions for future reference.

First Up

BenEadir wrote: »

If you've young kids and want variety in terms of entertainment, lounges (one with entertainment, one "reading" type lounge) and restaurants (casual/self service/waiter service) then the OW is the way to go. If your kids are older and you're happy to sit for a few hours in a comfy lounge having a few drinks watching movies on tablets/reading/playing cars etc instead of being entertained the Stena ferry is fine and I find their cabins better than the 3 star cabins on the OW, the beds are wider and comfier which means a lot to me!!

I've been on both a good few times and for the same price I'd probably go with the OW as the kids enjoy it and sitting in the lounge having a few drinks watching the "show" really emphasizes that your holiday has begun. It's cheezy as hell though

From a pure €'s perspective if there is €200 to be saved I'd rather put that towards a better quality mobile on the camp site or just add it to the spending money on holiday. All other things considered the entertainment on board is really the only difference for me (I ate in the full service restaurant once and never again, over priced AND rubbish. Don't mind over priced but rubbish as well took the pi$$) so is the show worth €200?

For me it's a clear "No".

We don't travel with small kids and we go to the full service place on the OW for dinner and breakfast and always found it excellent. It may seem an indulgence but I'd say the cost difference is marginal by the time you add everything in and it is much more comfortable. The full service place has a kids menu, which does get some business but most families head for the self service option on the OW as with all ferries.
Its all a matter of taste I suppose. Nice to have the choice.

MorganIRL

BenEadir, I hadn't booked but have 2 kids under 4 and the play area on IF gives me and mammy the few mins to sit and watch the boys does signify the start of the hols so I reckon this will be the decider. Thks.

BenEadir wrote: »

If you've young kids and want variety in terms of entertainment, lounges (one with entertainment, one "reading" type lounge) and restaurants (casual/self service/waiter service) then the OW is the way to go. If your kids are older and you're happy to sit for a few hours in a comfy lounge having a few drinks watching movies on tablets/reading/playing cars etc instead of being entertained the Stena ferry is fine and I find their cabins better than the 3 star cabins on the OW, the beds are wider and comfier which means a lot to me!!

I've been on both a good few times and for the same price I'd probably go with the OW as the kids enjoy it and sitting in the lounge having a few drinks watching the "show" really emphasizes that your holiday has begun. It's cheezy as hell though

From a pure €'s perspective if there is €200 to be saved I'd rather put that towards a better quality mobile on the camp site or just add it to the spending money on holiday. All other things considered the entertainment on board is really the only difference for me (I ate in the full service restaurant once and never again, over priced AND rubbish. Don't mind over priced but rubbish as well took the pi$$) so is the show worth €200?

For me it's a clear "No".

MICHAELO_4921

Stena Line now have a 10% discount code for Rosslare to Cherbourg for motorist fares for travel up to 17 December. Book by 3 February using offer code FR10 for more info visit http://bit.ly/1yfdE6l

First Up

MICHAELO_4921 wrote: »

Stena Line now have a 10% discount code for Rosslare to Cherbourg for motorist fares for travel up to 17 December. Book by 3 February using offer code FR10 for more info visit http://bit.ly/1yfdE6l

Good to see. Let's hope their is some good price competition this year.

BenEadir

I read over the weekend in the Sunday Business Post (I think) that travel agents have reported between 10% and 50% increases in holiday bookings year on year. If that's any sort of reflection on the overall increase in demand for holidays as the economy begins to recover I wouldn't be betting that the ferry companies will be forced to issue discounts to fill their boats, especially as there is one less ferry (LD Lines Norman Atlantic) on the Ireland France route this summer compared to last year.

evolving_doors

So Stena is coming in a fair bit cheaper in august (thanks for the code . Just wondering.. is there somewhere for kids to walkabout/chill out on the Stena line to cherbourg. Would I be right in saying that the Irish ferries looks a bit more kid friendly!

Would hate to spend the journey stuck in the cabin..... with children.

BenEadir

Armelodie wrote: »

So Stena is coming in a fair bit cheaper in august (thanks for the code . Just wondering.. is there somewhere for kids to walkabout/chill out on the Stena line to cherbourg. Would I be right in saying that the Irish ferries looks a bit more kid friendly!

Would hate to spend the journey stuck in the cabin..... with children.

The Stana ferry is (if I'm not mistaken) the re-branded Celtic Horizon http://book.celticlinkferries.com which I used 2 years ago and is very similar to the LD Lines Norman Atlantic I used last year. From memory they both had a very small soft play area to one side of the bar but you wouldn't really call them "play areas", they are better described as an area with a few soft matts put down.

If keeping your kids entertained Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde is definitely the way to go. No question about that in my opinion.

munchkin_utd

BenEadir wrote: »

The Stana ferry is (if I'm not mistaken) the re-branded Celtic Horizon http://book.celticlinkferries.com which I used 2 years ago and is very similar to the LD Lines Norman Atlantic I used last year. From memory they both had a very small soft play area to one side of the bar but you wouldn't really call them "play areas", they are better described as an area with a few soft matts put down.

If keeping your kids entertained Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde is definitely the way to go. No question about that in my opinion.

The play area on stena horizon now has the same soft large lego style blocks as oscar wilde and a tv/DVD player for cartoons as per other stena services.
It's definitely an improvement over what it was before under celtic link management.

MICHAELO_4921

Irish Ferries 10% discount still active. Simply use the code FRANCEC15 when making your booking. 10% discount off the fares for any motorist bookings made by the 3 February 2015 for travel 10 Jan 2015 – 17 December 2015.

evolving_doors

munchkin_utd wrote: »

The play area on stena horizon now has the same soft large lego style blocks as oscar wilde and a tv/DVD player for cartoons as per other stena services.
It's definitely an improvement over what it was before under celtic link management.

gotcha... so a ryanair vs. aerlingus type of choice.. the dufference is about 200

maybe go with one and come back with the other for future reference...

Ill have a look later but does anyone know if you are charged more by jyst going one way!...

BTW folks the ploughing link still brings you through to the booking page but they don't apply the 25% discount

munchkin_utd

Armelodie wrote: »

gotcha... so a ryanair vs. aerlingus type of choice.. the dufference is about 200

maybe go with one and come back with the other for future reference...

Ill have a look later but does anyone know if you are charged more by jyst going one way!...

BTW folks the ploughing link still brings you through to the booking page but they don't apply the 25% discount

you might save a couple of euro on paying only one "service" charge, but otherwise theres no penalty for booking 2 one way trips.

I actually did the return journey using one ship one way and the other back there at christmas and (for our specific needs with 2 small kids) to be honest theres much of a muchness.

Sure even the larger cabin on Stena than the 2star Irish ferries which I found great, the wife would have prefered the smaller Irish ferries one which has the foldable beds that then allow bigger floor space for the kids to play on when the beds are up.
So even with the same people on the same journey you have differing opinions about the ferries/companies, which just goes to show that its all a matter of opinion.

The one thing I'd say is that the irish ferries ship can probably deal with peak summer crowds better. They have more cabins (so less passengers without cabins to be milling about in the common areas) and more capacity in the common areas in general. I've only done land bridge via England in the summer so I havent seen this for myself, but according to reports it does seem to be what happens.

Regarding the ploughing discount, that was only valid last year in September or something. You'll need to use a different code.

MICHAELO_4921

Armelodie wrote: »

Ill have a look later but does anyone know if you are charged more by jyst going one way!...

You would have to pay an admin fee on each booking if you are to book one ways, but if one of the company's is cheaper than for a leg you could cover your cost.

MICHAELO_4921

munchkin_utd wrote: »

The one thing I'd say is that the irish ferries ship can probably deal with peak summer crowds better. They have more cabins (so less passengers without cabins to be milling about in the common areas) and more capacity in the common areas in general.

Irish Ferries only allow travel on the Frence crossings with accommodation you have to book a pullman seat for everyone travelling or cabin that will accommodate everyone travelling has to be booked with every booking. So there should be less people sleeping in common areas & if there is I have found that they more them on.

munchkin_utd

MICHAELO_4921 wrote: »

Irish Ferries only allow travel on the Frence crossings with accommodation you have to book a pullman seat for everyone travelling or cabin that will accommodate everyone travelling has to be booked with every booking.<snip>

thats the same policy as Stena / Celtic Link BTW.

webpal

munchkin_utd wrote: »

thats the same policy as Stena / Celtic Link BTW.

No, you can actually book without, from their website:

"Please select this option if you do not want to reserve a cabin or reclining seat in one of our public areas.

However, a cabin or reclining seat is highly recommended as this is a 17 hour crossing."

I've experienced a sailing in high season with people and families with young children lying everywhere, doorways, stairs everything, health and safety didnt seem to matter. Wanted to watch TV in the bar and enjoy a few pints only to discover people going around switching off TVs so they could sleep. Drove me cracked, couldnt go for p for fear that I'd miss the Sunday Game :eek:. That coupled with 3 small children means i'd only go with IF even if its a few quid more. Agreed about the cabins though, I think the Stena ones are bigger.

evolving_doors

ok thanks for the codes folks. Booked IF on way out and Stenna on way back for 'compare and contrast' purposes, the codes work for one way also. I get the feeling that itll be a mountain of sandwiches to save on food costs from the ferries.

MICHAELO_4921

Armelodie wrote: »

ok thanks for the codes folks. Booked IF on way out and Stenna on way back for 'compare and contrast' purposes, the codes work for one way also. I get the feeling that itll be a mountain of sandwiches to save on food costs from the ferries.

I can only speek for IF on the French crossing food is very expensive. I see last year IF introduce family meal deal for dinner. It needs to be booked in advance of travel & the voucher is only valid on the crossing it is booked for. Drinks are not included in the deal, but you have better control of the cost of your food before travel for dinner. I would bring your own cereal/fruit for breakfast, buy the milk & tea/coffee for the breakfast in the self service resturant, Oscar has a microwave in the self service for passenger use.

Bif

Armelodie wrote: »

ok thanks for the codes folks. Booked IF on way out and Stenna on way back for 'compare and contrast' purposes, the codes work for one way also. I get the feeling that itll be a mountain of sandwiches to save on food costs from the ferries.

Enjoy...please let us know how it goes. I am on the OW both ways travelling at the end of June.

BenEadir

Armelodie wrote: »

ok thanks for the codes folks. Booked IF on way out and Stenna on way back for 'compare and contrast' purposes, the codes work for one way also. I get the feeling that itll be a mountain of sandwiches to save on food costs from the ferries.

We always stop off en route to the ferry to have a proper meal and buy some sandwiches/rolls/fruit/snacks for the ferry. We also bring some single cereal portions for the kids.

I find the food on the OW expensive and poor quality. the food on Celtic Link and LD Lines was also poor but not such a rip off. I don't expect gourmet food and happy to settle for mediocre so long as it's hot and relatively fresh but what I can't deal with is paying a significant premium for poor quality.

kindalen

The food on brittany ferries is worth the prices charged, for a ferry.
The same cannot be said for irish ferrries.

MelachiT

MICHAELO_4921 wrote: »

I can only speek for IF on the French crossing food is very expensive. I see last year IF introduce family meal deal for dinner. It needs to be booked in advance of travel & the voucher is only valid on the crossing it is booked for. Drinks are not included in the deal, but you have better control of the cost of your food before travel for dinner. I would bring your own cereal/fruit for breakfast, buy the milk & tea/coffee for the breakfast in the self service resturant, Oscar has a microwave in the self service for passenger use.

A travel kettle comes in very handy for tea/coffee or hot choc for the kids before bed. Handy also for a pot noodle snack.
There are tons of ways to cut down the cost on food, leaving money to be spent on other fun things.
As others have said I don't mind paying for food if what I'm paying for is of decent quality.

Nekarsulm

It's refreshing to see how the French tourists on the ferry deal with the price of food. They settle down and unfold a omprehensive looking picnic and a bottle of their own wine. Not a bother on them!