France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

54and56

webpal wrote: »

Just looking at July and August and the WB Yeats seems to be Dublin Cherbourg. The rooms are fairly pricey.

My bad, you are spot on, the WB Yeats is doing the Dublin - Cherbourg route.

One thing I did notice is that the WB Yeats takes just 30 minutes longer to go Cherbourg -> Dublin than the OW does Roscoff -> Rosslare. Might be nice to arrive back into Dublin and pop home in 20 minutes Vs the +/- 2 hour drive from Rosslare!!

Deeman83

Should i wait to book the ferry as many are speculating that there will be discounts due to less uptake from NI (currency brexit mess) and more competition with more ferry crossings.

WOuld the price ever go up? I have booked previously as late as April for a July holiday and got a good deal.

54and56

Deeman83 wrote: »

Should i wait to book the ferry as many are speculating that there will be discounts due to less uptake from NI (currency brexit mess) and more competition with more ferry crossings.

WOuld the price ever go up? I have booked previously as late as April for a July holiday and got a good deal.

The way I do it (and have done again for next year) is I pay the €15 fee for the Flexibility Option and that allows me to cancel with a 100% refund up to 42 days before departure so (I think) I get the best of both worlds i.e. I have my dates for next year secured nice and early with my preferred cabin type etc but if a better deal comes along I can take it and get a 100% refund back from IF for the original booking.

MorganIRL

Does anyone know if the meal deal on IF covers dinner and b/fast.. cant figure it out from info on site. TIA

ifElseThen

MorganIRL wrote: »

Does anyone know if the meal deal on IF covers dinner and b/fast.. cant figure it out from info on site. TIA

It was just dinner this year when we bought it on both legs. Also the options for children in the brasserie are terrible.

average_runner

ifElseThen wrote: »

It was just dinner this year when we bought it on both legs. Also the options for children in the brasserie are terrible.

Wow, the brasserie used to have great options for the kids when we travelled on it, hotdogs, pizza, pasta, chicken curry, goujons, sausages etc.

Used to think the adult options were just ok.

westgolf

average_runner wrote: »

Wow, the brasserie used to have great options for the kids when we travelled on it, hotdogs, pizza, pasta, chicken curry, goujons, sausages etc.

Used to think the adult options were just ok.

Travelled on board in August this year. As above, the whole brasserie offering was tired and drab. Sausage n chips or mini pizza was the children's option.

ifElseThen

average_runner wrote: »

Wow, the brasserie used to have great options for the kids when we travelled on it, hotdogs, pizza, pasta, chicken curry, goujons, sausages etc.

Used to think the adult options were just ok.

Yeah that's all there, but the choices for the meal voucher are limited to goujons, sausages, soggy chips for the children

MelachiT

Have just had a look at the prices of the new IF ship WBY ... if I treat myself to a nice posh cabin with balcony it'll cost a mere 2,512.80 return next july. That includes the flexible option (€15 for each leg of the journey) and speedy exit option, another €40.

But I won't be doing that. In general though I think the cabins are quite a bit more expensive??

Stone Deaf 4evr

MelachiT wrote: »

Have just had a look at the prices of the new IF ship WBY ... if I treat myself to a nice posh cabin with balcony it'll cost a mere 2,512.80 return next july. That includes the flexible option (€15 for each leg of the journey) and speedy exit option, another €40.

But I won't be doing that. In general though I think the cabins are quite a bit more expensive??

TBH, much and all as we loved the ferry when we were taking it, the prices do seem to be taking the proverbial urine a little. particularly when we can fly to within an hours drive of our end destination and rent a car for less.

Quazzie

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

TBH, much and all as we loved the ferry when we were taking it, the prices do seem to be taking the proverbial urine a little. particularly when we can fly to within an hours drive of our end destination and rent a car for less.

Exactly. I'd rather 2 days in a campsite, than 2 days spent on the ferry.

MelachiT

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

TBH, much and all as we loved the ferry when we were taking it, the prices do seem to be taking the proverbial urine a little. particularly when we can fly to within an hours drive of our end destination and rent a car for less.

I've just noticed that that price includes the current 10% discount.
That amount of money would get me a nice package holiday.
I'll probably still use the new ferry next year because it's so handy to Artane but I'll be booking very basic cabins.

k123456

MelachiT wrote: »

Have just had a look at the prices of the new IF ship WBY ... if I treat myself to a nice posh cabin with balcony it'll cost a mere 2,512.80 return next july. That includes the flexible option (€15 for each leg of the journey) and speedy exit option, another €40.

But I won't be doing that.  In general though I think the cabins are quite a bit more expensive??

Seems expensive : a 10 day cruise ship (not a ferry) round the med, would be a lot less than e2512, with all meals, entertainment included

josip

k123456 wrote: »

Seems expensive : a 10 day cruise ship (not a ferry) round the med, would be a lot less than e2512, with all meals, entertainment included

Is the €2512 price for a family of four?
Plus the car.

average_runner

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

TBH, much and all as we loved the ferry when we were taking it, the prices do seem to be taking the proverbial urine a little. particularly when we can fly to within an hours drive of our end destination and rent a car for less.

Yep that's why we switched to flying last year, extra day at the campsite and half the cost of sailing!

k123456

Yes, Plane car hire car, would be cheaper, I assume to drive from ferry port to South France, would be approx 80 e tolls and 80 fuel ?

MorganIRL

Price comparison from 2015 to 2018, with the same dates. The price has doubled, only change this time around will be a 1 yr old baby who doesn't get charged for... if we didnt need to bring so much stuff we would be flying and hiring a car. Its a pity the value isnt there anymore with ferries because with kids we find it a far more relaxing way to travel..

talla

Brittany Ferries always gets chronically overlooked, all the same features as the new IF vessel - shortest crossing and best arrival time. If you want nice cabins with balconies you could get a return in July with a commodore class for about 1400 for 2 adults and 2 kids back (priced back in Sept).
Currently pricing @ approx 1760 though (take 500 off if you just go with the standard 4 berth outside cabin).
Only negative is the once a week sailing.

First Up

MorganIRL wrote:

Price comparison from 2015 to 2018, with the same dates. The price has doubled, only change this time around will be a 1 yr old baby who doesn't get charged for... if we didnt need to bring so much stuff we would be flying and hiring a car. Its a pity the value isnt there anymore with ferries because with kids we find it a far more relaxing way to travel..

Which ship/route is that for?

54and56

Prices have been slowly creeping up all right. Although for different weeks in July and August our requirement which is 2 adults + 2 kids + 4X4 with roofbox and towbar mounted bike rack + 4 bed 2* cabin with window has stayed more or less the same for the last few years and costs have varied as follows:-

2011 - €1,246 (Bit of a novice and fell for the €250 Premium suite )
2013 - €885
2014 - €643 (One leg with LD Lines costing a grand total of €168!)
2015 - €1,380 (Didn't book until mid July due to a family bereavement)
2016 - €896
2017 - €958
2018 - €1,042 (mid June over and early July back?)

2018 might be the last year we go via the ferry. The kids are now at a stage where they can travel light and much as we love being able to stock up on wines at The Wine Centre in Roscoff the long drive (X2) plus the loss of two days holiday might spur us to switch to the fly/drive option.

average_runner

talla wrote: »

Brittany Ferries always gets chronically overlooked, all the same features as the new IF vessel - shortest crossing and best arrival time. If you want nice cabins with balconies you could get a return in July with a commodore class for about 1400 for 2 adults and 2 kids back (priced back in Sept).
Currently pricing @ approx 1760 though (take 500 off if you just go with the standard 4 berth outside cabin).
Only negative is the once a week sailing.

I found them just as expensive last year. I don't like their arrival time in France either, as prefer to get breakfast with the kids first and head on for awhile.

talla

average_runner wrote: »

I found them just as expensive last year. I don't like their arrival time in France either, as prefer to get breakfast with the kids first and head on for awhile.

Each to their own:) , I prefer to be at the pool by 1pm.

average_runner

talla wrote: »

Each to their own:) , I prefer to be at the pool by 1pm.

Aye true. But with young kids you can't drive for 6 hours non stop. My 7 year old and 4 year old would go mad and not fair on them.

MelachiT

josip wrote: »

Is the €2512 price for a family of four?
Plus the car.

Family of three plus car.

MorganIRL

First Up wrote: »

Which ship/route is that for?

Out Rosslare-cherbourg and ret roscoff-rosslare with IF

MorganIRL

talla wrote: »

Brittany Ferries always gets chronically overlooked, all the same features as the new IF vessel - shortest crossing and best arrival time. If you want nice cabins with balconies you could get a return in July with a commodore class for about 1400 for 2 adults and 2 kids back (priced back in Sept).
Currently pricing @ approx 1760 though (take 500 off if you just go with the standard 4 berth outside cabin).
Only negative is the once a week sailing.

Priced them this year and they were more expensive. The 1 ferry and timings were gonna be a non runner anyways.. but it pays to look around..

First Up

MorganIRL wrote:

Out Rosslare-cherbourg and ret roscoff-rosslare with IF

OW or the new one?

MorganIRL

First Up wrote: »

OW or the new one?

OW

average_runner

Also the benefit with OW compare to Brittany Ferries, is if you time your travel right you can get an extra day on your hols as OW goes back on a Sat evening!

First Up

MorganIRL wrote:

OW

Didn't think prices had gone up that much. That's a lot.