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Cork to Santander Ferry starting April 2018

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    #332
    Ultimate Seduction
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,464 ✭✭✭Ultimate Seduction


    Great news. Early than expected, wonder how long it took. I'm almost certain I'll be booking this for September now.


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    #333
    Rhys Essien
    Registered Users Posts: 3,029 ✭✭✭Rhys Essien


    Great video here on Spanish news of its arrival today.

    https://twitter.com/dmontanes/status/994653300447371264?s=21


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    #334
    Loire
    Registered Users Posts: 2,034 ✭✭✭Loire


    Very interested in this for next year as will hopefully be going camping for 3 weeks down south (S France, N Spain)

    The Friday sailing looks great. At first, 2 nights seems a long time, but in reality, the difference in "waking hours" compared to the Cork/Roscoff sailing is really only the Sat morning. The late sailing on the Fri night (22:30) means there's probably time for a pint or two then off to bed. Granted all day Sat is a long time on a basic boat but it's doable. Our lot are happy to read and play board games. You arrive then rested at 8am in Santandar, as opposed to arriving only 1 hour earlier in Roscoff with a day or two's driving ahead of you. Ditto on the way home. If driving we would be leaving Thur morning with 2 day's driving to get the Fri evening ferry. This way leave on the Thur but after lunch and are home Fri night rather that Sat morning, again with no driving.


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    #335
    Dai John
    Registered Users Posts: 218 ✭✭Dai John


    To all you brave travellers; just back from Spain, drove from Cherbourg to Alicante ( done it many times by car and truck), however I should warn you that the cheapest petrol in France was 1.50 a litre and as high as 1.70. Spain was on average 1.14 a litre. But beware in France as you need a vignette to enter most cities (they don't really want tourists). Called in at Mont St. Michel on the way down to show it to a fellow traveller, place was cold but still packed but put off by a lot of armed soldiers, sad it has come to this.


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    #336
    dbs103
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭dbs103


    Dai John wrote: »
    To all you brave travellers; just back from Spain, drove from Cherbourg to Alicante ( done it many times by car and truck), however I should warn you that the cheapest petrol in France was 1.50 a litre and as high as 1.70. Spain was on average 1.14 a litre. But beware in France as you need a vignette to enter most cities (they don't really want tourists). Called in at Mont St. Michel on the way down to show it to a fellow traveller, place was cold but still packed but put off by a lot of armed soldiers, sad it has come to this.


    A bit off topic but in case anyone is taking the drive through France.

    Applied, via the official website, for the new(ish) vignette Crit'Air. Took a few minutes to fill out the online form. Was only about a €4 fee. Got a confirmation email 2 days later with a print out for proof of the vignette. Still waiting for the actual window sticker. Apparently the printout will do though.

    For the little hassle and small fee it's well worth it as apparently the fines are quite big if you don't have it.


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    #337
    hometruths
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,990 ✭✭✭hometruths


    So has anybody been on this ferry yet?


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    #338
    ANXIOUS
    Registered Users Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭ANXIOUS


    schmittel wrote: »
    So has anybody been on this ferry yet?

    Colm Parkinson was on twitter crying about how bad it was.


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    #339
    Rhys Essien
    Registered Users Posts: 3,029 ✭✭✭Rhys Essien


    This was the review from a guy on the very first sailing to Santander.He seemed happy enough.

    https://twitter.com/chriswinningws/status/994886515334541312?s=21


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    #340
    Harika
    Registered Users Posts: 4,458 ✭✭✭Harika


    Friends of mine went with two kids and they were happy enough, but they are also people happy in general and not offended off that the bar didn't stock a 1976 Merlot.


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    #341
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    Harika wrote: »
    Friends of mine went with two kids and they were happy enough, but they are also people happy in general and not offended off that the bar didn't stock a 1976 Merlot.
    I don't think the wine list is high on anyone's list of priorities. Had they anything useful to say about it?


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    #342
    Harika
    Registered Users Posts: 4,458 ✭✭✭Harika


    First Up wrote: »
    I don't think the wine list is high on anyone's list of priorities. Had they anything useful to say about it?

    Anything in particular you are interested in? I can go back and check with them.


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    #343
    Ultimate Seduction
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,464 ✭✭✭Ultimate Seduction


    First Up wrote: »
    I don't think the wine list is high on anyone's list of priorities. Had they anything useful to say about it?

    On a 26 hour trip I'd definitely be looking for a glass of wine, as I'm sure many others would.


    Great to hear you can sit out on the deck.
    How rough was the trip? Weather isn't great around Bilboa last few weeks


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    #344
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    ANXIOUS wrote: »
    Colm Parkinson was on twitter crying about how bad it was.
    did he delete the comments, I cant find them now.

    Anyhow, this is the same as the crying from other people when they take the sister ships Stena Horizon from Rosslare to Cherbourg or the irish ferries Epsilon which does runs from Dublin to Cherbourg.
    People complain that its a "small ferry" even though its longer and carries more vehicles than say the Oscar Wilde.

    The problem is that theres not enough plush carpet and the decor is like a large open plan italian ice cream parlour. Which, considering the ship(s) is(are) built in Italy on the adriatic is sortof understandable.

    The cabins though are ok and so long as you treat the journey as more of a night train on the sea (i.e. its not a cruise ship with fancy cinemas, shows or a spa) where you spend most of your time in the cabin, then you'll be grand.


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    #345
    tinner777
    Registered Users Posts: 1,543 ✭✭✭tinner777


    Wifi??


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    #346
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,978 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    tinner777 wrote: »
    Wifi??

    the WiFi on the OW is nearly unusable.


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    #347
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    Harika wrote: »
    First Up wrote: »
    I don't think the wine list is high on anyone's list of priorities. Had they anything useful to say about it?

    Anything in particular you are interested in? I can go back and check with them.
    Public area seating, kids (or adult) entertainment, food options, cabins, TV, wifi. That sortbof thing.


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    #348
    ANXIOUS
    Registered Users Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭ANXIOUS


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    did he delete the comments, I cant find them now.

    It's under his tweets and replies, he says the ship is small, same food for lunch and dinner and vending machines broke.


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    #349
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,496 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    Does he mean, one menu, or do actually have to eat the same thing???


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    #350
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    loyatemu wrote: »
    tinner777 wrote: »
    Wifi??

    the WiFi on the OW is nearly unusable.
    Yeah, if there's a few coach loads of Irish or French schoolkids you can forget it. They are all online all the time.


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    #351
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    Water John wrote: »
    Does he mean, one menu, or do actually have to eat the same thing???
    That style of ship has a self service restaurant so there is a range of foods to choose from. I'm guessing that the comment referred to it being the same choice for all meals (except breakfast).


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    #352
    Ultimate Seduction
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,464 ✭✭✭Ultimate Seduction


    It's only 26 hours like how many meals do you need. 2 breakfasts a dinner and a few snacks. It's fairly annoying that people are expecting a cruise ship.


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    #353
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    Ultimate Seduction wrote: »
    It's only 26 hours like how many meals do you need. 2 breakfasts a dinner and a few snacks. It's fairly annoying that people are expecting a cruise ship.

    Annoying to who? Some crossings are 33 hours. People are entitled to think about how they will spend the time.

    Nobody should be expecting a cruise ship. That's the point of this thread.


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    #354
    Mountainsandh
    Registered Users Posts: 6,700 ✭✭✭Mountainsandh


    I'd love to read from anyone who may have travelled on this with their pet ?
    In our family the humans would have no problem "roughing it" if needs be, but the situation has to be decent for the dog (ie not in car for that length of time !).


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    #355
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    Mountainsandh wrote: »
    I'd love to read from anyone who may have travelled on this with their pet ?
    In our family the humans would have no problem "roughing it" if needs be, but the situation has to be decent for the dog (ie not in car for that length of time !).
    Here's a crazy idea; go to the Brittany Ferries website and look under pets.


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    #356
    Mountainsandh
    Registered Users Posts: 6,700 ✭✭✭Mountainsandh


    First Up wrote: »
    Here's a crazy idea; go to the Brittany Ferries website and look under pets.

    How rude.


    I asked the question because last time I checked, they didn't have that information on the website, and regardless, people's experience in these matters is always as/if not more useful than a website write up.

    If you look at the pet section you will see that nowhere do they mention the Connemara, it seems to be that they do not have kennels, they only have pet friendly cabins, which is probably why when I looked at the very start of this thread I couldn't find the information.


    So...

    ... for those of you who may have travelled with pets, how was it ? (are the pet friendly cabins same as any other cabins ? are the outdoors pet friendly areas easily accessible ? were there any delays boarding the ship due to having the pet with you ? how did your pet do for the trip length wise ?)


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    #357
    EdgeCase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭EdgeCase


    The issue is many people will expect the Pont Aven level of service or one of Irish Ferries cruise ferries and end up being disappointed.

    I'm not sure about this no frills idea on a long crossing. It might make more sense on something like the Irish Sea or a short UK - France crossing.

    For me the ferry is partially attractive because it's relaxing and usually pleasant. That's a big part of the holiday atmosphere to me.

    I'd hope that if this route has demand, they'd get a bigger and nicer ship on it.


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    #358
    EdgeCase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭EdgeCase


    Based on that video, I don't think I'd be using it.


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    #359
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    EdgeCase wrote: »
    The issue is many people will expect the Pont Aven level of service or one of Irish Ferries cruise ferries and end up being disappointed.

    I'm not sure about this no frills idea on a long crossing. It might make more sense on something like the Irish Sea or a short UK - France crossing.

    For me the ferry is partially attractive because it's relaxing and usually pleasant. That's a big part of the holiday atmosphere to me.

    I'd hope that if this route has demand, they'd get a bigger and nicer ship on it.

    The website spells it out very clearly that it is a no frills service. They can't do more than that. If people expect something more, its their own fault for not doing the research.


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    #360
    First Up
    Registered Users Posts: 14,822 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    Mountainsandh wrote: »
    How rude.


    I asked the question because last time I checked, they didn't have that information on the website, and regardless, people's experience in these matters is always as/if not more useful than a website write up.

    If you look at the pet section you will see that nowhere do they mention the Connemara, it seems to be that they do not have kennels, they only have pet friendly cabins, which is probably why when I looked at the very start of this thread I couldn't find the information.


    So...

    ... for those of you who may have travelled with pets, how was it ? (are the pet friendly cabins same as any other cabins ? are the outdoors pet friendly areas easily accessible ? were there any delays boarding the ship due to having the pet with you ? how did your pet do for the trip length wise ?)

    Happy to help.


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    #361
    EdgeCase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭EdgeCase


    First Up wrote: »
    The website spells it out very clearly that it is a no frills service. They can't do more than that. If people expect something more, its their own fault for not doing the research.

    I'm not saying their website doesn't. I'm just saying that on that route, it's a long time to be on a no-frills service and something I wouldn't be willing to do and there is an assumption that car ferries have some level of service.

    As long as the ferry's a reasonable price, I would be willing to pay for some frills and the likes of the Post Aven provides just that, at a pretty decent price too.

    I'd still suspect this is a low risk, low commitment market test for them.


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