Traveling Abroad - Ships / Ports / Tips

revileandy · 23-09-2014 11:39am #1

Who's taken their wheels abroad? Give us a quick review on the pro's and con's you found with each ship, port and any other tips that would be useful. Everyone's experience will be different but might be good to get all opinions in one place, especially with regards to facilities / prices etc

I'll start:

Stena (formerly Celtic) Horizon

Pro's: Good Facilities for Ship Size (2 Bars, 1 Restaurant, Small Kids Play Room, Cinema, Games) Good Quality food that's much cheaper than Irish Ferries (€9 Main Course + Desert + Soft Drink), Nice Cabins, Pet Facilities and access to pets is second to none

Con's: Naïve on my part, Stena website said they loaded the ferry earlier at weekends, 3 hours in advance. We decided, with a baby, to get down early, get on the ship and relax. They only started loading 1 Hour before departure and motorhomes went last so we had a 2hr 40min wait to get on.

Irish Ferries Epsilon

Effectively the same ship as the Horizon (built by the same company in Italy) with less open passenger space.

Pro's: Nice cabins with TV's & Sky Sports, was home in 10mins after arriving in Dublin Port from Cherbourg

Con's: Very Limited Facilities (1 Bar, 1 Restaurant, No Kids Play room), Pricey Food (2 mains, 1 Drink €27)

France Motorway Tip

On our way to a campsite in Versailles, the Sat Nav suggested the A86 for the last stretch. This road incorporates a tunnel with a 2m height restriction which is only signposted after you take the slip road! Thought I had missed the previous height warning but when we drove past the next day there was indeed no warning until after you turn off.

T650 · 23-09-2014 11:58am

Stena (formerly Celtic) Horizon

Pro's: Good Facilities for Ship Size (2 Bars, 1 Restaurant, Small Kids Play Room, Cinema, Games) Good Quality food that's much cheaper than Irish Ferries, Nice Cabins. Nice staff.

Con's: Not much for kids to do on-board. Luckily our kids are old hands at travelling (7 & 15) and we had informed them of facilities beforehand. Books, games, and movies prepped before boarding. The kids play area is far too small and akin to scenes from WWF. Was mayhem on our crossing.

Irish Ferries Epsilon - haven't travelled with them

Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde.

Pros: Large ship, more space in public areas and bars, entertainment for kids, better selection of food 4 restaurants, Wi-fi, efficient loading and unloading

Cons: Food and drink are a little pricey on board, wifi is slow, cabins a little dated.

Brittany Ferries Pont Aven

Pros: Sails from Cork so short journey for us, bright and airy ship, excellent food, polite staff, entertainment for kids, a pool, cabins are fresher than Oscar Wilde, wifi.

Cons: the most expensive direct route to France.

France Motorway Tip

Don't buy diesel on the motorway - buy at supermarkets

Nekarsulm · 27-09-2014 12:18am

Can only comment on Oscar Wilde. Pro's, as stated,
Con's,soft play room can get out of control, with parents not keeping their kids in check. Also children who are much too big always in it. Food very pricey. Wi-Fi as often as not, not working.

pastense · 28-09-2014 12:49pm

Have found that no matter which ship I've been on they all have their Pros and Cons but I see it now as a means to get across to France and as someone said it's not a Cruise it's a Ferry and I'm inclined to agree with that. Price would dictate which Ferry.

Have always avoided motorways. On holiday I want to take my time and see a bit of France.

Everyone has a different preference, you just have to experiment and find which is for you.

piuswal · 28-09-2014 1:59pm

pastense wrote: »

Have found that no matter which ship I've been on they all have their Pros and Cons but I see it now as a means to get across to France and as someone said it's not a Cruise it's a Ferry and I'm inclined to have
gree with that. Price would dictate which Ferry.

Have always avoided motorways. On holiday I want to take my time and see a bit of France.

Everyone has a different preference, you just have to experiment and find which is for you.

By and large I'd agree with the above.
Over 33 years we have used almost every option.
Rosslare Fishguard and then Weymouth to Cherbourg being the very first in 1982.
Out of Cork and Dublin also, through Dover to Calais sea and the Tunnel.

Cost was always a big factor with 6 travelling. Not as big now with us whittled down to 2. Though the next generation did come recently and we went through Poole.

Final destination had an influence also. For Eastern France and Germany I found Calais best. Used it also getting to Poland for the football.

Without children we meander, with them it depended on how far whether we used motorways or not.

Have had smooth sailings and a few rough ones and one exceptionally rough but that's more or less out of your control.

In all the years had only one "unpleasant" trip. Smelled like there were livestock on board. Luckily we had only bought a one way. Came back Irish Ferries. The joy of being retired but then less years left for the fun of travelling.

Pastense's last sentence is absolutely spot on.

Happy and safe travelling everyone.

When you get a chance tell your local representatives about mainland Europe facilities. How there are probably in excess of 10,000 taxed motor homes in the Republic and, I don't know, but maybe at least 5,000 up north (anyone got a better figure), some of whom would travel around Ireland if they could find convenient places to park in and near towns instead of being met by height barriers because there's some campsite 10 or 20 km away that is only open Easter to the end of September. We need more choice not less. Protectionism was the 1930s and 40s not the 21st century.

JonMac · 28-09-2014 5:50pm

I posted this on another site last November re Celtic Horizon.
Just had a nice trip to Cherbourg, but learned not to be one of the first four "vans" to board.
They had four of us reverse down a ramp below the main lorry deck - level 3. The they lowered the floor of deck 3 down over the vans.
When we left we had to wait for all the lorries on deck 3 to leave, then we walked down the ramp through a cascade of fishy water. Not much fun at all.
So if you are in the first four, then pull out and join the end of the queue. Later vans were all on the lorry deck.

clionaricho · 06-10-2014 11:21am

We always travel to Roscoff for France but this year went to Cherbourg with Stena, the ship was a lot smaller and STANK of livestock all the time. There was a lot less facilities on board than Irish Ferries. THe staff were not so helpful and the parking indeed does involve some manouvering on board. We were 2 hours trying to disembark, it was slow and unorganised. Also one small consideration is that there is the red bus type wine depots in Roscoff while there is only one well hidden one Normandie wines in Cherbourg. THe price difference was tiny so I would rather go Irish Ferries. I disagree with some of the other posters, I think the holiday starts on the ferry!

*Kol* · 06-10-2014 11:30am

clionaricho wrote: »

We always travel to Roscoff for France but this year went to Cherbourg with Stena, the ship was a lot smaller and STANK of livestock all the time. There was a lot less facilities on board than Irish Ferries. THe staff were not so helpful and the parking indeed does involve some manouvering on board. We were 2 hours trying to disembark, it was slow and unorganised. Also one small consideration is that there is the red bus type wine depots in Roscoff while there is only one well hidden one Normandie wines in Cherbourg. THe price difference was tiny so I would rather go Irish Ferries. I disagree with some of the other posters, I think the holiday starts on the ferry!

Given that its the guts of a day each way I totally agree that the holiday starts on the ferry.

campingcarist · 06-10-2014 9:23pm

clionaricho wrote: »

We always travel to Roscoff for France but this year went to Cherbourg with Stena, the ship was a lot smaller and STANK of livestock all the time. There was a lot less facilities on board than Irish Ferries. THe staff were not so helpful and the parking indeed does involve some manouvering on board. We were 2 hours trying to disembark, it was slow and unorganised. Also one small consideration is that there is the red bus type wine depots in Roscoff while there is only one well hidden one Normandie wines in Cherbourg. THe price difference was tiny so I would rather go Irish Ferries. I disagree with some of the other posters, I think the holiday starts on the ferry!

When I went in September there were several cattle trucks and yep - the STANK. Coming back, they had hosed the car deck down but there was still a strong smell; at least, I knew which deck my camper was on!!

Staff were helpful - just a pity they didn't speak decent English or French.

Something I always do is have pieces of paper with large arrows drawn on them. Put them on the Dashboard, rear view mirror (or monitor for rear view camera), attached to SatNav etc. These, I have pointing to the side of the road on which I should be driving. So easy to forget especially after filling up with fuel or whatever stop. When I'm home, for the first few days, I just turn them arround to point the other way.

Wifi only works poart of the way - closer to france, lost connection. Very little to do unless you want to drink. Restaurant has very short hours.

But then, what do you want for 220 euros return?

Incidently, when I tried to book with Stena, their site said there was no space. Tried Direct Ferries and got a ticket. Boat was half empty.

campingcarist · 06-10-2014 9:33pm

I edited my last post but it seems to not have worked.

Something I always do to remind myself on which side of the road to drive, is to have pieces of paper stuck anywhere I look when I'm driving - on the monitor for the rear view camera, on the SatNav, on the instrument panel etc. These pieces of paper have an arrow drawn on them and I have the arrow pointing to the side of the road on which I should be driving, lest I forget. When I get home, I just turn the pieces of paper around to remind me to drive on the left. Only needed for a few days at home but are there permanently while abroad.

*Kol* · 06-10-2014 11:37pm

campingcarist wrote: »

I edited my last post but it seems to not have worked.

Something I always do to remind myself on which side of the road to drive, is to have pieces of paper stuck anywhere I look when I'm driving - on the monitor for the rear view camera, on the SatNav, on the instrument panel etc. These pieces of paper have an arrow drawn on them and I have the arrow pointing to the side of the road on which I should be driving, lest I forget. When I get home, I just turn the pieces of paper around to remind me to drive on the left. Only needed for a few days at home but are there permanently while abroad.

That's a good idea. It is especially likely to forget when driving a RHD MH. Mine is a LHD and it's amazing but you just naturally switch over to the other side in France.

Traveling Abroad - Ships / Ports / Tips

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