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

PCX · 10-12-2018 9:59pm

Probably talking nonsense here but I was just thinking...

Could IF be holding off until they see will a Brexit deal be done?

There might be more demand and more profits in bringing larger portion of freight (to avoid UK landbridge) and fewer passengers. Timetables adjusted to suit freight

If a deal is done then just announce normal schedule and start taking bookings....

First Up · 10-12-2018 10:09pm

PCX wrote: »

Probably talking nonsense here but I was just thinking...

Could IF be holding off until they see will a Brexit deal be done?

There might be more demand and more profits in bringing larger portion of freight (to avoid UK landbridge) and fewer passengers. Timetables adjusted to suit freight

If a deal is done then just announce normal schedule and start taking bookings....

I don't think so. All the ferry companies are in close contact with the freight companies and their main customers. They have all been working on their post Brexit options and there's already a number of new and increased services underway to France and now Spain.

IF will want their share and they must be very frustrated over the delay and being unable to negotiate contracts while Stena and BF mop up business.

Decoda · 12-12-2018 6:33pm

Bookings now open on Irish Ferries following press release today (looks like booking is only from Dublin initially)

https://www.irishferries.com/ie-en/news-listing/a-world-of-wonder-awaits-as-irish-ferries-prepares-for-the-christmas-delivery-of-the-w.b.-yeats/

A WORLD OF WONDER AWAITS AS IRISH FERRIES PREPARES FOR THE CHRISTMAS DELIVERY OF THE W.B. YEATS
12 DEC 2018
This Christmas, look forward to the gift of summer sun and sail to France in style, as Irish Ferries prepares to celebrate the arrival of the majestic W.B. Yeats. Expected to dock in Dublin next week, this magnificent ship will provide passengers with a unique and memorable cruise-style travel experience.

Offering up to four sailings a week directly from Dublin to France, this flagship cruise ferry will travel 125,000 nautical miles per annum, which is the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe nearly 6 times. Sailing from mid-March to the end of September, Irish Ferries will be the only operator providing customers with a direct crossing from the convenient Dublin Port to the perennially popular holiday destination.

The W. B. Yeats will afford superior comfort to 1,800 passengers offering 440 spacious cabins, including luxury suites with stunning private balcony sea views and a dedicated butler service. Styled throughout in natural tones, rich furnishings are accented by marble, steel and state-of-the-art lighting, creating a relaxed and contemporary atmosphere on every deck. Décor in the passenger areas exudes understated elegance, illustrated by famous works of art and literature from Yeats and other well-known artists, while downloadable audio extracts from the famous poet’s celebrated catalogue provide the backdrop to a unique walking tour.

From refined accommodation to fine dining, the literary theme continues throughout the ship, as guests are invited to indulge in innovative cuisine in the Lady Gregory Restaurant, enjoy a casual snack in the Maud Gonne Bar & Lounge or immerse themselves in the magic of movies and family fun entertainment at The Abbey and The Peacock cinemas. Spoilt for choice with a host of bars and restaurants on board, as well as great chances to shop all the latest brands, the holiday truly begins the moment passengers’ step on-board.

Speaking ahead of the arrival, Andrew Sheen, Managing Director of Irish Ferries said, “We’re delighted to bring the W.B. Yeats and its superior luxury to Dublin. The introduction of this magnificent new ship offers holidaymakers unrivalled comfort with direct route access from the convenient and centrally located Dublin Port to France. Irish Ferries look forward to welcoming passengers onboard the W.B. Yeats to sail in style in 2019.”

Consumer Marketing & Sales Director for Irish Ferries, Nora Costello continued, “Whether it’s a gourmet break away in a picturesque French village, or a seaside adventure for all the family, we’re giving our customers the chance to enjoy the freedom of unlimited luggage and the comfort of travelling with their own car.”

Holidaymakers will enjoy 10% off when they book a summer sailing from Dublin to France on www.irishferries.com before January 15th, 2019.

Ceist_Beag · 12-12-2018 6:56pm

Janey, price for Dublin to Cherbourg is showing as €1568 for a family of 5 in July - and that's with just one cabin for 4 and a seat! And that's with the 10% off offer - is this the new norm in terms of what you can expect to pay? I don't think even Brittanny Ferries were coming in as expensive as that and I used to think they were the dearest operator?

PCX · 12-12-2018 6:58pm

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Janey, price for Dublin to Cherbourg is showing as €1568 for a family of 5 in July - and that's with just one cabin for 4 and a seat! And that's with the 10% off offer - is this the new norm in terms of what you can expect to pay? I don't think even Brittanny Ferries were coming in as expensive as that and I used to think they were the dearest operator?

Well they've got to make back their losses somehow :rolleyes:

Flippyfloppy · 12-12-2018 6:59pm

€1,066 this year when it was €880 for the same time last year. I knew they would do this to make up for the €150 credit, it's not a credit at all.

Ceist_Beag · 12-12-2018 7:08pm

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Janey, price for Dublin to Cherbourg is showing as €1568 for a family of 5 in July - and that's with just one cabin for 4 and a seat! And that's with the 10% off offer - is this the new norm in terms of what you can expect to pay? I don't think even Brittanny Ferries were coming in as expensive as that and I used to think they were the dearest operator?

In the interest of comparing like with like, a similar tip with Stena is coming in at €1275 from Rosslare and with Brittany from Cork is €1241.

Peckham · 12-12-2018 7:24pm

Jeepers. Just over 1500 for first two weeks in July, and days are Wed-Mon when we want to travel Thu-Sun.

Presumably Oscar Wilde will run on the alternate days. Wonder when we'll see that schedule.

SusanC10 · 12-12-2018 7:44pm

What days are the Sailings from Dublin to Cherbourg and return ?
Can't seem to get into the IF website.

Thanks in advance

_Brian · 12-12-2018 7:49pm

Booked a campsite on Lake Annecy SE France, hope crossings are similar to last year.

Decoda · 12-12-2018 7:54pm

SusanC10 wrote: »

What days are the Sailings from Dublin to Cherbourg and return ?
Can't seem to get into the IF website.

Thanks in advance

I'm having issues getting back in onto the website again too. The dates I was looking at were as follows

ex Dublin on the 4th 6th 8th 10th etc of july leaving at 16.00 and arriving 11.00 the following day
ex cherbourg on the 19th 21st 23rd 25th 27th July leaving at 1700 and arriving back at 10.15 on the following day

Regards

D

mgray · 12-12-2018 7:54pm

SusanC10 wrote: »

What days are the Sailings from Dublin to Cherbourg and return ?
Can't seem to get into the IF website.

Thanks in advance

From Dublin:

Tue Thurs Sat till 25th of May then every 2nd day until the first week off September..

SusanC10 · 12-12-2018 8:03pm

Will IF run the Oscar Wilde to/from Rosslare on other days ?

Decoda · 12-12-2018 8:08pm

SusanC10 wrote: »

Will IF run the Oscar Wilde to/from Rosslare on other days ?

That's the 10 million dollar question, couple of different responses to questions on their Facebook page

Hi Phil,

At this point in time, we are just releasing our Dublin-Cherbourg schedule for the new WB Yeats ship, which we know is our most in-demand route. Please watch our website for further updates on all our other 2019 schedules.

With regard to the €150 discount, can you please send us a PM with your email address so I can verify that this has been allocated?

Hi,

Irish Ferries can you please confirm the Oscar Wilde schedule from Rosslare will be released before Christmas? We have sailed with you for the past 10 year's along with many very loyal customers on here. Please do the decent thing and let us know what's going on.

Hi,

I'm afraid that I don't have any information on the Rosslare sailings - we only have the Dublin/Cherbourg schedules at this time.

Thanks,

MorganIRL · 12-12-2018 8:34pm

Any info on the WB itself, so used of the OW I know it like the back of my hand.

gandalf · 12-12-2018 8:53pm

Just had a look at the costs for the Yeats. It is at least €150 quid more than last year (when we didn't get to sail on it and ended up landbridging on our return trip from France), they have some stones trying to pull a scam like this. I'd say they are not releasing the OW timetable to try to boost the bookings for the Yeats. We've used them for ten years but I don't think we'll be using them in 2019 if we do decide to head to France.

alias no.9 · 12-12-2018 9:40pm

Booked Stena as a contingency with their recent sale. Like for like to book travel on the same dates with the current 10% off applied and the €150 discount the booking would still work out at 30% more expensive than Stena.

54and56 · 12-12-2018 11:45pm

Just tried the IF website for an Ireland - France return trip in July and it returns no options whatsoever.

Teething problems?

sceach16 · 12-12-2018 11:56pm

Irish Ferries becomes ‘Best Ferry Company’ for the 12th consecutive year

26 Nov 2018

26th November 2018 – Irish Ferries has been named the ‘Best Ferry Company’ for the 12th consecutive year at the annual Irish Travel Trade Awards, which took place in Dublin over the weekend.
The highly prized Irish Travel Trade Awards recognise and reward excellence in product and service as voted by Irish travel agents, North and South.
The accolade means that Irish Ferries continues to hold the two leading ‘Best Ferry Company’ titles from the Irish travel trade, having also been awarded the top honour at the 2018 Irish Travel Industry Awards earlier this year.
Irish Ferries is the leading ferry operator to and from the Republic of Ireland. Over the last number of years, it has invested over €450 million in new fleet and port facilities and has the most modern fleet in Europe.
Accepting the award, Dermot Merrigan, head of passenger sales at Irish Ferries said:
“We are honoured to receive this award, which we believe is an acknowledgement of a strong partnership with the Irish travel agent sector, which independently voted on the award.
“The award also recognises the work we have been doing and the investment we have made over many years to improve the standard and quality of service, to ensure we continue to offer the best possible customer experience.”

:mad::mad::mad:

amor3 · 12-12-2018 11:57pm

Yeah, I'm trying to price up, keeps on freezing! But 4 berth cabin with window is 230 and I've to get a window cabin to accommodate a travel cot, 10 euro! OW was usually around 160 ish!

yellow76 · 13-12-2018 12:28am

Over 1100 euro for us for June. We usually pay 600 max on OW.

Time to start a new relationship with Stena I think.

Irish ferries website seems to have crashed.

jay0109 · 13-12-2018 12:57am

What a disappointment so far from IF...where was that advance email!

54and56 · 13-12-2018 1:23am

jay0109 wrote: »

What a disappointment so far from IF...where was that advance email!

I think they are starting off by setting/establishing their desired pricing. Some people who are keen to try the new ship and/or don't have much wiggle room on dates and/or are nervous about not having their ferry crossing booked already will accept the higher pricing and book but once that initial rush of bookings is complete and assuming IF still have plenty of spare capacity on the WBY it wouldn't surprise me to see some time limited offers or flash sales.

Much as I'd like to try the new ship I'm not going to pay a significant premium over Stena or Brittsny Ferries to do so.

SusanC10 · 13-12-2018 7:47am

I booked IF yesterday evening. WBY had our exact dates so no need to change the Campsite plus Dublin is much closer to us than Rosslare or Cork. Also, we have so many Tesco Tokens as we didn't go to France last year that we were only going to be paying the €100 in cash anyway. And we won't be going on the Ferry in 2020.

Btw - the 4-Bed Cabin with Window was showing as €169 for me both outbound in June and return in July.

nirvana78 · 13-12-2018 10:16am

SusanC10 wrote: »

I booked IF yesterday evening. WBY had our exact dates so no need to change the Campsite plus Dublin is much closer to us than Rosslare or Cork. Also, we have so many Tesco Tokens as we didn't go to France last year that we were only going to be paying the €100 in cash anyway. And we won't be going on the Ferry in 2020.

Btw - the 4-Bed Cabin with Window was showing as €169 for me both outbound in June and return in July.

As you were using the Tesco vouchers, were you able to avail of the discount?

SusanC10 · 13-12-2018 10:17am

nirvana78 wrote: »

As you were using the Tesco vouchers, were you able to avail of the discount?

Yes, but only on the phone. I couldn't get website to work properly so I phoned them. Was on hold for a while but eventually got through.

Van.Bosch · 13-12-2018 10:21am

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

I think they are starting off by setting/establishing their desired pricing. Some people who are keen to try the new ship and/or don't have much wiggle room on dates and/or are nervous about not having their ferry crossing booked already will accept the higher pricing and book but once that initial rush of bookings is complete and assuming IF still have plenty of spare capacity on the WBY it wouldn't surprise me to see some time limited offers or flash sales.

Much as I'd like to try the new ship I'm not going to pay a significant premium over Stena or Brittsny Ferries to do so.

Spot on, it’s yield management. They have only put WBY on sale first at a high price and now OW. People who have to /really want to will pay the top prices. If they don’t sell enough they can drop prices, if demand is high keep the fares high.

They don’t care about the issues this year or the late release for 2019. If they can get 1500 per return they will.

nirvana78 · 13-12-2018 10:32am

Good to know they're allowing the Tesco vouchers and the discount. I'm not bothered about sailing on the WBY so I'll hang on to see what the OW comes in at. Glad you got yours booked though SusanC10!

SusanC10 · 13-12-2018 10:37am

nirvana78 wrote: »

Good to know they're allowing the Tesco vouchers and the discount. I'm not bothered about sailing on the WBY so I'll hang on to see what the OW comes in at. Glad you got yours booked though SusanC10!

If we didn't have all those Tokens I would be waiting too tbh. We didn't go this year and I think there is a real jump in price since 2017 for roughly the same dates.

nirvana78 · 13-12-2018 10:46am

I was thinking that maybe the prices are dearer because it's a newer ship and a bit fancier?? Hope that's the case and then the OW would be cheaper

SusanC10 · 13-12-2018 10:50am

nirvana78 wrote: »

I was thinking that maybe the prices are dearer because it's a newer ship and a bit fancier?? Hope that's the case and then the OW would be cheaper

I would imagine so.
Friends of ours are going roughly at same time as us. They are going to wait for OW. Only concern is the Dates and not matching with the already-booked campsite.

loyatemu · 13-12-2018 11:16am

IF seriously pissing me off now, I assume they've only released the WBY schedule so they can assess demand, or sell more of the overpriced fares in advance before they release the Rosslare schedule. Getting tempted to cancel the campsite and go do something else next year.

Deeman83 · 13-12-2018 12:07pm

IF will force peope into flydrive and hire bikes.

They are charging extorionate prices. AS people have said, testing the demand and then dropping the fares for Rosslare route?

First Up · 13-12-2018 12:17pm

Deeman83 wrote: »

IF will force peope into flydrive and hire bikes.

They are charging extorionate prices. AS people have said, testing the demand and then dropping the fares for Rosslare route?

Well people still have other options - BF, Stena or Landbridge. So IF can't behave as if they have a monopoly on the car ferry option.

I think the ferry or fly/drive choice is down to other factors.

54and56 · 13-12-2018 12:46pm

I'll be sticking with my exiting Stena lines booking which is €962 return Vs the WBY €1,372. I'm not paying a €440 premium for the WBY despite the potential convenience of leaving and departing from Dublin rather than Rosslare as I'm based in Dublin.

Can we expect IF to keep the OW on the Rosslare to Roscoff route during the summer and announce that timetable and fares later on or are IF now just committed exclusively to the WBY on the Dublin -> Cherbourg route for summer 2019?

I personally prefer arriving into Roscoff ut am agnostic as to which port we come home from.

SusanC10 · 13-12-2018 1:02pm

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Can we expect IF to keep the OW on the Rosslare to Roscoff route during the summer and announce that timetable and fares later on or are IF now just committed exclusively to the WBY on the Dublin -> Cherbourg route for summer 2019?

That is the question.

Flippyfloppy · 13-12-2018 4:05pm

nirvana78 wrote: »

I was thinking that maybe the prices are dearer because it's a newer ship and a bit fancier?? Hope that's the case and then the OW would be cheaper

Well when they sold tickets for it last year they were the same price as the OW. I've priced under 800 for Stena and brittany.

nirvana78 · 13-12-2018 4:11pm

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Well when they sold tickets for it last year they were the same price as the OW. I've priced under 800 for Stena and brittany.

Oh, that doesn't give me great hope

jay0109 · 13-12-2018 4:58pm

Not booking at these prices but just checking the prices.
My sailings in late June (out) back (early July) are 575 each way + 139 for cabin each way + 5.40 admin fee = 1,433.4.
When I go to the next page where extras are added in, the running total has jumped from 575 each way to 639 and the 5.40 fee to 6.00. A discount now appears of 10% = 156.20 giving a new total of 1,405.80

What's behind the 54e increase each way from 1 page to the next!!! A glitch in the system?

darragh o meara · 13-12-2018 10:23pm

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Can we expect IF to keep the OW on the Rosslare to Roscoff route during the summer and announce that timetable and fares later on or are IF now just committed exclusively to the WBY on the Dublin -> Cherbourg route for summer 2019?

I personally prefer arriving into Roscoff ut am agnostic as to which port we come home from.

I can’t see IF giving up the Rosslare route and if they were we would surely have heard about it by now. The OW will need to make money for the company in 2019 so you can be sure they will announce the rosslare dates soon, however they would really need to hurry up as it’s getting late. I reckon they’re trying to push people into the WBY so they can recoup some of their 2018 losses.

I still expect there to be some deals coming up in the new year. We hope to bring the caravan this year so are expecting to pay a bit more for the ferry but I don’t want to have to drive all the way from South Tipp to Dublin with it when we have a port in Rosslare.

54and56 · 14-12-2018 12:22am

darragh o meara wrote: »

I can’t see IF giving up the Rosslare route and if they were we would surely have heard about it by now. The OW will need to make money for the company in 2019 so you can be sure they will announce the rosslare dates soon, however they would really need to hurry up as it’s getting late.

.....

I still expect there to be some deals coming up in the new year.

I agree. My Stena booking is Flexible (can cancel for a full refund) so I'm going to be keeping a keen eye out for flash sales on IF particularly if they confirm the OW will be servicing the Roscoff route.

mr_edge_to_you · 14-12-2018 6:56am

We got fed up waiting so went ahead with BF. Even after the €150 is applied BF is still cheaper. The fact that you don’t have time to fork out €40 for a family breakfast saves another few quid too!!!! The big pluses for me on BF are times and much prefer Roscoff.

IF are still messing customers around. Last year their big selling point was they could offer sailings to France 7 days a week.

The appeal of the nice new ship is gone for me. When we were sailing this year it would’ve been four weeks old and the fact that my 2018 IF customer experience has been a massive disappointment. To be honest, I think IF are selling this as a hotel that floats which is fine but I just want to get to France in comfort a for reasonable price - this craic of different levels of lounge access is not for me. Both the OW and the PA are perfectly fine for me.

Deeman83 · 14-12-2018 10:23pm

Moving on from the ferry debacle, what campsites are you looking at this year?

I am going to go to Domaine des Ormes on the way home for a week.

We are looking for somewhere in vendee/ile de Re area.

Any recommendations? Kids, good pool, close to beach, nice mix of irish, i.e. not 100% french (kids preference)

talla · 14-12-2018 10:38pm

Deeman83 wrote: »

Moving on from the ferry debacle, what campsites are you looking at this year?

I am going to go to Domaine des Ormes on the way home for a week.

We are looking for somewhere in vendee/ile de Re area.

Any recommendations? Kids, good pool, close to beach, nice mix of irish, i.e. not 100% french (kids preference)

Clarys plage would probably suit.
Big Irish crowd, good pool and slides and beach is only a 5 minute walk down the road.

mr_edge_to_you · 14-12-2018 11:10pm

Deeman83 wrote: »

Moving on from the ferry debacle, what campsites are you looking at this year?

I am going to go to Domaine des Ormes on the way home for a week.

We are looking for somewhere in vendee/ile de Re area.

Any recommendations? Kids, good pool, close to beach, nice mix of irish, i.e. not 100% french (kids preference)

We stayed in Les Ecureils in 2017. Nice spot.

Stayed in Sol a GoGo this year. Thought it was much nicer - lovely pool, “direct access” to the beach (you wouldn’t be bring a buggy!), lovely takeaway on site, a really good toddler pool. Booked it again for next year.

jay0109 · 14-12-2018 11:14pm

I'm going to Sol a Gogo next year also, last there in 2015. Much smaller than a lot of the sites and has direct access to the beach which was a big winner for us. And it's practically all Irish or English with some continental Europeans also.
We stayed in a very French (and very large) site in 2017 and our kids didn't get to mix at all...older French kids had the football pitch tied up nearly all day. So going to avoid that scenario this time

molly dolly · 15-12-2018 7:10pm

1300 this year vs 930 last year. 4 star cabins return 3 star and speedy disembarkment for that price. We're an hour from Rosslare, hate te thought of going Dublin. IF are a disgrace in how they refuse to engage honestly or truthfully with customers.

though have booked a small trip to Wales so will get my free trip to UK out of them in June. Going to Bluestone resort for 4 days.

France is looking unlikely this year. Unless we go to paris. The nearly 15 year old is reluctant to do another ferry. Truth be told he probably would hate the normal package experience but he isn't buying that.

valtra2 · 16-12-2018 1:46am

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

MorganIRL · 16-12-2018 3:20am

valtra2 wrote: »

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

Have being to le eccuriels 3 yrs ago and heading to le clarys-plage nxt year. Plenty to do in the area for kids that age. Hiring of bikes isn't essential, but makes the area more fun to explore.

mr_edge_to_you · 16-12-2018 9:06am

valtra2 wrote: »

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

Kids at that age - has to be Sol a GoGo.

As Morgan says, hire yourself bikes and away ye go.

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

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