Why such a difference ?

[Bugsy]

I've just booked a ferry for a trip to the UK in March. Two adults and a 4x4 with a cabin on the return (night) crossing.

Brittainy Ferries = £295.00.

LD Lines = £116.27.

The only difference is one from Caen to Portsmouth (BF) and the other is from Le Havre.

No prizes for guessing which one I chose.....................

 

[Frederick]

You were lucky to get a cabin ....I have been trying for ages to be able to book one on the crossings have wanted ..never got one yet ! I think there is a better chance of winning the lottery than getting a cabin on LD lines ....

[BJSLIV]

LD lines have further weighted the odds against us ever finding a cabin.

As we travel as a couple, we now aren't allowed to book a 4 berth cabin. So unless there are some of the even rarer 2 berths available, no chance!

I don't know what would happen if we booked additional places for our friends Mrs & Mrs JSBLIV, who unfortunately had to cancel at the very last moment........

[Alane]

We used to do just that with P&O on the Le Havre route. We always booked our daughters on the trip on the off chance that they might come across to France with us but they very rarely did. Never a problem at check in. LD lines may or may not be as forgiving. 

[mmaddock]

Can someone summarise their experience with LD Lines.  I've used BF for many years and I really like their ferries, and as long you I avoid the peak times I don't normally pay more than around £140 return (FR-UK-FR).  I've heard some pretty awful things about LD Lines, so I've avoided them, but maybe the people I spoke to were just unlucky - if they are that much cheaper I might consider them as my ferry costs run into the thousands each year...what's the deal?!

Cheers,

Matt

[Dick Smith]

Matt - do you mean you travel at non-school holiday periods or just take the Tuesday morning options? Also - do you have Property Owner discount?

[mmaddock]

Yes, I tend to pick the best (i.e. cheapest!) times to travel as I don't have to tie my trips into anything in particular, and I have the Owners club discount as well.

Matt

[Will]

If you travel with Brittany Ferries, avoiding weekends and overnight, and have one of the discount cards, you will probably not find a lot of difference in faes between BF and LD Lines. In fact LD can occasionally be dearer. BF, for some reason, usually works out much better than LD if travelling as a foot passenger. LD only offers one crossing each way per day, whereas Brittany offers three most days to Caen (four some days in summer), so there is another advantage.

I suppose the difference is much the same as the difference betwen Ryanair and an expensive airline like Air France or Emirates. Both do the same job, but do it in different ways. Neither is necessarily better, just different, and some people will choose one, some the other. I personally have never liked the catering on LD, neither the quality nor the value, but a lot of people think it's fine (then I find the Normadie's food is better than the Mont St Michel's).

LD's new service, one per day between Le Havre and Newhaven, starting May, looks interesting. There was a bit of a glitch with the booking system and the Newhaven route was coming up almost twice the cost of Portsmouth, but according to the company's CEO, it should normally be slightly cheaper than Portsmouth (though a bit dearer than the Newhaven-Dieppe crossings). The booking system needs a bit more work, it doesn't accept foot passengers (though the CEO has told me he sees no reason why they should not be permitted) and, without booking two singles, it doesn't seem possible to go via Newhaven and return via Portsmouth, which would help overcome the cabin shortage.

Incidentally, if travelling as a couple it might be worth looking at travelling with one in the car and one on foot, and booking a single cabin. The singles are the same size as a two (or four) berth, with a bed and a sofa. It might work out dearer, but should still be less than Brittany's overnight fares. Bugbear's quote for a cabin seems suspiciously low. Was it for berths in a one of the new couchette cabins, or the supposedly better fully-reclining seats, rather than an actual cabin?