Transmanche Ferries.

[Robert Le Macon]

Good Morning,

I used the above company in April this year and despite a ferry cancellation coming home (They re-routed us via Calais) I was a satisfied customer. Has anyone used them recently and is the new boat in service and making a difference?

[Will]

The first of the new boats is in operation, the second follows later in the year. The service is cheap, though there are very mixed reports from those who have used it - most of the negative comments concern the staff. Though I understand the amateurishness can have a certain charm if you don't let it get to you. I won't use it personally because of the company's safety record. Because there is a combination of new and old boats the timetable is still rather relaxed, but it should speed up when the other new ship arrives.

But the most significant factor is that Transmanche, although it will retain ownership of the service and the ports, has put the actual running of the ships out to tender. LD Lines seems to be the favourite among the bidders, despite LD saying originally it wasn't interested because of the poor standard of the ports, while Sea France is also in the frame. That should transform the service, as well as offering a possibility of giving LD a ship to increase its Le Havre service if agreement can be reached with Transmanche.

[Robert Le Macon]

Thanks Will. Enlightem me about the safety record. Do we need take our own life boat?[+o(]

[expat paul]

Hi,

I have just made a return crossing Dieppe - Newhaven, I took the 12.30 crossing last Wednesday and returned 13.00 Sunday, both crossings were on board 'Cote d'Albatre', is that the new boat ?.

 I can honestly say the only complaint I have is that they don't sell newspapers onboard, because the shop is the size of a matchbox.. The outward left port exactly on time, to the minute, and the inward left 15 minutes late but arrived 10 minutes early. The boat was clean, the food was OK and the staff polite, all that for 90 euros with my car. I am blissfully unaware of their safety record, but I did have a seat near a lifeboat !!!!!.

Paul

[Will]

Cote d'Albatre is the new boat which replaced Sardinia Vera - the other one, to replace the Dieppe, will be named Seven Sisters. There have been rather a lot of groundings and close encounters with harbour furniture - reports suggest alcohol played a part in a couple of these. Here's a link to an article in the local paper for the Newhaven area. http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2004/7/7/111764.html

[nimportequoi]

I had guests who used them last year and said that they had a terrible crossing and would never travel with Transmanche again, however, those who have used them this year have said that the crossing was fine, there was plenty of room to sit and they all said that they had received good value for money. I think the schedule times are better too. I can only assume from this that the service has improved considerably.

[Robert Le Macon]

Thanks for the replies. We go out late at night so I think I'll stand on deck until we've cleared all the harbour obstacles! Value for money (ie cheap) and location were our reasons for choosing Transmanche (same as most people I imagine) We're not too bothered about onboard facilities particularly. If we were we'd go on a cruise. Bon Vacances.[8-|] 

[Carolski]

I've just read the thread on Transmanche ferries as our children are travelling with them in over a weeks time with 2 small children and have every confidence that it will be perfectly fine given all the recent feedback we've read. However, having read this particular posting and clicked into the thread about 'drunken' behaviour aboard I was understandably concerned...I then discover that the article is over 2 years old! I do think that people using this forum should be more responsible when spreading 'misleading' information as there are peolple out there who would take that as 'gospel' and I feel that that is really unfair for a company that MAY have finally 'got it's act together'!

C

[Mozman]

I tend to agree.

That report is old as you say....I remember the yellow paint was visible on the harbour furniture around that time! But I think that going from that to saying that Transmanche have a poor safety record is unfair and bit over the top.  I don't believe anyone has come to harm travelling with Transmanche. (Unlike, of course, P and O!!!)

I think its an attitude that stems from the idea that Transmanche isn't a 'proper' Ferry company. And that may be a fair point.  It does mean, however, that they come under the critical microscope far more than the others. Some say they are amateurish....but I've come across amateurish (plus rude, careless,disgruntled amd arrogant) staff on every other crossing I've been on. And I've travelled with all the other companies at some time or another. Amateurish I can live with.

From the report linked in the previous post it didn't appear to be conclusive that the person WAS under the influence. From what I read it seemed like a routine inquiry after an accident, Rather like a motorist being given a breath test. But even if it were true....most major airlines including BA have suspended aircrew in recent times for having alcohol in their system while on duty.

 

 

[Will]

I'm very sorry if you feel misled, or that the forum has been irresponsible, that was not the intention at all. If you read the various posts, I think it is clear that we are talking about the past record rather than the current situation - two different things, although they are inevitably linked. In fact I feel that where doubts may exist over something as important as maritime safety ( a field in which I have been professionally involved in the past) then it is acting responsibly to present facts so that people can make up their own minds. We have made no secret of the fact that the article in the link is an old story - it was an example, selected because it is in English. An internet search will reveal several references, in French, to other incidents, some rather more recent.

The current situation (which has prevailed for some time) is that Transmanche is a consortium of local authority interests that has tried to run a shipping operation, but has thankfully realised that it would do better (for financial and other reasons) to hand the running of the ships over to an experienced operator. Having failed to come to any agreement in its dealings with individual companies, it has now put the service out to tender, and received bids from, among others, LD Lines, Sea France and Norfolk Line. Until a contract is awarded, the status quo remains. Things have no doubt improved since one of the two new ships has entered service.

Nobody is saying don't use Transmanche. The forum, (and I in particular) has often recommended people to use the service, being a low-cost alternative to the other operators. It's just a case of going in with ones eyes open. Remember that other operators suffer incidents as well, Brittany Ferries for example had a problem with heavy seas on the Pont Aven, causing some minor injuries, and a rather catastrophic steering system problem on the Normandie (which caused alarm, but no injuries) , earlier this year, and that, even for Transmanche, there are far more successful crossings than the few where things go wrong.

[Deimos]

When I booked some time ago over the telephone I noticed they were trying to charge me more so questioned it, discussed it and them paid the same price as my computer was showing from their web site. I guess that policy may have changed by now, don't know but I did that a couple of months ago.

When I used them recently they were exceptionally slow at unloading. As an example, I went down to my car early (as I had two excitable dogs in the car). I went down to my car just as we were passing the harbour wall entering Dieppe harbour. It was approx 1 hr after that the first cars started driving off the boat - and that was when the ferry was already 2.5 hrs late so they were trying to catch-up time.

Still, they are quite a bit cheaper than others so one cannot grumble.

Ian