LD Lines Club Class

[kip]

Travelling LD lines for first time next month. As we're going 'kid free' decided to go Club Class. Just realised  I don't know what the differnence is appart from bigger seats.

Has anyone travelled Club class - is it like the P&O club class...free coffee, comfy seats and quieter?

[Will]

I wouldn't say it's much quieter, or that the seats are any more comfortable than the standard recliners (but no riff raff as Basil Fawlty would say). You do get use of the Cotton Club bar (which was the old Club Class lounge in the ship's P&O days) which has more comfortable seats, particularly for the overnight crossing, and a couple of rather slow internet terminals, but coffee etc still has to be paid for. No other benefit as far as I can tell.

[Coco]

My OH went club class in May and pretty much concurs with what Will says.  Although he did say that the ship was pretty packed and that the one advantage of club class was that it was quieter - so perhaps for an August crossing it could be a good option.

[Cassis]

Unless everybody else has had the same idea!

[Will]

[quote user="St Amour"]My OH went club class in May and pretty much concurs with what Will says.  Although he did say that the ship was pretty packed and that the one advantage of club class was that it was quieter - so perhaps for an August crossing it could be a good option.[/quote]

Yes, I travelled from Le Havre to Portsmouth on the Sunday at the end of the May/June bank hoiliday half term period, traditionally about the busiest day there is for ferry travel. Both LD Lines and the corresponding Brittany Ferries ship were packed, it taking forever to get out of the Portsmouth ferry port as both arrive more or less together. Club class was definitely worth it then,  but on other crossings, although there appeared to be a lot of cars waiting to get on, once onboard other people seemed to disappear (it is quite a large ship) so there was less of an issue.

I tend to book club class more or less automatically, because at this time of year travelling LD Lines represents such a cost saving over the competition that the extra is a mere drop in the ocean.

There are some problems, the lack of cabin accommodation being the major one, along with the varying quality of the food, the speed of service in the eateries (particularly if you want just a quick French breakfast), and the limited onboard sales. These are just my findings, others have had different experiences, and I understand the sales situation has recently improved. Still, Mrs Will is coming back tomorrow by LD and I am going over next week for a day, so we will see how it has progressed. The great thing about the company is that it is new to the passenger ferry game, and very responsive to what its customers say, unlike the established operators.