LD LINES AND THEIR 100% FARES INCREASE

[Alane]

The beer bellied drunkards belching in the middle of the night won't be outside these cabins - they'll be in the cabin next to me. I seem to be a magnet for these people. It's always a dead giveaway when we hear a group of blokes laughing in the cabin next door as the boat leaves harbour and then things go quiet. We know they've gone to the bar and will come back at 2 or 3am for a f*rting contest prior to lapsing into obliviion and snoring loud enough to set off the fire alarm.

 

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Danglar"]

Just returned from  the trip that has cost me over 100% more  on the same period last year with LD Lines and I must admit.......there has been ABSOLUTELY no improvement to the passengers to justifiy such a hugh fare increase.

Reclyning seat ? Yeah there are ,  but they are also in a place where the light stays permanently on even at night time , where there is a chocolate  machine  which - being free - is abused by the passengers at all times at night and with the two toilet doors being slammed  almost continuously by the so called  "first class" passengers.

What a load of c...p !!

Ah and I forgot to mention .... do you remember that  for two years we have being waiting to see what would have become of the space that was opposite the entrance to the duty free shop ??

Well, they have fitted there - the most tranquill of all places on a ship ! -  CABINS !!

Would you pay the earth to try and sleep in a cabin with a door on a very very busy corridor ? (I hate to think what would be like in the summer with children running around and shouting and the few odd (??) beer-bellied-at-all-hours-drunkurds belching, swearing and laughing aloud. 

  [/quote]

[:D][:D][:D]..................If it's so bad, why do you use them ? 

We had a lovely trip in both directions, perhaps you're just one of those unlucky people that attracts morons.......[:)]

[Joy1]

I agree with Bugbear. have no complaints about Ld lines at all. We use them several times a year, I have just come back from a 5 day Uk visit that cost me a mear £59 for a car 1 adult and two children! We never bother with a cabin, the children enjoy camping out on the bench seats in their sleeping bags! When i checked with BF they wanted £180 for the same trip (except Caen instead of Le havre) I can do 3 trips with LD for the price of 1 with BF! Joy

[Robbie34]

I wonder if I've travelled on the same ship as Danglar because I don't recognise it.

£193 period return with dog, cabin and return with Club Class.  Cabin was quiet, clean and spacious.  Had a good night's sleep and great full English breakfast.  Boat was clean and crew were friendly.  Arrived at Le Havre on time.

Admittedly, the boat was not as luxurious as the BF boats but the cost was one third of the price.  I'm travelling with LD Lines again in May.

[Unknown]

If you don't like the prices, then simply don't use the service.

I don't like the price of cheese, its too expensive, will someone do something about it please.

[Will]

I quite agree with what Dotty says in principle, but it's not that simple.

All the ferry companies have different pricing structures. As far as passenger fares go, LD Lines, or rather its UK handling/booking agent (incidentally the same people who are starting a France-Channel islands ferry service themselves under the HD Ferries name) started off with a simpler, but still expensive, version of the P&O fares which previously operated on the same route. This was obviously not sustainable because people could get a far better service for similar money on competing routes. So LD Lines set its own 'special offer' fares to get bums on seats, and built up a following, particularly among those who frequently complain about the competition being too dear. This was a learning curve for LD Lines, because although it is a big shipping company, and operates freight ferries jointly to Italy, this was its first venture into passenger carrying.

LD Lines pricing has evolved into a sort of Ryanair type model, where if you are a normal couple or family group travelling with a normal car, staying away for one or two weeks, and book early, you can get cheap fares. Book late, take a van, even travel on foot, and it can be a different story.

Yes, I have travelled on LD Lines several times. But because I travel very regularly and tend to book within about 10 days or less of my travelling dates (or even on the day of travel) for short-duration trips, often as a foot passenger, I invariably find I can get a better deal overall with Brittany Ferries. Particularly as the latter offers a far greater choice of times and routes.

That's not to decry LD Lines, it is a perfectly good service, run competently and safely. I don't personally consider that the ship is particularly comfortable or well-arranged, or that the facilities and catering are as good as most (not all) of the Brittany Ferries ships. That's just my view, others think differently and I respect their opinions.

From running one ship on one route, LD Lines is now operating three vessels on three routes, between four ports. This is quite an expansion, and I can understand why there has been some consolidation of fares etc. There certainly were some anomalies which have been sorted out. I will definitely be trying the new Newhaven-Le Havre route soon.

One big difference between Ryanair and LD Lines is the attitude of senior management. LD Lines' CEO, Pierre Gehanne, is a regular user of the Anglo Info Normandy forum, and a lot of what the company has done on its original passenger route has been based on discussion there with the users. Mr Gehanne is currently coming in for some stick over pricing on the Newhaven-Dieppe service.

So I suggest that if any user has comments about LD Lines they should be directed to the actual company (not the ship or port staff, many of whom are contractors from other companies), and they will certainly be listened to.

[hastobe]

[quote user="Brilec"]

And try to get the police interested if you suffer a burglary in the UK, then compare the response to that when you inadvertantly stray 3mph over a 30 limit in your local high street at 3.00am. (Also SD, try riding a bike in North Wales at any time of the day).

[/quote]

I agree with Brilec on this one.  My daughter is currently a witness in a trial which should see two of the defendents sent to prison (one of these is a known drug dealer and has a long history of violence including previous convictions for arson).  As a consequence of her evidence, we have been the subject of prolonged and aggressive witness intimidation over the last 12 months ranging from having 10 double glazed units smashed with rocks and house bricks at 2.00am in the morning (then a further 3 similar attacks first to our own property and then, after we had CCTV installed, to our neighbours homes), black edged calling cards telling us that our home will be torched, phone calls telling us that our two (younger) boys will have their throats cut.  Saturday alone we had eight threatening calls between the hours of midnight and 4 am (and, yes, we have changed the number - several times, and, no, the witness protection scheme is a joke). 

The police response to this - they took 45 minutes to respond to a 999 call, told us we are too far off the main route to have a regular police patrol, we have had officers sit on our sofa and tell us that it is not the responsibility of the police to protect the public (whatever happened to the promise they make 'to serve and protect').  On one occassion it took three weeks and four cancelled appointments to take a simple statement.  They won't trace calls because, I quote, it's too expensive - so we have had to do that ourselves.  Having said all of that, the fault is predominantly lack of funding - many times over the last year 'control' haven't been able to get anyone out to us because there have been only a couple of officers on duty and there have been (for example) several pub brawls, an RTA and a burglary all happening simultaneously.

Wait until you *really* need the police and then see how much assistance you get....

France is heaven for us - absolute heaven

Kathie

[Danglar]

Well , it looks like BF are waging a competition with LD Lines !!!

Look at BF special prices on their website from now till the end of the year: only slightly dear than LD's.  Good on you BF! Will LD now respond ?

I have paid £ 134 for car+2 for the May Bank Holiday and will have to travel by night to Le Havre sleeping rather uncomfortably. I I had noticed before I'd jumped...ship and gone with BF without a second thought!   LD lines ...pah! 

 

[Robbie34]

I have just done a check for the same dates that I will be crossing with LD Lines, and the price is £440.  This for a reclining seat rather than a cabin.  The same price for LD Lines, with a cabin one way, is £192.00.  Both journeys include the cost of a pet.

I know which I prefer.