Transmanche Ferries...

[MrCanary]

In the recent past, there have been discussions on here about LD Lines and/or Transmanche Ferries.

Over the last few months, my wife and I have travelled on a Transmanche vessel four times and, whilst the service does not compare with the over-priced but very good Brittany Ferries, it is non the less excellent. Their two ships are clean, modern and very good value for money. If I had a complaint, their disembarking process has to be the slowest in the world!

Mel

[Will]

It's basically very good value, and, as you say, clean and comfortable, though it seems strange that even in peak season a lot of the potential money-makers on the ships - like the restaurants - remain closed. The docking procedure in Le Havre is very strange and takes forever. The ship ties up some distance from the ramp, spends some time fiddling with its own ramps, then unties and docks properly. I suppose that's the trouble with using a ship designed for a specific route (Newhaven-Dieppe) on another (Newhaven-Le Havre).

[MrCanary]

Hi Will,

Presumably the closed restaurant you refer to is the one above the always open 'self service restaurant'? Assuming you are, I agree, it is very strange. On one occasion, my wife and I left the self-service area with our trays of food only to find every table was full - mostly with people tucking into their own food. I pointed this out to a member of staff and asked if we could take our food upstairs, but was refused. Bizarre!

And it is interesting what you mention about their docking procedure. Because, for some unkown reason, I seem to have developed a total dislike of Le Havre, we will revert to Newhaven and return to our temporarily-avoided running the gauntlet through Rouen!

Mel

[BJSLIV]

The new bridge in Rouen (Pont Flaubert) should make things easier getting through Rouen from Dieppe. Its due to open next year.

The engineering looks certainly looks interesting, a very large vertical lift bridge. 

http://www.abelard.org/france/pont_gustave_flaubert_rouen.php

[Will]

Yes Mel, that one has never been open when I have been on that ship. Also the self-service is often (not always) only open for food (according to the announcements, what else might it be open for? [8-)] ) for a couple of hours. Even last time I went, which was mid-July with a nearly full ship. So forget any ideas of avoiding the not-inconsiderable rush by eating early or late. They also seem to open the wine/fags/gifts shop only when they feel like it, too.

[MrCanary]

Will - I too have never seen it open, so why is it there? And I agree about the gift shop too. Even though there was a full ship, it was only open for about 15 minutes on our recent return trip!

 

Mel

 

[SteveMorton]

I have seen the upstairs restaurant open, but it was back in the days when it was Transmanche Ferries not LD... I guess they are trying to cut staff costs.

That new bridge in Rouen looks interesting, but I wonder about how often it will be raised? If it's too often then the existing route from Dieppe to the A13 will still be quicker...

Steve

[MrCanary]

Steve,

I thought it still is Transmanche Ferries and that LD are just acting as the booking agents...

Mel

[BJSLIV]

Transmanche were set up by the Normandy regional council.

Initially the ships were operated on their behalf by Corsica Ferries. After a tendering exercise the right to operate the ferries was won by LD Lines who took control earlier this year.

LD are owned by one of the largest French shipping companies. The groups other claim to fame is that they own Neuf Telecom.

 

[Paris]

We returned to England last week, Le Havre - Newhaven on the 8 p.m. sailing.  It took an hour to reach the check-in booths (2 were manned) and the back of the queue extended onto the roundabout and the road leading to the roundabout from the town.  Last used Le Havre about 14 years ago with P & O, when there seemed to be plenty of space to check-in.  

We too may decide to return another time via Dieppe.

I too noticed that the upstairs restaurant remained closed, and roped off - I had assumed it would be open in the summer season, although we did not need food as had eaten a delicious meal earlier in France.

Julia 

[Mozman]

We like Transmanche...the ferries are more like little cruiseliners and less like sea-going buses. Little things like the wooden decks and rails give them a 'proper ship' feel.

We used Newhaven to Dieppe in early September (came back with LD from Le Havre to Portsmouth because the times suited us better.) .....I have to say that the docking and disembarkation was really long-winded. Seemed to be in port for ever before unloading started.

A few years ago, when Hoverspeed had finished and Transmanche had a sudden rush of passengers, we used the old Sardinia Vera (which was a similar size to the new boats but a but of a tub to say the least) Because of the disorganization etc the boat was already 3 hours late into Dieppe. Then the crew left everyone waiting in the cardeck and commenced REFUELING the ship instead! There was almost a riot! I wonder if come similar twisted priority is what is still causing delays.

BTW....I will not be using Portsmouth again in a hurry. Getting back from Le Havre at 10.30 pm into Portsmouth and you just want to get on with your onward journey and get home. But usually Brittany Ferries is disembarking at the same time ...and sometime P and O as well. So its bedlam.....the first traffic jam you hit is on the quayside waiting to get to passport control. Things got heated and almost violent last time and it seemed that although LD began disembarking first , their passengers were left waiting for 40 minutes in a queue while Brittany Ferries cars then simply drove past us and off. Definitely some favouring going on.

[Will]

There is no actual 'favouring' as you put it at Portsmouth.  Such a thing would be rather difficult to arrange. There is a bit of a problem with the port layout, as when two or more ships arrive together, and with the ships berthed in their normal places, when car traffic comes off the LD Lines ship it has to cross both its own ship's disembarking freight traffic and the Brittany Ferries freight and some cars. Car traffic from the BF ship has an easier matter of it, having only to negotiate across one lane of freight from its own ship en route to passport control. So some waiting, and marshalling of traffic, is inevitable. Because LD traffic has a longer route, it will inevitably often move more slowly. And it is not easy for ships to swap berths, the ramps and gangways are set up to accommodate the particular ships that use them.

The biggest hold up is passport control. Usually only three or four lanes, at most, are open, and if you get attached to a queue for a booth where very thorough checks are being carrried out - particularly on vans and caravans, or a bus is going through - there can be very long delays indeed, while other booths are working quickly. Also, customs seem to carry out checks immediately after passport control rather than in their shed, so if this is happening in one lane it effectively stops any more traffic going through that passport booth.

It's not a matter of putting LD Lines traffic through after Brittany; I have often seen the opposite happen when I have been in a slow lane through passport control. It's just luck of the draw.

I do agree that LD Lines could be a lot more efficient with loading and unloading though.