5 Ports, 4 Ferries, 3 Routes in 1 Day - The Report

Tweet

Introduction

In September 2011 we announced on our Blog, Forum and Facebook page that we were planning on travelling on all four short sea operators in one day.

Some clearly asked us why? As a respected shipping site it's amazing how much communication we receive asking what the vessels and the services are like. Sometimes it's hard to give an honest assessment when you have travelled with a certain operator for a while.

With this in mind our purpose was not only to enjoy a day at sea but to compare the four short sea operators and see how they are doing and what sort of service is on offer to the travelling public. In effect we were endeavouring to capture a snapshot of the competing operations.

After some meticulous planning by Paul we found out that we could cover Seafrance, P&O Ferries, DFDS Seaways and TransEuropa Ferries all in one day. The date was set for Thursday the 20th of October and myself and Paul Cloke embarked on our day of ferry trips across the Dover Straits. The scheduling was quiet tight and if nothing went wrong we should be ok for a fun packed day. As we were later to discover, the best made plans can go wrong very quickly on such a tight timetable, more on that later.

Scoring

For the purpose of this review we decided to score each of the operators on specific points. Each operator was given a scoring out of 5 for each point which resulted in a total score out of 35.

Scoring example:

• Food 0/5

• Cleanliness 0/5

• Crew 0/5

• Customer Experience 0/5

• Facilities 0/5

• Vessel 0/5

• Crossing Time 0/5

Total 0/35

Trip One

0630 "Seafrance Rodin" Dover-Calais

Our day started here in Dover at 0515 and we then proceeded to the Port of Dover to check in for the 0630 Seafrance Rodin sailing to Calais. This would actually be my first crossing with Seafrance in a number of years.

After negotiating our way through the Port and the usual PAF and UKBA passport checks we proceeded to the check in.

Upon arrival we proceeded to a check in booth that was indicated as being open (displaying a green arrow instead of a red cross) only to find that the booth was unmanned. Not a good start.

After a bit of manoeuvring (which isn't easy due to the volume of traffic, including freight which share the check in desks at Dover) we finally found a desk that was open.

We had originally been booked on the 0800 Seafrance Berlioz sailing but due to industrial action on that vessel and the tight timetable we were on we decided to get the earlier sailing. Upon presenting our paperwork to the clerk we were told that as we were earlier than our booked crossing we would be charged £10 to move to the earlier sailing. When it was pointed out to the clerk that we had contacted there customer service department a few days before to see if we could change our sailing due to the uncertainty of the Berlioz they informed us via email that this wouldn't be a problem.

The clerk then enquired why we wanted the earlier sailing and we explained about the industrial action earlier in the week and we were met with stern look followed by “What Industrial Action?” Well what can you say to that?

After a phone call to the duty manager the £10 charge was waived and we duly checked in. What I don't understand is why a note wasn't left on the booking system that we had contacted them, this would have not only saved time but also the rather uncomfortable questioning! Upon reaching berth 9 the Rodin was duly waiting with `ramps up'.

As “Rapide” customers we were placed at the front of the queue. A member of loading staff approached us and informed us that loading would commence at 0600.

After a quick trip to the service area and a Costa we were soon back at the car. At approximately 0600 the ramps were lowered and loading commenced. As rapide customers we were parked right at the front of the ship on the top car deck for immediate disembarkation at Calais.

It was worth noting that there were a number of cars on this sailing and also a number of coaches, most of which containing Chelsea fans returning to the continent following there 5-0 win over Racing Genk at Stamford Bridge.

Additionally the vessel was fully loaded with freight and was loading with freight right up until 0625. At approximately 0630 we slipped our moorings and departed Dover. It was worth noting that no announcements were heard from the outside decks, this included a safety announcement.

On board the Rodin a number of facilities were open, these included the self service restaurant, the shop and a bar. Even though the shop was open on this crossing it was evident that wasn't a lot of stock on the shelves, it looked more like Woolworths when they were closing down!

The Brasserie and the front of the ship remained firmly closed through out the crossing. It was also noted that none of the facilities were open upon boarding.

The Rodin appeared to be in relatively good condition on board but a number of the carpeted areas looked tired and I am afraid to say, dirty. I know it's not surprising for a ship that's been in service since 2001 but other operators tonnage of a similar age don't appear to have this issue.

Additionally I know this was an early morning crossing but there didn't appear to be many members of staff on hand. All the facilities that were open were manned but there didn't appear to be anybody else. As somebody who has worked in the customer service industry for 15 years I know the importance having people on hand to answer any questions/queries, people are less inclined to approach somebody who is already working and they are certainly not going to queue just to ask a question.

Now my major complaint of my Seafrance experience. The toilets!! They were absolutely disgusting! They appeared dirty, they absolutely stunk of, well I will leave that to your imagination and the floors were covered in water (well at least I hope it was water!!). I have been in some very rough pubs in my time and they even had toilets in far better condition than those found on the Rodin!

Another oddity I found was the use of music being played over the tannoy system throughout the crossing. Normally not to bad but who wants to listen to a CD that clearly dated from when she was built. I am sorry but I can't cope with the `Spice Girls' or the `All Saints' any time of the day, let alone at 7 in the morning!!

The crossing passed really quickly and after watching a beautiful sunrise over the Dover Straits from the outside decks we duly arrived in the Port of Calais exactly on time.

Disembarkation was quick and we were soon clear of the Port and heading into the town.

Scoring

• Food 3/5

• Cleanliness 3/5

• Crew 2/5

• Customer Experience 4/5

• Facilities 3/5

• Vessel 4/5

• Crossing Time 5/5

Total 24/35

Conclusion

From the casual observer I would say that the product offer from Seafrance is quiet good. The service on board appeared efficient and adequate plus on price they are very competitive but (and I am afraid there is a but) they need to improve there house keeping, especially in the toilets. Additionally I didn't feel as welcome as I would have done on another operators vessel.

We are all well aware of Seafrance's current situation and I hope that a satisfactory conclusion can be found for the company, not only for the staff who's lives are being effected but for the general travelling public as competition is good for us too!

Trip Two

1135 "Pride of Calais" Calais-Dover

Having been challenged by one of our forum colleagues to find an English Breakfast in Calais we duly headed for the Cite D'Europe where we did indeed find an English breakfast, well with a French twist but it was good and well deserved after the early start.

After completing breakfast we headed back to the Port of Calais to check in for our 1135 sailing back to Dover.

Unfortunately due to a navigation error by my chauffeur (I think it may have been the early start and me rabbiting on about Seafrance lol) we took a wrong turn and ended up in the freight lanes. After a minor panic we managed to find a way back out of the port.

Having found the right road this time we duly checked in with P&O Ferries. Check in was very quick and efficient and the clerk was friendly. After the usual UKBA passport checks we were soon in the lanes for berth 5.

The Pride of Calais had just arrived from Dover and the off load indicated that she was heavily laden with freight and tourist traffic. After short wait we were soon boarding the upper car deck and once again we were parked for immediate disembarkation at Dover (and we didn't even have to pay this time)

Upon boarding the Pride of Calais the first thing to note were staff at the top of the stairways to help guide people.

On board the ship really looked in great shape, her companionways glistened and all the facilities were open and manned. The shop was fully stocked (in stark contrast to the Seafrance Rodin) and the toilets (dating from 1988) were clean and smelt fresh.

After a brief tour of the facilities it was evident that the vessel is in a lot better condition than the Pride of Dover was at the end of her service. She clearly doesn't look like a vessel that is just about to be withdrawn from service. Some of the outside deck areas were cordoned off due to painting which is good to see.

After the customary Captains welcome and safety announcements we were soon under way from the berth, bang on time.

After backing out of the port of Calais we observed the inbound Spirit of Britain which had a healthy load of freight on the upper car deck. Our crossing appeared to be quiet lightly loaded.

After settling down in the forward bar and watching the White Cliffs getting bigger through the windows word reached us from a forum member (thanks Bram) that we may be heading towards a problem with our rather tight timetable.

It was apparent that TransEuropa Ferries were running significantly late (about 3.5 hours) which ordinarily wouldn't have been an issue as it was our last crossing of the day but it would have severely effected our arrival time back in the UK, we were looking at 0300 the following day and for both of us that was too long for both of us.

After a very pleasant crossing on the Pride of Calais we duly arrived back in Dover and berthed on berth 6. We were soon disembarking and going through the usual Customs checks.

Scoring

• Food 3/5

• Cleanliness 5/5

• Crew 5/5

• Customer Experience 4/5

• Facilities 5/5

• Vessel 4/5

• Crossing Time 5/5

Total 31/35

Conclusion

A very enjoyable crossing which passed by quickly. All staff seemed friendly and approachable and the quality of service was excellent. Even though not the newest ship in the fleet (far from it) it was a pleasure to travel on the Pride of Calais once more. I hope that when she is replaced that the same quality of service and friendly crew will be carried over to the Spirit of France. All in all exactly the sort of service I would expect from P&O Ferries.

Trip Three

Delayed 13:30 "Larkspur" Ramsgate-Ostend

Having been advised of TEF's late running we decided to give them a phone and see what was happening in regards to our trip. We were advised that they were running 2.5 hours late and this would impact our later crossing from Ostend.

After a bit of juggling around we decided to catch the late running lunch time sailing from Ramsgate.

This should give us enough time to get from Ostend to Dunkerque for trip four at 2200.

TEF transferred our sailing free of charge but DFDS charged us £27 for the privilege!

After a 25 min drive to Ramsgate we observed the arrival of the Larkspur. She was clearly visible from quiet some distance due to the amount of smoke coming from her twin funnels.

Having watched her arrival it was time to head to the port of Ramsgate and the only easy way of describing the port itself is dead.

It almost looked like a scene from the film 28 days later, everything abandoned, weeds growing up through the tarmac etc, it certainly wasn't a welcoming site to either the inbound or outbound traveller. LD Lines signage was also still evident on the terminal building itself even though the alliance had finished some time ago.

The terminal itself hasn't really changed from the Sally Line era and looks exactly the same as I remember it. The check in staff were very friendly and it turned out that the person who checked us in was actually the person we had spoken to on the phone earlier that day. There were only 5 cars on our sailing, mainly from Germany.

We were advised that the ship would be departing at 1500 instead of 1330 but as they had informed us this on the phone it wasn't really a problem.

We were then advised that loading would start at about 1400 and at 1345 the gates to the port were duly opened. After driving into a shed we were told that the vehicle would be searched for prohibited items. The amusing thing was the way in which this news was delivered. “We are going to search your vehicle, if that's ok with you?” What had happened if we had said No? Once the search was completed we had to sign for the search, very odd.

The search wasn't an issue as we didn't have any prohibited items (not unless you include the 2 bars of chocolate and assorted sweets we had purchased on the Pride of Calais earlier lol) but they went on to search all 5 passenger vehicles, some of them being heavily loaded.

This search regime seemed a little heavy handed for the amount of traffic on offer and would have certainly inconvenienced the fully laden vehicles behind us. I am not sure if this is down to AMSA (Aviation and Maritime Security Act) specifying that so many vehicles have to be searched per crossing or if it's down to Thanet District Council (Port Ramsgate's owners) or TEF themselves but it does seem rather unnecessary.

Boarding of the Larkspur commenced at 1430 and we were loaded on the main deck, the upper car deck not required on this crossing. It was apparent that the ship was very lightly loaded with only 5 cars and 10 lorries.

I can see why TEF advise passengers about the stairs on there vessels, ascending from the main deck to the passenger accommodation was like climbing to the peak of Everest! Upon reaching the passenger accommodation we immediately headed outside to watch our departure.

It was a beautiful afternoon with very clear skies and the Dover ferries could clearly be seen in the distance plying there trade. The engines rumbled to life and we were soon under way heading out of the buoyed channel.

She maybe an old vessel but the Larkspur appeared to be in excellent condition both internally and externally. I last travelled on her from Ramsgate to Dunkerque as the Sally Sky and some parts of the ship were easily identifiable. The rest of the ship has been given the TEF treatment of dark wood and ornate fittings but she looks great onboard.It was worth noting that on our crossing an MCA surveyor was on board conducting a routine survey.

As this was going to be a long voyage (well  by Dover-Calais standards at least) I decided to get my head down for a few hours.

We settled in the stern bar (as did all the other tourist passengers) where there are some really comfortable leather sofas surrounding a bar/serving area to Starboard and a large TV screen to Port.

As the journey began Garfield was being screened on the TV and I drifted to sleep for well over an hour. Upon waking up I decided I needed some caffeine and had a strong one to help wake me up.

As the journey progressed it was time to eat. As the main restaurant had closed about an hour after departing Ramsgate we decided to have a look at the bar menu. They were offering toasted sandwiches, omelettes, pizza's, sandwiches, French fries etc etc.

We both opted for the toasted sandwich with French fries and the thing I found interesting is that you order your food at the bar and the really nice lady phones your order through to the kitchen, she goes to the kitchen to collect it and then delivers it to you. The food was piping hot, the servings were huge and payment is not sought until after you have eaten, which I think is a nice touch.

Another nice touch onboard is the bar has an extensive DVD collection, anybody can go to the bar and ask to look at the collection and then the stewardess goes and puts it on the big screen TV so everybody can watch the film.

All in all the Larkspur has a very homely feel to her and the customer service onboard is absolutely exemplary, you really feel like your important to them.

During the closing hour of the voyage we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen at sea for a number of years. It was one of those moments that makes you feel rather humble, like your a very small cog in the whole scheme of life.

Soon enough the lights of Ostend were coming into view and we were alongside at 2015 local time. Disembarkation was quick and we were soon heading through down town Ostend for the E40/A16 to Dunkerque and trip number four. It was noted that there were just over 30 pieces of freight waiting to depart on the Larkspurs next outbound crossing.

Scoring

• Food 5/5

• Cleanliness 5/5

• Crew 5/5

• Customer Experience 5/5

• Facilities 2/5

• Vessel 3/5

• Crossing Time 1/5

Total 26/35

Conclusion

I can't for the life of me understand how this company makes any profit but it is clear what they do, they do exceptionally well. The level of customer service is second to none, its like having your own personal stewardess.

Vessel outfitting can only be described as unique, no brands, home made feel to everything but incredibly welcoming and friendly.

I would definitely travel with them again in the future for there quirkiness and truly unique style of product. I arrived in Ostend feeling absolutely relaxed and happy with my first TEF experience.

Trip Four

2200 "Delft Seaways" Dunkerque-Dover

Having only arrived in Ostend at 2015 local time we really had to get a move on to make our 2200 from Dunkerque back to Dover.

The route from Ostend to Dunkerque is quiet quick as it's all motorway and we were soon on the outskirts to Dunkerque. From here it was the rather tiresome long winded approach to Loon-Plage and the DFDS ferry terminal.

It amazes that even though there are signs saying that the port access road is opening soon that you still have to go around the houses to get to the port.

We managed to make it to check in with some time to spare, After a painless check in we were soon passing through the UKBA checkpoint where we had an interesting conversation with one of the officers. It was the usual “How long have you been in France” routine and when we explained we had only been in France for about 40 mins he seemed puzzled. We had explained how we had just arrived in Ostend and the officer asked what vessel we had been on. Having said Larkspur there was a sharp intake of breath followed by “Don't you mean Larkslow?” he then went on to tell us the history of the Gardenia and how she used to be the European Endeavour of P&O, nice to meet somebody with an interest. Thinking about it I should have given him a business card pointing him towards the website but unfortunately time was passing by and we needed to get on the Delft Seaways.

Upon entering the lanes in Dunkerque it was evident that this was going to be quiet a busy crossing with about 80 cars, 5 motor homes and a full house of freight.

Upon boarding we were directed to the upper freight deck rather than the dedicated car only deck above. We were soon entering the passenger accommodation via the stern stairwell and all the facilities were open ready for customers. As per my last crossing with DFDS all the staff that were approached during the crossing were approachable and helpful.

The facilities looked in good order and the ship was clean throughout. It was clearly evident that there had been recent painting on the outside decks. As we observed our departure from Dunkerque the news was just starting to break about Seafrance going on strike. I would have liked to have published that news but here lays a small problem for me.

When I travelled on the Dover Seaways back during the Summer there was free WIFI available onboard, however the Delft Seaways didn't have free WIFI so I couldn't post anything from the ship, not a major problem but would have been good if it was available.

The 2 hour journey flew past really quickly and we were soon berthing in Dover, again bang on time with no delays.

Scoring

• Food 3/5

• Cleanliness 5/5

• Crew 5/5

• Customer Experience 4/5

• Facilities 4/5

• Vessel 4/5

• Crossing Time 5/5

Total 30/35

Conclusion

Both the ship and crew were in fine order with no complaints from me what so ever. I know there has been comment about the increase in crossing times on this route but the journey time passed by fairly quickly.

Acknowledgments & Discussion

I would just like to take this opportunity of thanking Paul Cloke for making all the arrangements for the day. I would also like to thank the crews of all the vessels sampled on this day.

Paul & Ray