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Renaissance of Ferry Travel
Ferry Travel is going through a period of renaissance these days sparked by various things such as airport delays, flight surcharges, credit crunch and carbon footprint etc.
Ferry companies are taking advantage of these rising flying costs by capturing customers slipping through the net of the airline. Ferry operators are not just offering cheap crossings anymore but turning even a regular crossing into something more exciting with onboard cinemas, wi-fi and other entertainment.
Ferry companies have come up with ideas like cutting the schedules and slowing down the ferry service in order to save fuel rather than passing the extra costs onto the customers. So you can still find some great deals and here are some.
Stena Line
Stena Line has invested £70 million recently to refurbish the two superferries from Harwich to Hook of Holland. The lengthened and refurbished vessels have two new restaurants, two bars, a shop, a cinema, a Stena Plus lounge and onboard kennels for pets. New high-quality Dux mattresses have also been installed in every cabin to ensure that all passengers get a good night's sleep.
Another innovation, aimed at business passengers, is the Wi-Fi and mobile phone reception, which is now available for the duration of the crossing.
A new terminal was opened at the Port of Belfast at a cost of £37 million with modern cafe, check-in and facilities.
Best offer: Stena Line is offering breaks from £256 to Utrecht in Holland. One of the oldest Dutch cities, it offers pedestrian quaysides and 14th century sunken canals. Prices start from £256 for one car and two passengers out to the Hook of Holland on August 22 and returning to Harwich on August 26. For more information visit Stena Line.
DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways has a new restaurant onboard their ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Named "The Explorers Steakhouse", it offers a range of steaks and fine wines, with three-course meals for ?37.50. Restaurant sittings can be booked online in advance, and the cost of dinner included in a dining package.
There's also live music, a cinema, disco, casino and kids' club on most ships. The Jack the Pirate's Club is available to children under 12.
Best offers: Save up to 25 per cent on a Mini Cruise to Amsterdam and Stavanger from Newcastle or Harwich where prices start at £55pp, based on two people sharing. If travelling with the family, DFDS offer a two or three night mini cruise break to Norway or Holland in August for £130 per family with children going half price.
If you want to be flexible on your travels, a group of four can go from Stavanger or Bergen in Norway or Esbjerg in Denmark, giving passengers the opportunity to explore Scandinavia in your car before jumping onboard. Saving up to £68 each way, prices start from £278 and include two adults and two children travelling from Newcastle to Norway.
Two passengers can enjoy a flexible trip to Amsterdam by crossing from Newcastle to Holland for £221 per single journey for them and their car. Holidaymakers can stay as many nights as they like at the 2* hotel Gerstekorrel from just £34pp per night in a twin room. For more information visit DFDS.
SEAFRANCE
SeaFrance Dover-Calais Ferries retired its slower vessels, Manet and Renoir, at the start of the summer, and introduced its new ship, the SeaFrance Molière, in July. A £12 million refit of the ship included the creation of spacious passenger areas with two bars, two restaurants, and a large shop.
With a passenger capacity of 1,200 and a car deck capacity of 660 or 110, the Molière will more than double the volume of services currently operated by the company's other ferries. Best offers: Spend three nights for the price of two at the four-star Château Mont Royal in Chantilly. Decorated in classical French style, the hotel offers an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, mountain biking and billiards. Prices start at £160 per person this August based on a family of four including return travel from Calais to Dover.
Three nights at the three star Pol Hotel in Le Touquet costs £199 per person in August. The hotel is built in traditional Flemish style and is 300m away from Le Touquet's sandy beach. The price includes return travel from Calais to Dover.
Passengers can spend three nights at the four-star Hostellerie des 3 Mousquetaires in St Omer from £157 pp including return travel to Dover. The 19th century château has beautiful gardens and is close to the Lys valley. For more information visit SeaFrance.
P&O FERRIES
If the children are happy, the parents are happy according to P&O Ferries, who this summer have increased their onboard children's facilities. Face painting, drawing, juggling and balloon sculpting are available on its Dover to Calais service with a Pirate Pete children's club on board all of the ships in the fleet.
The company has also launched whale and dolphin watching mini cruises, led by conservationists from the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme, on its Portsmouth to Bilbao route. More than 20 species of whales and dolphins have been recorded from the ferry, and the most ever sighted in one trip is 130 whales, according to P&O.
P&O claims to be one of the top ten offshore retailers in the world, offering cosmetics, fragrances and skincare products at up to 15 per cent off the UK high street price. Looking ahead, P&O has this month signed a ?360m contract with a Finnish shipbuilder, for the two largest ferries ever to be constructed for the Dover-Calais service. The first will enter service in December 2010, and will include improved onboard facilities based on feedback from customers.
Best offers: Dover to Calais fares start from £32 each way for a car and up to nine passengers. Day trips are available from £29 return for a car and up to nine passengers. Customers booking a car-inclusive crossing from Dover to Calais will receive a free entry voucher to Disneyland Resort Paris, worth £41, valid until March 31, 2009.
Wightlink
Isle of Wight rivals, Wightlink added high-speed internet to its ships at the start of the summer, and will relaunch its website shortly.
Looking ahead, the new Wight Class fleet is part of a £57 million investment into new ships, which will enter service this autumn. They come alongside upgrades to all three Wightlink routes to the Isle of Wight, new catamarans for the Portsmouth-Ryde passenger route to be introduced in summer 2009, and extensive changes to the Portsmouth-Fishbourne car ferry service for next year, including improved customer facilities at the terminal.
Best offers: Wightlink is hoping to appeal to its passengers' environmentally-friendly side with its green getaways. The first includes an eco-friendly alternative to camping where holidaymakers can stay in a Mongolian-style yurt in the apple orchard at Afton Park.
A second option is to stay in one of the five converted barns on a farm in Niton. In May, the barns were given the Gold Award for accommodation by Green Island Tourism. In addition, Wightlink has published Footloose, a guide to visiting the Isle of Wight on foot.
The green getaway to the Mongolian-style yurt at Afton park are available in September from £54 per person (based on a family of four sharing) while a one week family holiday in August costs from £158.75 pp, sailing from Portsmouth or Lymington.
A one week self-catering Wightlink Green Getaways holiday in St Catherine's Barn costs £155.75pp (based on a family of four sharing) including return Wightlink car ferry crossings from Portsmouth or Lymington. Alternatively, a ferry-inclusive midweek short break in September would cost £70.25pp (based on four sharing). For more information visit Wightlink.
BRITTANY FERRIES
Brittany Ferries continues to offer buzzing entertainment onboard including comedy, live music and dance performances on crossings between St Malo and Portsmouth on the Bretagne. The company prides itself on its extensive wine lists and French cuisine, which includes dishes such as rack of lamb and grilled prawns, with a four-course menu costing £27. Cabins have air conditioning, TV and DVD player, and minibar.
There are childrens' entertainers on some ships and leisure arcades for teenagers. It's biggest innovation will come next year, when its new "cruise-ferry", Armorique, enters service in March 2009. Details about the £90 million ship, which will sail between Plymouth Roscoff, are thin at present but it is expected to be the company's most luxurious shop to date.
Best offers: Brittany Ferries has continued to resist adding a fuel surcharge to its passenger services, and claims to have lowered fares for the summer period. If passengers are flexible and choose to sail in the afternoon and return on a morning crossing, there are some cheaper deals on offer.
A three-night Whale and Dolphin mini cruise from Portsmouth to Bilbao is continuing throughout the summer. If travelling from 16 to 19 September, passengers can pick up a trip for £99 pp including ensuite cabin.
A two-night mini cruise for foot-passengers from Hull to Rotterdam start at £70pp and passengers can extend their stay with an extra night for £20pp. For more information visit P&O Ferries.
RED FUNNEL
Red Funnel, which has been sailing to the Isle of Wight for nearly 150 years, now provides fun goody bags for children and families that include educational activities to keep kids entertained on the crossing.
The ferry company has also extended its smart coffee shop-concept, the Steam Coffee Company to its terminals, offering freshly ground coffee and snacks, as well as displaying and selling artworks by local artists.
Best offers: Save up to £450 for a week's stay at Hill View House, which sleeps 10 people. It is available in August for £1,522 including return ferry travel for a car and passengers. Situated down a leafy lane on the west of the Island, the house offers scenic walking, cycling and the nearby Needles Park.
Save up to £532 on a stay at the Bungalows at Gurnard Pines, two or three bedroomed homes set in woodland, just a stroll from the beach and a short drive from Cowes.
Additionally, Red Funnel has launched a programme of day outs on the island for the summer, with a selection of sixteen attractions to choose from. Tickets for the attractions can be bought alongside ferry travel via their website so that families can save up to £5 when buying online. For more information visit Red Funnel.
Among its package offerings is a self-catering holiday for £607, a discount of 25 per cent. The break includes a stay in a cottage that sleeps four at Plouer sur Rance in Brittany. The price includes a ferry crossing for two people with a car and extra occupants travelling free. Alternatively, a chalet camping trip at Camping la Bruyere, Villerville, costs £667 for a return trip for a family of four with a car for five nights at the end of August. Guests would be staying at a 400-pitch site set on 20 hectares of land that has two swimming pools, a fishing lake, an outdoor area with waterslides and a large heated indoor pool. For more information visit Brittany Ferries.
IRISH FERRIES
Irish Ferries is offering text alerts to warn its passengers about upcoming delays and has launched a frequent passenger scheme for regular customers, which offers access to reduced fares. Passengers can upgrade to Club Class for an extra £14 to get priority boarding, free newspapers, a lounge, refreshments and a laptop power outlet.
The operator also offers kids' activities on some weekend sailings including face painting, clowns and discos.
Best offers: Irish Ferries have an offer of £99 each way for a car to travel to Ireland this summer via Holyhead or Pembroke.
They are also promoting a week's self-catering holiday at the four-star Lakeside Holidays Homes on the shores of Lough Derg, Co Claire. A family of two adults and up to four children can travel and stay for a total of £797 (saving £142). This applies until August 23 and includes the return cruise ferry crossing for car and passengers from Holyhead to Dublin or Pembroke to Rosslare. For more information visit Irish Ferries.
Ferry companies are taking advantage of these rising flying costs by capturing customers slipping through the net of the airline. Ferry operators are not just offering cheap crossings anymore but turning even a regular crossing into something more exciting with onboard cinemas, wi-fi and other entertainment.
Ferry companies have come up with ideas like cutting the schedules and slowing down the ferry service in order to save fuel rather than passing the extra costs onto the customers. So you can still find some great deals and here are some.
Stena Line
Stena Line has invested £70 million recently to refurbish the two superferries from Harwich to Hook of Holland. The lengthened and refurbished vessels have two new restaurants, two bars, a shop, a cinema, a Stena Plus lounge and onboard kennels for pets. New high-quality Dux mattresses have also been installed in every cabin to ensure that all passengers get a good night's sleep.
Another innovation, aimed at business passengers, is the Wi-Fi and mobile phone reception, which is now available for the duration of the crossing.
A new terminal was opened at the Port of Belfast at a cost of £37 million with modern cafe, check-in and facilities.
Best offer: Stena Line is offering breaks from £256 to Utrecht in Holland. One of the oldest Dutch cities, it offers pedestrian quaysides and 14th century sunken canals. Prices start from £256 for one car and two passengers out to the Hook of Holland on August 22 and returning to Harwich on August 26. For more information visit Stena Line.
DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways has a new restaurant onboard their ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Named "The Explorers Steakhouse", it offers a range of steaks and fine wines, with three-course meals for ?37.50. Restaurant sittings can be booked online in advance, and the cost of dinner included in a dining package.
There's also live music, a cinema, disco, casino and kids' club on most ships. The Jack the Pirate's Club is available to children under 12.
Best offers: Save up to 25 per cent on a Mini Cruise to Amsterdam and Stavanger from Newcastle or Harwich where prices start at £55pp, based on two people sharing. If travelling with the family, DFDS offer a two or three night mini cruise break to Norway or Holland in August for £130 per family with children going half price.
If you want to be flexible on your travels, a group of four can go from Stavanger or Bergen in Norway or Esbjerg in Denmark, giving passengers the opportunity to explore Scandinavia in your car before jumping onboard. Saving up to £68 each way, prices start from £278 and include two adults and two children travelling from Newcastle to Norway.
Two passengers can enjoy a flexible trip to Amsterdam by crossing from Newcastle to Holland for £221 per single journey for them and their car. Holidaymakers can stay as many nights as they like at the 2* hotel Gerstekorrel from just £34pp per night in a twin room. For more information visit DFDS.
SEAFRANCE
SeaFrance Dover-Calais Ferries retired its slower vessels, Manet and Renoir, at the start of the summer, and introduced its new ship, the SeaFrance Molière, in July. A £12 million refit of the ship included the creation of spacious passenger areas with two bars, two restaurants, and a large shop.
With a passenger capacity of 1,200 and a car deck capacity of 660 or 110, the Molière will more than double the volume of services currently operated by the company's other ferries. Best offers: Spend three nights for the price of two at the four-star Château Mont Royal in Chantilly. Decorated in classical French style, the hotel offers an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, mountain biking and billiards. Prices start at £160 per person this August based on a family of four including return travel from Calais to Dover.
Three nights at the three star Pol Hotel in Le Touquet costs £199 per person in August. The hotel is built in traditional Flemish style and is 300m away from Le Touquet's sandy beach. The price includes return travel from Calais to Dover.
Passengers can spend three nights at the four-star Hostellerie des 3 Mousquetaires in St Omer from £157 pp including return travel to Dover. The 19th century château has beautiful gardens and is close to the Lys valley. For more information visit SeaFrance.
P&O FERRIES
If the children are happy, the parents are happy according to P&O Ferries, who this summer have increased their onboard children's facilities. Face painting, drawing, juggling and balloon sculpting are available on its Dover to Calais service with a Pirate Pete children's club on board all of the ships in the fleet.
The company has also launched whale and dolphin watching mini cruises, led by conservationists from the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme, on its Portsmouth to Bilbao route. More than 20 species of whales and dolphins have been recorded from the ferry, and the most ever sighted in one trip is 130 whales, according to P&O.
P&O claims to be one of the top ten offshore retailers in the world, offering cosmetics, fragrances and skincare products at up to 15 per cent off the UK high street price. Looking ahead, P&O has this month signed a ?360m contract with a Finnish shipbuilder, for the two largest ferries ever to be constructed for the Dover-Calais service. The first will enter service in December 2010, and will include improved onboard facilities based on feedback from customers.
Best offers: Dover to Calais fares start from £32 each way for a car and up to nine passengers. Day trips are available from £29 return for a car and up to nine passengers. Customers booking a car-inclusive crossing from Dover to Calais will receive a free entry voucher to Disneyland Resort Paris, worth £41, valid until March 31, 2009.
Wightlink
Isle of Wight rivals, Wightlink added high-speed internet to its ships at the start of the summer, and will relaunch its website shortly.
Looking ahead, the new Wight Class fleet is part of a £57 million investment into new ships, which will enter service this autumn. They come alongside upgrades to all three Wightlink routes to the Isle of Wight, new catamarans for the Portsmouth-Ryde passenger route to be introduced in summer 2009, and extensive changes to the Portsmouth-Fishbourne car ferry service for next year, including improved customer facilities at the terminal.
Best offers: Wightlink is hoping to appeal to its passengers' environmentally-friendly side with its green getaways. The first includes an eco-friendly alternative to camping where holidaymakers can stay in a Mongolian-style yurt in the apple orchard at Afton Park.
A second option is to stay in one of the five converted barns on a farm in Niton. In May, the barns were given the Gold Award for accommodation by Green Island Tourism. In addition, Wightlink has published Footloose, a guide to visiting the Isle of Wight on foot.
The green getaway to the Mongolian-style yurt at Afton park are available in September from £54 per person (based on a family of four sharing) while a one week family holiday in August costs from £158.75 pp, sailing from Portsmouth or Lymington.
A one week self-catering Wightlink Green Getaways holiday in St Catherine's Barn costs £155.75pp (based on a family of four sharing) including return Wightlink car ferry crossings from Portsmouth or Lymington. Alternatively, a ferry-inclusive midweek short break in September would cost £70.25pp (based on four sharing). For more information visit Wightlink.
BRITTANY FERRIES
Brittany Ferries continues to offer buzzing entertainment onboard including comedy, live music and dance performances on crossings between St Malo and Portsmouth on the Bretagne. The company prides itself on its extensive wine lists and French cuisine, which includes dishes such as rack of lamb and grilled prawns, with a four-course menu costing £27. Cabins have air conditioning, TV and DVD player, and minibar.
There are childrens' entertainers on some ships and leisure arcades for teenagers. It's biggest innovation will come next year, when its new "cruise-ferry", Armorique, enters service in March 2009. Details about the £90 million ship, which will sail between Plymouth Roscoff, are thin at present but it is expected to be the company's most luxurious shop to date.
Best offers: Brittany Ferries has continued to resist adding a fuel surcharge to its passenger services, and claims to have lowered fares for the summer period. If passengers are flexible and choose to sail in the afternoon and return on a morning crossing, there are some cheaper deals on offer.
A three-night Whale and Dolphin mini cruise from Portsmouth to Bilbao is continuing throughout the summer. If travelling from 16 to 19 September, passengers can pick up a trip for £99 pp including ensuite cabin.
A two-night mini cruise for foot-passengers from Hull to Rotterdam start at £70pp and passengers can extend their stay with an extra night for £20pp. For more information visit P&O Ferries.
RED FUNNEL
Red Funnel, which has been sailing to the Isle of Wight for nearly 150 years, now provides fun goody bags for children and families that include educational activities to keep kids entertained on the crossing.
The ferry company has also extended its smart coffee shop-concept, the Steam Coffee Company to its terminals, offering freshly ground coffee and snacks, as well as displaying and selling artworks by local artists.
Best offers: Save up to £450 for a week's stay at Hill View House, which sleeps 10 people. It is available in August for £1,522 including return ferry travel for a car and passengers. Situated down a leafy lane on the west of the Island, the house offers scenic walking, cycling and the nearby Needles Park.
Save up to £532 on a stay at the Bungalows at Gurnard Pines, two or three bedroomed homes set in woodland, just a stroll from the beach and a short drive from Cowes.
Additionally, Red Funnel has launched a programme of day outs on the island for the summer, with a selection of sixteen attractions to choose from. Tickets for the attractions can be bought alongside ferry travel via their website so that families can save up to £5 when buying online. For more information visit Red Funnel.
Among its package offerings is a self-catering holiday for £607, a discount of 25 per cent. The break includes a stay in a cottage that sleeps four at Plouer sur Rance in Brittany. The price includes a ferry crossing for two people with a car and extra occupants travelling free. Alternatively, a chalet camping trip at Camping la Bruyere, Villerville, costs £667 for a return trip for a family of four with a car for five nights at the end of August. Guests would be staying at a 400-pitch site set on 20 hectares of land that has two swimming pools, a fishing lake, an outdoor area with waterslides and a large heated indoor pool. For more information visit Brittany Ferries.
IRISH FERRIES
Irish Ferries is offering text alerts to warn its passengers about upcoming delays and has launched a frequent passenger scheme for regular customers, which offers access to reduced fares. Passengers can upgrade to Club Class for an extra £14 to get priority boarding, free newspapers, a lounge, refreshments and a laptop power outlet.
The operator also offers kids' activities on some weekend sailings including face painting, clowns and discos.
Best offers: Irish Ferries have an offer of £99 each way for a car to travel to Ireland this summer via Holyhead or Pembroke.
They are also promoting a week's self-catering holiday at the four-star Lakeside Holidays Homes on the shores of Lough Derg, Co Claire. A family of two adults and up to four children can travel and stay for a total of £797 (saving £142). This applies until August 23 and includes the return cruise ferry crossing for car and passengers from Holyhead to Dublin or Pembroke to Rosslare. For more information visit Irish Ferries.
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