Club Arnage
Club Arnage => General Discussion => Topic started by: Andy Zarse on June 30, 2003, 01:20:23 pm
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If you are like me, you will be pretty fed up with the outrageous costs of crossing the channel, especially on the more westerly routes. We paid £280 this year with Brittany Ferries for day time sailings. Add an overnight crossing and the price goes up by another £100 each way. This is scandalous in my book.
Can I suggest you visit the channel pirates website, which is run by the respected Sunday Times journalist Jonathon Miller. He is going to petition the competition commission of the EU. You may wish to sign the petition, certainly, it can't do any harm. Incidentally, Miller is also taking on the BBC about the TV licence fee and the Beeb seem well rattled.
Click here: http://www.channelpirates.com/
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Thanks for posting this info Andy.
Like you I am pretty fed up with the way Brittany crossing prices rocket around the LM weekend and I'm sure all the other operators do the same. I know it's all a matter of supply and demand and if I were in the ferry business I too would see what I could get away with, but it is getting ridiculous.
Just off now to sign the petition........
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I'm signed!
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Excellent move Andy. I've just signed the petition. Let's hope it has some effect. ::)
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I hold out hope that it will have some impact, but if grinding the country to a halt by blocking access to fuel depots had no use.....
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I am taking a push bike only on a thursday night crossing in August and am returning on a Sunday night with the bike again. We have booked a two berth cabin both ways and the cost is a whopping
:o 558GBP!!!!!!!! :o
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:o :o :o :o :o
What ferry are you going on........................the QE2 to New York????
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Should have said, It is the Portsmouth Caen that we all enjoy using in June.
In June this year we paid 458GBP for a 5 meter motorhome with 4 people and reclining seats on the way out. But that trip money is no object! ;D
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Signed although I don't need the channel pirates. I rather swim... ;D. No, just kidding... between France and Germany there's no water.
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Hey there jpchenet. that comment at the bottom of your posting, about the man in the woods.......................... Only a married man knows the answer to that, and it is always YES ....I know from years of experience! :-\
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rcutler, where are you going to?? Surely you could find a local airport and fly out for less than that??
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Holy cow on a bike, Rick! You cannot be serious!
I just could not bring myself to pay that sort of money to go ninety miles and a few hours kip in their floating coffin of a cabin.
No wonder in another thread you say you're skint!!!
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We did a group booking this year for 14.........even though only 10 eventually went on the trip.
we travelled pompey to st.malo on the wadnesday and returned on monday pm.caen to pompey it cost £338 for car and 4 including berth on the outward journey.
This week i did the same exercise for july and found it to be £595 for the same journey with only ! vehicle ...... definate rip off >:(
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The reason I have to go Ports-Caen is the 250 other racing cyclists are on this boat and it is the best port to arrive at, to ride to the outskirts of Paris.
Biggest problem is 99.9% of forms of public transport dislike bikes, so you can either ride or go by car. As the car is a motorhome they also like to sting you for the fact that it has a bit of LPG etc onboard.
Any way where I am I going to find the money for next years LM?
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Can you not take the motor home, with 8 people on board and the bikes on the back/roof. I'd guess at about £1200 return?? Then that's only £150 each??
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I've signed the petition :D but never been there ::)
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dont know what you are moaning about. its £250 going down to dover. Every ferry for 1 week is full to the brim. I think it helps keep the routes open. wind your neck in!
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8)
i have been going years and the prices have COME DOWN . & of us in a mini bus with cabins each way came to £385. that was booked early to Le Havre .
It aint that bad really , unless you book really late and are taking a bus!!
robbo , Self Preservation Society .
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dont know what you are moaning about. its £250 going down to dover. Every ferry for 1 week is full to the brim. I think it helps keep the routes open. wind your neck in!
Not moaning, just trying to do something about the ferry companies taking the piss every june and bumping up the prices. Yes there are deals to be had, but boy do you have to work hard to find them.
And why on earth would I want to go to dover when i live 45 mins away from Portsmouth? Its the wrong bloody direction anyway.
Finally, if you consider £250 is good value for an hour and twenty minutes each way on their stincking tub, then I reckon you've got more f**k*ng money than sense old son.
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That's fighting talk, where I come from..... (moved now, of course)
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I'm signed - but I don't think it'll do much good. One of the reasons prices get so high is the EC allowed P&O and Stena to join forces on several cross channel routes. They also banned duty free, which the operators made a lot of their profits out of. Can't see them admitting its all their fault, can you?
btw - P&O were sneaky this year - I tried to order motorbike tickets on the Le Havre route in March and I was quoted £540 per ticket. I ended up paying £100 in June. So much for booking early.
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I know they sail from Dover to Dunkeque (the wrong direction) but Norfolk Line seem to be continually able to beat any prices offered by the other rip off merchants.
Anyone know how SeaFrances' fares compare to P&O / Stena?
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I know they sail from Dover to Dunkeque (the wrong direction) but Norfolk Line seem to be continually able to beat any prices offered by the other rip off merchants.
Anyone know how SeaFrances' fares compare to P&O / Stena?
Have a look again at the channel pirates website on http://www.channelpirates.com/ They have just put up a Price Comparision on the left hand menu, it's at the bottom.
Interesting to see what other Europeans pay for their ferries. I accept that some of these may be Govt subsidised, but even so... One can only assume that we are having the piss taken out of us.
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The price comparison is scary - I was trying to think of reasons why it might cost more per km for short hourneys, but even shorter trips abroad are considerably less per km.
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The ferry pirates website doesn't mention Norfolk Line. I've just done a random test booking on their site and they're offering a 5 day return offer with car for £149 down from the standard fare of £219.
I know this is to Dunkerque but I wonder what their price will be come race week next year compared to the usual Dover / Calais sailings.
Maybe I'll have to marinise the cob! , or buy an amphicar :)
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I TRAVEL BY MOTORCYCLE, THE PRICES ARE NEARLY THAT OF A CAR. WHY?
I WAS DISMAYED THE WEDS MORNING SAILING PORTSMOUTH TO CAEN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE ST MALO PRICE WAS EXTORTIONATE.
WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY £50 MORE ON LE MANS WEEK FOR THE SAME SAILINGS FOR A SMALL VEHICLE?
SO I WENT TO P&O WHO DID THE SAME, PUT THE PRICES UP A DAY AFTER I WENT TO BOOK, I DIDNT HAVE MY WALLET AND GAVE ME A BOOKING REF FOR THE PRICE OF £123 PORTS TO CHER. NEXT DAY £158 ON THE PHONE OR £302 ON THE NET, SO I DID A VICTOR MELDREW AND GOT IT FOR £119. THE WEEKS EITHER SIDE OF LM IS £85. FOR A BIKE WHAT A RIP OFF.
WHEN I FIRST WENT TO LM IN JAG90 IT WAS £56. I MIGHT LOOK AT THE OPTION OF BUYING THAT SUBMARINE AND CHARTERING THE TOUR UP THE LE SARTHE RIVER TO LM AND PRE BOOKING A MINI BUS IN LM.
ANY TAKERS. MOAN MOAN MOAN.
IF A FERRY COMES UP FOR SAIL, I AM UP FOR THE MEGA MORTGAGE TO BUY IT.
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Andy...stop shouting...
And this ferry...where would you park it for the other 51 weeks?
btw if I owned a ferry company and had a bunch of captive customers 1 week per year guess what - I'd bang the prices up too! Isn't the phrase supply and demand? I suppose CA could ask them to "not profiteer" but somehow I don't think it would work.
Uh-oh - I guess someone will be asking if CA can charter a ferry next...
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Yep ferry prices go up just when you whant to use them, bit like holiday companies in the school holidays. Got two kids carnt do anything about but moan. Worked out that it cost the three of us £ 250 for 6 days all, I meen, all in. Now that I think is a good deal
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On the news on friday was a report on the EU are looking into ferry prices.
It's the power of the Commer, Zarse puts up a complaint and the EU look into it.
Quick put one up about camping, see what they do.
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;)
Oy you lot are flipping barmy , nuts , you gone crazy paving .
There areways around the problems of silly prices and unless your are a member of the t.w.a.t.s you dont want to drive to Dover , coz its a hole full of illegal scum and vilerny
Call P&O ( i only use this lot as Britttany are tosers about giving dosh back )
Book a trip for the runner and riders in late november with hopefully the right details.
DONT PAY NOW , TELL THEM YOU WILL SEND A CHEQUE IN THE POST
Then 9 weeks before going ( about start of April , as tickets must be paid for 8 weeks before and they will cancel your space ) and amend your ticket in some way , i usually remove a person or get a day cabin on the return , as the prices for these chouldnt change . and .....
Hey presto , money saved .
i have saved £125 on a motorbike booking 2 years ago and £230 last year by adding 3 people and a cabin to the booking . !!!
IRONIC but try it. ;D
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Another absolute fecking outrage!!
Just phoned P&O and been quoted £556 for a 24 hour crossing to Cherbourg to take Mrs Z and the Subaru on a what is called a "cabaret minicruise", going tonight returning 18.00 tomorrow.
Mind you I got it at £100.50 return on the web including a Club Class Suite. I had to feck arse around a bit tho, even on the web they wanted £330 originally. I think I finally confused the P&O computer!
Still my luck could be in tonight, tho will be careful not to make babies as do not want to screw up for Le Mans next year. Should I down a couple tonight in the Rudmore Cellars for old times sake?
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If you see this guy at Le Mans or on the Wednesday night ferry to Le havre or Monday lunchtime return - HIT HIM , HE IS LE MANS SPS . Not too badlt thought as he is my overtaking general ( and he is short sighted )
No chance! He looks a bit f**k*n handy to me!
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It looks like he's having trouble holding the back of his head on ???
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It looks like he's having trouble holding the back of his head on ???
Something to do with his bloody love for big camera's and photography , either that or his neck still hurts from the previous years motorcycle jaunt........
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Spooky :o
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Sobig F..., that's the little bleeder alright.
I've had my todger in every orifice (including the CD drive, which was rather nice) on the PC, but they're still coming at me.
Maybe I should think radical....
BRING ME THE PHILIPS!!....
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tripped onto the wrong thread there BigH
more info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3169573.stm
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:'(ok thanks robbo sps for the mug shot. i will be shot if seen now.not that i'll be working le mans week, i'll be there!!
ok a little inside knowledge cost wise;
130 crew. the captains not exactly scratching minimum wage!
50 shore side staff.
fuel. 2 types. one for out at sea and a damn expensive one for inland. less pollutant elegedly.
ship lease. nice ships dont come cheap and p+o dont own any of the ships out of pompey.
port tax. family of 4 with a car about £10 each way.
insurance
freight handling services
berthing charges-£1000 a go
bunkering_£1500 a go (poo removal)
p+o havn't made a profit out of pompey since 1992.
they used to make most of their money from duty free sales. now gone and most people buy their goods in mr eastenders stores ect,
traffic through pompey is falling which wont help next years prices either 15% down on last year.
the web site will not do anything as nobody is doing anything wrong. there is no cartel. the chunnel charges the same and they dont have the over heads. the companies have to compete with them some how.
hope this helps at all and eases the burden of emptying your banks once a year. in years to come you may HAVE to go to dover. may be ???
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:'(ok thanks robbo sps for the mug shot. i will be shot if seen now.not that i'll be working le mans week, i'll be there!!
ok a little inside knowledge cost wise;
130 crew. the captains not exactly scratching minimum wage!
50 shore side staff.
fuel. 2 types. one for out at sea and a damn expensive one for inland. less pollutant elegedly.
ship lease. nice ships dont come cheap and p+o dont own any of the ships out of pompey.
port tax. family of 4 with a car about £10 each way.
YOU FECKING SPOTTER _ GO OUT AND GET TROLLEYED
insurance
freight handling services
berthing charges-£1000 a go
bunkering_£1500 a go (poo removal)
p+o havn't made a profit out of pompey since 1992.
they used to make most of their money from duty free sales. now gone and most people buy their goods in mr eastenders stores ect,
traffic through pompey is falling which wont help next years prices either 15% down on last year.
the web site will not do anything as nobody is doing anything wrong. there is no cartel. the chunnel charges the same and they dont have the over heads. the companies have to compete with them some how.
hope this helps at all and eases the burden of emptying your banks once a year. in years to come you may HAVE to go to dover. may be ???
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At the risk of getting back to the topic...
As an experiment I just check the Brittany-Ferries site for prices for my usual for next year - our Tues last ferry, back the following Mon on the first ferry2 people and recliners in a normal sized motor £288 - about £5 more than last year I think
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Day Dreame , thats not too bad really .
I reckon that if you write to P&O , and request a better price than Britany Ferries , they will do it . Iused to work for them years ago , and they would always try to beat a price , just to get the business.
Robbo ?? :-\
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Ta Bobbet will give it a go ;D
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Ta Bobbet will give it a go ;D
And so i cant spell ::)
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My speeling is shet two
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Barsteward
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Kinnell!!
Work might be taking me to Italy/Greece so I've been doing a bit of Ferry research. (Driving through Belgrade and then Bulgaria somehow doesn't appeal...)
Anyway, a 12 hour crossing from Italy to Greece in a LWB 4X4 packed to the gunnels, will set me back the princely sum of 22 Euros.
Jesus-sh*t-creeping Christ!! Now tell me we're not being ripped off in good ole Britain.
H
At that price, I'd even put up with sputum on my forearms.
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Hi H,
Can we not move are June 24 hr this year to Athens , then you can have the camp all all set up for Saveloy and uncle Albert!! we will pitch next door as usual
Ian
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What kind of "work" is it that takes you by 4x4 to Greece and Italy?
It's a tough job, this people trafficing lark!
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I reckon H is a spook for HMG
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Not far off the mark from what I know!!
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did you know the 'Herald of free enterprise' sails that route these days. it's where all the unwanted or 'too old and knacked for these seas' ships end up. nice thought for your 22 yoyos
