Car Ferries

[SL]

 It was announced yesterday that LD Lines will no longer be operating a cross channel service from Dover  from 5 September. Apparently it was not cost effective.

 I am not sure how this affects the service Newhaven to Dieppe also operated by LD Lines. Hopefully this will continue.

 It seems that due to the recent slump in "booze cruisers" the ferry operators are finding the going tough at the moment.

 Si
 

[Nordic]

The Dover to Boulogne route always seem to be a tricky sell. I dont think it will affect Newhaven route in the short term.

[Lorry]

I saw that too.  Shame, but Speedferries couldn't make it pay either.  Seacats use 3 times the amount of fuel, and as Boulogne is further than Calais, it was always going to be tough

Didn't Boulogne port build them a new terminal too?

I expect someone will have another go, but the booze cruises are a thing of the past until the Euro sinks

[nopanic - neil]

I thought LD helped sink Speedferries, so they could get Boulogne?

[mgmark]

Used it a couple of times, but the "vomit comet" was not to everyone's taste, and the nett saving in time was pretty neutral for Le Mans goers, and the sailing times were relatively infrequent, compared to the normal cattle boats in/out of Calais.  Plus, for any inclined towards retail therapy, the distance from the glittering mall of Cite Europe is greater....

Shame indeed, though as it just takes away another element to compete with P&O/Sea France and the tunnel for that area, for those of us for whom Dover is the most convenient port of embarkation.

MG Mark 

[gt6]

LD Lines certainly did not help themselves, the old speedferries were always cheaper than the competition but had reliability problems, we always suffered delays/cancellations and LD Lines were not much better. For the lat two years we have used the tunnel, the prices seem to have come down and the service so much quicker. If there are anymore reductions in cross channel services it could have serious effects on Le mans travel, both in prices and capacity, The week before le mans is usually quite well booked up and with less operators and fewer boats for those that remain I suggest booking early is a good idea.

[Andy Zarse]

In '09 we used LD Lines from Dover to Dieppe. It left about 06.30, took four hours anyway and was a right royal PITA. Fortunately, due to traffic, we missed the return leg and nipped onto the Le Havre-Pompey with LD for the cost of £70. Unfortunately in my addled state I neglected to include myself on the passenger manifest and had to be smuggled aboard hidden under duvets in the back of the car for half an hour in the searing heat. I suppose I was officially a stowaway!

[Brad Zarse]

which reminds me - we need to start talking about booking ferries and stuff.......

[geoffd]

I thought LD helped sink Speedferries, so they could get Boulogne?

Nope, not true,  Speedferries managed it all on their own,  not making any money and not paying Boulogne their port dues and ending up getting their ship impounded!

The reality is that Speedferries tried to massively undercut the other operators on the short sea crossing, and found out why the other operators were charging the prices they were!

[Lorry]

Their pricing almost worked for a time, but then the price of fuel went up, then the Euro went up and then people stopped spending - the boozecruise and short break were over.  And there's more money in freight

Speedone is now running between the Channel Islands and St Malo, under the name Condor Rapide, but it still won't take freight, or caravans

[geoffd]

Trouble is, "almost working" isn't quite good enough.

It's like having enough fuel for 9.5 laps.....  In an Audi....

[Robbo SPS]

The LD serice via Dieppe is also run for Trnasmanche, which is run bythe local french government ( at the moment ) so it will need to stay. I believe LD signed a 5 year deal to run the  subsidised service for the french.

P&O are just about to bring on a new ferry - http://www.onenewera.co.uk/ is the micro site, but basicaly, its huge - The Spirit of Britain.  I wouldnt worry about space if you book early. Freight company's usually only get 2 weeks before to book.

[geoffd]

The LD serice via Dieppe is also run for Trnasmanche, which is run bythe local french government ( at the moment ) so it will need to stay. I believe LD signed a 5 year deal to run the  subsidised service for the french.

P&O are just about to bring on a new ferry - http://www.onenewera.co.uk/ is the micro site, but basicaly, its huge - The Spirit of Britain.  I wouldnt worry about space if you book early. Freight company's usually only get 2 weeks before to book.

Transmanche was taken over by LD Lines as it's against some EU law for a local government to run a business thats in competition with real ones!

Actually freight companies only book a few days or even hours, as their demand is never known much ahead of that!

[Robbo SPS]

Thanks for putting me straight geoff. When i worked for P&O it was a 2 week window unless you had a block booking like the major freight forwarders and shipping agents have . I read the Ld stuff on Wikipedia the other day, so was spreading the news. I know Wiki can be wrong at times.

[geoffd]

I know Wiki can be wrong at times.

Well, wiki is just a load of peoples personal take on things.  I'm sure if you put an article on the Dodo in there saying that there was a Zoo in Brazil that had three everyone would be over there like a shot!!!