Great video- thanks. It mirrors in most respects our 3 journeys into Europe last year. Irish Ferries, check in at Calais took 2 hours due to only one booth and they hand write the lane hanger for each vehicle. The food in the restaurant was great. Loading took ages and the boat vibrated horribly all the way to Dover. Never again. DFDS to Dunkirk (even in gale force winds) was great apart from the Fish & chips was like your Mum’s! DFDS to Calais and back was great. We used to use P&O spirit class ships but refuse since what they did to the crew. It’s a real shame they used to be lovely but your video shows how bad they’ve become. I wonder what will happen when their new ships arrive this year!
Thanks for that Ian - I'm sure it'll help other people looking to book to see that what I experienced were not isolated incidents. It will indeed be interesting to see what P&O's new Ugly Ships will be like on board, but after seeing the demise of the Spirit Class I don't have very high hopes. Thanks for watching.
I don't know what P&O UK did to their crew, being from outside the UK myself, but this is very interesting when you consider their cruise lines, P&O UK that is, not to be confused with P&O Australia, are considered a more premium line.
@@arokh72 P&O Ferries are a completely different company to P&O cruises. The ferry company is owned by another company called DP world. They basically brought all vessels back to port, sent security guards (with handcuffs) on board. And at the same time told the staff they no longer had a job. The guards job being to use force to remove anyone that wouldn’t leave peacefully. Several months later the ships left port with crew from other countries.
@@ianowen5098 bloody hell, explains the hate. Such disgusting behaviour. I thought UK law protected against such acts, not that I know anything about UK law, just assumed they had decent worker protections.
@@arokh72 british law does protect workers from this , However P@O have admitted that they broke the law and the govt has allowed them to get away with it !!
As an ex lorry driver one of the best tips I was ever given "Don't rush to the restaurant lad let everyone else eat the last sailings leftovers and turn up in time for the fresh servings"😁😁
Another reason i swapped to DFDS, I'm local and had many local friends who depended on work either at the Dungemess nuclear power station or cross channel ferries.
Stena was always the best option between here and Scotland, but after what they done anytime I am crossing it will never be from Larne. My boss has the same thoughts too, our trucks no longer use their services.
I've travelled with P&O years ago. didn't experience much but from what I remember, it was okay. But recently took the DFDS Newcastle to Amsterdam and the staff were simply amazing. Always happy and helpful. Very organised too. Seeing these and taking into account past experience, DFDS will be my future choice
Thank you for this informed comparison. Predictably, P&O' s cheap skate, callous attitude to their staff also finds an echo in their customer provision. Never travel P&O on practicality and principle. Many thanks for the time you spent making this video!
I started watching your videos because my hubby and I are planning to visit Outer Hebrides in the summer. But now I subscribed and I am watching all your videos even though I don't own a caravan or campervan, just because I love the way you speak, not too fast, not too slow, your accent is music to my ears and I am trying to improve my English being so easy to understand what you say. Thanks for your videos Andrew, please don't stop, a big hug from Italy, 'bye!
Great video! Used to travel with Sea France who were great. Fantastic food! Went with p&o for awhile which was cheap & ok. Stopped using them after what they did to the staff. Really been impressed with DFDS, especially with the crew who always seem polite & helpful. Calais book in is not easy. First time we went through the new area there was hardly any signage & the old signs had not been removed.
Nice comparison. For several years now I have stuck with DFDS (or Brittany Ferries for longer crossings). I think the UK/French flag matters and I like to support our local seafarers getting paid a proper wage. I also like the extra time you get on a Dunkirk crossing to eat, digest and relax before driving off. Always seems a rush on a Calais crossing to get to eat and have enough time to look out of the window before being called to rejoin car deck. I also was very impressed a few weeks back by the stabilisers on a very windy day, making the Dunkirk - Dover crossing a smooth experience despite white horses and a few bangs outside! Not sure my unfriendly Collie would appreciate the pet lounge and isn't it a bit smelly with all those dogs? She's fine in her crate in the car.. Of course the pet friendly cabins on Brittany Ferries are the best for longer crossings. So well done DFDS for winning your vote and consistently winning mine. Oh and their twitter feeds are very responsive and informative too.
Very proud that the Isle of Innishmore is still going strong, was one of the people who worked for the yard as a sub contractor. In 97 she was state of the art
Hi Andrew, thanks for this helpful information! We took two time the Amsterdam-Newcastle DFDS ferries return. First time to go to Scotland but second time to travel all of England down to Cornwall and back. The over night trip is very pleasant. And travelling to Calais or Dunkirchen from Germany is longer then to Amsterdam what most people dont realise (and no road toll). A real altenative to the channel. Thanks again, Johannes.
During the pandemic DFDS allowed me to move a booking FOUR times without penalty, simply superb. Contrast this with a Eurotunnel booking that they allowed 1 move and then it expired 6 months later, so i won't go near them ever again. DFDS have always had a consistent high quality of customer service, in my experience. When P&O sacked all it's staff i removed them from my comparison list, i'd rather pay more somewhere else than use them at all. DFDS get my money every time now.
This is a most timely report as I was looking at French ferries and Euro tunnel prices last night. The Euro Tunnel has a greater frequency and was of similar price to the ferry. We don’t have pets, but If I did I’d rather have my pet with me rather than locking it in a car on a car deck. Great video Andrew.👍
Nailed it, appreciate the time and effort you have put into making this video, i do hope DFDS contacts you and says Thank You for an honest assessment.
Glad you found it useful! I think DFDS might be cringing about its Dunkerque ferry Premium Lounge and Prue & Trude in the shop, but if this inspires them to add a Pet Lounge and invite me along for the launch, that would indeed be great! Thanks for watching.
First of all, I'd like to congratulate you and express my appreciation for all the hard work, time and money you put into the production of this video. It will prove extremely useful and beneficial to people intending to travel by ferry and if they are wise, the ferry companies themselves. As for the ferries themselves, I still wouldn't choose P&O for the way that they treated their employees and looking at what they offer, it clearly seems that they have shot themselves in the foot. My own overall conclusion is that not spending on lounges, on board food and being prepared to grin and bear the crossing is probably the best way. The Chunnel may not be luxurious and the point of entry limited to Folkestone/Calais, but I still think they are the better option.
Thank you for this excellent review of the Channel ferry crossings, I with my friends up until Covid used to be very regular users of P&O, could never fault them. When they sacked all their English staff I said I would never use them again, your video has now made my mind up for definite & I can not understand why anybody still uses them. Want to go to France in the Spring & Eurotunnel is £31 dearer than DFDS, so for the convenience it looks like it will be the train.
Thanks Pete. Yes, you can't argue with the convenience of Eurotunnel. However, to go with DFDS does add a 'break' element to the journey, although this is less of an issue if you can enjoy the comforts of your OWN Club Class Lounge (i.e. the motorhome) when on the train! Happy Travels.
Excellent video and a timely reminder by lots of commenters to NEVER EVER use P&O Ferries to show your disgust at the way they sacked their UK workers and replaced them with cheaper foreign workers.
As a regular traveller on the Dover- Calais crossing I was a regular traveller with P&O ferries. I used to buy block bookings (6crossings) with P&O which were very good value and enabled the flexibility of changing a booking or catching an earlier ferry with the frequent sailings. This is very useful if you have a very long drive to the terminal and your arrival is unpredictable. I used the club lounge facility to avoid the crowds during covid and it was extremely good value with polite and attentive staff. However all that changed with the mass sackings an changes of staff. I used up my remaining two crossings and found the food on in the club lounge a shadow of its former self. When I asked for a bacon sandwich the staff member didn’t know what it was ! Your experience in the remainder of the ship explains why. Any announcements that weren’t pre recorded were difficult to understand and would not inspire confidence in an emergency. I was bumped onto a DFDS crossing at the time P&O ships not sailing which used up one of my tickets. Since then its been DFDS or Irish depending on time. P&0 are blacklisted from my perspective regardless of ticket price.
I also buy block bookings. DFDS offer an identical deal to P&O with 6 or more crossings. You have to hunt through the website for it and can only book by telephone! Since the staff fiasco, I won't use P&O any more. The only advantage previously was that they had more frequent sailings, so if we missed the booked sailing, we didn't have to wait so long for the next one. The P&O service standard has plummeted since Covid. We've had long queues so many times at Calais, we prefer to depart from Dunkirk where we've not had problems (so far). With respect to duty-free, I've found little to choose between them. It all depends which ship you are on and what offers they have in that week.
@@briandizz9728 Thanks, I’ll look into block bookings to Dunkirk with DFDS. It’s ironic that since Brexit Calais (unlike Dover) massively increased the area and potential capacity of the port of its port yet throughput has been limited by the numbers of booths open and speed of processing. Ferry duty free is not an issue for us since we buy wines locally although the massive selection at the Calais DFDS duty free seems to be anticipating a return to the old “booze cruise” days of hopping across the Channel to get “supplies”.
Superb video. I’ve been on both DFDS AND PO PO used to be amazing, great staff and decent food. I can’t believe what they have done to the same vessel I was on just on 4 years ago in 2019. DFDS was great when we went to Dunkirk, but you must have got the same shop staff as me as we had similar issues in buying something and it turned into a bit of a nightmare which was a shame. . But thanks for the video and also great to see one on Irish ferries to which I’ve not been on yet.
I regularly travel to our office in Hamburg, before the pandemic used P&O ferries. Because of the website difficulties with P&O found DFDS website for booking much more user friendly, always use DFDS and their business lounge now.
As a regular traveler to the UK, I use DFDS most of the time. p&o after their sacking spree, never again, only out of principal. Next time I will give Irish ferries a go. Good info film. Top.
Very timely video Andrew as we’re looking at ferries for our crossing in May. I’ve been anti-P&O since their treatment of staff last year; but it was concerning to see your experience with the lack of crew in the lounges! Surely this is a worrying situation in the event of any incident/emergency on board? Great video once again Andrew! Keep up the fantastic work!
Hi Steve, I have to admit that my confidence levels were not high. I also notice upon re-watching the video that the closed off and locked-off Pub area on the Irish Ferries vessel was a Muster Station! I just hope that DFDS will introduce Dog Lounges soon. Thanks for watching.
Whatever the owners of P&O ferries are doing: Killing a formerly succesful business is almost finished. I remember countless sailings using the Club Lounge, always with great people working there, friendly and attentive, good food and coffee. From DFDS I'm remembering the most expensive spaghetti Bolognaise (and the worst), a crowded lounge and bad planning towing a 9,60m caravan 2.52m wide... they needed half an hour extra to send us with the lorries ;) If I got the time, I'm going Harwich-Hoek of Holland. Longer trip, more expensive: but another level of quality. Excellent video, first one I've seen from you, one subscriber more! :)
Welcome aboard Marc! Glad you enjoyed the video. I see you've kindly commented on my Scotland-Germany video, so you can see I went Harwich-Hook. Through the Caravan and Motorhome Club it was half the price of Dover-Calais, even with the day cabin. Cheers for now, Andrew
Excellent review Andrew. We used the ferries regularly before Eurotunnel and that is now our preferred option, we cross regular, about once a month. We recently used P&O once - never again! Curious about Irish ferries but having used DFDS a few times now I’ve found them to be pretty good. Substantially cheaper when towing at times, a compromise with the time saved by using the tunnel!
I am envious of those of you using the Eastern crossings. I live in the southwest and regularly travel to western France. We have the choice of one company - Brittany Ferries who manage to be both very expensive and incredibly inefficient. Every trip is like the first time they’ve tried to operate a ferry. If you have to use them, my top tip would be not to arrive early at the ports - the later you get there the quicker you board and disembark, which can be a huge time saver when trying to get past immigration.
Wow! That was a real eye opener! What a difference in the general experience of all three operators! If you could have had the no queuing, bigger quieter lounge and cheap booze on the first one, the food and friendliness of the second and the pet lounge of P&O, what a difference!! I wondered where you were off to when you mentioned the ferry crossing in your earlier video, I wondered if you were off to Paris or some such for christmas goodies. Great review! So informative and full of great tips and info but then your reviews are always brilliant and easy to understand. I really enjoyed this, the last time I was on a ferry was sailing back from Santander to Portsmouth (luckily, the Bay of Biscay was calm!!) we had a cabin and it was more like a mini cruise. Great food and drink! That was with Brittany ferries and it was fantastic! Pets had their own deck and you could go and see them and walk them as many times as you liked. We had the two dogs of course and they allowed us to put them together which was a bonus! Didn't tell you that at Edinburgh airport coming back from Lewis, I tried to buy a bottle of pink Gordons as it was really cheap but then when I scanned my boarding card, of course I wasn't leaving the country, well the UK anyway! Damn and blast or words to that effect!! Great video, thoroughly enjoyed it, did you say you might not be going to the Nec? I was considering not going either this time, I'll have to make my mind up soon, it's next month! If you don't go, catch you another time?! You're probably very relieved!! Take care, good luck with Ted and Dougal! Loved your French! Love and hugs xxx 😘🥰🐶🐕
Thanks Anne! Ooh, I'd love to do one of those Brittany Ferries mini-cruises.... maybe they will see this and invite me? ;) I can live in hope! At the moment it's looking unlikely that I will be at the February NEC, but will let people know if that changes. xx
Well done something extremely informative and factual. I found exactly the same as you last year. I won't use P&O as i have serious safety concerns regarding their crews. I found Irish ferrys dirty. But DFDS appears properly crewed and clean with great food and service at a good price. I will use European flagged ships if possible. This was a pleasure to watch. Well done
I can not comment on the Dover service (tunnel user) but I found Irish Ferry services to Ireland cleaner than Stena? Ship on Dover route is geriatric and definitely not a premium service, not super cheap either reflecting the poor service, I believe the crew live on-board. Services to Dieppe and Brittany Ferries (BF expensive, get what you pay for) are very good.
Thanks. That was a mission & a half! A good comparison for travellers to/ from the Continent. On the past we mostly used P&O but wondered what would happen after all of the altercation they had. Well now we know. Will have to check out the online offers of all carriers. But at least we now know what we are getting. Safe journey back home. You can always call on me to help out & accompany you if you do another. X
Really excellent review. I was born and brought up in Deal and worked on Sealink/Stena line and P&O ferries 35 years ago as student during summer breaks. Loved those summers and loved working on the boats (as so many locals did ) I will never use P&O again after their disgraceful treatment of the British workers last year ( some of whom I know personally ) Very glad DFDS came out on top . They deserve to and Ive booked my crossing this week with them . Thanks for all your hard work on this video Andrew . Its much appreciated
Thanks Justin. As I said in the video, I boarded the Spirit of France with an open mind, but disembarked feeling like I'd been mugged. The lack of visible staff is pertinent. Enjoy your trip when you go.
I do the Irish Sea crossing quite a lot and really like the Stena ships on the Belfast route, their premium fare isn't cheap but not only do you get a really good lounge you also get priority boarding and disembarkation.
What a fabulous video! I appreciate your clear and concise review of all relevant aspects of a channel crossing. This will make my choice this year much easier. Thank you :)
Really interesting. Thankyou. We ditched P&O when they treated their staff so appallingly. Now it seems that they do not have sufficient staff,. Perish the thought but what would happen should there be a n emergency. We now use the tunnel, quick, efficient and you rarely have to wait more than 20 mins to board. Maybe I will try one of the others this year.
During the 1980s, I lived just above the White Cliffs with my family who owned a property near Bordeaux. From 1981 to 1993, we would travel at least on 7 return crossings annually using ferry companies and there were just 2 ferry operators at the time, Sealink and Townsend Thorensen (later P&O in 1987). Calais terminal has changed so much, Dover not so much other than the Dover Ticket Office at the entrance which has gone.
Hi I am not massively interested in ferries (we have a dog so the tunnel is best) but read your comment about UA-cam so wanted to support you as your videos are always super helpful. You are right we need more informative vlogs rather than sensationalism. Good luck I hope everyone likes and comments
Hari OM Excellent work, Andrew! I had wondered how ferries compared with the tunnel -although I am nowhere near the stage of travelling even across the Clyde, it's academic interest only - but I do have a strong hobby interest in commercial shipping. I love spotting all those that traverse this busy firth. Ear chucks to Dougal and Ted. YAM xx
I'm a regular ferry-user and my favourite companies are DFDS and Brittany Ferries for travel to Europe, and Stena for going to Ireland. I should say that as I live in Scotland I tend to use the longer overnight crossings to Europe where possible, with a cabin. That way you get a good break from driving, and it reduces the overall miles driven. The food on Brittany Ferries is excellent.
I know the Isle of Inismore from a lot of crossings of the Irish Sea on the Rosslare/Pembroke Dock route. The Club Class is worth every penny. Yes, she's an old girl, but she is comfy and always was good to me regardless of the weather. Pub facilities are oversized and I've never seen the aft pub(s) open - ever.
Fantastic content. Saw your other note about UA-cam issues so glad I got to see this. Really informative and glad P&O have pulled their finger out. Really appreciate the hard work that went into this. Xx p.s. a two fingered salute to the 1 percenters re Ted. Xx
That was very interesting and an objective comparison. I normally travel with DFDS, but earlier this year went with Irish Ferries. I will not travel on P&O on principle. Thanks for the video, it was very informative.
Great video, very informative and helpful in allowing others to make an informative choice. I for one enjoyed your to the point comments. Keep up the good videos.
This video came just at the right time for me and many others no doubt. After watching the video I went straight to the various providers and input my details and various dates for potential crossings. So the video created a lot of traffic to the various companies . I see from your comment in the community section that it is not eligible for ad revenue - this is crazy given the amount of advertising traffic it must have created from all the views!! I think UA-cam is run by bots!!
Thank you, enjoyed this variety. As far as food in the club lounge, P & O, there is a large, variety of food, remember you are vegan. At least p & O offerd vegan food. I like the P & O pet lounge. I've travelled via Irish ferries & P & O. Irish ferries were over crowded, not very clean, lack of choice in food. P & O was very comfortable, clean, a good variety of food, friendly staff.
Last summer, the world most important ferry is from Cherbourg to Dublin (Irish ferries) , it was full of tourists, all europeans and Irish go to Ireland, it coud be a good experience to test the WB Yeats, to go back to Scotland through Ireland, and after from Belfast or Larne to Cairnryan.
Where you check in before passport control in Calais, it's the same in Dunkirk, it's just the only operator is DFDS. Looking towards the future hoping P&O or Irish Ferries can start operating to Dunkerque! Hope it helps Andrew! 😊
I rarely eat the food on the ferries. The best thing was a nice French roll in the DFDS building in Calais. One could argue that a cheap sailing isn't getting you waitress service. I've also sailed on the France, and don't recognise any of the vibration you mentioned in the video. Maybe I'm just enjoying the ride and the scenery rather than looking for additional amenities. Last thing I'd want to be doing is working on a ferry when I'm meant to be enjoying myself.
Well that was an eye opener Andrew thanks so much for that we are planning a trip to Italy this year (2023) with our motorhome and we’re looking at ferry crossings so your report couldn’t have come at a better time Thanks again andrew
We used the Dunkirk route last summer and found it more relaxing as you didn't have to rush to get your meal. Going out, they searched every vehicle, our MH twice, a bit of a hassle have a guy in heavy boots tramping around the MH. There was also a 2.5m gap to fit our 2.35 vehicle through at customs.
Great video Andrew. That Irish Ferries queue was short compared to Half-Term in June when it was back to the roundabout and only a couple of booths open. Normally use the Tunnel but since they stopped the frequent traveller and hiked the prices so much switched to the ferries.
As a Dane (The Home of the DFDS shipowners), and a shareholder, I appreciate your use my ships and the fine verdict! I won't try to translate the meaning of the original letters, as it is an old Danish Name (United Steamship Companies) for an old Company. But they also sails from Copenhagen to Oslo (Norway), which I may recommend, if coming round😄!
I would love to see someone do a comparison like this with the north sea ferries, particularly P&O and DFDS from Hull to Rotterdam and Tyne to Ijmuiden respectively
Excellent review Andrew. Balanced and honest, which provides a great insight to all 3 ferry companies. Like many p&o will not be on my list! When we’re not on the eurotunnel we take our campervan on dfds and found them great.
Great insight to these ferry companies but fast forward to September 2022. My experience with P&O Ferries and the club lounge experience is fantastic as I travelled early doors 6 am, a wonderful cooked breakfast served by a great host. They have certainly turned the corner and can honestly say their service is better than last year. Their new ship the Pioneer is well worth travelling on as well.
We had a nasty surprise on the p and o spirit of Britain. We were expecting to have a nice meal, but instead we had the fish and chips at £14 each. This was rubbish considering it is served in a takeaway container. Also, I remember that the crew member who assisted the embarkation of cars was later serving people in the duty free. P and o need to employ more staff…
Great video, very informative and will help me decide who to sail with next time. Hopefully the ship operators will also what your video and improve in the areas you’ve highlighted. I’ve always been dubious of the duty free claimed savings, so your comparison was excellent. Thanks so much for creating this video Andrew.
Cheers Carl! I've already been contacted by P&O and DFDS, so yes, they are taking note. Not heard from Irish Ferries (yet) though.. maybe because of those price comparisons? ;)
Used to sport a 'Don't go P&O' sticker on my car back in the day (like the late 80's). Was thinking about a trip across the channel and after your excellent report, I will be looking at a DFDS crossing. The Dunkerque crossing was always my favourite when working in the NL, but looks like the 1st Class is not as quiet as it used to be. Thank you for doing this, I am off to download the DFDS app now.
As I grew up in Dover, I was affected like all my fellow townspeople by the 1987 disaster then the bitter dispute that followed. I ended up removing all reference to this in the video to try and keep it current, but the 2022 Pride of Kent fiasco is still very relevant. The lack of visible crew on board is startling. There IS a 'Relax' lounge option on DFDS Dunkerque which I did not review as there is no equivalent elsewhere, and you might find this more suitable to you - do check it out. Happy Travels!
Great video, two observations from me and my recent trip to France from the U.K. 1) I found the same experience as you coming back through Calais on 3/7/23 - It took us over a hour to clear both French and British passport control, out of the two whilst both were lengthy, U.K. passport control took the longest (and we are all British nationals). When I asked why it was taking so long we were told a lot of Germans were going through however it still seemed to take a long time to process us at the checkpoint ourselves. 2) unpopular view I am sure for understandable reasons - whilst it is pricey at £24pp in the P&O Club Lounge, crossing with two children who wanted to eat, have snacks and drinks I actually felt it was value for money vs. Eating in the standard self service restaurant. Our hot food choices were far better and we had a full three course and good tasting dinner on our way out on the Spirit of France and return on the Pioneer. Whilst more than expensive that the other two operators you have also reviewed, given the full hot food options we had, I would still opt for P&O Club Lounge if intending to use the ferry as a half way rest and refill point of the journey.
Hi Nicky, when I travelled on a Press Trip on the Pioneer in May, I was told that this video was the catalyst to improve the food offering in Club! Glad your experience backs that up, thanks for sharing.
Great video, please consider doing a Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to Caen and a Newhaven crossing to France and compare the lot. It will be very interesting.
Living in the deep South West doesn’t give you too many options, but Brittany Ferries (Plymouth) I believe is on a different level. Albeit expensive! Wish I had the choice though, but we love western France anyway. Thanks for a great video, I must try again a Dover crossing one day!
I did Plymouth to Roscoff on Quiberon and return in an awful storm on the Bretagne. 30 yrs ago enjoyed both. Plus 1995 Nth Tyne to Esbjerg, Scandinavian Seaways. Nice ship, enjoyable. I realise times change, less personal service. Lack of vegan or almond milk wldnt bother me. Hightened security on all journeys nowadays and digitalisation has ruined spontaneous travel. Lack of personal freedom. O for the Sealink days, Weymouth to St Peter Port Guernsey. 50pence for a booked lounge seat. Think fare was £17 for the family!
I worked for P&0 for 11 years until getting the boot in March. I still have a friend who work for them as a manager, but are filed under agency crew. The Spirit ships rattle all the time. The vibrations on the Britain are in fact worse. The food offering is non existant because they did not want to pay for the staff to run the old food courts, they only want a couple of people to run the food market. Iv'e worked in the food market and its souless, let alone what it's like on there now with the new crew. I now work for DFDS because I have to hussle for some money for a while. I find it ok. It could be better in some aspects but the people overall were welcoming to me. Im a dog lover myself and have told my brother to take the dogs with him on the tunnel instead of onboard.
@Tim Worrall it was as bad as it could of been. It was like being evicted from the Big Brother house. We had 20 mins to say our goodbye's and thrown off a gangway off the side of a ship with our papers in hand. Having already done half a days work..
Evening Andrew….you have to come to the IOM 🇮🇲 next year on our new vessel “Manxman” which will be coming into service in June 2023…….she will replace the most reliable vessel the Iomspco have owned to date, the “Ben My Chree”…..now in her 24th year, and will stay on as a back up ship to cover during TT & MGP weeks the busiest times on the island…….great information on these routes , I’ve always had an interest in shipping, probably from living on an island 👍🇮🇲. Ps Premium lounge on Iomspco ferries is £19 each way …..free papers, WiFi, coffee , snacks, and table service….👍
Ooh! That sounds like a plan, Andy! Would LOVE to do that! Maybe I can get IOMSPCo to do me a Press Trip or something... am feeling decidedly poor after making this video! ;)
Many thanks for a very well made and informative video. I drive to Norway once or twice per year to visit relatives, and used to use the Dunkirk route (since it's a bit further in the right direction), but recently I have grown to like Stena Line from Harwich to Rotterdam. It's kind of awkward -- too long for a day sailing, too short for a night sailing -- but it does get you a fair bit further north, and it tends to be surprisingly reasonably priced considering the distance.
Great video! It was very informative. I live in Poole so I’m loyal Brittany ferry customer, however I do an annual trip to Belgium, I always find it hard to decide who to book with whilst going from Dover to Calais. This has made my mind up to travel with Irish Ferries . It’s the club lounge that’s sold it for me . Many thanks
Last summer, we have tried the ferry line from Poole to come back France, we arrived with our small motorhome very early during the night, we were parked in front check in of Brittany Ferries before it opens ; the small bar(on the right of the lines) asked us to pay a tax for parking , because check in was not open !!!! We won't coming back through Poole ....Brittany Ferries team was also disappointed by that, public toilets are also open only one hour before check in open, with the same person of the bar.
@@pierre5637 it’s a shame that the port of Poole feel the need to charge you for staying over night, the place is deserted most of the time . That crossing needs more passengers.
Good review, and mirrors my own experiences. P&O have gone downhill rapidly over recent years and I will not travel with them again. They have no staff and the ones they do have are not well trained or managed.
In the 30 years that I have lived in Europe, I have used the tunnel once, well you have to at least have tried it! For me, the ferry crossing is part of the adventure and travelling experience. Over the years I have also used the Hovercraft and Fast Ferry services. In the years following the ceasing of the Vlissingen - Harwich and Cuxhaven - Harwich ferry routes, I have mainly used the Dunkirk - Dover crossing. I mainly travel out of season and so the premium lounge is usually large enough, and my wife and I have a table and seating group for ourselves. I find the service offered by DFDS good value for money, the ships are refurbished at regular intervals and I prefer using Dunkirk to Calais. For me the DFDS service from Dunkirk to Dover and back is currently my preferred crossing.
Ahh... the hovercraft! And not forgetting the Jetfoil, where upon arrival the stewardesses would kick off their stilettos and put on gum boots, switch their white gloves for rigging gloves, then go outside and tie the vessel up! :)
Stenna seacat or whatever it was called. In the 80s i went sally ferries from ramsgate to dunkirk. Rarely did dover. now in 38. lve been feixstowe to zebrugge a few times. And brittany ferries from newhaven to dieppe... maybe. Car tunnel once also.
Really nice and informative video. As a shiplover I really enjoyed it. Especially your filming and editing skills are terrific. I would love to see a video on a cruise ship from you. Best wishes from germany.
Great video, so much info and very objective reviews. My main takeaway is that I will stick with Eurotunnel - dog in the car with me and the car interior is much nicer than these ferries. Thanks for taking the time to do this Andrew 👏🏻👍🏻
@@andrewjditton I think you'd enjoy Britanny Ferries. In my experience, they have always provided good service and the fleet is under the French flag. Your experience of the crossing to Spain would be very interesting as I have just used the crossings to France.
Brilliant consumer focussed video Andrew, thanks very much, very illuminating also....... Living in Brighton my preferred route is Newhaven to Dieppe, close, functional and cheap (now I've. topped 60) However my partner has a morbid dread of sailing so we have to trail across to Folkestone and the tunnel. Smooth, efficient (usually) but always expensive! I miss the high sea's, the sense of 'journey' and the lower costs..... ah well!
Excellent report as usual, will never travel P&O after sackings but was looking at Irish Ferries as slightly cheaper on C&MH club site, however after your report think I will stick with DFDS always been a good overall standard.
Ngl I got the Spirit of Britain on P&O and let me tell you, my experience is 10x better then my return trip back to the UK on the spirit of France cause it is so much more modern, inviting, and there is soo much more food options. But I would only bump it up to 2nd Place instead of Irish Ferries. But I enjoyed the video and will definitely watch more!
Great video- thanks. It mirrors in most respects our 3 journeys into Europe last year.
Irish Ferries, check in at Calais took 2 hours due to only one booth and they hand write the lane hanger for each vehicle. The food in the restaurant was great. Loading took ages and the boat vibrated horribly all the way to Dover. Never again.
DFDS to Dunkirk (even in gale force winds) was great apart from the Fish & chips was like your Mum’s!
DFDS to Calais and back was great.
We used to use P&O spirit class ships but refuse since what they did to the crew. It’s a real shame they used to be lovely but your video shows how bad they’ve become. I wonder what will happen when their new ships arrive this year!
Thanks for that Ian - I'm sure it'll help other people looking to book to see that what I experienced were not isolated incidents. It will indeed be interesting to see what P&O's new Ugly Ships will be like on board, but after seeing the demise of the Spirit Class I don't have very high hopes. Thanks for watching.
I don't know what P&O UK did to their crew, being from outside the UK myself, but this is very interesting when you consider their cruise lines, P&O UK that is, not to be confused with P&O Australia, are considered a more premium line.
@@arokh72 P&O Ferries are a completely different company to P&O cruises. The ferry company is owned by another company called DP world. They basically brought all vessels back to port, sent security guards (with handcuffs) on board. And at the same time told the staff they no longer had a job. The guards job being to use force to remove anyone that wouldn’t leave peacefully. Several months later the ships left port with crew from other countries.
@@ianowen5098 bloody hell, explains the hate. Such disgusting behaviour. I thought UK law protected against such acts, not that I know anything about UK law, just assumed they had decent worker protections.
@@arokh72 british law does protect workers from this , However P@O have admitted that they broke the law and the govt has allowed them to get away with it !!
As an ex lorry driver one of the best tips I was ever given "Don't rush to the restaurant lad let everyone else eat the last sailings leftovers and turn up in time for the fresh servings"😁😁
Where were you when I NEEDED YOU Andrew??? ;@) Cheers mate.
Great wisdom in that message, Thank you.😁
Absolutely top tip! 😆
As one of the 800 seafarers sacked last year it’s nice to see P&O reaping their rewards and going down the pan
Another reason i swapped to DFDS, I'm local and had many local friends who depended on work either at the Dungemess nuclear power station or cross channel ferries.
No matter how cheap the deals or how good the boats we wont be sailing P&O again. You were treated appallingly.
Stena was always the best option between here and Scotland, but after what they done anytime I am crossing it will never be from Larne. My boss has the same thoughts too, our trucks no longer use their services.
I will never ever use P&O again
Exactly what I was thinking when he was talking about the lack of staff
I've travelled with P&O years ago. didn't experience much but from what I remember, it was okay. But recently took the DFDS Newcastle to Amsterdam and the staff were simply amazing. Always happy and helpful. Very organised too. Seeing these and taking into account past experience, DFDS will be my future choice
Thank you for this informed comparison. Predictably, P&O' s cheap skate, callous attitude to their staff also finds an echo in their customer provision. Never travel P&O on practicality and principle. Many thanks for the time you spent making this video!
I started watching your videos because my hubby and I are planning to visit Outer Hebrides in the summer. But now I subscribed and I am watching all your videos even though I don't own a caravan or campervan, just because I love the way you speak, not too fast, not too slow, your accent is music to my ears and I am trying to improve my English being so easy to understand what you say. Thanks for your videos Andrew, please don't stop, a big hug from Italy, 'bye!
Thanks for your support! Enjoy your trip to the Outer Hebrides - I'm sure you will love it :)
Great video! Used to travel with Sea France who were great. Fantastic food! Went with p&o for awhile which was cheap & ok. Stopped using them after what they did to the staff. Really been impressed with DFDS, especially with the crew who always seem polite & helpful. Calais book in is not easy. First time we went through the new area there was hardly any signage & the old signs had not been removed.
Nice comparison. For several years now I have stuck with DFDS (or Brittany Ferries for longer crossings). I think the UK/French flag matters and I like to support our local seafarers getting paid a proper wage. I also like the extra time you get on a Dunkirk crossing to eat, digest and relax before driving off. Always seems a rush on a Calais crossing to get to eat and have enough time to look out of the window before being called to rejoin car deck. I also was very impressed a few weeks back by the stabilisers on a very windy day, making the Dunkirk - Dover crossing a smooth experience despite white horses and a few bangs outside! Not sure my unfriendly Collie would appreciate the pet lounge and isn't it a bit smelly with all those dogs? She's fine in her crate in the car.. Of course the pet friendly cabins on Brittany Ferries are the best for longer crossings. So well done DFDS for winning your vote and consistently winning mine. Oh and their twitter feeds are very responsive and informative too.
Very proud that the Isle of Innishmore is still going strong, was one of the people who worked for the yard as a sub contractor.
In 97 she was state of the art
Hi Andrew, thanks for this helpful information! We took two time the Amsterdam-Newcastle DFDS ferries return. First time to go to Scotland but second time to travel all of England down to Cornwall and back. The over night trip is very pleasant. And travelling to Calais or Dunkirchen from Germany is longer then to Amsterdam what most people dont realise (and no road toll). A real altenative to the channel. Thanks again, Johannes.
Thanks Johannes, glad you enjoyed it!
During the pandemic DFDS allowed me to move a booking FOUR times without penalty, simply superb. Contrast this with a Eurotunnel booking that they allowed 1 move and then it expired 6 months later, so i won't go near them ever again. DFDS have always had a consistent high quality of customer service, in my experience. When P&O sacked all it's staff i removed them from my comparison list, i'd rather pay more somewhere else than use them at all. DFDS get my money every time now.
This is a most timely report as I was looking at French ferries and Euro tunnel prices last night. The Euro Tunnel has a greater frequency and was of similar price to the ferry. We don’t have pets, but If I did I’d rather have my pet with me rather than locking it in a car on a car deck. Great video Andrew.👍
Glad you found it useful! Happy Travels.
Nailed it, appreciate the time and effort you have put into making this video, i do hope DFDS contacts you and says Thank You for an honest assessment.
Glad you found it useful! I think DFDS might be cringing about its Dunkerque ferry Premium Lounge and Prue & Trude in the shop, but if this inspires them to add a Pet Lounge and invite me along for the launch, that would indeed be great! Thanks for watching.
First of all, I'd like to congratulate you and express my appreciation for all the hard work, time and money you put into the production of this video. It will prove extremely useful and beneficial to people intending to travel by ferry and if they are wise, the ferry companies themselves. As for the ferries themselves, I still wouldn't choose P&O for the way that they treated their employees and looking at what they offer, it clearly seems that they have shot themselves in the foot. My own overall conclusion is that not spending on lounges, on board food and being prepared to grin and bear the crossing is probably the best way. The Chunnel may not be luxurious and the point of entry limited to Folkestone/Calais, but I still think they are the better option.
I'm inclined to agree Andrew, especially if you are in a motorhome and have your own 'Club Class Lounge' to enjoy on the train! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for this excellent review of the Channel ferry crossings, I with my friends up until Covid used to be very regular users of P&O, could never fault them. When they sacked all their English staff I said I would never use them again, your video has now made my mind up for definite & I can not understand why anybody still uses them. Want to go to France in the Spring & Eurotunnel is £31 dearer than DFDS, so for the convenience it looks like it will be the train.
Thanks Pete. Yes, you can't argue with the convenience of Eurotunnel. However, to go with DFDS does add a 'break' element to the journey, although this is less of an issue if you can enjoy the comforts of your OWN Club Class Lounge (i.e. the motorhome) when on the train! Happy Travels.
Excellent video and a timely reminder by lots of commenters to NEVER EVER use P&O Ferries to show your disgust at the way they sacked their UK workers and replaced them with cheaper foreign workers.
Thanks Andrew for a great review, P&O is a very sad decline. Before the buy out, P&O was a truly british experience
So true, before the tunnel opened P&O was always my crossing of choice. Everything was better appointed and more relaxing.
As a regular traveller on the Dover- Calais crossing I was a regular traveller with P&O ferries. I used to buy block bookings (6crossings) with P&O which were very good value and enabled the flexibility of changing a booking or catching an earlier ferry with the frequent sailings. This is very useful if you have a very long drive to the terminal and your arrival is unpredictable.
I used the club lounge facility to avoid the crowds during covid and it was extremely good value with polite and attentive staff.
However all that changed with the mass sackings an changes of staff. I used up my remaining two crossings and found the food on in the club lounge a shadow of its former self. When I asked for a bacon sandwich the staff member didn’t know what it was ! Your experience in the remainder of the ship explains why.
Any announcements that weren’t pre recorded were difficult to understand and would not inspire confidence in an emergency.
I was bumped onto a DFDS crossing at the time P&O ships not sailing which used up one of my tickets.
Since then its been DFDS or Irish depending on time.
P&0 are blacklisted from my perspective regardless of ticket price.
I also buy block bookings. DFDS offer an identical deal to P&O with 6 or more crossings. You have to hunt through the website for it and can only book by telephone!
Since the staff fiasco, I won't use P&O any more. The only advantage previously was that they had more frequent sailings, so if we missed the booked sailing, we didn't have to wait so long for the next one. The P&O service standard has plummeted since Covid.
We've had long queues so many times at Calais, we prefer to depart from Dunkirk where we've not had problems (so far).
With respect to duty-free, I've found little to choose between them. It all depends which ship you are on and what offers they have in that week.
@@briandizz9728 Thanks, I’ll look into block bookings to Dunkirk with DFDS.
It’s ironic that since Brexit Calais (unlike Dover) massively increased the area and potential capacity of the port of its port yet throughput has been limited by the numbers of booths open and speed of processing.
Ferry duty free is not an issue for us since we buy wines locally although the massive selection at the Calais DFDS duty free seems to be anticipating a return to the old “booze cruise” days of hopping across the Channel to get “supplies”.
As a former seafarer and now Harbourmaster/Pilot, it’s good to see that the UK flagged vessels came out tops!
Superb video. I’ve been on both DFDS AND PO
PO used to be amazing, great staff and decent food. I can’t believe what they have done to the same vessel I was on just on 4 years ago in 2019.
DFDS was great when we went to Dunkirk, but you must have got the same shop staff as me as we had similar issues in buying something and it turned into a bit of a nightmare which was a shame. .
But thanks for the video and also great to see one on Irish ferries to which I’ve not been on yet.
No bother, thanks for watching!
I regularly travel to our office in Hamburg, before the pandemic used P&O ferries. Because of the website difficulties with P&O found DFDS website for booking much more user friendly, always use DFDS and their business lounge now.
As a regular traveler to the UK, I use DFDS most of the time. p&o after their sacking spree, never again, only out of principal. Next time I will give Irish ferries a go. Good info film. Top.
Very timely video Andrew as we’re looking at ferries for our crossing in May. I’ve been anti-P&O since their treatment of staff last year; but it was concerning to see your experience with the lack of crew in the lounges! Surely this is a worrying situation in the event of any incident/emergency on board? Great video once again Andrew! Keep up the fantastic work!
Hi Steve, I have to admit that my confidence levels were not high. I also notice upon re-watching the video that the closed off and locked-off Pub area on the Irish Ferries vessel was a Muster Station! I just hope that DFDS will introduce Dog Lounges soon. Thanks for watching.
Whatever the owners of P&O ferries are doing: Killing a formerly succesful business is almost finished.
I remember countless sailings using the Club Lounge, always with great people working there, friendly and attentive, good food and coffee.
From DFDS I'm remembering the most expensive spaghetti Bolognaise (and the worst), a crowded lounge and bad planning towing a 9,60m caravan 2.52m wide... they needed half an hour extra to send us with the lorries ;)
If I got the time, I'm going Harwich-Hoek of Holland. Longer trip, more expensive: but another level of quality.
Excellent video, first one I've seen from you, one subscriber more! :)
Welcome aboard Marc! Glad you enjoyed the video. I see you've kindly commented on my Scotland-Germany video, so you can see I went Harwich-Hook. Through the Caravan and Motorhome Club it was half the price of Dover-Calais, even with the day cabin. Cheers for now, Andrew
Excellent review Andrew. We used the ferries regularly before Eurotunnel and that is now our preferred option, we cross regular, about once a month. We recently used P&O once - never again! Curious about Irish ferries but having used DFDS a few times now I’ve found them to be pretty good. Substantially cheaper when towing at times, a compromise with the time saved by using the tunnel!
Cheers Richard. There USED TO be great deals to Dunkerque like Free Caravans through the Clubs, but these seem to have disappeared now. Happy travels.
I think Doogal, and yourself, did a great job, a complex undertaking, delivered brilliantly
Many thanks!
13:00 that transition was unreal 🔥🔥🔥
Just booked Dover-Calais-Dover on DFDS after watching your review. Thanks!
Bon voyage!
I am envious of those of you using the Eastern crossings. I live in the southwest and regularly travel to western France. We have the choice of one company - Brittany Ferries who manage to be both very expensive and incredibly inefficient.
Every trip is like the first time they’ve tried to operate a ferry.
If you have to use them, my top tip would be not to arrive early at the ports - the later you get there the quicker you board and disembark, which can be a huge time saver when trying to get past immigration.
Am fost și eu aici acum șase ani!!!!😀🛳🇬🇧,când m-am deplasat pe feribot către Franța!!!!😀,FELICITĂRI pentru videoclipul tău Prietene 👏👏📽
Having been on P&O twice recently, the DFDS run amenity building, also selling duty free goods is open to all travellers.
Wow! That was a real eye opener! What a difference in the general experience of all three operators! If you could have had the no queuing, bigger quieter lounge and cheap booze on the first one, the food and friendliness of the second and the pet lounge of P&O, what a difference!! I wondered where you were off to when you mentioned the ferry crossing in your earlier video, I wondered if you were off to Paris or some such for christmas goodies. Great review! So informative and full of great tips and info but then your reviews are always brilliant and easy to understand. I really enjoyed this, the last time I was on a ferry was sailing back from Santander to Portsmouth (luckily, the Bay of Biscay was calm!!) we had a cabin and it was more like a mini cruise. Great food and drink! That was with Brittany ferries and it was fantastic! Pets had their own deck and you could go and see them and walk them as many times as you liked. We had the two dogs of course and they allowed us to put them together which was a bonus! Didn't tell you that at Edinburgh airport coming back from Lewis, I tried to buy a bottle of pink Gordons as it was really cheap but then when I scanned my boarding card, of course I wasn't leaving the country, well the UK anyway! Damn and blast or words to that effect!! Great video, thoroughly enjoyed it, did you say you might not be going to the Nec? I was considering not going either this time, I'll have to make my mind up soon, it's next month! If you don't go, catch you another time?! You're probably very relieved!! Take care, good luck with Ted and Dougal! Loved your French! Love and hugs xxx 😘🥰🐶🐕
Thanks Anne! Ooh, I'd love to do one of those Brittany Ferries mini-cruises.... maybe they will see this and invite me? ;) I can live in hope! At the moment it's looking unlikely that I will be at the February NEC, but will let people know if that changes. xx
Well done something extremely informative and factual. I found exactly the same as you last year. I won't use P&O as i have serious safety concerns regarding their crews. I found Irish ferrys dirty. But DFDS appears properly crewed and clean with great food and service at a good price. I will use European flagged ships if possible. This was a pleasure to watch. Well done
Glad you found it useful, many thanks Paul.
I can not comment on the Dover service (tunnel user) but I found Irish Ferry services to Ireland cleaner than Stena? Ship on Dover route is geriatric and definitely not a premium service, not super cheap either reflecting the poor service, I believe the crew live on-board. Services to Dieppe and Brittany Ferries (BF expensive, get what you pay for) are very good.
Thanks. That was a mission & a half! A good comparison for travellers to/ from the Continent.
On the past we mostly used P&O but wondered what would happen after all of the altercation they had. Well now we know. Will have to check out the online offers of all carriers. But at least we now know what we are getting.
Safe journey back home. You can always call on me to help out & accompany you if you do another. X
Thanks Linda! You'll look way more glamorous than me in front of the camera so that's a deal! ;)
Hmmmm! You're amazing and that's so nice of you literally i must say you Rock sweetie 😁🙃😊..
So stay happy healthy and safe beautiful friend 🤗
So refreshing to see a video that tells it as it is. Great report.
Really excellent review. I was born and brought up in Deal and worked on Sealink/Stena line and P&O ferries 35 years ago as student during summer breaks. Loved those summers and loved working on the boats (as so many locals did ) I will never use P&O again after their disgraceful treatment of the British workers last year ( some of whom I know personally ) Very glad DFDS came out on top . They deserve to and Ive booked my crossing this week with them . Thanks for all your hard work on this video Andrew . Its much appreciated
Thanks Justin. As I said in the video, I boarded the Spirit of France with an open mind, but disembarked feeling like I'd been mugged. The lack of visible staff is pertinent. Enjoy your trip when you go.
@@andrewjditton Thanks Andrew . First trip back to Europe in three years, so beside myself with excitement !😂
I do the Irish Sea crossing quite a lot and really like the Stena ships on the Belfast route, their premium fare isn't cheap but not only do you get a really good lounge you also get priority boarding and disembarkation.
What a fabulous video! I appreciate your clear and concise review of all relevant aspects of a channel crossing. This will make my choice this year much easier. Thank you :)
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
Really interesting. Thankyou. We ditched P&O when they treated their staff so appallingly. Now it seems that they do not have sufficient staff,. Perish the thought but what would happen should there be a
n emergency. We now use the tunnel, quick, efficient and you rarely have to wait more than 20 mins to board. Maybe I will try one of the others this year.
During the 1980s, I lived just above the White Cliffs with my family who owned a property near Bordeaux. From 1981 to 1993, we would travel at least on 7 return crossings annually using ferry companies and there were just 2 ferry operators at the time, Sealink and Townsend Thorensen (later P&O in 1987). Calais terminal has changed so much, Dover not so much other than the Dover Ticket Office at the entrance which has gone.
Ultra professional as usual, love the summing up with the gorgeous Dougal ❤
Thank you kindly!
Hi I am not massively interested in ferries (we have a dog so the tunnel is best) but read your comment about UA-cam so wanted to support you as your videos are always super helpful. You are right we need more informative vlogs rather than sensationalism. Good luck I hope everyone likes and comments
Many thanks!
Hari OM
Excellent work, Andrew! I had wondered how ferries compared with the tunnel -although I am nowhere near the stage of travelling even across the Clyde, it's academic interest only - but I do have a strong hobby interest in commercial shipping. I love spotting all those that traverse this busy firth. Ear chucks to Dougal and Ted. YAM xx
Thanks Yam! Yes, it was hard work but fun. No surprise to see you're a shipping enthusiast too :) xx
Hmmmm! You're amazing and that's so nice of you literally i must say you Rock sweetie 😁🙃😊..
So stay happy healthy and safe beautiful friend 🤗
Thanks Andrew! Very useful information for future travels!👍🏻
You never travelled that much?? Hope you don't mind me asking beautiful friend 🤗
Well, wishing you the best and stay safe.
I'm a regular ferry-user and my favourite companies are DFDS and Brittany Ferries for travel to Europe, and Stena for going to Ireland. I should say that as I live in Scotland I tend to use the longer overnight crossings to Europe where possible, with a cabin. That way you get a good break from driving, and it reduces the overall miles driven. The food on Brittany Ferries is excellent.
Nice one Clive. I too live up North but as my Mum is in Dover I normally integrate a family visit into trips away. Thanks for watching, Andrew.
Very professional presentation, well edited and filmed with respect to other passengers.
I know the Isle of Inismore from a lot of crossings of the Irish Sea on the Rosslare/Pembroke Dock route. The Club Class is worth every penny. Yes, she's an old girl, but she is comfy and always was good to me regardless of the weather. Pub facilities are oversized and I've never seen the aft pub(s) open - ever.
Fantastic content. Saw your other note about UA-cam issues so glad I got to see this. Really informative and glad P&O have pulled their finger out. Really appreciate the hard work that went into this. Xx p.s. a two fingered salute to the 1 percenters re Ted. Xx
Ha ha! Cheers Kim!
That was very interesting and an objective comparison. I normally travel with DFDS, but earlier this year went with Irish Ferries. I will not travel on P&O on principle. Thanks for the video, it was very informative.
Great video, very informative and helpful in allowing others to make an informative choice. I for one enjoyed your to the point comments. Keep up the good videos.
I agree entirely with your findings. DFDS Dover Dunkirk with motorhome I have found to be the best overall.
This video came just at the right time for me and many others no doubt. After watching the video I went straight to the various providers and input my details and various dates for potential crossings. So the video created a lot of traffic to the various companies . I see from your comment in the community section that it is not eligible for ad revenue - this is crazy given the amount of advertising traffic it must have created from all the views!! I think UA-cam is run by bots!!
Many thanks. Yes, it's the Bots who run UA-cam, but I have put in a request for a manual appraisal - goodness knows how long that will take!
Thank you, enjoyed this variety. As far as food in the club lounge, P & O, there is a large, variety of food, remember you are vegan. At least p & O offerd vegan food. I like the P & O pet lounge. I've travelled via Irish ferries & P & O. Irish ferries were over crowded, not very clean, lack of choice in food. P & O was very comfortable, clean, a good variety of food, friendly staff.
Last summer, the world most important ferry is from Cherbourg to Dublin (Irish ferries) , it was full of tourists, all europeans and Irish go to Ireland, it coud be a good experience to test the WB Yeats, to go back to Scotland through Ireland, and after from Belfast or Larne to Cairnryan.
12 hours on a ship, in the open atlantic waves near the Scilly Isles, then sky high prices snd grey rain in the Republic of Ireland..? No thanks.
Where you check in before passport control in Calais, it's the same in Dunkirk, it's just the only operator is DFDS. Looking towards the future hoping P&O or Irish Ferries can start operating to Dunkerque! Hope it helps Andrew! 😊
Brilliant review, Andrew, very impartial, informative and well presented. Coffee bought x
Many thanks Maggie, much appreciated!
Excellent review! Very well done 👏 looking forward to more of your honest, impartial and informative reviews!
Thanks, will do!
I rarely eat the food on the ferries. The best thing was a nice French roll in the DFDS building in Calais.
One could argue that a cheap sailing isn't getting you waitress service.
I've also sailed on the France, and don't recognise any of the vibration you mentioned in the video.
Maybe I'm just enjoying the ride and the scenery rather than looking for additional amenities. Last thing I'd want to be doing is working on a ferry when I'm meant to be enjoying myself.
20:30 At the end of the day, it's always the staff that makes or breaks a product. Cheers, Lena.
100%!
Well that was an eye opener Andrew thanks so much for that we are planning a trip to Italy this year (2023) with our motorhome and we’re looking at ferry crossings so your report couldn’t have come at a better time
Thanks again andrew
Cheers Bob! Glad it was useful. Have a great trip and great to hear from you.
We used the Dunkirk route last summer and found it more relaxing as you didn't have to rush to get your meal. Going out, they searched every vehicle, our MH twice, a bit of a hassle have a guy in heavy boots tramping around the MH. There was also a 2.5m gap to fit our 2.35 vehicle through at customs.
Great video Andrew. That Irish Ferries queue was short compared to Half-Term in June when it was back to the roundabout and only a couple of booths open. Normally use the Tunnel but since they stopped the frequent traveller and hiked the prices so much switched to the ferries.
As a Dane (The Home of the DFDS shipowners), and a shareholder, I appreciate your use my ships and the fine verdict! I won't try to translate the meaning of the original letters, as it is an old Danish Name (United Steamship Companies) for an old Company. But they also sails from Copenhagen to Oslo (Norway), which I may recommend, if coming round😄!
Many thanks! Yes, I didn't attempt to pronounce the Danish name in full! I'd love to sail Copenhagen to Oslo one day. Thanks for watching.
Normally use the last Irish ferry from Dover on a Friday night and it's great, always quiet, cheap and fast so no complaints for my circumstances
Wonderful and informative video. Takes out all the timely research one must do re ferry options. Thanks for all your hard work.
Glad it was helpful!
A really useful and informative video Andrew. Thank you very much. I know which operator I’d prefer next time I cross the channel.
Glad you enjoyed it John! If DFDS had a pet lounge, then it'd be perfect. Cheers.
this video and info is incredible!! thank you so much!! hugs to dougal and your new puppy !!!🐶🐶🐶
Many thanks!
I would love to see someone do a comparison like this with the north sea ferries, particularly P&O and DFDS from Hull to Rotterdam and Tyne to Ijmuiden respectively
Awesome video and Thank you for sharing as I am embarking on a ferry crossing soon!
Excellent review Andrew. Balanced and honest, which provides a great insight to all 3 ferry companies. Like many p&o will not be on my list! When we’re not on the eurotunnel we take our campervan on dfds and found them great.
Glad you enjoyed it Darren, cheers.
Great insight to these ferry companies but fast forward to September 2022. My experience with P&O Ferries and the club lounge experience is fantastic as I travelled early doors 6 am, a wonderful cooked breakfast served by a great host. They have certainly turned the corner and can honestly say their service is better than last year. Their new ship the Pioneer is well worth travelling on as well.
Thanks. Indeed, I re-visited the P&O club lounge in a recent video and concur.
We had a nasty surprise on the p and o spirit of Britain. We were expecting to have a nice meal, but instead we had the fish and chips at £14 each. This was rubbish considering it is served in a takeaway container.
Also, I remember that the crew member who assisted the embarkation of cars was later serving people in the duty free. P and o need to employ more staff…
Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Andrew, the p&o slide seems to have continued.
Great video, very informative and will help me decide who to sail with next time. Hopefully the ship operators will also what your video and improve in the areas you’ve highlighted. I’ve always been dubious of the duty free claimed savings, so your comparison was excellent.
Thanks so much for creating this video Andrew.
Cheers Carl! I've already been contacted by P&O and DFDS, so yes, they are taking note. Not heard from Irish Ferries (yet) though.. maybe because of those price comparisons? ;)
Used to sport a 'Don't go P&O' sticker on my car back in the day (like the late 80's). Was thinking about a trip across the channel and after your excellent report, I will be looking at a DFDS crossing. The Dunkerque crossing was always my favourite when working in the NL, but looks like the 1st Class is not as quiet as it used to be. Thank you for doing this, I am off to download the DFDS app now.
As I grew up in Dover, I was affected like all my fellow townspeople by the 1987 disaster then the bitter dispute that followed. I ended up removing all reference to this in the video to try and keep it current, but the 2022 Pride of Kent fiasco is still very relevant. The lack of visible crew on board is startling. There IS a 'Relax' lounge option on DFDS Dunkerque which I did not review as there is no equivalent elsewhere, and you might find this more suitable to you - do check it out. Happy Travels!
That's quite important for people to know-that it exists tho. Right?
Happy to find your Channel!
Doesn't look like Eurotunnel has much to worry about!
Great video, two observations from me and my recent trip to France from the U.K.
1) I found the same experience as you coming back through Calais on 3/7/23 - It took us over a hour to clear both French and British passport control, out of the two whilst both were lengthy, U.K. passport control took the longest (and we are all British nationals). When I asked why it was taking so long we were told a lot of Germans were going through however it still seemed to take a long time to process us at the checkpoint ourselves.
2) unpopular view I am sure for understandable reasons - whilst it is pricey at £24pp in the P&O Club Lounge, crossing with two children who wanted to eat, have snacks and drinks I actually felt it was value for money vs. Eating in the standard self service restaurant. Our hot food choices were far better and we had a full three course and good tasting dinner on our way out on the Spirit of France and return on the Pioneer.
Whilst more than expensive that the other two operators you have also reviewed, given the full hot food options we had, I would still opt for P&O Club Lounge if intending to use the ferry as a half way rest and refill point of the journey.
Hi Nicky, when I travelled on a Press Trip on the Pioneer in May, I was told that this video was the catalyst to improve the food offering in Club! Glad your experience backs that up, thanks for sharing.
Why were German's going through?
Great video I hope you do more of these such as the crossing from Hull and Newcastle
The beef curry on DFDS Dunkirk-Dover was really one of the best I've ever eaten!
Quality and informative, very helpful video.
Great video, please consider doing a Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to Caen and a Newhaven crossing to France and compare the lot. It will be very interesting.
I'd love to! Cheers Martin.
Living in the deep South West doesn’t give you too many options, but Brittany Ferries (Plymouth) I believe is on a different level. Albeit expensive! Wish I had the choice though, but we love western France anyway. Thanks for a great video, I must try again a Dover crossing one day!
I did Plymouth to Roscoff on Quiberon and return in an awful storm on the Bretagne. 30 yrs ago enjoyed both. Plus 1995 Nth Tyne to Esbjerg, Scandinavian Seaways. Nice ship, enjoyable. I realise times change, less personal service. Lack of vegan or almond milk wldnt bother me. Hightened security on all journeys nowadays and digitalisation has ruined spontaneous travel. Lack of personal freedom. O for the Sealink days, Weymouth to St Peter Port Guernsey. 50pence for a booked lounge seat. Think fare was £17 for the family!
I worked for P&0 for 11 years until getting the boot in March. I still have a friend who work for them as a manager, but are filed under agency crew. The Spirit ships rattle all the time. The vibrations on the Britain are in fact worse. The food offering is non existant because they did not want to pay for the staff to run the old food courts, they only want a couple of people to run the food market. Iv'e worked in the food market and its souless, let alone what it's like on there now with the new crew. I now work for DFDS because I have to hussle for some money for a while. I find it ok. It could be better in some aspects but the people overall were welcoming to me. Im a dog lover myself and have told my brother to take the dogs with him on the tunnel instead of onboard.
@Tim Worrall it was as bad as it could of been. It was like being evicted from the Big Brother house. We had 20 mins to say our goodbye's and thrown off a gangway off the side of a ship with our papers in hand. Having already done half a days work..
Evening Andrew….you have to come to the IOM 🇮🇲 next year on our new vessel “Manxman” which will be coming into service in June 2023…….she will replace the most reliable vessel the Iomspco have owned to date, the “Ben My Chree”…..now in her 24th year, and will stay on as a back up ship to cover during TT & MGP weeks the busiest times on the island…….great information on these routes , I’ve always had an interest in shipping, probably from living on an island 👍🇮🇲. Ps Premium lounge on Iomspco ferries is £19 each way …..free papers, WiFi, coffee , snacks, and table service….👍
Ooh! That sounds like a plan, Andy! Would LOVE to do that! Maybe I can get IOMSPCo to do me a Press Trip or something... am feeling decidedly poor after making this video! ;)
Many thanks for a very well made and informative video. I drive to Norway once or twice per year to visit relatives, and used to use the Dunkirk route (since it's a bit further in the right direction), but recently I have grown to like Stena Line from Harwich to Rotterdam. It's kind of awkward -- too long for a day sailing, too short for a night sailing -- but it does get you a fair bit further north, and it tends to be surprisingly reasonably priced considering the distance.
I agree! I took that route in August 2022 with the caravan and it was half the price of Dover-Calais (day crossing).
Thanks Andrew. I am planning to take our new to us motorhome to Europe later this year, a very informative video!
Thanks Leigh, have a great trip!
Great video! It was very informative. I live in Poole so I’m loyal Brittany ferry customer, however I do an annual trip to Belgium, I always find it hard to decide who to book with whilst going from Dover to Calais. This has made my mind up to travel with Irish Ferries . It’s the club lounge that’s sold it for me .
Many thanks
Bon voyage!
Last summer, we have tried the ferry line from Poole to come back France, we arrived with our small motorhome very early during the night, we were parked in front check in of Brittany Ferries before it opens ; the small bar(on the right of the lines) asked us to pay a tax for parking , because check in was not open !!!! We won't coming back through Poole ....Brittany Ferries team was also disappointed by that, public toilets are also open only one hour before check in open, with the same person of the bar.
@@pierre5637 it’s a shame that the port of Poole feel the need to charge you for staying over night, the place is deserted most of the time . That crossing needs more passengers.
Irish Ferries WB Yeats is unmatched (built in 2018, I tihnk) but you'll need to travel from Dublin to Cherbourg. Happy travels.
Good review, and mirrors my own experiences. P&O have gone downhill rapidly over recent years and I will not travel with them again. They have no staff and the ones they do have are not well trained or managed.
In the 30 years that I have lived in Europe, I have used the tunnel once, well you have to at least have tried it! For me, the ferry crossing is part of the adventure and travelling experience. Over the years I have also used the Hovercraft and Fast Ferry services. In the years following the ceasing of the Vlissingen - Harwich and Cuxhaven - Harwich ferry routes, I have mainly used the Dunkirk - Dover crossing. I mainly travel out of season and so the premium lounge is usually large enough, and my wife and I have a table and seating group for ourselves. I find the service offered by DFDS good value for money, the ships are refurbished at regular intervals and I prefer using Dunkirk to Calais. For me the DFDS service from Dunkirk to Dover and back is currently my preferred crossing.
Ahh... the hovercraft! And not forgetting the Jetfoil, where upon arrival the stewardesses would kick off their stilettos and put on gum boots, switch their white gloves for rigging gloves, then go outside and tie the vessel up! :)
Stenna seacat or whatever it was called.
In the 80s i went sally ferries from ramsgate to dunkirk. Rarely did dover. now in 38. lve been feixstowe to zebrugge a few times. And brittany ferries from newhaven to dieppe... maybe.
Car tunnel once also.
excellent review Andrew, once again. 👏
What an interesting comparison. I have to say I agree with you on The Botanist gin.... my favourite!!
Great choice Cathy! Although of course, living in Uist I have to say I prefer Downpour ;)
Really nice and informative video. As a shiplover I really enjoyed it. Especially your filming and editing skills are terrific. I would love to see a video on a cruise ship from you. Best wishes from germany.
Glad you enjoyed it Guido! I'd like to try some of the longer crossings like to Spain, which would be like a cruise. Best wishes from Scotland.
Really useful video and so well put together.
Many thanks Gill.
Great video, so much info and very objective reviews. My main takeaway is that I will stick with Eurotunnel - dog in the car with me and the car interior is much nicer than these ferries. Thanks for taking the time to do this Andrew 👏🏻👍🏻
Glad you found it useful, thanks for watching!
Great job. It'll be tunnel or western crossing on Brittany for me.
Glad you enjoyed it. I'd love to try the Brittany crossings some day.
@@andrewjditton I think you'd enjoy Britanny Ferries. In my experience, they have always provided good service and the fleet is under the French flag. Your experience of the crossing to Spain would be very interesting as I have just used the crossings to France.
Well done Andrew (and mum)- that took some stamina! DFDS it is then. P&O were shocking.
Brilliant consumer focussed video Andrew, thanks very much, very illuminating also....... Living in Brighton my preferred route is Newhaven to Dieppe, close, functional and cheap (now I've. topped 60) However my partner has a morbid dread of sailing so we have to trail across to Folkestone and the tunnel. Smooth, efficient (usually) but always expensive! I miss the high sea's, the sense of 'journey' and the lower costs..... ah well!
That's a shame Andy. DFDS has since been in touch and invited me to try the Dieppe sailing, so hopefully I will be able to take you vicariously!
Excellent report as usual, will never travel P&O after sackings but was looking at Irish Ferries as slightly cheaper on C&MH club site, however after your report think I will stick with DFDS always been a good overall standard.
Ngl I got the Spirit of Britain on P&O and let me tell you, my experience is 10x better then my return trip back to the UK on the spirit of France cause it is so much more modern, inviting, and there is soo much more food options. But I would only bump it up to 2nd Place instead of Irish Ferries. But I enjoyed the video and will definitely watch more!