Ferry prices?

robgilmo · July 2017

To Ireland, they have just shot up, is it cheaper to just turn up and buy at the port?

holnrew · July 2017

Where are you sailing from?

holnrew · July 2017

Where are you sailing from?

paulnb57 · July 2017

Try living on the Isle fo Wight, costs a Kings Ransom to travel, costs more for a Period return than a Day return, even though you occupy the same amount of space, they get cancelled at short notice due to lack of staff (!) and often run late due to "unexpected volume of traffic" even though the majority book online, robbing bastards!

EricTheWeary · July 2017

You can get a discount on most ferries if you belong to the Caravan and Camping Club or the Caravan and Motorhome Club. You'd have to weigh up the cost of joining versus the discount.
If you have Tesco club card points there are 3 for 1 offers ( i.e. £10 in points is worth £30 against the ferry cost)on a lot of ferries ( we pay most of our eurotunnel cost in Tesco points)including Irish Ferries.

jonnyburgo · July 2017

Just booked return from U.K. To Santander on the overnight ferry for next July/August with dog friendly cabin. Just shy of £1300

edit* with the car.

robgilmo · July 2017

We just booked it and used some club card point thingys, Holyhead to Dublin, 354 but on Monday apparently the price would have went up, a few weeks ago it was 250 odd quid!

DefaultM · July 2017

I'd rather swim than pay that.

robgilmo · July 2017

I never got the whole high demand , high prices thing, high demand means a full boat which means they may be able to operate for less. So why put the prices up when you are guaranteed a lot of custom?

57Deluxe · July 2017

Isn't the I-O-W stretch of water the most expensive sea crossing per mile in the world??

Funkfingers · July 2017

This weekend, Stena Fishguard to Rosslare, two adults, two children, one car, £225 RETURN.

Next weekend is a public holiday in Ireland. The fares will probably increase.

robgilmo said:

I never got the whole high demand, high prices thing, high demand means a full boat which means they may be able to operate for less. So why put the prices up when you are guaranteed a lot of custom?

Go figure.

robgilmo · July 2017

Funkfingers said:

This weekend, Stena Fishguard to Rosslare, two adults, two children, one car, £225 RETURN.

Next weekend is a public holiday in Ireland. The fares will probably increase.

robgilmo said:

I never got the whole high demand, high prices thing, high demand means a full boat which means they may be able to operate for less. So why put the prices up when you are guaranteed a lot of custom?

Go figure.

Ah, but I'm going at the end of August.

chillidoggy · July 2017

I worked on the Dover ferries for over ten years, Townsend Thoresen, European
Ferries, then P&O. The prices are based on demand, and departure times. High demand, then it's high prices, and they're cheaper if you go at some ungodly hour. No different to any other holiday package really, you get caned when the kids are off.

robgilmo · July 2017

Exactly my point, why more expensive when its very busy,

chillidoggy · July 2017

BECAUSE THEY MAKE SHITLOADS MORE MONEY.

Arktik83 · July 2017

robgilmo said:

Exactly my point, why more expensive when its very busy,

Because it's maximising their profit margin by charging the most when demand is at it's highest whereas ferries in the middle of January aren't really going to be money spinners unless you *have* to go by Ferry.

It's a racket I know!

Funkfingers · July 2017

For certain classes of customer, ferry use is seasonal.

The contract work that I sometimes do affords me a close-up view of the MS Isle Of Inishmore as it travels along the Milford Haven waterway. Some times, the vessel is heaving with punters. Other times, it looks deserted. In order to be viable all year around, Irish Ferries has to charge as much as it can get away with.

Freight users are always fleeced but they pass their overheads onto to the Republic. Holiday makers are charged on a sliding scale that is inversely proportional to demand. Cheltenham Gold Cup week must be peak demand.

holnrew · July 2017

Might be cheaper to fly and hire a car

robgilmo · July 2017

There is four of us, we would still need to drive to an airport then park etc or get a taxi which is a good 100 quid there and back. Looks like I'm just going to take it as a lesson learned and book at least 60 years in advance the next time.

CabbageCat · July 2017

robgilmo said:

I never got the whole high demand , high prices thing, high demand means a full boat which means they may be able to operate for less. So why put the prices up when you are guaranteed a lot of custom?

It's not very complicated. If you have a boat with a capacity of 500 cars and there are 2000 people who want to get on it then you maximise profits by setting the price to a level where the 500 most keen get on (actually, in yield systems, you want to only sell 499 tickets...if you sell all 500 you don't know whether you have under priced and by how much).

ESBlonde · July 2017

Years ago I worked for Freight forwarders in Dover, we bought 'vouchers' for the trucks so got a fixed price for 100s of crossings and they loaded day and night 52 weeks a year. Some once a year car trip will not figure high on gaining customer loyalty by comparison with the ferry companies. They have to recover costs for every day of the year, thursday the Umpteenth of January still has to run and so maximising profits when possible is a practical business solution.

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Ferry prices?

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