Newcastle - Amsterdam Sailing

Grizzly · Jul 10, 2020

Just for information. I just re-booked my outward ferry, after June sailings had been cancelled, and was shocked

to find out that they have just imposed a new condition that it is MANDATORY to book/pay for evening meal and breakfast for all passengers - this new rule applies from now until end of September.
I know this makes no difference to those who normally have the meals - or those in Commodore class with inclusive meals

- but others may be a bit shocked.
I thought the whole idea of social distancing would be to avoid busy dining rooms? Strange :confused:

Cheers..........................Grizzly :beerjug:

EPG_19 · Jul 10, 2020

Grizzly said:
Just for information. I just re-booked my outward ferry, after June sailings had been cancelled, and was shocked to find out that they have just imposed a new condition that it is MANDATORY to book/pay for evening meal and breakfast for all passengers - this new rule applies from now until end of September.
I know this makes no difference to those who normally have the meals - or those in Commodore class with inclusive meals - but others may be a bit shocked.
I thought the whole idea of social distancing would be to avoid busy dining rooms? Strange

Cheers..........................Grizzly

Yeah return 500 notes for one person, one bike and one cabin!!!

mcinlb · Jul 13, 2020

Am travelling in August , prebooked, already had booked meals, told to await email re meals from DFDS :nenau

Boxerboy55 · Jul 13, 2020

Ouch! That’ll hurt.

I’ve never gone for the restaurant meal on all my trips. Big breakfast yes, but not full bifta restaurant.

What’s wrong with lugging your own picnic anyway?

mcinlb · Jul 15, 2020

What I take from the note I got from DFDS was that you could not come onboard and just roll up to the restaurant to buy a meal i.e. they all have to be booked , if you want one.
I still assume if you do not want to eat in the restaurants then you don't have to as was before..

Grizzly · Jul 15, 2020

mcinlb said:
What I take from the note I got from DFDS was that you could not come onboard and just roll up to the restaurant to buy a meal i.e. they all have to be booked , if you want one.
I still assume if you do not want to eat in the restaurants then you don't have to as was before..

Nope, it's not possible to make a ferry booking between now and end of September unless you take the meal package as well!

The meal package is not as expensive as normal - it's a simplified, limited choice menu during this compulsory period and can be veiwed online if you wish

Cheers..............................Grizzly :beerjug:

gerarddwatts · Jul 15, 2020

Grizzly said:
Nope, it's not possible to make a ferry booking between now and end of September unless you take the meal package as well!

The meal package is not as expensive as normal - it's a simplified, limited choice menu during this compulsory period and can be veiwed online if you wish

Cheers..............................Grizzly

Yup....after your post I tried to do a booking in Sept just to see, and it automatically included 19 quid for a meal.

No breakfast of course, as that is included in Commodore ...

boatman · Jul 15, 2020

I would have paid it ,, :After slogging down from Scotland , then enduring the Hell that is the M25 , then the final dreary leg out to Dover . It's a very full day ! ( must be an age thing

)
Ferry was only £65 though .

Grizzly · Jul 15, 2020

gerarddwatts said:
No breakfast of course, as that is included in Commodore ...

I wouldn't have expected anything less Gerard

Cheers.....................Grizzly :beerjug:

trancey · Jul 15, 2020

I read in their email that meals can't be booked on board, they must be booked in advance and that the passengers own food could not be taken on board. I didn't realise that meals are obligatory, but I did find it strange that they were going to have people on board who would arrive in Holland having not eaten for about 20 hours because they didn't pre book. They have also stated that the 'help yourself' buffet is now a buffet that the waiter brings to the table. You select a set number of items that your want and they bring the plate to the table. A friend of mine called last week to cancel a non cancellable booking in late July, he was expecting to lose all of the money paid as they will be sailing by then, but they were OK with the cancellation. He has a credit note that needs to be booked by Sept 21 and used by Dec 21.

Boxerboy55 · Aug 13, 2020

With DFDS sitting on my cancelled May trip and ignoring my refund request, today I used their online chat to go for a re-booking in 2021 as I suspect prices will increase anyway.

Didn't take very long for an operator to start chatting. I said I simply wanted a straight date change to May 2021 without added cost.

Had palpitations when a price came back more than double what I already paid for 2020.

No chance says I - but the operator discovered that he'd keyed in a Motorhome for the return trip.

The new figure reduced to a mere £72 more than this year - and the operator wouldn't budge any further on price.

The paperwork shows that the cost of the bike was up significantly, while the cost of the cabin was down significantly.

So I took the new booking and will re-plan a ride to Spa Francorchamp for some classic car racing plus a few nice rides through Germany and Belgium to get there.

Bastogne Barracks on the list too.

Boxerboy55 · Dec 11, 2020

And now I want to move my return journey in May back a few days. Hopefully can avoid a cost to change.

And looking at the online booking system, if I were to book the same trip in May 2021 from scratch the price would be only £261 compared with £314 I paid a year ago for 2020.

mcinlb · Dec 12, 2020

Swings and Roundabouts, I rebooked for a postponed trip with them in June 21 and it was £76 less which was refunded.

Yet , another rebooked in July was £34 more :nenau

smirky · Dec 12, 2020

A way of getting more out of you without increasing the sailing costs, foods average at best, hence why we pop into markies near the Ferry and buy provisions for the crossing

Pablo1 · Dec 12, 2020

for your info anyone sitting on a credit from this years cancellations you dont have to book by end of this month, the credit validity has been extended to include any trips up to dec 2021 and booked by sept 2021.

Newcastle - Amsterdam Sailing

Grizzly

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EPG_19

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mcinlb

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Boxerboy55

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mcinlb

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Grizzly

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