free cruise for first 250 people [CLOSED]

Road_Hog

paullwill8 wrote:

embassy and bensons about £27 for 200.

Flew out to Jersey with Thomsonfly earlier in the year and it was £15 for 200 or £20 for 400.

Road_Hog

paullwill8 wrote:

Well here is my verdict, travelled from nov 11th to 14th.
After boarding went to room. Extremely small, couldn't swing a cat, tried to get this upgraded but none avaliable.

Great travel report, anyone else taken the cruise?

paulie558

Ok,just back.
Went tues,back last night.Arrived home an hour ago.
Can confirm Paulwilli was delayed,as we left 3 hours 40 mins late tues night.
Ship was crap unless you like expensive bars and restuarants.Cabins not big enough to swing kittens.
Norweigins liked it because prices were cheap compaired to Bergen.
Arrived at Bergen 20 to one in morning instead of 10pm.
Annoucements were made that we would have to disembark then get back on WHEN WE ARRIVED so we stayed up,only to be told we could get off next morning after midnight.
Ship built in 1986,has seen better days"Refurbishment"seems to be bit of new carpet in public areas,and improvements to cafe.
At least we had a day in Bergen.Mountain tramway running but most touristy things closed for winter.Bad weather,wind and rain.
Shops really expensive.
Hand made sweaters(a speciality) £130!
Mc D's meal 6 quid.
Beer £4-5.
Waves really bad coming back,myself and wife not sick,expect others were.
2 hours late arriving at Newcastle port.Do not pay for travel arrangments on fri night return as you will most certainly be late.
Book Premier travel inn at port entrance(Royal quays),or think you can keep cabin if you ask,we booked Travelodge at Gateshead which seemed liked a palace after rabbit hutch cabin.
Nightmare trip home on train,delays caused by broken rail,attack on guard and yobs,but thats another story.
Apologies for shorthand but lots to do.Any questions just ask.
Phew!Glad to be home.Never ever,pay for this trip and take all your own food on board.Cans of drink on sale in duty free shop at decent price.Must dash!

paulie558

Footnote.
Most of the lower cabins suffer a lot of engine noise.
We had a cabin on deck 4,above sea level.Really noisy.Some of the inner cabins were on deck 2,which must have been deafining.
When you check in ask what level your cabin is on,if it's a low number ask if they can change to 6 or above.Plenty of standard cabins on levels 6-8.It will make a difference.2 nights you will have to sleep through the noise.

pondie1

can u take a travel jug,hairdryer for your cabin,do they have sockets?how does food compare to amsterdam cruise,as we have had smorgasbord buffet on the amsterdam one and breakfasts

paulie558

Yes,there are 3 sockets in the cabin.Just remember the adapters.
No idea what the food was like onboard,too overpriced.£15 for a burger!

haveagoade

I just got back from Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th November cruise.


Fisrt off......its a disgrace and demeaning to use the word CRUISE, its a Ferry and a 20 odd year old one at that ,fitted with new carpets in the rececption, which soon decend to tattyness elsewhere.

After eventually geting on board 3hrs late we came accross earlier boarders complaining to the reception about dirty cabins, rusty sinks blocked toilets, keys to doors that did not work etc etc etc.....

Then it was my turn.
I had a polite but firm conversation about my complaint with the receptionist, but asked to be escalated to the peurser.
I had an almighty arguement with the Peurser on arival on board, he was arrogant and unhelpfull. He said at the end "But you haven't paid anything for this trip, so what do you complain about?" I said that is not the point, that I have not paid anything, DFDS offered me the trip for free, and that was no excuse for the disgracefull level of service.
In the end he told me to leave his office, his name was Morden Hoj by the way so beware he's not very helpfull so don't bother speaking to him.
Staff hardly understood english but pretended to very well.

Rooms/cabins are a disgrace they are far too small to be used on a crossing of this length, we had a so called doulble bed, which took up the entire floor space of what was intended to be a twin bunk room, it was so small, I would call it a safety/fire hazard, and is a deathtrap.

The ferry is habitually late by as much as 3hrs, and don't expect to be kept informed either, communications are non existent. We left Newcastle 3hrs late and arrived 3hrs late in Bergan. We left Bergan on time but still arrived back in Newcastle an 1h1/2 late again.

Forget arranging schedules depending on arrival times cos they WILL NOT be met.


To sum it up I got talking to the receptionist who tried his best to sort out the shambles on board, I said to him trying to be polite,
"Don't worry I'm sure you will sort things out eventually as this is a new route"
"Huh" he said, "I'm leaving the job as soon as possible"

Says it all really!


At the end of the day if you can stand 28hrs(TWICE OVER) in a tiny cabin or shabby deck area of a 20+ year old ferry in rough seas with over priced duty free beer and Bar prices then you'll enjoy yourself.....oh yeah the bingo was truly naff as well!

Bergan was the only saving grace of the week, but to endure 48hrs of hell on a substandard ferry,for 6-8hrs in Bergan, took the shine off it.

haveagoade

Run run run.......escape while you can....you have been warned!

I suggest to prevent this thread decending to a mega thread of complaints that you....................... DON'T GO

If you do go then you can't really complain as you have been warned.Any legitimate complaint you have with DFDS will be met with...."But you have paid nothing for this trip"

Despite taking time off work ,getting to Newcastle and paying for overpriced fare on board! It'll be a waste of money....get yourself a cheap air deal and fly there if you must.

pondie1

did u try the food havagoade?any good points at all?could it be enjoyable?we dont go till feb surely they will be in trouble eventually runnin late,dirty ferry,bad food etc,is there no one they can be reported too,abta or similar!btw is anyone writing to dfds head office/headquarters to complain about staff etc?mayb a few complaints will make it a bit better by feb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

haveagoade

You try complaining about anything when they turn around and say "But you have paid nothing for this!"......even though we/you make a considerable investment in time and effort to go on the so called "free cruise"

As I said if you can imagine a 20+ year old, expensive cross channel ferry in mountainous seas, for 48hrs, tiny cabins, drunken Norweigens booze cruisers, and feel comfortable......then you'll love it!

Go....... It'll be something you'll never forget for sure!

(But you'll try to forget it for sure!")