# Norfolkline - Dearest Price Ever?



## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Hi all,

Just tried to book Dover - Dunkerque for 19/12 going out, 2/01 coming back. Niesmann Arto 64 at 6.4 metres long, 3 metres high.

And the price ---------*£503.50*

Is this the dearest quote ever?

B16duv


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi B16

Ouch!!!!

Try it again!!

I just looked and it is down to £490, or £430 if you sail from dover one day earlier.

How can it change so quickly? (Maybe try one of the cheap ferry booking agents as well??)

Still seems plenty to me!!!


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

*Norfolkline ferries*

I tried seafrance same dates/similar times and got £70 return. P&O slightly dearer.

Have emailed Norfolkline for explanation as the call centre just confirmed the web price and said it was due to demand!

Think I'll go with seafrance, even though the food is poor!

B16duv


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Using one of my favourite sites - www.aferry.to I've also got that Norfolkline price. Also got £282.89 Eurotunnel, £220 LD Lines (Portsmouth - LeHavre), £114.50 P&O, £94.50 SeaFrance. These are only for 2.5m high X 6.5m, so the height thing might need to be checked.

That Norfolkline price is incredible!

Gerald


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

Hi
We booked the Seafrance Dover-Calais Carnet offer and got 3 return crossings for £192 (£64 per return) to be taken at anytime over the year from the date of the first crossing. We had and 8m Burstner at time of booking and the price was unaffected.
Sally


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

geraldandannie said:


> , so the height thing might need to be checked.


They do need checking. I cocked up this year when I booked with Norfolkline. I forgot to put in the height. I went out no probs but on return From France I had to stump up another 75 Euros. It was going to be 125 Euros until I argued the toss with them. They have a height sensor and if you are over your said height it beeps and you pay or you don't get on.

Johnny F


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Just had this response by email from Norfolkline: -

"Thank you for your recent email which has been forwarded to the Customer Services Department. 

The fare you have quoted and seen advertised on our website is the standard brochure fare for vehicles over 2.4 metres in height, however we are currently negotiating the offer fares for this vehicle category which will be placed on our website once confirmed, within the next 7 days.

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused."

Are the brochure fares a work of fiction then?


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

At least you got a fairly quick and (more or less) helpful comeback - which is more luck than I had searching for headlamp protectors. (See my post of a couple of minutes ago).

The whole pricing structure is governed by the prevailing wind direction, with a 25% influence according to the phase of the moon at the time of booking (not sailing).

Can't understand why you are confused by it? :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Zebedee,

Guess I'm either thick or cheap!

Was going to ask them about the demand elasticity relating to their prices, but then couldn't be bothered. Seafrance price is £70. Now who should I book with - the bacon rolls on seafrance are really really awful.

B16duv


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

b16duv said:


> Zebedee,
> 
> Guess I'm either thick or cheap!


Neither makes you a bad person in my book!!   



b16duv said:


> Now who should I book with - the bacon rolls on seafrance are really really awful.
> B16duv


No contest. I'd take my own bacon butties!!   

70 quid is not bad for that time of year. Get in quick! :roll:


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## tude (Feb 9, 2008)

hi just booked norfolk line out dec 20 coming back 02/01/09 3 metres high
£78 return mike ps 7.6 long


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

tude said:


> hi just booked norfolk line out dec 20 coming back 02/01/09 3 metres high
> £78 return mike ps 7.6 long


There's no rhyme nor reason to it is there! :roll: :roll:

I'm confused!! 8O :? :? :?


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

I'll try again, and if the price is right, I won't need to make my own bacon butties!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

b16duv said:


> I'll try again, and if the price is right, I won't need to make my own bacon butties!


Be quick. I just had another look and the data I put in this morning had been remembered.

This is what came up this time! What on earth are the daft buggers playing at, and more to the point - *if you had booked this morning for £490 and found this a few hours later, would they have given you a refund????*


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## christopherobin (Mar 26, 2007)

We always use the tunnel .

Check the link

Chris

Going out Folkestone to Calais | Friday 19 December 2008

Standard £73 £128 £128 £128 £128 £116 £93 £106 £118 £118 
Standard Only available in conjunction with an inbound Standard fare

Previous day Next day

Coming back Calais to Folkestone | Friday 02 January 2009

Standard £61 £61 £61 £76 £95 £118 £118 £95 £95 £95 
Standard Only available in conjunction with an outbound Standard fare

Previous day Next day

LINK


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

b16duv said:


> Zebedee,
> 
> Guess I'm either thick or cheap!
> 
> ...


Did you remember the 10% MotorhomrFacts subscriber discount with SeaFrance?


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## buttons (Dec 19, 2005)

I think that it should also be noted that Norfolk Line only charge car tariff for all vehicles below 2.4m. Unlike the rest who state 1.8m as max for car tariff and charge accordingly, This is a real benefit for the smaller campers. Great ferry operator, wouldn't use anything else. £67 return back in July/August.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

I use the IOM boat frequently, so I am used to extortionate fares, Norfolk line seems a positive bargain compared with the most expensive travel here. but I can still do a return in winter for £99. The trick is to choose your dates, avoid bank holidays, half terms, the week after school breaks up and before it returns and special occasions, try to travel mid week, if you can. Book early, expect to pay more if late or busy, 

Its just like easyJet and we don't complain about that. So Norfolk Line was expensive, so use another routre, that is where IOM is let down we have a monopoly and no choice


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

thieawin said:


> I use the IOM boat frequently, so I am used to extortionate fares, Norfolk line seems a positive bargain compared with the most expensive travel here. but I can still do a return in winter for £99. The trick is to choose your dates, avoid bank holidays, half terms, the week after school breaks up and before it returns and special occasions, try to travel mid week, if you can. Book early, expect to pay more if late or busy,
> 
> Its just like easyJet and we don't complain about that. So Norfolk Line was expensive, so use another routre, that is where IOM is let down we have a monopoly and no choice


Hi Thieawin

You're missing the point a bit I think - or at least part of it.  

I entered data on their "Booking In" site in the morning, and was quoted £490.

In the afternoon I went back for a second look. My data had been remembered so I just clicked "Quote!" and it came back as £78.

Same van, same size, same sailing dates . . . . . same everything, but a few hours later the price had changed from £490 to £78.

How can they explain that?? :? :? :?


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

No, I do not miss the point, at all. It just means they have a very sophisticated booking system

It is in their best interests first to have each vessel/sailing full to break even and thereafter to be equally full

I suspect their system constantly weighs up load factor, cancellations and even predictions and moves the fares around to make some sailings more attractive and others less so.

After a cancellation, fares may drop, if there is a big surge on one sailing its fares may rise and others fall. If a sailing had been exeopcted to be high demand so fewer cheap seats/vehicle lengths but it proves not to nbe then its price will be allowed to fall.

Very simple micro economics supply and demand really but needs a very sophisticated system. I do understand why you might find it confusing. But it isn't, when you think about it.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

thieawin said:


> No, I do not miss the point, at all. It just means they have a very sophisticated booking system
> 
> It is in their best interests first to have each vessel/sailing full to break even and thereafter to be equally full
> 
> ...


There's only one conclusion I think!

I must be thick!! :roll: :roll:


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Remember the Sea France "carnet" ticket!!!

If you make at lease 2x returns to the france in 12 months its the way to go!

Buy 3x return ticket; sell one to a friend; travel on almost any ferry you want - fully flexible

All for around £64 per return.

(or less if you get more frequent package)


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Zebedee,

I don't think you're thick, i agree that Thieawin is missing the point! I can't travel outside school holidays, as I take the children with me. I think social services (and the kids) might object if I left them. It's about personal choice really, when to travel.

It would be like me saying that if the Isle of Man ferry is expensive, move to the mainland then the ferry price wouldn't be an issue!

It is funny though, how the price dropped a couple of hours after I raised it with Norfolkline - coincidence I guess.

B16duv


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

The gact you cannot travel outside school gholidays etc means you are penalised for travelling at times of high demand, but that is the market place, its the sme for trains, tube fares, plane fares, why not ferries

and Zebedee I wass not suggesting you were thick, just explaining why and how it happens.


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> Remember the Sea France "carnet" ticket!!!


Downside of that for us is that the friend I'd give a ticket to is a tugger so hge'd have to pay extra for his caravan. No incentive for us to go for that as we woiuldn't do more than 2 trips per year.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

thieawin said:


> and Zebedee I wass not suggesting you were thick, just explaining why and how it happens.


Didn't think for a minute that you were.   

I simply can't understand how the price can drop from £490 to £78 in the space of about three hours - might even have been less.

If you have any tips on how to ensure I book just* after *the price has dropped so dramatically, I'm all ears!!!   :roll:


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

Very interesting. Every time we check the prices (Sea France) then check again they go up! So our standard practice, now, is to decide when we want to go and book it.
Last Xmas the discount code from a couple of companies we knew did not work or were ignored by the system but the price was reasonable.
We tend to sail at night and pre book a meal so we are immediately on our hols' (as the nominated driver my wine is kept in the bottle and used in cooking later or drunk when parked up on site).
If I wanted bacon butties, then the bacon would be from our local butcher and cooked in the 'van 'cos Suzie makes they best bacon butties, worthy of a Michelin Star. (IMHO)  
The original price for the ticket (490) has to of been a "glitch" in the system as it is just too perverse a price, one that could scare off existing customers and possible future ones.
Rob.


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