# Norfolkline?



## solentviews (May 9, 2005)

I am booked to go away with Norfolkline on Saturday 9th June and return on Saturday 16th June. Unfortunately my wife has been unable to get cover for her to be away for the whole week. (She is still working on it!)
At present she can be away until the Tuesday and Norfolkline only has space on the late night ferries for a motorhome. Has anyone any experience of just turning up and getting a place due to a non arrival or cancellation. Just hoping.
Thankyou
Ian


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

*Norfolkline*

Hi Ian.

Last year we used Norfolkline. Very cheap, no problems. We arrived at Dunkerque just after 11:00pm for our 2:00am return sailing.

"Is there space on the 12:00 midnight?" we asked. 
"Oh yes, not a problem. But we want more money!"

Our return fare was £78. To sail on an empty ship an hour early would have cost an extra £16 or so. "Thank you," we said. "We'll wait in the car park!"

We spent the next 2 hours having late supper and playing scrabble.

I guess it's a case of "You pays your money and takes your choice." I certainly don't see why you would be turned away from a near-empty ferry if you were prepared to pay any extra.

Best wishes from UncleNorm.


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## Texas (May 9, 2005)

We often turned up ahead of schedule and been able to get an earlier ferry, cost about £10 for the privilege, but the charges may have gone up now.

We've never been on a ferry yet that was 'full to bursting' :wink: 

Texas


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Ian

You don't say which ferry time you are booked for but it's worth checking the NorfolkLine website to see which sailings are the same or cheaper than the one you've actually booked.

They usually only charge you if the ferry you are trying to get on is dearer than the one you've booked.


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## solentviews (May 9, 2005)

I checked with Norfolkline by phone and they tell me that the only available slots for a motorhome on the tuesday are 2200 or midnight same applies to wednesday. I was booked for the 1500 on Saturday. No problem to me as I have arranged the week off but for wife who currently needs to work wednesday it would be nice to get back at a reasonable time.
Thankyou
Ian


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We've never paid for a different ferry and have practically never gone on the time we booked. This is true of both P&O and Norfolkline. We've always been waved through as we arrive.

The fact that there are lanes at Dover and Calais for " Sailings without ticket" leads me to think that you can turn up, un-booked, and buy a ticket there and then for the next available sailing. If they are full then that might mean you have to wait but I bet, on that date, that you won't have to.

G


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## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

I think Norfolkline cottoned on to the fact that a lot of people were booking the cheaper crossings and turning up early or later with the hope of going at that time. Thereby they were losing revenue.

In the past they allowed you to do this without additional cost, but those days appear now to be gone.  



Andrew


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

androidGB said:


> I think Norfolkline cottoned on to the fact that a lot of people were booking the cheaper crossings and turning up early or later with the hope of going at that time. Thereby they were losing revenue.
> Andrew


Given- with equal sea conditions- the cost of fuel and so on for each trip is fixed the only variable is what you pay your staff and what you pay the port to dock and service the boat.

I don't know this but it would make sense to think that staff have to be paid more to work at night and that this applies too to the port charges.

This should make the night time, anti-social hours, crossings the most expensive in terms of costs to the ferry company.

Why then are they the cheapest for the passenger ? Because the ferry company wants to discourage people from crowding on to those boats and leaving the night time crossings empty ?

BUT, if someone does turn up for an earlier or later crossing, as we all do from time to time, then 
it makes no sense for the boat to sail half empty leaving a quay-side full of cars and then to have the next crossing full to bursting and staff working flat out to cope. The ferry company loses no money if they take the passenger in those circumstances and the passenger is left satisfied - and tells their friends.

I wonder if there are statistics showing how many turn up and go on a more expensive crossing because of this and if the numbers are equalled by those who turn up early for a less expensive crossing ?

G


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## solentviews (May 9, 2005)

I do not think staff wages really are a consideration. I have been a merchant seafarer for much of my life and although you might work shifts you were still salaried which takes into account unsocial hours. I was deep sea, but at times we had the rock dodgers working for us and as I understand it the crew onboard would work trip on trip off so it wasn't a bad deal only working for 6 months of the year. Deep sea I worked roughly 4 months on and 2 months off and things have improved since I retired and now they are working towards 4 months on and 4 months off.
Ian


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Whether this applies to Norfolkline I couldn't say but the last time I turned up very early for a Dover /Calais crossing (P&O) last year they charged me extra even though the earlier crossing wasn't on a dearer tariff to the original booked crossing. 
The Lady on the desk unofficially informed me that in general there is now a 2 hour window on the short sea crossings where they might let you on if theres room without penalty. 
Anything outside of this window and you can expect the full force of their excess charging policy 

pete


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

peejay said:


> Whether this applies to Norfolkline I couldn't say but the last time I turned up very early for a Dover /Calais crossing (P&O) last year they charged me extra even though the earlier crossing wasn't on a dearer tariff to the original booked crossing.
> pete


Pete...out of interest did you go to the ticket office and ask to change your time or simply drive up to the booth as usual and hand over your ticket ?

The latter method has ( touch wood, fingers crossed) not failed us yet with both P&O and Norfolkline - last time was 3 weeks ago with P&O when we arrived early for our afternoon crossing. Admittedly the 10am crossing was practically empty but as we arived only 15 minutes before it sailed they could reasonably have said it was closed rather than rushing us across to board. We didn't ask to go on the earlier crossing, simply handed over our ticket and she asked us if we'd like to go then.

We'd only paid £10 return for our ticket so any crossing was going ot be a more expensive one.

G


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> Pete...out of interest did you go to the ticket office and ask to change your time or simply drive up to the booth as usual and hand over your ticket


We drove straight up to the booth. Done it many times before with P&O and no charge, this was the first time we've been charged extra and they wouldn't budge. It was 2 days early but you would think that getting on an earlier ferry that had space would free up more space on later ferries to make more profit - wouldn't it ?

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-22207.html

We go SeaFrance now 

pete


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Our trip last September cost us £7.50 extra with Seafrance to go on an earlier crossing. worse decision we have made. 5 coach loads of kids, teachers in the bar, kids running riot. I will stick with Norfolkline.
We have just come back 6 weeks early with NL as Shirley unwell.No Charge.
Cheers Sid


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## philjohn (May 29, 2005)

As a regular Norfolkline user have turned up early on several instances and have never had to pay extra.

Phil J


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

A week ago yesterday we turned up at seafrance on friday and asked if we could change from the sunday a.m. to saturday a.m. and i was charged 6 euro so i asked why and the reply was admin. costs, for 6 euro i wasn't bothered, the guy next asked to change from saturday a.m. to 19.30 hrs. on the friday and was charged 26 euro for the privledge.

Bob


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