LD Lines Dover to Boulogne. (LD Lines)

Member Name: Dexter01

Product:	LD Lines
Date:	09/07/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and quicker crossing than other companies.

Disadvantages: Mess up of a return journey, no duty free at time of travel.

Having had a recent trip to watch Le Mans 24 Hours race in Le Mans, we required a ferry to travel across the vastness of the English Channel.
Having looked at all the normal ferry companies and foudn them to be rather expensive, we came across LD Lines.

We noticed they do a Dover to Boulogne route, which cuts the driving time on the other down by roughly an hour. We also noticed that it was brand new route for this company, including it using a brand new ferry.

At the moment, as it is a new route, they are offering a special price, being £30 each way for a car with 4 occupants. This is alot cheaper than the normal companies who take you to Calais.

It is that new a route, that on arrival at Dover port, all the normal companies have rather large signs directing you to the check in points for them, where as LD Lines has a rather small sign posted just out the way as an after thought. However, it was still adequate enough for us to locate where to go. For the person that misses the sign, it is the very first 2 check in booths as you enter the long line of booths.

Check in was extremly swift and the member of staff was very polite. We were allocated a lane to go and queue in, which was the worst part of the whole experience. The lane we got given was already full, causing us to queue in the main traffic lane, well it would have done had I not moved behind the lane next door, where it was not so full. Several cars behind me had the same problem, but it was quickly resolved by a member of staff by the lanes.

Boarding was meant to happen at 7:15am for a 7:40 departure. I have never got a ferry and boarded when they say and it was no surprise when this didn't happen, but it was only around 5 minutes late. On boarding, you could tell how new the ferry was, as everything was still shiny and bright. We later found out, the ferry was 3 days old when we used it.

The parking is over 2 levels, lower level for lorries and taller vehicles, etc, upstairs only fitted cars. It is quite a squeeze and they certainly pack you in, but they were very organised about it all. A short flight of stairs later and you were on the one and only deck the ferry has for passengers to use while in motion.

The front part of the deck has a small bar/coffee style shop and seating areas consisting of airplane style seating and armchairs around a round table. None of the seats move as they are bolted o the floor, as is the table. This is good for rough seas, but bad when there is a considerable gap between the chair and table.

The middle bit has more airplane seating, a further coffee style shop and small shop which currently sells very little as they were still waiting for licensing to come through for duty free goods. The back is more airplane seating.

That is it, nothing more and nothing less. Oh yeah, they also have several male and female toilets dotted around at convienient places. We foudn out on the return trip that the front part of the boat is going to be an exclusive members only part, but having seen it, it's nothing special and does not warrant paying more than the rest of the deck.

The crossing took one hour, which is 30 minutes less than Dover to Calais for a greter distance. Good going. Docking was doe very swift and disembarking was also very swift.

The return journey was not so great. Boarding was done on time this time, even slightly earlier and the everyone was on the ferry well on time for departure time. However, for unknown reasons, (I suspect the fact they were having a party in the front bit of the boat to celebrate the launch of the new route had something to do with it) the ferry departed 20 minutes and travelled across at a slower speed than before. This resulted in us arriving back in the UK at 6pm local time, instead of the 5pm time it should have been. I was not amused and having driven for 5 hours before hand to get there on time, I was disappointed by this.

I would use them again as they are cheap and it does cut off driving time the other side, but I hope the return journey was a one off thing for the route.

Summary: Quicker than the shorter jorney other companies do, you know it makes sense.