WTF happened to the price of ferries?

[Some Gump]

I used to travel to ireland a lot. Stena explorer HS job was about 100 quid return, with fast check in and the free cakes etc.

I've just checked the prices to get 1 car with 4 people in it from Holyhead to Dublin. 280-360 quid? It's mad, would be cheaper to fly and hire a car. Am I just being useless, or has something changed big time on the ferry market?

[majordad]

The Stena Explorer's been gone many years now, and as you said prices are up a lot, it's due to the recession being over, much more demand and fall of Sterling. The only fast ferry now is the Swift sailed by Irish Ferries. Stena had the edge but have lost it, no fast ferry and less sailings.

[PBDirector]

Well with their F1 team not doing so well and their merchandising being such blingy junk you'd expect them to be cheaper eh? Sadly their road cars are pretty good and aren't that expensive for the sector they're in.














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[magooagain]

A bit of topic but I have just paid 404 euros for Cherbourg to rosslaire return with a cabin both ways in April with Irish Ferries. Car and 2adult passengers.

I thought that to be a good deal.

[majordad]

I do the reverse journey to you ( Roslare to Cherbourg ) four times a year, price is double what you said June-Sept.

[Some Gump]

Checked Irish ferries to make sure I wasn't losing the plot...


Still cheaper by car and I've not had to drive to Holyhead and back...

[NRS]

I think it's a vicious circle. Cheap flights mean less people taking ferries. Less people taking ferries means the cost has to be spread over fewer people, so it's more expensive per person. Which then means less people take ferry and so on.

[DB89]

I'm needing to get back from Barcelona to U.K. In summer, wondering if it's worth driving or taking the ferry. Does anyone have a rough guidance of what's the best option?

[TooMany2cvs]

DB89 said:

I'm needing to get back from Barcelona to U.K. In summer, wondering if it's worth driving or taking the ferry. Does anyone have a rough guidance of what's the best option?

I'm just looking at ferries to Spain in summer. £950 return cheapest, car plus two with a cabin, £800 in recliner seats.

OTOH, we've just booked for Easter weekend Dover-Calais, £150, choice of ferries or tunnel. <shrug>

[DB89]

Cheers guys, ferry does seem so expensive. So maybe trying to do the drive won't be so bad after all.

[JamesyBoy75]

I would guess that EU ruling on low sulfur fuel use is probably responsible for a lot of the hikes, it's certainly killed off a few of the older routes, if vessels need to undergo conversion then the cost likely means routes become uneconomical.

[djc206]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

We are making a trip back to the UK in July.

Rotterdam - Hull ferry was £650 return.

Flights for 3 + decent hire car, £200 all-in.

Utterly mental.

And you don't end up in Hull!

[K50 DEL]

I'm off to Ireland in June with Mum and Sister, ferry from Cairnryan to Larne was about £350 rtn I think... far more than I was expecting but still cheaper and more convenient than flying and hiring a car.

[chopper602]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Rotterdam - Hull ferry was £650 return.

Don't out of curiosity check the price of Newcastle to Amsterdam then - it adds another £300 onto that figure. I don't want to buy the bloody boat !

[67Eleanor]

Had the same problem myself.....Used to expect £200-£300 max on the return trip to Ireland..

Had a look last night to make the trip back to the emerald isle for Easter. £430 return. Add another £200 on petrol takes it up to £650 for a weekend in Ireland.

Return flights from Heathrow to Dublin less than £100 each and then rely on family for lifts and the lend of cars.

[Toaster]

Brexit Brexit Brexit, the pound has fallen oil prises are rising other costs going up I blame Brexit and this is only the begining !

[The jiffle king]

Toaster said:

Brexit Brexit Brexit, the pound has fallen oil prises are rising other costs going up I blame Brexit and this is only the begining !

Not sure that those price rises have been exclusively int he last 6 months. About 5 years ago we looked at a Ferry to Ireland and it was 350GBP return and it was only 70 quid return each for the flights. There may be a minor recent oil price/currency change, but this is not a new thing

[Riley Blue]

The jiffle king said:

Toaster said:

Brexit Brexit Brexit, the pound has fallen oil prises are rising other costs going up I blame Brexit and this is only the begining !

Not sure that those price rises have been exclusively int he last 6 months. About 5 years ago we looked at a Ferry to Ireland and it was 350GBP return and it was only 70 quid return each for the flights. There may be a minor recent oil price/currency change, but this is not a new thing

Agreed. I've been using ferries for 40 years or so. The cost increase in recent years has nothing to do with Brexit and everything to do with exchange rates and fuel costs.

[majordad]

And the elimation of the oponents ferry company. Stena and Irish Ferries match each others prices offer for offer, price by price so no real competition. Same UK - France I guess ?

[Fittster]

Riley Blue said:

[The cost increase in recent years has nothing to do with Brexit and everything to do with exchange rates and fuel costs.

?

Brexit explains the exchange rate and the fuel costs.