LD Lines Norman Voyager - longish

Just back from a long weekend in Normandy - LD Lines had a special (£90
odd for four + car) on their new ferry the Norman Voyager.

Per Wessie's request, a quick write up.

On the way out it's a daytime crossing, departing Portsmouth midday.

First impressions of the boat are good. Pretty easy boarding, although
quite a steep ramp. I think a few (older than I) gimmers have complained
about that, but not me. It's a little unusual in that the decks are
really wide and open, and you drive a U turn to be ready to leave when
you dock. The very top deck is completely out in the open, deck 4 has
big open windows/portholes, ideal for letting the smell of ripe cheese
out. I didn't see where the bikes went, but there were a few bikers on
board.

The ferry is clean and bright, and presumably quite new. Signs are
English/Italian everywhere, so it looks like it may have had a previous
life in the Med.

On board there is a bar, restaurant/cafe, internet terminals (5 off
Macs) and a Cinema (didn't check that out). You can also rent DVDs to watch.

WIFI is £4/hour £8/3 hours, there is also onboard gsm (via satellite).
The WIFI was fine, except there are two different access points on
board, we spent a while trying to log onto the wrong one (which I guess
is for the crew). The downside is there isn't any signal in the cabins,
should you wish to watch any *cough* material in private. Gsm signal was
good but a fair amout of satellite delay, which I haven't experienced
for a long time.

Then the boring crossing. 5 hours, uneventful, we both worked for most
of it. I did notice some quite bad shaking of the decks now and then -
seemed to hit a resonant frequency. I guess this is due to the fact that
whole of the loading areas are completely open plan with no supporting
pillars or anything in the way.

Had a quick snooze in the cabin (inside cabin was free as part of the
deal). The cabins are much bigger than Brittany Ferries' - there's more
than enough room between the beds such that you're not crashing into
each other all the time. Ensuite shower (works well, loo, basin etc. but
only 2 towels, the cabin sleeps 4). I did have a bit of a shock when the
guy in the next cabin coughed - it sounded like he was in bed with me,
but in general the noise of the boat drowned out anything else that
might have been going on. The cabin is locked with an old fashioned key
- for which you have to leave a 'deposit' in reception. They accepted
pretty much anything - in my case a Tesco's clubcard. They have had a
lot of keys go missing.

We docked in Le Havre on time, but they seem to have difficulty
manouevering into place, and it took an extra 30 minutes before we were
allowed down to the car decks - a bit frustrating but I understand they
are getting better at it. (I have read that it was leaving hours late on
some of the first sailings)

Coming back, we arrived at Le Havre 1 hour before departure but
everything was closed. Looked at ticket, realised we were 25 hours
early. YTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTC. There's no crossing on a Sunday night, the
boat is used for Rosslare at the weekend. Drove 100 miles back to the
house, €10 tolls, drove back again 24 hours later.

Everything was on time and fine, departed at 23:00 local time. Straight
to cabin - shower, bed, sleep (well as well I can sleep on a boat).

Arrived Portsmouth 6:15, this time only 15 minutes to sort out the
docking, on the M27 and home by 07:45.

I wouldn't recommend the night time crossing without a cabin (although I
didn't look around closely, unless you can sleep in their 'sleeper
seats' (I can't), then there seems to be precious few places to lie on
the floor. (Their other boat on this route is much better for this).

So now we can make overnight crossings both ways on LD - good, but Le
Havre as an extra hours drive + tolls for us the other side,
Portsmouth/Caen is still our preferred route.

 

Useful. Ta!

Heh.

 

Oh that had me LOL.

I turned up for the Hull ferry once and my PA had transposed 18:30 into
20:30. not so good.
Hull <shudder>

 

I don't sleep too badly really. The long daytime crossings just seem to
be such a waste of time, plus, I generally feel much less woozy if I am
lying down. If I have to move around, or read a book/laptop, I can feel
quite queasy at times, even though it has been pretty calm nearly every
crossing.

 

<bad form alert>

Nearly forgot the most important thing, we arrived in perfect time for
dinner at the still excellent Le Central, Trouville (or is it Deauville?).

Bonus!

</bfe>

 

Thought about the steak tartare, but not this time. Actually went for a
simple hot goat, and very nice it was too.

 

Better early than late. Cost me an additional £600 to get the Buzby
clan back from Bangkok due to a 'misunderstanding' over departure times
when we turned up a day late. [1][2]

[1] Trail Finders - they have lost in excess of £250k worth of business
from SWMBOs company in the last 2 years due their complacency.
[2] I check the itinerary very carefully now. Then get someone sensible
to do it.

 

I turned up to a uni open day 24 hours early. Their fault really,
because for some reason that week, and that week alone, they were doing
it on the Thursday instead of Wednesday.

Still, got my own personal guided tour, a free lunch in the staff
canteen and a few pointers for pubs to kill time in before the train
home, so it wasn't all bad.

 

What, never? Not even curry? Or just not there?

 

Chevre chaud.

They had moules, but it isn't really the season for them I'm told. I had
some elsewhere recently and they weren't very good.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

?? You Berkshire lads are a weird lot.

 

Yummie.


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This would be the downer for me. Way too long for a daytime crossing,
and way too short at night for any decent kip - or do they chug the
boats along slower at night, so you get a decent eight hours' kip?
ISTR P&O did that...

*Quality*

I went over to Chepy with The Doctor and a couple of friends at the
weekend. £80 for the weekend with Seafrance (a bit pricey, but OK
split four ways). The hotel's food is still sublime - I had deboned
quail (two birds) stuffed with figs. Gorgeous. Over-indulgence at the
cheese trolley meant a restless night, mind.

The Doctor and I spent nearly 500 euros in the supermarket. The wine
rack by the Mac is filled and then some.

 

<snip>

Thanks for that.

 

Yep they chug at night. 23:00 -> 06:15 = 8-anna-bit hours.

Gives you kip time and I guess saves a bit of diesel too.

 

Why on *earth* would you need that


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Oi dunno, y'know. Oi'm quoite parrtial to a noice goat moiself, of a
cold Winter's eve.

Oi loikes to 'ave 'em on their backs, so's Oi can snog 'em, see.