DFDS Seaways Newcastle to Amsterdam.

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Slick

Guru
I don't suppose anyone has any suggestions for reducing the cost of 2 adults with 2 bikes on the above route?

I don't think I'm being miserable but I don't really like paying headline prices if I can avoid it and it's not something I've done often enough to have any inside knowledge.
 

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
I don't suppose anyone has any suggestions for reducing the cost of 2 adults with 2 bikes on the above route?

I don't think I'm being miserable but I don't really like paying headline prices if I can avoid it and it's not something I've done often enough to have any inside knowledge.
The online booking system is not set up to cope with bicycle as a mode of transport. Is it just you or are you going with someone else? If two or more people are going, the online system makes you make 2 separate bookings. As a cabin comes as standard, you end up with two cabins where you only want one and it is more expensive than 2 people in one car. My friend recently went as a family of 4 with 2 adult bikes, 2 children's bikes and a trailer. The only way to do it is to phone them up.
 
OP
OP
Slick

Slick

Guru
The online booking system is not set up to cope with bicycle as a mode of transport. Is it just you or are you going with someone else? If two or more people are going, the online system makes you make 2 separate bookings. As a cabin comes as standard, you end up with two cabins where you only want one and it is more expensive than 2 people in one car. My friend recently went as a family of 4 with 2 adult bikes, 2 children's bikes and a trailer. The only way to do it is to phone them up.
Ahh, I did wonder and embarrassingly, the last time I was on the boat I did have 2 cabins and couldn't really work out why. It was years ago though. :shy:

Mrs Slick is coming too, and with meals it's quoting £558 I think it was but you can get a mini cruise for £350.
 

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
The whole bikes and ferries thing really annoys me. In my head it should be much cheaper to take 2 people and 2 bikes than 2 people and a car - bikes take up much less space. On my recent Dover - Dunkirk trip it cost £100 for both of us. If we had taken the car it would have cost £110.
 
OP
OP
Slick

Slick

Guru
The whole bikes and ferries thing really annoys me. In my head it should be much cheaper to take 2 people and 2 bikes than 2 people and a car - bikes take up much less space. On my recent Dover - Dunkirk trip it cost £100 for both of us. If we had taken the car it would have cost £110.
All the local ferries that I can think of in Scotland are free, which is as it should be.
 

AndyRM

XOXO
Location
North Shields
Sound advice from @Julia9054 to which I'd only add check local radio stations (Metro Radio is probably best, when I worked there we did loads with them) and papers (The Journal/The Chronicle/News Guardian) as they may have special offers.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
3.2% Quidco but that’s no good by phone
 
OP
OP
Slick

Slick

Guru
Just thought in the interest of anyone else thinking of doing the Newcastle sailing to Holland I'd update what I've found.

Mrs Slick was on 1 couch on her tablet and I was on the other, searching DFDS website and each time we would get different prices and you can't book the bike online anyway so you need to call them. First call Mrs Slick was quoted £768 with all the extras like meals and double bed with a sea view. (you've just got to) which was even more than the website. When she complained she was passed on to another operator who apparently did know there was a deal to be had for cyclists and it was quickly reduced to £336 and they waived the £10 booking fee. Quite a difference, so it's worth asking.
 

Lookrider

Senior Member
You and mrs slick will be getting different online prices for the following reasons that I been told in past ,,,,,,,, the computer is programmed to change prices on the age old model of supply and demand
Therefore to exaggerate for example if your a booking of 10 people and you ask each and every friend to view that same holiday,,the programme assumes that each of them 10 people want 10 of them slots and re evaluates the price accordingly Especially when tickets are only sporadically released at any given price ,,,
it has also been advised in past with holidays especially,, to try and book them on a Tuesday evening if possible as there is little online traffic,,, and avoid it on a Sunday evening when everyone is doing the same,,, if you look at hotels on booking com it actually tells you how many are after the rooms,,,so the computer does in fact know a lot more than the credit we may be giving it
I would personally prefer the agents shop as there on commission and much more likely to give a deal or free upgrade ,,,,,,as ever with things like this ,,,please get some free protection and pay by credit card
 
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