Ports
Dover Western Docks is more user friendly since the merger of P&O and Stena Line on the route, which took the number of ferry operators that use the port down from three to two.
The merger has streamlined the operation – there are now fewer signs to look at to find your check-in booth and getting to your lane is easy.
The situation could not be more different to Calais, which is vast and where building work has finally ended, leaving huge expanses of tarmac, with traffic seeming to come from all directions.
Calais has a network of flyovers to get passengers out of the port quickly, which does the job well, but signing is low key.
On board
Aquitaine is the biggest ship to operate the Dover-Calais route, with capacity for 2,000 passengers and 600 cars, and is packed with food and drink outlets.
In the self-service International Food Court there is Tastes of the World, with Chinese and Indian food, Fasta Pasta and Oliver and Jones, for traditional English dishes. A New York City Deli sandwich bar is next to the Harbour Lounge and sells expensive sandwiches – £3.49 for the cheapest – and salads, also £3.49. The children’s play area is in the lounge. It is small and boring, with nothing of interest for the five to 10 age range.
Langan’s Brasserie is also quite pricey, but was very popular. Dishes include ribeye steak, and bangers and mash. For teenagers, there is First Base burger bar – noisy, but popular – and the Megadrome games area, in the Silverstone’s Bar.
The Club lounge has desks and electric sockets for laptops, and passengers get a free glass of champagne, tea or coffee and other soft drinks. Light snacks are served – they are more reasonably priced than the deli.
Channel Shopping sells clothing, CDs, handbags and other items. The tax-free section, for alcohol and tobacco, opens 30mins after leaving Dover and remains open all the way to France. The tax-free section is open from Calais and closes 30mins before arriving in the UK. Prices are unchanged from duty-free days (see Factfile).
Conclusion
Aquitaine is an excellent ship in bad weather – it was the best bad-weather crossing I have been on because it was so stable. The cleanliness was especially impressive given the fast turnarounds.
Facilities are good for babies, teenagers and adults, but five-10-year-olds are not well catered for. Service is friendly and of a good standard, although the confusion at Calais was a let-down and some food on board is expensive. The Club supplement (see Factfile) is money well spent.
Safety and service
The safety announcement was very quiet, even in the Club Lounge where there was no noise to distract. Staff, who keep the ship clean, were helpful and polite. Service in the Club Lounge was excellent.
Embarkation
UK check-in was quick, but in France things did not go so smoothly. In Calais, I explained I needed to get on Aquitaine, but was told it had finished loading. There followed 5mins of negotiations as the clerk tried to get me on board. Finally checked in, I dashed to the lane, to find the ship was not loading yet.
We were an hour late leaving Dover in the morning due to gale-force winds, but time was made up by loading quickly. By afternoon, when the time came to return from Calais, the ship was running only 40mins late.
Response
John Govett,
marketing and sales director,
P&O Stena Line.
“The sheer size of Aquitaine will have helped in the bad weather. It is part of our strategy to bring on bigger ships and we have announced that we are actively looking to increase our tonnage. We have been testing concepts on board for some time to aim to have different products for different people at different prices.
“The Harbour Coffee Company has been a revelation to us, showing that people want more types of coffee and will pay for it, and Langan’s Brasserie is always one of the first to fill. We believe there are people who are prepared to pay more for the quality ingredients in our New York-style sandwiches.
“We are not chasing the egg-and-chip brigade. We want a higher proportion of A/B clients. NOP research has shown that our catering is the biggest asset we have over the tunnel. The Club Lounge is popular – we find the more people there are on board, the more there are in Club. Having the three products (see Factfile) again means we cater for everyone’s needs. But Priorite can only work if people check-in 20 minutes before the sailing. That could be why you didn’t get a Priorite pass.
“The Megadrome is popular with teenagers, but I agree that the five-10 age group is one area we have not catered for yet.”