Irish Ferries new ship

MickyMac

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Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 07.10.2017 · #1

I see Irish Ferries have named their new ship: WB Yeats. Not very original! interesting to see the timetable to be released at the end of the month

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 07.10.2017 · #2

Just hope it will do the French route.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 07.10.2017 · #3

Apparent;ymit will be on the Dublin Port route to France.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #4

Perhaps they might move The Ulysses to the French route, at over fifty thousand tonnes it should provide very comfy crossings. Not sure how it's fixed for cabins though for the long crossing times.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #5

Quote

Perhaps they might move The Ulysses to the French route, at over fifty thousand tonnes it should provide very comfy crossings. Not sure how it's fixed for cabins though for the long crossing times.
Motorcaravanning Ireland

Now, that would be great. I hope they do.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #6

I have a buddy who is ex Irish ferries after 34 years. He was telling me recently that both the Ulysses and the Oscar wilde are both due to be dry docked for maintenance early 2018. The WB Yeats will have to cover both routes until the end of April at least. The executives in Irish Ferries have balls it up.
With the WB Yeats travelling faster between ports than any other boats, Irish Ferries will also have to renegotiate with the unionised workers in each port since the new boat will arrive earlier than its predecessors.
Lastly, he said that the travelling times between ports will be only established after the WB Yeats has completed its sea trials. During this commissioning exercise all aspects of the new boat is tested to the max, and whatever is the safest speed that the examiners decide will be the official speed of the boat. Simply put the new timetable that is due next month should be treated with a pinch of salt.
Malcolm

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #7

It just gets better and better. I just hope I can get changed to the Dublin to Cherbourg route when the timetable is released. Booked for Sept 18 on the Rosslare route, which was the only one available at the time.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #8

Quote by Mark&Wendy

It could be another "ryanair" fiasco waiting to happen.
On a different but similar note, Brittany Ferries may have to suspend part of next year routes to france from Cork because Ringaskiddy Harbour is due to be dredged, in order to develop it into a deep water berth for the huge container ships. 1 million cubic metres of materials is to be removed from the sea bed.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #9

Cobh will have a loveky aroma when the dredging is going on Malcolm

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #10

Thanks Thorn for the info, but at the end of the day it will be timed on the most economical fuel speed and how it slots into the dock workers arrival slots which is very unionised. The only time you will see a turn of speed ,is if she is late and there is a crew change over. I think they should have called her Grace O Malley as there is still a few pirates out there in the ferry world.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #11

Many ships are operated at a speed which is less than their design capability to save fuel. While the WB Yeats may well have a faster speed than the Ulysses it may be in the interest of cost savings and the avoidance of union aggro to maintain existing schedules.

BTW the France route is closed from December 16th. until February 16th. for the Oscar Wilde's annual maintenance so no unplanned disruption there.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #12

Quote by nilrac

The design of the new boat is supposedly shave between 2 to 3 hours off the Dublin/Cherbourg route, so do they leave late to arrival on time at the other end?
Ryanair for all of it's faults, has fractured the unions at airport landing crews but we all know that the ferry companies are following the same business model.
I don't want to frighten folks here, but please bear in mind there is a major change coming in our crossing to France, which may not be as easy to implement by Irish Ferries management as they think, but as costumers, we are the folks who suffer most.
Malcolm

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #13

Quote by baguette

I agree with you on that one but the balls up is because there is two boats to dry dock for major maintenance and there is room for only one boat at a time, Irish ferries have left themselves tight on time frames. This is the information that has been given to me.
Malcolm

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #14

Jeez. How did getting a new ship suddenly become a potential disaster for people's travel plans. Seems like a glass half empty way of thinking to me

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.10.2017 · #15

Totally agree.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 09.10.2017 · #16

Over inflate your tyre's and just drive

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 09.10.2017 · #17

Quote by nilrac

I don't want to frighten folks here, but please bear in mind there is a major change coming in our crossing to France, which may not be as easy to implement by Irish Ferries management as they think, but as costumers, we are the folks who suffer most.
Malcolm

Well you got me worried. What do you mean by "a major change"?

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Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 09.10.2017 · #18

Maybe this will give you a hint,

The cruise ferry will also adhere to 'Ice Class' specification, meaning it has a strengthened hull capable of navigating icy seas, :shock:

motorhomeing in northern Europe? get the Snow chains and the heaters serviced.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 09.10.2017 · #19

Please note the above quote is not from me, but to try and explain the ice workings of a ships certification. Irish Ferries probably do not own but lease this craft on a long term. So when this or any other ship is designed it is made to operate between a northern latitude and a southern one. So if it is on charter to a northern shipper say in Canada to run between the mainland and Newfoundland it needs the Ice certification . Irish Ferries old Roslare /Pembroke Dock ferry is still running under charter between the New Zealand Islands.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 10.10.2017 · #20

From what I have been told, Irish Ferries management were about two months late ordering the new boat. The Ulysses and the Oscar Wilde both will be parked for a while due to maintenence at the end of this year and into early next year. Considering the amount of time and effort that has to go into training the new crews on the WB Yeats,and if there is any delay of delivery of the new boat from the shipyard, there will be alot of pressure on Irish ferries to keep their existing bookings.
Also the routes travelling times will be adjusted allow for the new travelling times between the ports which will lead to changes in the docking crew working times.
My source believes that it could be March by the time the WB Yeats will be running smoothly.
From a motorhome point of view, not many will be travelling to Europe in early spring.
Irish Ferries have purchased the new boat using €70 million from the European Investment Bank and the balance from their own sources.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 03.11.2017 · #21

Been looking at our second trip for next year out in August and back Nov or Decemeber. It seems from October 2018 that The Epsilon is the only ferry sailing and it just sails Cherbourg to Dublin Port. Its getting rather confusing at the moment for returns after September . Also the Epsilon would not be great on a rough sailing.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 03.11.2017 · #22

This Just came in on Email a few minutes ago ,from Irish Ferries.

So our ship now has a name and we thought you might like to know that W.B. Yeats is now open for bookings!

Our new luxury cruise ferry will sail from Dublin to France, July to September 2018 and then move to the Dublin - Holyhead route for the rest of the year; so you will have lots of opportunity to come on board and sample all that this amazing ship has to offer.

While having a look at some dates I noticed the Roscoff to Rosslare rout closes on the the 8th September 2018.they are pulling the dates back every year , but they still haven't forgot how to Rip Off
The difference between Dublin and Rosslare going out 63 euro and return 18 euro.
Basic cabin on the WB out, 129 window 119 limited view 99 no window , return 84-- 79--74 same cabins
on the OW 69 window 59 no window.
But we do live on an Island where the Government couldn't care less abut how we are ripped off , they only learn from others, how to do it themselves .

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 04.11.2017 · #23

Thanks Martin, just changed my booking for next September to the new ship. Cost an extra 75 euro. Not bad to save a drive to and from Rosslare.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 05.11.2017 · #24

Quote by Thorn123

Quote by Mark&Wendy

Hope they don't do the same as they did here in Cornwall and dump it all about a mile offshore where it has drifted in and killed off a huge swathe of marine plant and animal life, not to mention the contaminants that are now in everything that is still alive!

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 08.11.2017 · #25

I asked in an email about return sailings for the later part of 2018. ALL I can say is pray for a calm sailing back to Ireland.
The Epsilon will be the Only ship sailing from September 18th to the 29th of December 2018.

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Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 09.11.2017 · #26

That in itself is as good a reason to take a short break in the UK on the way home from France. Calais/Dover,France /Plymouth and then Rosslare.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 09.11.2017 · #27

Yoir right but thinking of coming back mid December and that 360 mile drive from Dover to Holyhead isn't nice.

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 11.11.2017 · #28

Having had a really bad crossing which lasted an extra 6hours the Dover Holyhead route becomes quite enjoyable

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Re: Irish Ferries new ship

· Posted: 11.11.2017 · #29

A couple

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