Submission - Ferry Service Concession Agreement Review - Anonymous 19 - 15 January 2026
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15 January 2026 - Anonymous 19
To: Scrutiny Communications <[email protected]> Subject: Ferry Travel Feedback
I have travelled several times with DFDS to the UK by fast and slow ferries during 2924.
In summary I think the services are far worse than Condor, the ships are patently not fit for purpose and the customer service at a macro (company) level is thoughtless, insincere and flawed in communication transparency (individual staff I have found to be perfectly good though). The website and booking are confusing and frustrating. DFDS do not respond to feedback or to online reviews (e.g.Tripadvisor - where they score 2.1 out of 5).
More specifically I have found these individual aspects poor;
- when booking, the arrival time of the vessel is NOT displayed until a booking is complete and paid for. Unacceptable. I should see this information clearly when transacting, and not need to refer to a timetable.
- boarding times from Jersey are communicated as arrive three hours prior to departure'. This is hugely excessive - unfair to cyclists and motorcyclists in particular during poor weather and universally is likely to give visitors a sour final memory of Jersey, as well as excessively wasting their last day of a visit. Boarding STARTS 40 minutes before departure and rarely any sooner.
- services are broadly unreliable. When delays frequently occur, DFDS social media will still be announcing "All European services are running to schedule" - I.e. mistruth, which must be known to their teams.
Ultimately, DFDS should not have been competitive in the recent tender, particularly in the period AFTER Guernsey had chosen Brittany Ferries unless they were head and shoulders a better proposition. They were not. Frankly I question the decision making process. The company currently enjoys near zero confidence. Which in the space of 10 months is remarkably bad.
- ships are shockingly uncomfortable unless additional supplemental seating is paid for
- and if it is, seats should be individually selectable.
- insufficient cabins for overnight sailings. Always sold out. Travelling overnight without sleep is miserable and very dangerous to drivers.
- no effort to provide USB charging points, UK plugs, any Genuine Jersey products.