I have to make an admission.
During all my years as a ferry enthusiast I have only ever travelled on a French ferry once before and that was the Saint Germain.
As a ten year old, my abiding memories of that journey were standing on the vast promenade deck and listening to the rumble of 9-cylinder diesels together with the fatherly instructions on how to shake hands properly (instructions which were to come in very useful that day!).
So, when the offer of a trip on the Rodin and Berlioz arose, I decided to accept.
© Jean – Guy Hagelstein
Rodin © Nigel Thornton (left) Berlioz © Nigel Thornton (right)
I must admit it was with a certain amount of trepidation, as I remembered past stories of dirty ships and rude crew.
Price £23 return (car & 2)
RODIN (ex Dover 08.30 hrs)
© Nigel Thornton (both)
Open plan accommodation areas in contemporary restful colours. All areas appear clean and fresh. The limited number of staff are outwardly very friendly yet appear a bit under pressure ie one person serving in “Le Relais” and “Le Pub”.
Reasonable selection of items available in the onboard shop and at competitive prices.
© Paul Cloke
© Paul Cloke
All fittings are in good condition and toilet areas are clean.
Full English breakfast £7.80 (including coffee/orange juice)
© Nigel Thornton
© Paul Cloke (both)
© Nigel Thornton (left) © Paul Cloke (right)
© Paul Cloke
© Paul Cloke
Cars 137
Freight 52
BERLIOZ (ex Calais 15.00 hrs)
© Andreas Wörteler (both)
Again open plan accommodation, same lay-out as her sister, but brighter tasteful colours and more modernistic design.
© Paul Cloke
© Paul Cloke
© Nigel Thornton
© Paul Cloke (both)
© Nigel Thornton (left) © Paul Cloke (right)
© Paul Cloke
© Paul Cloke
Much like her sister, all fittings are in good condition and toilet areas are clean.
Maintenance (painting of the exterior deck area) was being carried out during the sailing.
© Paul Cloke (all)
© Paul Cloke
Cars 149
Freight 31
Overall, personal opinion.
Extremely impressed with the ships, crew and voyage price. I wondered why I left it so long to try these ships.
Don’t rely on the “gossip” from others. Try them yourselves.
Pride of Canterbury (inbound to Calais) passing Berlioz
© Nigel Thornton (both)
Rgds
Nigel T
We would like to thank: Paul Cloke, Jean – Guy Hagelstein and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature. All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
Hello I’m wondering how the Drivers lounge will be, you now the ‘Truckers” I mean, because I’m a lorry-driver so I’m curious about that particular place.
I know you can’t get there as regular traveler without a truck or Lorry as English say, ha ha
I was traveling as lorry-driver from Dunkirk to Dover vica versa with the DFDS and I had all three of them, the best was the Delft Seaways, well for me.
The Drivers lounge was also very well and the showers on these ships were clean and keep it clean by the crew.
In the very beginning of my journeys with the DFDS the food was terrible on two of the ships, not the Delft but the others and we had made a complain about that.
Well DFDS has taken this seriously and tackle the problem with the food very well to the needs of the drivers they were drove for Nedexco in that time, the company went broke in 2012.
A few weeks ago I was traveling also with a lorry full of flowers to the UK and travel with the Stena Line from Hook of Holland with for me a “new”ship”sorry I had no attention
On the name of the ship, but also a very clean ship, except the food was terrible but perhaps only on this trip? I hope so.
With kind regards, Henk.