DFDS Seaways, North Holland Province, The Netherlands

4Norwany 5:00 PM Jul 30, 2022

Convenient way to travel from and to Scotland
We took our car from Germany to Scotland this year. On the way to GB we crossed via Calais and Dover. On our return we used the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. This was certainly the best way to end our two weeks holiday. The boat ride was smooth, the services provided on board more than sufficient for the trip and the staff was friendly. The boat itself does not compare to e.g. the ferry boats from Color Line (Kiel - Oslo), but was sufficient. Next time we will spend a little more money though and book a cabin in the Commodore class. The other cabins are on decks 4-6 and rather noisy plus lots of vibrations from the engine room.

3mrbasstrombone 5:00 PM Nov 7, 2022

Foot passenger 'mini cruise'
I went for a 'mini cruise' with DFDS from Ijmuiden to Newcastle which involved a 16 hour overnight crossing, 6 hours ashore, then back again. Many ‘mincruisers’ get the bus from the port to Newcastle, but I just walked to the metro and spent the day in Tynemouth and North Shields. The ship is modern and spacious. My cabin was basic and clean but there was no TV. Wifi ranges from €3 (1 hour) to €17/€22 (24h). There are two restaurants, three bars, one with late night entertainment, a coffee shop, cinemas and a duty-free shop. I didn’t buy any food on board so cannot comment, but seemed pricey. The beer on offer in the bars is typical low-quality stuff found on most ships, with the Heineken influence written all over it. The only English beer on offer was canned John Smiths, one of the most insipid beers in Britain. Foot passenger disembarkation, like other ships in my experience, is a chaotic and haphazard affair with lots of waiting for the doors to open, and the day I travelled there were maybe 150 waiting to get off. To avoid standing in a long queue at passports my advice is to get to the top of the stairs for a quick getaway!!