Always wanting to experience something different, when DFDS UK introduced a day shopping trip from Dover to their +/- 1000sqm shopping centre within their Dunkerque ferry terminal hub, I simply had to book up.
I hope you like my collage below; I tried to capture all the elements of this trip.
For the cost of just £30 per person for a nine hour day trip, a luxury coach to the Port of Dover, return ferry crossing to France, two meals and just shy of three hours for some retail therapy, who could say no?!
DFDS provide numerous pick up's throughout Kent and south east London however, for me the best pick up would be at Dover Priory Railway Station.
Arriving in (very) good time for my scheduled 0820hrs coach I was bemused to see a luxury silver grey Anderson Coach rounding the corner and approach the coach stop - is this really for me? It sure was!
Spotlessly clean the coach came to a standstill in the coach bay, doors opened and Donna, the DFDS representative, disembarked looking immaculate wearing full uniform, holding a clipboard and with a genuine smile welcomed us aboard - she will be will be our rep for the whole day. This is going to be a great trip!
Settling into our very comfortable seats our passports and Covid-19 vaccination documents are checked before we head down to the Port of Dover; a journey of only ten minutes but, if you are being picked up at one of the other stops within Kent/London you will truly be able to appreciate what the coach has to offer; large tables, power sockets, USB points, WC and coffee making facilities - how good is that!
Depending on the size of the group some coaches may not have tables, but the same luxurious surroundings will still be evident.
Enroute to the port Donna explained the immigration procedures for getting through; we may need to disembark and present our documents to the authorities - which we duly did but all this was built into the schedule so no rushing was involved and all was very calm arriving at the ferry berth in good time for the 10am sailing to Dunkerque.
That's the great thing about having a rep with you for the whole day; should anything occur which will effect the schedule, procedures are in place to implement a contingency.
Let's get on the ferry
After a short wait in the vehicle lane within the Port of Dover we duly dove towards the ferry berth. Donna explained we would be parked adjacent to one of the ships' elevator/staircases, which is great!
My vlog is at the end of this blog and clearly shows the convenience of being parked this close.
On board the Dunkerque ferry
The crossing time from Dover to Dunkerque is around two hours.
Three identical purpose built ferries, which have been continuously upgraded over the years, operate the route; Dover Seaways, Delft Seaways and Dunkerque Seaways. So, being identical, no matter what ferry you travel aboard you will find continuity and the same standards and facilities.
Here is a walk about tour filmed by 'A2B via Sea on TV' showing what you can expect to find aboard - the ships are impressive!
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It seems the spec when designing these three ships was to incorporate as much natural light as possible, allowing spectacular views of the passing vistas - this was certainly achieved!
At the forward end of the ship is a truly impressive double height atrium accommodating the 7 Seas Restaurant; a fully carpeted facility decorated in earthy pastel tones of beige, brown and green.
Recent refurbishment has created an uncluttered, clean, fresh look with a nod towards travel with the beautiful framed pictures and booths resembling cabanas.
No matter where you are sitting you will be unable to glance away from the spectacular curved wall of glass which dominates the restaurant; every time I come aboard these ships I am still impressed!
Meals are served from a spacious counter service servery - all well presented and tasty. Don't forget your free meal voucher is accepted in here so why not use it and enjoy a hearty breakfast on your outward journey and a dinner on your return - it saves purchasing a
take-away or cooking when you get home as the portions in the 7 Seas Restaurant will fill you up!
Other dining options are the Pizzeria and the Lighthouse Café
Pizzeria
Lighthouse Café
The later dominates the after end of the lower deck and spans the whole width of the vessel allowing natural light to flood in, particularly from the double height windows on the starboard side so if you are sitting here sipping a piping hot coffee or indulging in a moist cake, you will see the sandy coastline of the French coast as you sail towards Dunkerque and the majestic White Cliffs of Dover on your return journey.
Decorated in attractive candy colours being in here is a treat for your eyes AND your taste buds!
Within this area you will find a children's playroom and a shop.
The later is well worth a visit as it is an Aladdin's Cave of goodies - a great selection of products and all at fantastic prices.
The three ferries operating the Dover / Dunkerque route have extensive, comfortable seating areas however, if you'd really like to spoil yourself, and why not as you are saving lots of money today, why not upgrade to the new 'Relax Lounge' or the 'Premium Lounge'.
The Premium Lounge is located to the right hand side off a highly attractive foyer on the upper deck
Upon entry to the lounge, which is payable at a small surcharge, you are greeted by a polite, friendly and courteous member of staff who will welcome you with a glass of Prosecco and escort you to a seat of your choice, whether it be a tub chair of a highly comfortable sofa.
Not too dissimilar to an airport business lounge, you can be assured of a quiet environment to relax during the journey, either watching the passing vistas through the floor to ceiling windows or whilst curled up watching the TV.
Complementary snacks, good coffee and soft drinks are all available - just help yourself! Plus, if you have any allergies don't worry as a comprehensive list of potential allergens within the snacks is readily available for your perusal.
The 'Relax Lounge' is located to the left hand side of the foyer and like the Premium Lounge next door, is accessed via a key code entry system.
Spacious booths surround individual faux leather reclining chairs, each with their own foot rest and side table.
There is plenty of room to stretch out and if you are seated near the windows it is almost a certainty you will peacefully doze off as you watch the sea gently pass by.
Don't sleep too long though as in no time we arrive at the French Port of Dunkerque and are called down to the vehicle deck to re-board the coach.
Although the DFDS Duty Free store is directly opposite the ferry berth it is first necessary to pass through the French customs and immigration check points, drive out of the port and then re-enter to have your documents checked again.
The DFDS representative is with you during all of this so if there are any queries or issues they are readily available.
Don't worry, this is all built into the schedule and in no time you are pulling up outside the shopping centre.
A dual staircase will take you up to the duty free store but if you have walking difficulties don't worry as there is an elevator just off the entrance foyer.
This is what awaits you....!
Press PLAY...
The shop, although huge, is clearly sectioned into beers, confectionary, toys, etc. so it is easy to navigate.
The wine section is unsurprisingly vast but don't worry as each type is also defined so you can find what you are looking for with ease.
DFDS personnel are readily available within the shop. All speak perfect English and are more than happy to help you; they are all extremely friendly! Again, your DFDS representative is also close by and they too will be able to help you.
Although you have plenty of time to explore the shop there is also the added bonus of being able to reserve your goods in advance - all your chosen items already collected from the shelves and placed on a trolley by the 'Reserve and Collect' booth within the shop. How good is that!
With your purchases paid for it's time to load up the coach. This time we leave the shop not by a flight of stairs or elevator, but by a ramp which descends down to the pavement outside - brilliant!
If you still have time from all your shopping, a bank of vending machines can be found within the terminal on the upper floor; go to the top of the stairs and they can be found on the left around the corner.
Within no time we are called forward to boarding and again being positioned right by the ships stairs/elevator, access to the vessels amenities is easy.
As all the ferries on this route are the same, you may have already identified your favourite spot from the outward voyage earlier in the day.
Perhaps having read this blog you'd like to treat yourself to the Premium Lounge for your return journey - just head over to the ships information desk (which is located in the middle of the ship in a split level atrium) and the personnel will be more than happy to assist you.
Note the wheelchair DFDS provide should passengers have walking difficulties
In no time at all we arrive back at the Port of Dover.
Were we really away for 9hrs?!
The DFDS Duty Free Shopping Trip to Dunkerque is an EXCELLENT product.
This whole trip; luxury coach, return ferries, two meals, a representative for the whole day and time for shopping, cost £30pp (subject to change)
Would I recommend this trip? Absolutely!
In fact, DFDS offer a similar product to the Port of Calais too - I cannot wait to try that trip out!
Here is my vlog of the journey so you can see the trip through the eyes of
A2B via Sea
Enjoy!
I did this trip about a month ago and agree that it’s excellent value for money, and the rep From DFDS was amazing.
My thoughts on the product:
1) Having food vouchers both ways almost feels too much? After a full english on the outbound sailing, I didn’t have much room for a meal on the way back so just had a sandwich.
2) Would be great if they offered a ”premium” version of the product which included the premium lounge both ways, I’d happily pay £50 for this.
3) There clearly a lot of capacity on the buses and it was good to see on the DFDS website recently that foot passengers can also use this service; although that…