Just returned from Dublin/Cherbourg return on WBY and would like to make the following comments ...
45 minute late leaving, no explanation or apologies offered.
Most disturbing... any 'announcement ' from Bridge Officers/Staff was COMPLETELY inaudible due to static/feedback/very poor quality audio which, as any information being transmitted from the Bridge can/may have significant importance is unacceptable ( I am a traveller who listens intently to any broadcast messages, for my own safety )
'Signage' on-board is lacking or very confusing, people walking around searching for cabins, I myself was directed in the complete wrong corridor which involved a 10 minute walk, with luggage, to a cabin which was 10 feet away from the 'confusing sign'
Again... confusing... shop is on deck 11 BUT only accessible by stairs on Deck 10 with no 'signage' to indicate this !
Food, I intended to book a table in the 'Lady Gregory ' restaurant for the evening meal, no la Carte Menu, just a 3 Course Set Menu which was very uninspiring and did not cater for Vegetarians or Vegans, this Menu was priced at 59:95 Euro's PER HEAD ! which would mean a bill for 120 Euros for a couple dining WITHOUT any drinks !!! will be interesting to see how this continues as, at the time I was there and also at a later period there wasn't more then 4 occupants eating, ( both Outbound and Return ! )
The Baylon 'canteen' ( my choice of word ) was well served and had a choice of very standard food ( fish and chips/curry/meat pie... but also salads... yipee ) at prices that may be acceptable onboard a Ferry ( captive market ) but what was not acceptable was a 8/10 minute wait to pay for the food, only two Tills available so , by the time you got to the Till any hot food that had been purchased was now cold, an embarrassed member of staff, hearing the various and loud complaints managed to get some 'plastic covers' to put over the plates to 'keep the heat in' ... his suggestion !!! One of the many delays at the Till was due to the Customer being informed, in a rather patronising manner, that he had not 'taken enough food and that he had to add some more items' he didn't understand, the waiting customers , myself included, didn't understand, and the Passenger eventually left his tray of food,now cold, at the Till and walked away, the Till Operative 'shrugged ' and put the Tray under the counter and said 'next' Many of the French Passengers walked straight past the Tills and said that they would eat their food whilst it was still , now only warm, and then return and pay for the meal, I wonder if any or all did this, Im sure I.F. accounts will be able to monitor this but its still not 'High Season' and the Tills/payment system couldn't cope so there may/will be very disgruntled customers come July and August. ( TWO TILLS ??? Come on Catering Management, you need to urgently re-consider this )
The WBY has not completed a full year in Passenger Carrying Service yet but is already beginning to look 'tired and tacky' the carpets on Deck 8 ( Cabins ) are badly stained by what looks like oil, this is throughout Deck 8 and to a lesser extent Deck 9 (Cabins ) the shower curtain in my cabin was 'hanging off' due to broken hooks/glide and its noticeable that the Curtains in certain parts of the Public Areas are also 'hanging off the tracks' . Chipped tables in the main eating areas and wall coverings beginning to peel away, holes/small rips in seating, I'm sure that , after this trip, Management on Board must have been made aware of the problems with prompt payment for purchased food, they must have heard the raised voices ... but the 'Housekeeping Team' and Leaders need to maintain a visual inspection on the 'snagging faults' and rectify before they become an eyesore/problem.
So ... Yes I miss the 'Oscar Wilde' which had more Bar Options, more Entertainment Options, certainly more Eating Options and was far more competitive regarding prices in Fares/Cabins and 'On-board Costs'.
The W.B.Yeats lacks any 'Soul or Charm' which, hopefully, may come in time, but at the moment it resembles a floating IKEA premise's that is functional but just a method to get from Ireland to France, when, with a bit of imagination and Management constructive input, it could be so much more.
I wonder if this Forum/Discussion-Board is 'monitored' by anyone from Customer Services / I.F ?
Kind Regards and Safe Travels
Quote from: concregg on June 03, 2019, 02:31:59 PM
Again... confusing... shop is on deck 11 BUT only accessible by stairs on Deck 10 with no 'signage' to indicate this !
I agree with some of the things you say but feel you may have gone out of your way to find offence.
As for the shop - how clear does it need to be? (http://www.hhvferry.com/IMG_9848.jpg)
FWIW it's also accessible by lift.
Wow is all I can say
I won't address all the points, but this isn't the first time I have heard the interior isn't wearing too well. Even when she was in service a matter of weeks I had heard reports of staining and chipping. Of course, this would be relatively simple to fix in refit (as is signage).
The Lady Gregory is aimed more at the top of the market - if someone can afford to even consider €1000 a night for a suite I'm sure they can manage €60 a head for a three-course meal. The size of the Lady Gregory reflects the maximum number of customers they expect to be in there at a time - it isn't designed to handle volume but to be a premium experience. I've paid more than €60 a head for a three-course meal on dry land to be fair, and we aren't talking celebrity chefs either!
Speaking as someone who used to manage a large self-service restaurant, I don't know what the capacity of Boylans is but two till terminals doesn't sound all that bad to be fair, especially on a vessel where people will not be as prone to heading for food at the same time like on shorter crossings timed at breakfast time. Of course, there are going to be times when there are hold-ups due to staff or customer error, but that doesn't mean additional tills are actually required all the time. If anything the flow should be managed at the food servery anyway (food isn't going to go cold in your hands if it isn't IN your hands), but that comes down to the individual staff being on the ball. As for there being no lift to the shop - it can be seen at the top of the stairs on HHV's photo! It is also marked on the onboard deck plan as "purple stairs and lift"!
Quote from: Steven on June 04, 2019, 02:19:36 AM
Wow is all I can say
I won't address all the points, but this isn't the first time I have heard the interior isn't wearing too well. Even when she was in service a matter of weeks I had heard reports of staining and chipping. Of course, this would be relatively simple to fix in refit (as is signage).
The Lady Gregory is aimed more at the top of the market - if someone can afford to even consider €1000 a night for a suite I'm sure they can manage €60 a head for a three-course meal. The size of the Lady Gregory reflects the maximum number of customers they expect to be in there at a time - it isn't designed to handle volume but to be a premium experience. I've paid more than €60 a head for a three-course meal on dry land to be fair, and we aren't talking celebrity chefs either!
Speaking as someone who used to manage a large self-service restaurant, I don't know what the capacity of Boylans is but two till terminals doesn't sound all that bad to be fair, especially on a vessel where people will not be as prone to heading for food at the same time like on shorter crossings timed at breakfast time. Of course, there are going to be times when there are hold-ups due to staff or customer error, but that doesn't mean additional tills are actually required all the time. If anything the flow should be managed at the food servery anyway (food isn't going to go cold in your hands if it isn't IN your hands), but that comes down to the individual staff being on the ball. As for there being no lift to the shop - it can be seen at the top of the stairs on HHV's photo! It is also marked on the onboard deck plan as "purple stairs and lift"!
Wow indeed. I take all of Steven's points.
I must say, I managed to get lost on the Cap Finistere last month when going to the cabin after boarding. This was despite the fact I had made the point of looking for the exact location online whilst we were waiting to board...
As interiors go, I must say that I like what I have seen of the WBY. The comments about durability are of concern, but I am old enough to remember similar comments about the Bretagne after she had been in service after only a few months. There were comments about the carpets looking shabby. If IF want to keep people's custom, I suspect that they will have to deal with these concerns.
Matt
We must remember the ship has won an award for design and Build for 2019. I have been on Board quite a few times and to be quite Honest the ship is very modern and is much nicer than her predecessor, although I loved oscar Wilde and have many happy memories travelling with my children I would have no hesitation to travel on WBY, she is a fine shp and we can all lets say be a bit "PIcky". If people dont want to eat in the restaurants there are very nice tables on the outside deck and a Packed Lunch can be brought and if you are travelling with a young family it can be expensive ..a little planning that suits your Budget can go a long way.
The ship's design isn't perfect in some ways (those awards were mostly won without the awarders actually having been on the ship). The main central section doesn't quite work as well as it could and is a bit austere when you're sat amongst it. The formal restaurant, upper bar and Club area though are good in most parts. The standard cabins are a bit underwhelming.
New ships often take time to win people over. I don't think she'll ever be a firm favourite for me given her awkward looks and slightly compromised interior - but give it 20 years and we'll be arranging farewell trips on the faithful old Yeats before she is replaced by Oscar Wilde 2.
The carpets are the same on Dublin Swift. They are ment to look like that so when someone throws up you will not notice,
Ikea's restaurant has more than two tills and still has queues. Also you should see the Brasserie when occupied by 11 coach loads of french pupils - hardly a table spare. As for the Lady Gregory, the old service team from Oscar Wilde are in place but even they're embarrassed by the prices. In respect of the picnic tables on Deck 11, there are 20 tiny tables and they were occupied by more french students on one of our trips.
Quote from: DaveW1946 on June 05, 2019, 06:30:17 AM
Ikea's restaurant has more than two tills and still has queues. Also you should see the Brasserie when occupied by 11 coach loads of french pupils - hardly a table spare. As for the Lady Gregory, the old service team from Oscar Wilde are in place but even they're embarrassed by the prices. In respect of the picnic tables on Deck 11, there are 20 tiny tables and they were occupied by more french students on one of our trips.
As I said above, customer flow should be controlled at the food servery. If there is a queue for food then people will normally come back later (it's not like on a ship they have a wealth of options anyway). If there is little queue for food people just want to get their hands on the food (then realise there is a queue to pay when it is too late). Since you mention IKEA, their restaurants usually have 4 tills and they are not always all manned (for much of the day it is one or even none with the till manned as required - companies don't generally pay people to sit and do nothing just in case). IKEA Belfast (once the largest restaurant on the Island of Ireland) could cater for 650+ with four tills and that is including the two busy periods - breakfast and lunch. Queues are an inevitability I'm afraid no matter how many tills and staff you have, as to be blunt there are more factors than just customers and tills here (like food supply as a given kitchen can only cater for a finite amount of people in a given time period even with all the staff in the world), but when you think about it if there were more tills and assuming the food can be cooked and served quick enough your seating problem is only going to be even worse!!! The simple solution on such a long crossing is to come back later. It's not ideal of course but that's life. Would it be better if there was an additional dining option? Possibly but that could also just move the problem elsewhere (it would also have to be different enough but attractive enough that people actually want to eat there). They could, of course, make the restaurant bigger, but then it would probably be empty much of the time and space would have to be taken from something else.
20 picnic tables actually sounds quite generous. Should they provide picnic tables for every man woman and child on the vessel year-round just in case everyone simultaneously wants to sit down outside? Large groups (of whatever nationality or educational status) are always going to be a problem for any enclosed space. Any vessel, restaurant, or public building is always a design compromise.
As chef says on the other thread on the subject, the pricing in the Lady Gregory is probably quite deliberate!
When I was on her the Lady Gregory had max 8 people, looked depressing for the staff. Boylans seemed to be constantly busy, but was coping easily. Food in there seemed fine, and pricing was fair. I found the ship decent, always be a few niggles, seat fabrics and carpets already quite stained and dirty looking.
Had an internal 4 berth cabin, was very nice if quite narrow compared to Stena on return. Sound-proofing in cabin was poor.
Will be in the Deluxe cabins and lounge and next trip this week, will be interesting to compare.
Overall nice new ship, quiet and fairly well laid out.
Quote from: Shipmate on June 17, 2019, 11:33:57 AM
When I was on her the Lady Gregory had max 8 people, looked depressing for the staff. Boylans seemed to be constantly busy, but was coping easily. Food in there seemed fine, and pricing was fair. I found the ship decent, always be a few niggles, seat fabrics and carpets already quite stained and dirty looking.
Had an internal 4 berth cabin, was very nice if quite narrow compared to Stena on return. Sound-proofing in cabin was poor.
Will be in the Deluxe cabins and lounge and next trip this week, will be interesting to compare.
Overall nice new ship, quiet and fairly well laid out.
Do you think she is an improvement on the OW?
No, not really. It is more modern, but the OW was more of a cruise ship. WB Yeats be great on a day sailing to Holyhead, not so suited to Dub/Cherbourg IMO. The smarter cabins on the OW were a better laid out, for example in the 5 star cabins you could divide the seating area off when you put kids to bed and relax in main part of cabin.
Having said all that WY Yeats is a fine ship, I will be interested to see how useful the club class lounge is?
Was on WB Yeats a week ago going to Cherbourg. They loaded all the cars in the 30 minutes before sailing which didn't go down well with those who followed the advice to arrive 2 hours before sailing. Lots of elderly french cosch passengers on board which took a good deal of the brasserie's capacity. Had a outside cabin on deck 10 with view of the stern. Very comfy but some vibration compared to lower decks on previous trips. Got a chance to use Club Class Lounge (long story). Very quiet and relaxing with superb views over the bow. Plenty of nibbles and free soft drinks. Alcohol available but again the wine is served in expensive mini bottles like the bar. Bottles of wine can be bought in the brasserie or the shop. One website error - ooked breakfast is not available in Club Class, although they do have croissants &.cakes in the mornings. Some rough weather and like previous trips the vessel was an hour late in docking. Needs a timetable rewrite.
Was on her again yesterday. Deluxe cabin this time. Much better experience than last week. Loading started much earlier at about an hour and a half before departure.
Cabin compares better to 5 star on the OW than I expected. I was very happy, minibar contains spirits as well as beer and wine. Decent coffee machine. Lounge for club class has great views.
Wouldn't pay the extra myself for it but it is much superior way to travel.
On the bad side, the breakfast in the lady Gregory is as bad as the Oscar Wilde. Not cooked to order, tepid and poor quality. Feel sorry for staff as they are excellent. Premium price and low quality.
I see from Shippax Designs 18 that the children's play area now looks a bit more like a children's play area! It's good to see that ongoing improvements are being made already, though it does make you wonder how "finished" the vessel was when originally in service!
Hopefully some of the passenger feedback will trickle back to further improvements being made.
Quote from: Shipmate on June 22, 2019, 07:04:32 AM
Was on her again yesterday. Deluxe cabin this time. Much better experience than last week. Loading started much earlier at about an hour and a half before departure.
Cabin compares better to 5 star on the OW than I expected. I was very happy, minibar contains spirits as well as beer and wine. Decent coffee machine. Lounge for club class has great views.
Wouldn't pay the extra myself for it but it is much superior way to travel.
On the bad side, the breakfast in the lady Gregory is as bad as the Oscar Wilde. Not cooked to order, tepid and poor quality. Feel sorry for staff as they are excellent. Premium price and low quality.
Disappointing to hear about breakfast. Perhaps doesn't bode well for the Lady Gregory "brand" if the product they are putting on the plate is no better than poor offerings elsewhere. Breakfast seems to be something which keeps popping up with Irish Ferries!
Nice to hear at least the premium cabins seem to be up to standard. The main criticism I've heard of the standard ones are the size (small) and bland decor (not that hard to rectify). I guess it comes down to expectations, but with Irish Ferries understandably talking up their latest acquisition peoples expectations are going to be high!
Quote from: Shipmate on June 17, 2019, 06:00:48 PM
WB Yeats be great on a day sailing to Holyhead, not so suited to Dub/Cherbourg IMO.
If and when FSG777 is delivered her public spaces are to very much be influenced by W.B. YEATS (similar vessel, more freight space and less cabins but with some big changes engineering wise), so your feedback bodes well for that. How do you think Yeats could be made a better overnight ferry (without going totally back to the drawing board and building Oscar with more vehicle deck space!) out of interest? I'm a big believer in it taking multiple trips to get a good "feel" of a vessel.
They could reduce the price of the food to start with.
I see they are offering good deals to Cherbourg on certain crossings. To access the club lounge you can pay Euro 80 for a party of four people when you book your cabin which is not bad at all.
Oscar Wilde was a unique vessel in many regards and Irish Ferries made it better. Its a pity she could not of stayed until 777 arrived, however if traffic builds up on Dublin - Cherbourg there may be justification to add a 2nd ship next summer and go back to Rosscoff.
Am aboard WBY at the minute.
They have now opened the freight lounge to public as a street food restaurant. Truckers complaining at reception about how they are been treated poorly, not happy at all.
The kids play area is mental, an accident waiting to happen.
Ways that improve ship??
Firstly it doesn't have the holiday feel, it is not like me the OW or Pont Aven.
The basic cabins are too small, can't change that now.
Kid's entertainment area is not fit for purpose, the main bar areas are too bitty. It lacks a theatre space with a stage..
The lounge is funny,some very disgruntled looking people seemingly surprised that it has loads of noisy kids in high season.
They seem to have presented staff with a poorly thought out vanity project that the onboard staff are trying to make work as they go along.
Also the WiFi, I realise we are at sea, is just awful. And I am using the premium WiFi, and have used the free one too.
Forget about WIFI on a laptop on a full ship.
While I can see the point that a WiFi system can be overwhelmed by all the connections in a full ship, I think that if a service is provided it should be capable of meeting that demand. Or is that not technically feasible?
Its not technically feasable.
Quote from: A83 on July 18, 2019, 02:55:36 PM
While I can see the point that a WiFi system can be overwhelmed by all the connections in a full ship, I think that if a service is provided it should be capable of meeting that demand. Or is that not technically feasible?
It might be possible but at huge cost and with a limited number of users. At the end of the day you are talking about establishing a high bandwidth connection with a moving object that also moves randomly up and down and from side to side, then sharing it across a ship full of big radio wave blocking metal barriers. You can only move so much data through what at the end of the day is a radio signal, even when using multiple channels. You wired connection at home probably wouldn't cope too well with a full ships worth of passengers all using it at the same time either to be honest. Neither would a 4g mobile phone if a few hundred people were trying to use its data stream simultaneously (ship, bus, and train wifi systems tend to use either a mobile internet or satellite internet data feed or a combination of both) . Ship WiFi is getting better though but not at a rate that matches our increasing demands on it.
i recently travelled across on the WB Yeats, as i wouldnt class her as a cruise ferry defo ro pax but i did find her comfortable and i had no issue with cabins found them very comfortable and spacious, the only issues i had was the lack of cruise ferry feel and the general layout of boylans Brasserie she is def design more for the short crossing being more open than overnight crossing and the bar was smaller,they did have live music which was good but the full lights were left on in the bar which kinda killed the relaxing mood.i found the food excellent in boylans and only had breakfast as a treat in the Lady Gregory as its very expensive.
there was a issue with bad vibrations a couple of times and it seemed to be when she was slowing down and one bad vibration about 2 in the morning which woke us up.the staff did not seem to enjoy working there as a smile or personality was a rare commodity. i know she is new and has no character yet even like the simple things charts showing the ships journey up would be nice. The WB Yeats is a fine big ship but i dont think she is a patch on the oscar wilde and its a shame that irish ferries didnt learn or take ideas from her,i love the promade on deck 7 on the OW that ran between the two bars fore and aft and beside the piano bar and restaurant and steakhouse and the bar on top of deck 10.i feel this is what the WB yeats lacks,she does not follow in the feel of previous ferries on the run paddy killian normandy and the oscar wilde
A lot of the staff on WB Yeats are from the Oscar Wilde and aren't happy with the new ship, including the fact that they now have to share cabins, which they didn't on the Oscar. Some are embarrassed by the prices charged in the Lady Gregory
Lets see what happens after Irish Ferries review the summer season,
I am sure they have received enough criticism from the public that they may make some changes.
I have heard that there is a possibility of Swift operating until Christmas which may lead to WB Yeats
operating on both Dublin - Holyhead and Dublin Cherbourg in tandam with Epsilon until Christmas.
what happens when IF new build arrives and links up with the ulysses. does the WB stay on the french route for the full year?
Quote from: IFPete on August 04, 2019, 02:05:16 PM
Lets see what happens after Irish Ferries review the summer season,
I am sure they have received enough criticism from the public that they may make some changes.
I have heard that there is a possibility of Swift operating until Christmas which may lead to WB Yeats
operating on both Dublin - Holyhead and Dublin Cherbourg in tandam with Epsilon until Christmas.
At the end of the day, they're a profitable business that dont suffer fools gladly.
I only one toook a ferry to France and flew home, I am always astounded by the prices people who go for the premium options on the France route. Its shocking expensive.
At the end of the day you have to assume that ppl will vote with their feet. I don't deny the benefits of the ferry if you've a young family but the price you're looking at towards flying. At the end of it all Flying to France is a painful 6 hour experience.....might contrast from the expensive near 19 hour experience of a boat?
IF have some improvements to do not lose significant business to BF and maybe even Stena(?).
Apologies but Longtimereader is comparing apples and oranges. Flying involved car-parking at home airport and hire car charges in France. Also ferry passengers are often taking camping gear or towing caravans/trailers, and want to bring wine and other goodies back (impossible on a plane).
Do agree that de luxe cabins are far too expensive and those who pay for these have money to burn. At €900+ for commodore cabins onboard WB Yeats - you can have a four day cruise for that.
Came back on the WBY from Cherbourg to Dublin on Friday night, our third trip on the ship. This was the first trip in rough[ish] weather. There was a gale blowing up the channel so most people ate early and retired to their cabins. Sea state was 3 metres + going down to Lands End and quite choppy going around the tip of England. The ship handled the sea pretty well, there was an occasional sigh from the bow as it headed into a high wave and a comforting roll but everything was very manageable, I think the ship is designed well from that point of view.
Regarding the on board facilites it is all rather open plan which you either like or don't like. Personally I preferred the Oscar Wilde's separate bars and eateries.
In terms of what we liked: the twin level loading worked well, a lot of motor vans and cars were loaded in an hour flat.The ship is easy to navigate and does not get so crowded especially during the race for the car decks when embarkation is announced. The Wild Swans eatery is quiet and more intimate than the cafe and the Boylan's Brasserie. The cabins are well appointed and designed and fine for two-I cannot comment on having four in such a confined space.
What we didn't like was the bar- basically an L shaped corridor, the aforementioned open plan design of deck 10 and the grey decor with the carpets that have been commented upon by others.
The ship arrived on time despite the weather and embarcation was straightforward. One further point occurred to me; back in 2007 I recall the Normandy running late on account of the adverse wind and tides in the English channel, the WBY seems to have much more powerful engines so that it can compensate for such things.
All in all a very acceptable if quite expensive trip.
Quote from: A83 on August 18, 2019, 08:56:25 AM
Came back on the WBY from Cherbourg to Dublin on Friday night, our third trip on the ship. This was the first trip in rough[ish] weather. There was a gale blowing up the channel so most people ate early and retired to their cabins. Sea state was 3 metres + going down to Lands End and quite choppy going around the tip of England. The ship handled the sea pretty well, there was an occasional sigh from the bow as it headed into a high wave and a comforting roll but everything was very manageable, I think the ship is designed well from that point of view.
Regarding the on board facilites it is all rather open plan which you either like or don't like. Personally I preferred the Oscar Wilde's separate bars and eateries.
In terms of what we liked: the twin level loading worked well, a lot of motor vans and cars were loaded in an hour flat.The ship is easy to navigate and does not get so crowded especially during the race for the car decks when embarkation is announced. The Wild Swans eatery is quiet and more intimate than the cafe and the Boylan's Brasserie. The cabins are well appointed and designed and fine for two-I cannot comment on having four in such a confined space.
What we didn't like was the bar- basically an L shaped corridor, the aforementioned open plan design of deck 10 and the grey decor with the carpets that have been commented upon by others.
The ship arrived on time despite the weather and embarcation was straightforward. One further point occurred to me; back in 2007 I recall the Normandy running late on account of the adverse wind and tides in the English channel, the WBY seems to have much more powerful engines so that it can compensate for such things.
All in all a very acceptable if quite expensive trip.
good post i would agree with all of it
i really think IF have dropped the ball with internal design of the ship which is a great shame.i have travelled with Irish Ferries all my life but next year i will try the pont avan to roscoff which is a real cruise ferry and a slightly cheaper opition
I travelled over in April on the WB Yeats, it was one of the earlier voyages. I too was disappointed. I agree this ship is better suited to a shorter crossing, and for once I never ventured to the outer decks but I believe that area is also smaller than its predecessor. But was the WB Yeats a replacement for the Oscar Wilde? Was it not a ship that should be on the Dublin/Holyhead route? Was there not promise of a bigger, better ship for the French leg? Aboard the Oscar Wilde a couple of years ago I overheard some staff members discussing what was to be Oscar Wilde's replacement I can tell you none of their superlatives added up to this ship.
I will travel again next month, and the thought of Dublin Port with the now traffic delays added in and for some reason the ship's reputation for delaying boarding is really not making me excited.
My cousin and Aunt travelled back from Cherbour on WB Yeats last weekend. The one word he used to describe the trip was disapointing. There is something missing from WB Yeats that Oscar Wilde had " Charactor".
Am I missing something or is the W B Yeats regularly late arriving in Dublin and Cherbourg, despite calm weather, and not by just a few minutes but at least an hour. Do IF need to amend the timetable for next year?
Quote from: Ferry2france on August 22, 2019, 02:46:50 PM
I travelled over in April on the WB Yeats, it was one of the earlier voyages. I too was disappointed. I agree this ship is better suited to a shorter crossing, and for once I never ventured to the outer decks but I believe that area is also smaller than its predecessor. But was the WB Yeats a replacement for the Oscar Wilde? Was it not a ship that should be on the Dublin/Holyhead route? Was there not promise of a bigger, better ship for the French leg? Aboard the Oscar Wilde a couple of years ago I overheard some staff members discussing what was to be Oscar Wilde's replacement I can tell you none of their superlatives added up to this ship.
I will travel again next month, and the thought of Dublin Port with the now traffic delays added in and for some reason the ship's reputation for delaying boarding is really not making me excited.
She is definitely bigger while better is a subjective term. From Irish Ferries point of view she should be a much more profitable vessel to operate. She was a replacement for both EPISLON and OSCAR WILDE, taking the freight carrier by EPSILON and the passengers carried by Oscar. As for her interior and passenger facilities, the designers can only deliver what ICG asked for. The onus was on building a vessel that could operate Ireland to France on a year-round basis profitably.
The timekeeping issue is interesting. She doesn't seem to struggle with her service speed. I believe there have been issues at Dublin with traffic over the past week or so due to new health and safety procedures following an unfortunate fatal accident, but that should be only temporary and would affect all vessels.
Reference the comment about year-round W B Yeats to France; this isn't the case, as Epsilon will do the run to the continent in the winter months, the the new vessel doing Dublin-Holyhead. One of the moans this summer is that meals aren't being served in WBY's Club Class Lounge, as advertised on the web. The stewards onboard say this is meant to happen on the Dublin-Holyhead route as the Lady Gregory restaurant will be shut.
will WB then service the French run year round when newbuilds starts on dub run?
and WB cover dry docks also
could we see her on rosslare-prmbroke covering inishmore
Thats the plan if the new build is ever built.
well hopefully they put a bit more love into the WB give it a bit more character
receivced phonecall off Irish Ferries today enquiring feedback for WB yeats, i expressed my feedback has disappointing with lack of character,general layout and high prices also the bright lighting in the bar while trying to relax and enjoying the music killed the mood.although i did find the cabins very comfortable but i found the oscar wilde more of a cruiseferry and more enjoyable experience altogether
i asked what were the other feedback they had got were like and she said very similar to what i said and the impression they got was people loved the oscar wilde and sailing out of rosslare
A wise owl told me that Rosslare would be back possibly next summer perhaps with an old freind.
WB Yeats needs a little twicking to get things right for the passenger. It was right to build her for her freight volume.
Ulysses has grace and elegance despite her size. Its all about listening to your customers.
"A wise owl told me that Rosslare would be back possibly next summer perhaps with an old friend"
was this wise owl possibly reffering to the oscar wilde?
as much as i love to see her bk on french run i think that will never happen im afraid. they have invested in their new ship for the french run and i cant see that much traffic to run two ships
i recently seen a video of her in her GNV colours and they have kept the names of bars restraunt and steakhouse from her IF days.
Oscar Wilde is still Irish Ferries until the last installment is paid.
WB Yeats was Built to replace Epsilon and provide freight and passenger capacity on both Dublin - Cherbourg and Dublin Holyhead.
It was never intended to operate it out of rosslare unless due to drydock cover or weather.
Its too big for Rosslare - Rosscolf which also has a summer market.
Quote from: IFPete on August 29, 2019, 06:18:08 PM
Oscar Wilde is still Irish Ferries until the last installment is paid.
WB Yeats was Built to replace Epsilon and provide freight and passenger capacity on both Dublin - Cherbourg and Dublin Holyhead.
It was never intended to operate it out of rosslare unless due to drydock cover or weather.
Its too big for Rosslare - Rosscolf which also has a summer market.
yes but Irish Ferries are finished with Roscoff now and if they take the OW back she will have to be fitted with scrubbers i would imagine and the when the newbuild eventually arrives there will not be space on dublin-holyhead run with ulysses and new build on the run
so the WB will be on the french run permantly
dont get me wrong would love to see OW bk but it wont be.
and why would GNV give her up if they are paying in installments cant seem all of a sudden stop paying installments
Quote from: IFPete on August 29, 2019, 06:18:08 PM
Oscar Wilde is still Irish Ferries until the last installment is paid.
WB Yeats was Built to replace Epsilon and provide freight and passenger capacity on both Dublin - Cherbourg and Dublin Holyhead.
It was never intended to operate it out of rosslare unless due to drydock cover or weather.
Its too big for Rosslare - Rosscolf which also has a summer market.
She's on a hire purchase contract. The only way she is coming back is if MSC/GNV terminate that contract which I imagine will trigger severe financial penalties. Oscar Wilde was sold for a reason! From todays presentation
QuoteOscar Wilde sold in April 2019 to buyers MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. for an agreed consideration of €28.9 million, payable in instalments over 6 years, generating a profit on sale of €14.9 million reported as a non-trading item
. She's sold, gone, and no longer a part of the ICG fleet with the profit added to the accounts.
Quote from: alfie79 on August 29, 2019, 06:33:51 PM
Quote from: IFPete on August 29, 2019, 06:18:08 PM
Oscar Wilde is still Irish Ferries until the last installment is paid.
WB Yeats was Built to replace Epsilon and provide freight and passenger capacity on both Dublin - Cherbourg and Dublin Holyhead.
It was never intended to operate it out of rosslare unless due to drydock cover or weather.
Its too big for Rosslare - Rosscolf which also has a summer market.
yes but Irish Ferries are finished with Roscoff now and if they take the OW back she will have to be fitted with scrubbers i would imagine and the when the newbuild eventually arrives there will not be space on dublin-holyhead run with ulysses and new build on the run
so the WB will be on the french run permantly
dont get me wrong would love to see OW bk but it wont be.
and why would GNV give her up if they are paying in installments cant seem all of a sudden stop paying installments
From a financial perspective its hard to see ICG spending five or six million euro on scrubbers for a vessel with a book value of less than €15m. Thats even considering a successful and working retrofit is possible! For example, P&O removed the scrubbers from PRIDE OF KENT because they were more trouble than they were worth - and that's a newer vessel than Oscar! Brittany Ferries aren't bothering with BRETAGNE either - they are very much thinking of replacing her instead as it makes much more sense to invest the money towards a new vessel to last perhaps 30+ years.
TBH I still don't think some people get that the design and layout of W.B. YEATS was a
conscious choice. She was never meant to be a like for like replacement for
OSCAR WILDE. Rather she's more of a compromise between 'Oscar' and EPSILON - a Ro-Pax with a lot of cabin accommodation and a selection of passenger areas. Thats what Irish Ferries wanted in order to secure the future of a service that has been hit hard by low cost airlines. Trailers don't care about onboard entertainment either lets remember. It's easy to install fancy passenger facilities, but it's much harder to make money out of them (despite some eye watering prices at times). The main competition is the Stena operation out of Rosslare which uses a Visentini Ro-Pax. Likewise with many of the Brittany Ferries sailings out of Cork. Even if there is a drop in passenger traffic its quite possible that this vessel will be more profitable than Oscar, maybe not so much as EPSILON though with her barebones approach to passenger accommodation. The next ship (if/when it is built) will be more of the same but with more freight capacity. At the end of the day that's what business is about - making a profit.
Oscar Wilde was converted three years ago do dual fuel use. This allowed her operate to Cherbourg which was in the low sulfur zone,
Quote from: IFPete on August 30, 2019, 09:08:18 AM
Oscar Wilde was converted three years ago do dual fuel use. This allowed her operate to Cherbourg which was in the low sulfur zone,
To be more specific she could run on MGO with limited range. Running on MGO part of the time is an entirely different proposition to running on it all the time. Theres also the price difference as well
Quote from: Steven on August 30, 2019, 09:09:08 PM
Quote from: IFPete on August 30, 2019, 09:08:18 AM
Oscar Wilde was converted three years ago do dual fuel use. This allowed her operate to Cherbourg which was in the low sulfur zone,
To be more specific she could run on MGO with limited range. Running on MGO part of the time is an entirely different proposition to running on it all the time. Theres also the price difference as well
In Q2 this year ICG paid an average of €395 per ton of HFO. Compare that to the average €516 per ton of MGO. This is on a ship that is already expensive to run and crew compared to the competition. ICG also got around double their book value for the vessel and replaced two ships with one!
Just off WBY this morning from Cherbourg to Dublin. I have to say I wasn't looking forward to the journey. After reading so many negative comments and speaking to friends who had traveled, my expectations were not high. The reality was not too bad, but still not brilliant.
A Monday afternoon sailing in September was not the busiest so I have to take some of that into account.
Boarding was quick and efficient. Started at 16:00 and i'd say everyone was on by 16:40 and pushed off on time at 17:00.
Accommodation: We had booked a 2 berth outside cabin. What we got was a 4 berth. Not sure if they actually do true 2 berths or not. But cabin was very comfortable, good air con and spotlessly clean. 2 well positioned poser sockets. good quality tv signal as well.
Food & Drink. This was disappointing. They are advertising the live WOK station which on the Oscar was excellent, but was gruffly told by staff no not available today. I had a chicken curry which was tasteless. My friend had ribs which were also tasteless. Later in the evening we did have pizzas which were excellent. €11.50 or €14 with a pint of Heineken. Beer in the bar was expensive at €5.75 for a pint of Coors. i just had a 'kids' breakfast which was only €6 with coffee. It was good, but draining the scrambled eggs a bit before dumping on the plate would help! :-)
General:
The ship interior has held up really well to the first season. To be fair everything was spotless and still looked new. Out on decks there are already signs of a number of repairs. e.g Cables going into the rail lights are not all a mix of colours as if some have been replaces. A number of metal patchings around and also some pipes with like a wapping around them.
The bar was comfortable, although with the majority of seats bolted down it can be a little uncomfortable. On a busy sailing I can see there being a general issue. People were eating meals and then just staying in the seats as there is limited places to sit.
My biggest disappointment was the staff. I always found the staff on Oscar excellent and friendly. The majority of staff on WBY were gruff and in some cases actually ignorant.
There appeared to be some confusion over arrival times into Dublin. The tickets said 10:15, the sign in reception said 10:45 and the website said 11:00! But it was 11:00 when we docked.
We had traveled over on the Pont Avon. It was great, the only draw back being the 2 bed inside cabin. There wasn't actually room for 2 people to stand up in the room! But good food, friendly staff and reasonable beer prices.
Yes i have to say i completey agree with that review 100% especially the staff
was live music still there?and at night time were the full lights still on in the bar.
i think she fails in comparssion to the OW big time regarding passenger areas and i cant understand how they didnt take what worked for them on the french run onto the WB the small things,they have being running a ship on the french since 1973 so they have the experience and knowledge
on a sperate note i seen a video on youtube taken of the GNV Allergra(EX Oscar wilde) in july of this year and bar her funnel and hull colours being changed ,nothing else has, everything is in the same name and guise as when she was with Irish Ferries ,the bars and restaurants are the exact same even the pictures of oscar wilde and his quotes are still up.
i would have thought at the very least GNV would put their branding and give her their idenity.
Quote from: alfie79 on September 11, 2019, 12:55:07 PM
was live music still there?and at night time were the full lights still on in the bar.
There was still equipment there, but we were told that the music had finished for the season.
They did turn the lights down in the bar later in the evening.
Quote from: alfie79 on September 11, 2019, 12:55:07 PM
on a sperate note i seen a video on youtube taken of the GNV Allergra(EX Oscar wilde) in july of this year and bar her funnel and hull colours being changed ,nothing else has, everything is in the same name and guise as when she was with Irish Ferries ,the bars and restaurants are the exact same even the pictures of oscar wilde and his quotes are still up.
i would have thought at the very least GNV would put their branding and give her their idenity.
ah this one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wya4d31Y_7w
Good memories.
Interestingly, the customs man in Dublin told us the port rumour is that WBY will be moving back to Rosslare to free up space for cargo in Dublin post Brexit?
I see WB Yeats is out of service for a week in October
I assume she will go for a drydock survey as part of her build guarantee
yup thats the video
glad to hear they put lights down when i was there they had the live music and full lights on really killed the mood
.Interestingly, the customs man in Dublin told us the port rumour is that WBY will be moving back to Rosslare to free up space for cargo in Dublin post Brexit? that is very intersting indeed,
would love to see a bit more character put into her
I see WB Yeats is out of service for a week in October
I assume she will go for a drydock survey as part of her build guarantee
i dont think they will drydock her she isnt long in the water that long, maybe a quick underwater survey and a check of the systems but not a drydock.
I wonder will she go to Birkenhead for the survey.
Quote from: alfie79 on September 11, 2019, 04:08:37 PM
Interestingly, the customs man in Dublin told us the port rumour is that WBY will be moving back to Rosslare to free up space for cargo in Dublin post Brexit? that is very intersting indeed,
would love to see a bit more character put into her
I see WB Yeats is out of service for a week in October
I assume she will go for a drydock survey as part of her build guarantee
i dont think they will drydock her she isnt long in the water that long, maybe a quick underwater survey and a check of the systems but not a drydock.
They could also undertake any warranty work which would require dry docking, something that is not uncommon on a new vessel. As a first of her type built by the yard I imagine they will err on the side of thoroughness and take her out of the water.
The Rosslare switch talk has been doing the rounds at Dublin for a while. We shall see - it would be a heck of a U-turn from a company that doesn't really do u-turns. Also waves goodbye to the competitive advantage of having the route in Dublin in the first place versus Rosslare or Cork of course! Irish Ferries will have the numbers to make a call on it in any case. Any switch won't bring back OSCAR WILDE or her type of service mind, though it will be more convenient to those of you further south. Rosslare will also have a lot less in the way of customs facilities, but doesn't have full ships arriving from Holyhead (and going in the opposite direction) multiple times of the day either! The talk I heard was more about scheduling rather than lack of space though - I suspect there are different versions of the same thing going around. Chinese whispers and all that.
Quote from: IFPete on September 11, 2019, 06:59:23 PM
I wonder will she go to Birkenhead for the survey.
CLBH are pretty busy - I'm sure H&W being out of action has meant they are even more so! There are other options not too far out of the way such as Brest and Falmouth to think of just two. If it was an IWS (which I doubt) she wouldn't need to go anywhere near a shipyard anyway!
Seems significant parking space has been lost at Dublin Port with calls for a parking area at Dublin Airport
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/hauliers-want-trucker-toilets-parking-in-case-of-brexit-delays-at-port-1.4017451
It could be a case of Irish Ferries hand being forced if the worst happens in order to keep the France route flowing
Could they just stop France and use Yeats to Holyhead if the new one isn't built? Can move lots more on that short crossing
We will find out more about build 777 in late October.
There is a good article about WB Yeats in this months engineers Ireland Newsletter,
Unless FSG delares bankrupt later this month i would be surprised in build 777 is not built in Flemsburg.
http://www.engineersjournal.ie/2019/09/23/irish-ferries-wb-yeats-poetry-in-motion/
Heard Rumour W.B. has to go to Drydock .Its gone off their bookings next week
Quote from: SEA on October 01, 2019, 02:40:13 PM
Heard Rumour W.B. has to go to Drydock .Its gone off their bookings next week
You may well be right ,there was talk of the WB going to Rosslare for berthing trials but she seems to be off service from the 12th to the 18th October with Epsilon providing cover from the 14th and switching back on the19th. WB is scheduled to do a Cherbourg to Dublin on the 18th October. Checking the Ireland-France timetable it shows no scheduled sailings for the week from 13-20 October.
I also head from the same source Ulysses and Inishmore are going to have to get Scrubbers fitted Sooner than later and its scheduled this side of Christmas .I cannot back this one up as a fact .
Both IOI and Ulysses are getting Scrubbers installed in new year.
Its possible Swift will be in operation earlier to cover for Ulysses abcence.
Quote from: ferryfan on October 01, 2019, 03:50:55 PM
Quote from: SEA on October 01, 2019, 02:40:13 PM
Heard Rumour W.B. has to go to Drydock .Its gone off their bookings next week
You may well be right ,there was talk of the WB going to Rosslare for berthing trials but she seems to be off service from the 12th to the 18th October with Epsilon providing cover from the 14th and switching back on the19th. WB is scheduled to do a Cherbourg to Dublin on the 18th October. Checking the Ireland-France timetable it shows no scheduled sailings for the week from 13-20 October.
EPSILON will cover Yeats that week at Holyhead as she will be away for dry docking as detailed here. Reports online suggest she's going a bit further than we are used to with Irish Sea vessels! W.B doing a passenger sailing from Cherbourg on her way back on the 19th makes sense to get some revenue when she has to sail past post DD anyway! Rosslare berthing trials could well happen (though lets remember she has been before) and there have also been suggestions online she could do some trials at Pembroke. That would make sense if there are plans for her to relieve Inishmore in the future which would seem more likely than FSG777 when it eventually (if ever?) turns up!
https://www.niferry.co.uk/irish-ferries-epsilon-and-w-b-yeats-swap-for-winter/
Quote from: IFPete on October 01, 2019, 05:49:49 PM
Both IOI and Ulysses are getting Scrubbers installed in new year.
Its possible Swift will be in operation earlier to cover for Ulysses abcence.
That could be interesting given her record. Hope their aren't any breezes :o ::)
Are we sure WB Yeats is going to Falmouth and not Brest ?
Quote from: IFPete on October 04, 2019, 05:27:27 PM
Are we sure WB Yeats is going to Falmouth and not Brest ?
Dunkerque?
Quote from: IFPete on October 04, 2019, 05:27:27 PM
Are we sure WB Yeats is going to Falmouth and not Brest ?
It says Dunkerque and has done so for over 24 hours after the article was updated
(Edit: article has read Dunkerque since 20:54 on the 3rd)
Going on thread title I just thought I'd add this in - Travelled late September on the WB to Cherbourg - the sailing was delayed both ways unfortunately by as much as 8 hours going out - It was only my second time on the WB Yeats but I have traveled to France frequently on the Oscar Wilde in the past. I have never experienced such a rough crossing, in all the times I've travelled and that includes winter storms. The ship just doesn't seem able to cope in high seas and there were literally items flying around the cabin - It looks like the WB Yeats has been taken off route from now until March, I wonder is it simply because the ship isn't suitable for this journey?
Quote from: Ferry2france on October 05, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
It looks like the WB Yeats has been taken off route from now until March, I wonder is it simply because the ship isn't suitable for this journey?
No it was always planned to use the more economical Epsilon for the winter season.
Quote from: Ferry2france on October 05, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
Going on thread title I just thought I'd add this in - Travelled late September on the WB to Cherbourg - the sailing was delayed both ways unfortunately by as much as 8 hours going out - It was only my second time on the WB Yeats but I have traveled to France frequently on the Oscar Wilde in the past. I have never experienced such a rough crossing, in all the times I've travelled and that includes winter storms. The ship just doesn't seem able to cope in high seas and there were literally items flying around the cabin - It looks like the WB Yeats has been taken off route from now until March, I wonder is it simply because the ship isn't suitable for this journey?
I am not sure I agree. I experienced WBY taking on 3--3.5 metre waves in a near gale and I thought she coped very well.On a related topic I have often wondered how it is possible to accurately model the stability of a ship at design stage.
Quote from: Ferry2france on October 05, 2019, 02:24:10 PMIt looks like the WB Yeats has been taken off route from now until March, I wonder is it simply because the ship isn't suitable for this journey?
It was always the plan. It's a case of shifting passenger capacity to where it is needed - the France route quietens down while Holyhead loses the capacity of the swift which supplements EPSILON on the route.
Has anyone noticed that the WB has more ptich and movement,even in in calm seas, than Ulysses or the departed OW?
Was on the WB last night,and she really copes well on the shorter Irish sea route, very quick unloading is great.
Quote from: Shipmate on October 27, 2019, 09:51:59 AM
Has anyone noticed that the WB has more ptich and movement,even in in calm seas, than Ulysses or the departed OW?
Was on the WB last night,and she really copes well on the shorter Irish sea route, very quick unloading is great.
I have heard reports of some interesting movement and particularly "slamming". Can't talk from personal experience mind. Her hull form is based on that used on the freighters though. Perhaps with its low drag coefficient it's more designed for economy than comfort? Of course it's all subjective and no two crossings are going to be exactly the same. Some hulls will obviously cope with certain conditions than others.
Quote from: A83 on October 08, 2019, 08:18:35 AM
Quote from: Ferry2france on October 05, 2019, 02:24:10 PM
Going on thread title I just thought I'd add this in - Travelled late September on the WB to Cherbourg - the sailing was delayed both ways unfortunately by as much as 8 hours going out - It was only my second time on the WB Yeats but I have traveled to France frequently on the Oscar Wilde in the past. I have never experienced such a rough crossing, in all the times I've travelled and that includes winter storms. The ship just doesn't seem able to cope in high seas and there were literally items flying around the cabin - It looks like the WB Yeats has been taken off route from now until March, I wonder is it simply because the ship isn't suitable for this journey?
I am not sure I agree. I experienced WBY taking on 3--3.5 metre waves in a near gale and I thought she coped very well.On a related topic I have often wondered how it is possible to accurately model the stability of a ship at design stage.
A combination of computer modelling (FSG have their own software for this), extensive tank testing, and experience. It's also something they'll look at in trials once she is built of course, but it's a bit late to make massive changes then!
While FSG don't have huge experience designing large Ro-Pax's (apart from Norrona which copes with a lot more than most ferries in terms of sea conditions), ICG's consultant (OSK Shiptech) do. One issue with the latest build is that the guy that was in charge of the design (and that of the other Ro-Pax's they've built) has jumped ship. Twice! He and two other former senior managers at FSG have set up a rival naval architecture firm in Flensburg. On that point, part of the strategy at FSG now is to offer design services for vessels being built elsewhere.
Norrona was built by Flender Werft in Luebeck if I'm not mistaken!
I am sure if expertise was required FSG would not be found wanting in contracting it in to complete the design.
Quote from: Niall on October 31, 2019, 01:59:19 PM
Norrona was built by Flender Werft in Luebeck if I'm not mistaken!
Designed by FSG and built with extensive engineering support from them. She was originally to be built at FSG but a combination of yard availability, cost (Smyril couldn't fund her in time for the original slot apparently), and politics (Flender needed the work) meant she wasn't.
Quote from: IFPete on November 01, 2019, 09:18:55 AM
I am sure if expertise was required FSG would not be found wanting in contracting it in to complete the design.
Which would cost. Don't forget they are trying to get costs down, not increase them.
Also more than a little embarrassing for a business actively advertising its design expertise!
hello i would like to know if there are animations and shows on the yeats in the summer as did on oscar wilde thank you
WB Yeats is work in still progress. The walls look bland , nothing a few paintings wouldnt solve,
They used the freight drivers restaurant during the summer for street food.
Dont be surprised if they change the lighting in the bar to make it more homely.
They have a stage in the bar, why not have live entertainment.
Quote from: IFPete on December 24, 2019, 12:20:17 PM
WB Yeats is work in still progress. The walls look bland , nothing a few paintings wouldnt solve,
They used the freight drivers restaurant during the summer for street food.
Dont be surprised if they change the lighting in the bar to make it more homely.
They have a stage in the bar, why not have live entertainment.
Entertainment costs money. They provided some for the press launch I believe though!
there was live music on WB last summer
irish ferries are they going to make changes inside wb yeats have they already made?