Swansea-Cork

[a2engineers]

What about Dublin & Belfast to Liverpool & Birkenhead?

Compare like with like.

Add in additional mileage, add in the huge bonus of Swansea Dover Vs Fishguard/Pembroke Dover.
Arrive Swansea 0700 or West Wales 1230 / 1245, J42 of M4 at 0745 or 1445 !!

Add in on the likley requirement of an overnight hotel in UK on the way to mainland Europe.

Its much easier to leave Northern France / Belgium / Holland at a respectable hour and make a Sailing in  Swansea at 2100.

Compare like with like, travelling with young childern there is no comparison.

Get some quotes and Go pick on Norfolk Lines and  P&O  and while your at it look at the cabin requirements on Stenaline (ex Harwich), Brittany Ferries (all routes), LD Lines (ex UK & Direct), Irish Ferries (Overnight Crossings to France) DFDS..........

Be adventerous and check out Moby Lines, Superfast, Minoan, SNAV, Color Line, Finnlines, Polferries, Acciona, TT Lines, Stena Line (Baltic Routes)........ guess what the Baltic, English Channel, Med, Adriatic
all have cabin requirements.

Once again why pick on a community based service.

[derekchoochoo]

Ok, have it your way - I am comparing price for price West Cork to Somerset, via South Wales ONLY (the journey I do) - and taking into account the fuel saving - I accept the Fastnet option is nicer - but it is DEFINATELY more expensive, as I can leave here at 4.40am for Rosslare & be in Somerset 11.5 hours later at 4.10pm (no hotels).

Also I know what I hear, working in the tourist industry - but perhaps everybody else has got it wrong?

It is not really a "community based service" in the true sense of that phrase, since the admirable co-op fund raising stage, is it?

I just don't want to see them not make it through next winter because their fares aren't competitive....you have to admit something is wrong when people are still choosing the long haul to Rosslare, when the Julia is parked up at Ringaskiddy?

This is not the Fastnet Fan Club - they have to expect & accept critisism.

Plus you can't make suggestions or comments directly to them because they are STILL ignoring their emails (all you ever receive is an automated acknowlgement of receipt)!!

[facet58]

It is a interesting fact that cabin prices when booking online started were far more compeditive,then they suddenly changed. When i enquired about this i was told it down to demand! Strange this when it has been full a handful of times. I do not wish to bash fastnet in fact quite the opposite,living in swansea, and visiting co.clare frequently.

[giftgrub]

Just to clarify two small things here, this long haul to Rosslare is only 2 hours and 30 minutes on average from Ringaskiddy at the times the sailings go.

The boats also leave Rosslare at 21.00 hrs in the evening and you can be on the other side at 01.00 to continue your journey on near empty roads.

However if travelling with children etc obviously there are many other factors to consider, comfort, sleep etc

There should be plenty of business for all the operators to survive on, it might just suit people to use the different options.

[t]

Article From The BBC saying that Severnlink Are delaying the launch until 2011
.
"Severn Link said delays in creating landing facilities in Swansea had held up its plans to start sailings this year.

The company said it had conducted successful sea trials of the catamarans that will cross the Severn Estuary.

As well as a Swansea-Ilfracombe service, it hopes for one between Cardiff, Ilfracombe and Minehead.

Initially Severn Link had said it hoped to start sailings at Easter.

Announcing the launch in said the passenger-only ferries would run all-year round boosting the economies both sides of the Bristol Channel.

Managing director Geoff Metcalf said: "This is bitterly disappointing but, unfortunately out of our control.

"Although both ferries are up and running and have undertaken sea trials without appropriate landing facilities we clearly cannot operate or be granted a full licence by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

"So, while it is possible that we may be able to run some limited trial services it is with huge regret that we will have to postpone the full launch until next year."

[derekchoochoo]

Does anyone know what sort of loads the Julia is arriving at Ringaskiddy with at present? I am aware that a lot of the Cork/Kerry outward traffic is STILL going via Rosslare. Some form of selection of attractive price deals is urgently called for!

Shame about Severn Link, as Cork - Swansea - Ilfracombe would make a cracking 36 hour foot passenger 'mini cruise', with the day in N Devon. I guess it ideally needs a pontoon at Swansea, as on low springs their fairly small cats would be way below dock level for embarkation?

[facet58]

Does anybody know why the JULIA spent an hour going round in circles off Cobh last night?

[Collision-course]

Does anybody know why the JULIA spent an hour going round in circles off Cobh last night?

What time did this happen? If it was afternoon it would have been making room for the Pont Aven.

[facet58]

This happened just after 8pm after passing cobh on her way out. She then circled around for about an hour,the Pont-Aven was well gone?

[Drama_king]

I'm glad it wasn't just me that noticed this, I was on the AIS that time and noticed her turning all over the place and hovering around Ringaskkidy. It seemed to go on for a while, I thought she was just waiting for some clearance or something. Oh well a bit of a mystery :-?

[Kieran]

This happened just after 8pm after passing cobh on her way out. She then circled around for about an hour,the Pont-Aven was well gone?

Could have been a problem getting a pilot off her or some a medical evac needed or something along those lines...

[Totomubungo]

I'm told, on good authority, that they had the Father Ted Appreciation Society's annual summer reunuion onboard the Julia.  The story goes that Father Jack was so drunk he fell overboard and they all started shouting  "Ah go on, go on, go on!"

Lep

[a2engineers]

I note Marine Traffic is showing a photo with the following narrative,

Julia lost all power outbound shown under assistance from the tug Alex

The photo is an area known well to myself off "the camber " in Cobh Roads just North of the Spit Bank.

Does anyone know the reason for the loss of power ?

[derekchoochoo]

Anyone any idea why she did an about turn & started heading back to Cork tonight - due south of Dungarvan - at about 2315? She is now back on course for Swansea & doing 18 knot.

[swan]

julia was in swansea on friday  8-)