As a family with 5 and 7 year old we have taken this journey a number times. The journey is always relaxing with extremely streamlined boarding. My major gripe is that there is no adequate food you ca... See more
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Review summary
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Reviews shaping this summary
Unfortunately Dunkirk border control is a joke - diversions signs fallen on the ground to get there, 5 border stops (the first one hadn't got a clue about needing a share code for an EU passport to UK... See more
Fabulous buffet in Explorers Kitchen. Huge choice and all delicious. A huge improvement could be made if guests were informed which deck their buffet booking was made for - lots of guests (including... See more
Company replied
Service on board was excellent, we liked the buffet style diner, well organized Our return ship had a room with a faulty airco, was quickly handled by the guest service What we did not like was the... See more
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Company details
About DFDS
Written by the company
Your Gateway to Europe
Explore Europe with DFDS, the world’s leading ferry operator. Whether you’re planning a road trip across France, a mini cruise to Amsterdam, or a city break in Bruges, DFDS offers a range of travel options to suit your needs.
- Ferry crossings from the UK to France and Holland starting from just £35pp.
- Special autumn mini cruise discounts of up to 50% off – perfect for your next getaway!
- Duty-free shopping with up to 50% savings on premium products.
- Tailor-made European city break packages with handpicked hotels.
- Experience the freedom of the open road with DFDS's exclusive caravan and motorhome offers. Enjoy up to 20% off on selected routes and explore Europe at your own pace.
Exceptional Customer Service
At DFDS, we are committed to providing you with the best travel experience. Our customer service team is readily available to assist you with any queries or concerns. Whether you're checking your booking, preparing for your trip, or traveling with pets, our resources are designed to ensure your journey is seamless.
- Explore our comprehensive FAQs for quick answers.
- Stay informed with Live Travel Updates and navigate with ease.
- Receive dedicated assistance for passengers with reduced mobility, ensuring a comfortable voyage for everyone.
Your satisfaction is our priority. Reach out to our team for any assistance you need.
Contact info
DFDS House, Marmorvej 18,, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- dfds.com
4.2
Great
21K reviews
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Replied to 98% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 48 hours
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One of our best crossings so far
One of our best crossings so far. Staff were amazing and the food in the buffet was really nice. We had the commodore breakfast and the scrambled egg was fantastic.
9 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your wonderful review!
We’re absolutely delighted to hear that this was one of your best crossings so far. It’s fantastic to know our team made such a positive impression, and that you enjoyed the buffet — especially the Commodore breakfast! We’ll be sure to pass on your kind comments about the scrambled egg to our catering team. The Commodore breakfast is definitely a favourite for me too!
We really appreciate you sharing your experience and look forward to welcoming you back for another great crossing soon.
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh
Reply from DFDS
Dear KA,
Thank you for your lovely feedback!
We’re really pleased to hear that you experienced prompt sailing times and received good customer service during your journey. Providing a smooth and reliable service, along with a positive customer experience, is something we always strive for, so it’s great to know we delivered on this occasion.
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your review and hope to welcome you onboard again soon.
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh
We arrived early
We arrived early. We were asked if we would like to travel early and agreed. The Club Class Lounge (sorry if the name is wrong) was nice with a nice waiter and nice food and drink.
7 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!
We’re delighted to hear that you were able to travel earlier than planned and that our team could accommodate this for you. It’s also wonderful to know you enjoyed your time in our Premium Lounge – we’ll be sure to pass on your kind comments about the service, food, and drinks to the team.
We really appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you onboard again soon.
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh
The person working on the boat are…
The person working on the boat are very kind and helpfunctie
6 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Sobhawatie,
Thank you for your kind feedback!
We’re really pleased to hear that our team made such a positive impression during your journey. Providing helpful and friendly service is very important to us, so it’s wonderful to know you felt well looked after onboard.
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and hope to welcome you back again soon.
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh
I thought the Leg of Lamb at dinner was…
I thought the Leg of Lamb at dinner was terrible. Presentation on plate was good but the lamb tasted old and tough. Wine was good and service was good.
7 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello John,
thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your crossing on the Newcastle–Amsterdam route.
We’re sorry to hear that the leg of lamb did not meet your expectations, despite the presentation. This is not the standard we aim for, and we will pass your comments on to the on‑board catering team for review.
We do appreciate you noting the quality of the wine and the service on board, and we’re glad those aspects of your journey were positive.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
On time leaving and arriving
On time leaving and arriving - very efficient process. Disembarked with no issues. Whole process very well managed.
Weather good so a smooth crossing.
7 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Dave,
thank you for your feedback.
We’re pleased to hear that your crossing on the Dover–Dunkirk route ran on time and that the boarding and disembarkation process was managed efficiently. It’s also great that the good weather contributed to a smooth journey.
Thank you for travelling with DFDS.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Quick boarding and embarking.
Quick boarding and embarking.
Food was plentiful and competitively priced.
Spacious and comfortable lounge areas.
Staff were friendly and efficient.
6 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Customer,
thank you for your review.
We’re pleased to hear that boarding on our Dover–Dunkirk route was quick and smooth, and that you found the lounge areas comfortable. It’s also good to know that the food offering and our team on board met your expectations.
Thank you for travelling with DFDS.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Great travel option as a cyclist
Great travel option as a cyclist. Be handy if there was a tannoy announcement or a scheduled loading time onto the ferry.
Staff onboard great. Check in staff , loading team and Kitchen staff on 1800 05/05/2026 Dunkirk > Dover crossing were great. Portion sizes be nice if bigger.
Easy exit off ferrry into Dover.
Will be back.
Be great if the ferry to Ireland was just as good for cyclists.
5 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello James,
thank you for your feedback on your journey on the Dover–Dunkirk route.
We’re glad to hear you found it a good travel option as a cyclist and that the crossing was straightforward, including the exit in Dover.
Your positive comments about our check-in, loading and onboard teams on the Dunkirk–Dover sailing on 05/05/2026 are much appreciated, and we will share these with the teams involved. We’ve also noted your suggestions regarding loading announcements and portion sizes.
We look forward to welcoming you back on board.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Reply from DFDS
Hello Beverley,
thank you for your lovely feedback.
We’re very pleased to hear that you found travelling with us a stress-free and pleasant way to get from Newcastle to Amsterdam. That is exactly the experience we aim to provide.
We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Customers mean nothing to staff
Staff were horrid, rude, unhelpful . They would not let me on even though I produced a police report showing my bike had been stolen two hours prior. Your staff's response was "too bad. You can use your ticket if you buy another bike and get back here in 10 minutes. Go take P&O." When I asked about my paid ticket, he said "take it up with head office, maybe they will help you".
This was the first time I would have taken dfds -- and it is the last. I am disgusted with your company and the people you employ. It is obvious there is zero care or concern for your paid customers. There are more than enough ferries making this, and other, crossings. Though I had to pay for another ticket, I had a great crossing with one of your competitors. Very kind employees.
There has been zero response from DFDS to my posts and requests on social media. This tells me everything I need to know about your company. Never again will you get another centessimo from me. You kept my money though you denied my boarding after a theft. There is no excuse for this.
Hayleigh, thank you for your reply and your gesture of goodwill. Had he resolved it immediately it would have helped. Your gesture might help in possibly giving DFDS another try
6 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Maria,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re truly sorry to hear about the circumstances around your journey — having your bike stolen must have been extremely upsetting and stressful.
We’d like to clarify the situation regarding boarding. At this particular port, we are unable to accept foot passengers under any circumstances. This is because there is no safe pedestrian boarding access or foot passenger bridge, and all passengers must travel within a vehicle in line with port safety regulations. These rules are in place for everyone’s safety and are not something our staff can override at the terminal.
We’re very sorry if this was not explained to you in a clear or empathetic way at the time. We understand how frustrating and disappointing this must have felt, especially given the situation you had just experienced. Your feedback regarding how this was communicated has been noted, as this is certainly not the level of service we aim to provide.
I have refunded your booking as a gesture of goodwill, but if you would still like us to review your booking or discuss this further, we would encourage you to contact our Customer Care team directly so we can look into your case in more detail.
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh (Customer Interaction Shift Leader)
Very professional staff and polite was…
Very professional staff and polite was pleasure to travel with your company.
Many thanks
6 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Thomas,
thank you for taking the time to share your kind feedback.
We’re delighted to hear that you found our staff professional and polite, and that you enjoyed travelling with us on the Dover–Calais route. Your comments are very much appreciated and will be shared with the team.
We hope to welcome you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Staff was great and helpfull
Staff was great and helpfull, the ship was a bit old Regina seaways. but in general we loved the journey.
6 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Arturas,
thank you for your review.
We’re glad to hear that our staff made a positive impression and that you enjoyed the journey on the Klaipėda–Kiel route. We appreciate your honest feedback regarding the Regina Seaways and are pleased that overall you loved the trip.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
One sailing either side is great
We arrived too early for our booking, but efficient processing at all checkpoints got us on to the previous sailing just before they shut the bow. The one sailing before or after is a great idea!
2 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Pete,
Thank you so much for your lovely review!
We’re really pleased to hear that our team could get you through quickly and even onto an earlier sailing — great timing just before the bow closed! It’s always rewarding to know that the efficiency of our port and onboard teams made a difference to your journey.
We’re also glad you like the flexibility of being moved to the sailing before or after where possible — it’s something we know our customers really value.
We hope to welcome you onboard again soon!
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh (Customer Interaction Shift Leader)
Smooth trip with DFDS
Smooth trip with DFDS. Easy check-in process and friendly staff. Onboard you get good quality food and complimentary wifi. Thank you.
5 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Zam Abdul Vahid,
thank you very much for your kind review of our Dover–Dunkirk route.
We’re pleased to hear that you had a smooth trip with us and found the check-in process easy and our staff friendly.
It’s great to know you enjoyed the good quality food on board and appreciated the complimentary Wi‑Fi. Your feedback is truly valued and will be shared with our teams.
Thank you for travelling with DFDS, and we hope to welcome you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Absolutely amazing
Absolutely amazing from check in to driving off. Priority boarding is so simple and the premium lounge worth every penny. Every staff member we came in contact with, was polite and friendly.
1 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Ann,
thank you very much for your wonderful review of our Dover–Dunkirk route.
We’re delighted to hear that your experience was absolutely amazing from check-in right through to driving off the ship.
It’s great to know that you found priority boarding straightforward and that the Premium Lounge was worth every penny. Your kind words about our crew being polite and friendly mean a lot to us and will be shared with the team.
We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
DFDS is the worst operator
DFDS is the worst operator. They delayed our trip by 40 hours due to their own operational issues, arbitrarily changed the schedule, and refused to cover any of the additional hotel expenses incurred. They ruined our holiday. I will never sail with DFDS again.
Sequence of Events was as below.
At 10:35 on 2 April 2026, I received an SMS informing me that my ferry booking had been changed.
At approximately 15:00 the same day, I visited the DFDS counter in Jersey to confirm the details.
I was informed that my outbound sailing had been rescheduled to 4 April at 08:50. Although this change was highly inconvenient, I reluctantly accepted it and received written confirmation from DFDS.
However, on the evening of 3 April 2026, when I checked my booking online, I discovered that the itinerary had been changed again without any prior notification. The revised schedule was:
4 April: Jersey → St. Malo (19:00–23:00)
5 April: St. Malo → Jersey (06:45–08:45)
This revised schedule was entirely unreasonable, as it required arrival in St. Malo late at night followed by departure early the next morning, making the trip effectively meaningless.
Furthermore, due to repeated unilateral changes without notification, I lost confidence in DFDS’s ability to operate the service reliably and was therefore compelled to cancel both outbound and return sailings.
As a direct consequence, we were forced to abandon our travel plan to St. Malo and return to London one day earlier than planned.
I claimed compensation for cost like additional hotel stay and flight change but DFDS’s reply was nothing to be compensated.
Booking Reference : 22234579
2 April 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from DFDS
Good morning,
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re very sorry to hear about your experience and the disruption caused to your travel plans.
Unfortunately, we are unable to locate your booking or review the details of your case without a booking reference number. To allow us to fully investigate what happened and provide a proper response, please contact us directly with your booking details at travel.sales@dfds.com.
Once we have this information, we will be able to look into this matter thoroughly for you.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Reply from DFDS
Hello Anon,
thank you for your great review of our Newcastle–Amsterdam route.
We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Explorer’s Kitchen and noticed how clean the ship was, as well as the variety of things to do on board.
It’s lovely to know you had such a positive experience with us. We hope to welcome you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Shuttle Service to the ferry
The ferry experience both ways was great and very relaxing. The staff were friendly and the cabins were clean. We’d be happy to travel with them again.
However, we would not use the shuttle service again. Three of the rides were fine, but the overall organization was not ideal. On the outbound journey from Amsterdam to the ferry to Newcastle, it was absolute chaos and very stressful. You have to pay for the shuttle in advance and are assigned a specific time slot. Two of these time slots are very tight, making it difficult to arrive at the ferry on time. Would it not be possible to offer a transfer one hour earlier or provide more frequent departures?
On April the 21th we arrived at 3:00 pm for a 3:30 pm shuttle (with the ferry departing two and a half hours later; check-in and security are open until 4:45 pm). The driver quickly realized that not all passengers would fit on the bus. After all, another bus was scheduled for 4:00 pm. Despite this, he waited for the second bus at 4:00 pm without any clear reason.
The journey, which was supposed to take 30–40 minutes, ended up taking over an hour due to traffic. Considering rush hour and traffic lights, this should be foreseeable. During this time, the driver did not provide any updates about the situation, which made the experience quite unpleasant.
Fortunately, the ferry waited, but this must also be inconvenient for the staff if departures are delayed. This kind of situation should be better planned and organized so that everyone involved has a more satisfactory experience.
Also in Newcastle, there is unfortunately very little space for luggage on the busses.
21 April 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Simone
Thank you very much for taking the time to review your experience with DFDS. We greatly value your feedback and are committed to ensuring that every journey meets our high standards.
To better understand and address the concerns you raised, we have requested further details from you. Unfortunately, we have not yet received this information. Your insights are invaluable to us, and we would like to discuss your rating and comments in more detail to ensure a thorough investigation and appropriate resolution.
Thank you for taking the time to rate your experience with DFDS. We appreciate your feedback and are committed to ensuring that every journey meets our high standards.
Please contact us at your earliest convenience at travel.sales@dfds.com. Your cooperation will help us improve our services and provide you with a satisfactory outcome.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Reply from DFDS
Hello,
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review.
We are delighted to hear that you received 5-star service and that your experience met your expectations.
We really appreciate your kind feedback, and we will be sure to share it with our team on the Dover–Calais route, who work hard to provide a smooth and reliable crossing for our guests.
We look forward to welcoming you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Everything is fantastic
Everything is fantastic, nice staff , good service and perfect capitan skills.Keep doing that
5 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Petar,
Thank you for your feedback and for choosing DFDS on the Dover–Calais route. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the service and our staff.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
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