Club Arnage

For any of you using Dover ferries to go on your hols this summer, I have just been advised by Speedferries to get to the port a minimum of one and a half hours before my departure time to allow time for security checks :(.

I will probably do as they suggest, but is their anybody in the Dover area, or has used the port in the last week, who can confirm? We are due out 0745 on a Sunday morning.

I guess the fact the the police are looking for some bombers, there will be increased checks to try and prevent them and their mates leaving.

Bit of a shame the same effort was not made in the past to stop them coming into the country.

Barry due to the security threat at the moment 100% of passengers are being "reviewed" if that says enough. At 100% of all immagration and emmigration points, ports, airports, and even Marinas.

Thankyou Robbo

Four friends using separate Dover outward crossings in the last ten days:
1. Eurotunnel - Minor delays due to quick security checks on all vehicles.
2. and 3. Hoverspeed - Delays of over an hour on each occasion, entirely due to Hoverspeed's crap operational performance, and nothing to do with security.
4. P&O ferry. No delays whatsoever.

Only one of the above travellers obeyed the "turn up early" command. They spent two and a half hours plus in Hoverspeed's Dover terminal.

Thankyou as well KPY, that's the type of info I was after.

Barry, prob not much help to you now but we travelled out on the Saturday just over a week ago (lost track of the date? am sat in the media centre in Spa typing this!).  We got to the hill outside of Dover around 11 am and it took us well over an hour to get to the Docks.  When we got to the docks there didn't seem to be any significant hold up - i guess they were "reviewing" people by camera and only stopping those that looked "interesting". 

I guess the pressure is off a bit now and hopefully things have improved. 

I did Calais - Dover v.v. 2 weeks ago with P&O and was warned about strict security.
When we arrived all they asked us was if we were all Dutch, which we were, and we were allowed to drive through.

Last year we had to get out and had to walk through a security building to show passports etc, this year none of that.

Perhaps in 2 weeks I'll have a different opinion when i'm doing Calais-Dover v.v. again.

Yesterday there was about 10 min queue to the french passport control booth at Dover. Sailed through (as they say) after that. And yesterday was v busy on the boat.  I think that was a "sheer weight of traffic" problem rather than increased security.

Did Calais Dover on the evening of the 23rd of July and arrived well in time. So much so that within 10 minutes I was being boarded onto an earlier ferry!

On the way back (24th) it was the same timewise. Was 'late' for the ferry (arrived with 15 mins left) but still got on OK.

Definitely an increased prescence though and had a visual once over of the car (never had that before!).

Security is slack at the ports because every single Policeman is at a London Station.  Some have "Police" also written in Welsh on the hi viz jackets, so can't be locals, but the one that worried me at Paddington had no sign of a uniform, no hat, no cuffs, no CS spray, no riot stick, just a black vest with a cloth Police badge stuck on with velco.  The machine gun was a bit of a giveaway, but I wonder if he has another badge that says "SAS".  Probably DPU, its the nearest we've got to swat.

I think its about time security was stepped up. If we all have to do the same and it is standard for security, although it means getting up even earlier for LM next June it is worth it, keep the buggers out.

perhaps he bought the vest & gun down the market... and was just playing soldier? :)

Ok, any news regarding the security and handling times?

We're on the Hoverspeed boats (inbound UK saturday 9:15 am and outbound sunday 6:45 am)

Situation just the same as when I last posted. I fact ten days ago my wife arrived 25 minutes before scheduled a Hoverspeed departure, and was still allowed on the ferry. No security-related delays to P&O on Wednesday or last Saturday.
All those were outward from Dover, but there are no known delays at Calais.

Just returned using Speed Ferries, no searching at Boulogne or for that matter at Dover two weeks ago, although last night there were 3 Army types patrolling the dock whilst we waited for our boat to arrive - 31/2 hours late.