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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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 party took ill at check in no…
One of party took ill at check in no refund for travel or pre book meals dissapointed with company wont book again.
24 April 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello Thomas Nisbet,
thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your planned journey on the Newcastle–Amsterdam route.
We are very sorry to hear that one of your party became unwell at check-in, as we understand how disappointing this situation must have been. Unfortunately, as the cancellation occurred on the day of travel, our colleagues handled the case in line with our Terms and Conditions.
We appreciate that this was not the outcome you had hoped for, and we’re sorry for the frustration this caused. Your comments have been noted, and we thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Absolutely amazing staff
Absolutely amazing staff, every interaction was positive, all staff happy to help and serve. Clean rooms, clean bedding, good entertainment, we spent 16hours on ferry there and back and did not get bored one but. Only downside rooms are very thin, can here surrounding guests who for us were very loud with there kids till 2am in the morning, every time they went on the top bunk could hear every little creak and move. We had to complain to guest services about the loudness next door as it was unbearable and the staff immediately dealt with the situation. We booked 1 berth room which was very small and could have done with more lighting but u get exactly what u pay for AND we also booked 1 x 4, bunk bed sea view room which was perfect for us and really enjoyable. Thank DFDS for making our stay comfortable and enjoyable.
4 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Hello javerya naz,
thank you for your lovely feedback about your journey with DFDS on the Newcastle–Amsterdam route.
We’re delighted to hear that you found our staff so helpful and welcoming, and that you enjoyed the onboard facilities and entertainment.
We appreciate your honest comments about the cabins and are glad our Guest Services team could quickly assist when there was a noise issue. It’s also great to know the sea view cabin was a perfect fit for you.
Thank you for travelling with DFDS – we hope to welcome you on board again soon.
Raphaela
Customer Interaction Specialist
Absolutely the worst VIP lounge service…
Absolutely the worst VIP lounge service we’ve ever experienced! Food area was filled with dirty plates and cups that were only removed 10 minutes before docking into Calais from Dover. No food or drink's had been refilled, no cutlery, water dispenser for tea was cold. This was all left like this the entire trip. The male service staff member disappeared after serving our initial choice of evening snack, with my husband having to knock on an employee galley door trying to find “someone” to order new drinks. This took 30 minutes until two other employees attended to us apologising saying “this is not our area and we will try to help you; but where is the staff service man ?”. It is worth noting that we were the only customers in the lounge for reference.
After our continued patronage for more than 14 years with DFDS, we know from experience to always book the British run leg from Dunkirk to Dover and return. Consistently superior service; reliable; clean and friendly. Unfortunately we booked the Calais leg and we knew from previous trips this was going to be the usual French experience - dirty, disorganised, rude and a total disappointment.
We will never use the French leg on this ferry again. We do however, acknowledge the male and female staff members from another service area coming to the rescue (and continued to check up on us) during the main staff man’s disappearance. They too were wondering “where on earth is he ?!”.
Please do better on the this ferry connection - it’s not that difficult 😞 To be honest, I don’t even know why I am writing this review as it won’t be acknowledged and nothing will be done.
4 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Alex,
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback, and for your long-standing loyalty to DFDS over the past 14 years.
We are truly sorry to read about your experience in the premium lounge on the Calais–Dover crossing. The standards you describe are not reflective of the service we aim to deliver, and we fully understand your frustration regarding the cleanliness of the lounge, the lack of replenishment, and the absence of dedicated service during your journey. This is particularly disappointing given that you were the only guests using the lounge at the time.
We are also very concerned to learn about the breakdown in staff presence and communication you experienced. While we’re pleased that other team members stepped in to assist and check on you, this should not have been necessary, and your comments have been shared with the relevant onboard and shoreside management teams for review and follow-up.
As a gesture of goodwill, we have refunded the cost of both lounge seats in full. While this does not undo your experience, we hope it demonstrates that we take your feedback seriously and acknowledge the level of service you received fell well short of expectations.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We hope we have the opportunity to restore your confidence in DFDS in the future.
Kind Regards,
Hayleigh (Customer Interaction Shift Leader)
Reply from DFDS
Good afternoon Vilma
We regret that the bedding was torn and the food was cold on your Kiel-Klaipeda journey. We appreciate you letting us know, and we'll look into these issues.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Excellent in every way :)
1 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good Day MD,
We’re thrilled to hear that your experience on the Dover to Calais route was excellent in every way 🙂 Feedback like this really means a lot to our team.
Thank you for choosing our ferry service, and we hope to welcome you back on board again very soon!
Kind Regards
Natasha
Customer Interaction Specialist
DFDS
🛳️😊
Very good service
Very good service; staff looked after us very well; cabins were comfortable. Dog was very settled & happy; food was great
28 April 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear Theo,
We’re delighted to hear you had such a positive experience travelling on our Newcastle to Amsterdam route.
It’s great to know our staff looked after you so well and that you found the cabins comfortable.
We’re especially pleased that your dog was settled and happy during the crossing—making the journey enjoyable for both pets and their owners is very important to us. It’s also wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the food.
Thank you for choosing our ferry service.
We look forward to welcoming you (and your four-legged companion!) back on board again soon.
Kind Regards
Natasha
Customer Interaction Specialist
DFDS
🛳️😊
Different ships- different experiences
King Seaways—excellent buffet and breakfast
Buffet tables too close together.. we do not want to eat a few centimetres from someone else.
Good that we were let onboard in good time.
Princess Seaways,— breakfast disappointing compared to King Seaways.. Chef has saved on type of bacon and sausages. Not a good experience compared to King Seaways.
Table distances on King very good.
Very poor departure.. Took 1 hour getting from driving off ship at Ijmuijden to passing immigration. Get this sorted out. You have had time to do this
3 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Andy
We appreciate your feedback on your Newcastle -Amsterdam journey. We're happy you enjoyed the King Seaways buffet and boarding. We regret the buffet table spacing and the Princess Seaways breakfast didn't meet your expectations. We'll address the departure delays; we value your comments as we improve our services.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Reply from DFDS
Dear Mr Chandler,
We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed your crossing on the Dover to Calais route.
It’s great to know you found our staff friendly, the ferry comfortable, and the service to a high standard.
Your comments mean a lot to our team, who work hard to make every journey pleasant and relaxed.
We hope to welcome you back on board again soon!
Kind Regards
Natasha
Customer Interaction Specialist
DFDS
🛳️😊
Good all round service
Hassle free loading. Left on time. Pleasant helpful crew. Good all round service and a ship that was clean and pleasant to be in.
2 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Dear William,
We’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed your journey on our Dover to Dunkirk route.
It’s great to know that loading was hassle-free, the departure was on time, and our crew made a positive impression with their helpful and friendly service.
We’re also glad you found the ship clean and comfortable—maintaining a pleasant onboard environment is very important to us.
Thank you for highlighting the overall quality of the service, and we hope to welcome you back on board again soon.
Kind Regards
Natasha
Customer Interaction Specialist
DFDS
🛳️😊
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Kerry
We're happy you enjoyed our Ship, food, and entertainment on your Newcastle - Amsterdam journey .It's great to hear that you found check-in and check-out friendly and easy. Thanks for your feedback!
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
No problems
3 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Alwyn
Thank you for your feedback on your Dover-Calais journey!
We’re glad to hear everything went smoothly. We hope to welcome you on board again soon.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Anthony
We're glad you liked the cabin with its en suite on your Newcastle- Amsterdam journey. We'll review our pricing to ensure better value for our guests in the future.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Fun on Dutch autobahny
We were running late due to accidents on the motorway, dfds called us and kept the check in open for us , excellent service
12 April 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Giles
We're happy to hear that we could assist you when you were running late due to motorway accidents. It's great to know our team kept the check-in open for you. Thank you for your excellent feedback on your Newcastle - Amsterdam journey!
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
The staff loading the cars were rude…
The staff loading the cars were rude and rushed and did not give us space to acces our vehicle to take our bags. I had to protest to be allowed to do so. I was then shouted at to gointo the middle aisle but the cars were so close I couldn't get between them. Very stressful.
As always on the smaller ship not enought quiet seating during the crossing
Staff in the restaurant very friendly and helpful
29 April 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Jenny
We appreciate your feedback on your Amsterdam-Newcastle journey. We're sorry to hear about the stressful loading experience and limited seating. We'll address the staff's behaviour and space issues with the relevant teams. We're glad you found the restaurant staff helpful.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
As a regular user of DFDS I find the…
As a regular user of DFDS I find the staff always very friendly. No complaints.
1 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Ingrid
We're happy to hear that you consistently find our staff friendly during your DFDS travels between Dunkirk and Dover. Thank you for your positive feedback; we appreciate it!
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
We booked our ferry in December 2025…
We booked our ferry in December 2025 for this April.
Unfortunately we had to cancel because of health issues, 1 Month before our trip, only to be fobbed off with no refund.
Not impressed !
I
15 April 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and we’re very sorry to hear about the health issues that led to you cancelling your trip.
We understand how disappointing this situation must have been. As outlined in our terms and conditions, Economy tickets are non‑refundable, while Flexi tickets are fully refundable if cancelled up to 48 hours before travel. We appreciate this may not have been clear at the time of booking, and we’re sorry for any frustration this caused.
If you would still like to travel, please give our team a call and we’ll be more than happy to help look at rescheduling your journey where possible and discuss the available options with you.
We do hope your health has improved and that we may have the opportunity to welcome you on board in the future.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Crossing
Very good d reception in the Prem Lounge and good food and drink on offer. Only drawback was too much noise while trying to get some sleep. It was a 2am crossing
1 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good afternoon
We're glad you enjoyed the lounge and food on your Dover-Dunkirk journey. We appreciate your feedback and will look into the noise issue during late-night crossings to improve our customers' experience.
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Good First Experience
The food was exceptional quality. We were very pleasantly surprised. Enjoyed our time on board enough. It's actually not a bad set up at all. Reasonable costs for journey.
Cabins and cabin toilet are a different story. But, you get what you pay for and it's to be expected that its small and compact. You dont spend much time in there if you utilise whats around you. I still slept well.
4 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from DFDS
Good afternoon Julie
We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the food and found the journey costs reasonable on your Newcastle - Amsterdam journey. We appreciate your feedback on the cabin and toilet facilities. We are glad you still slept well and enjoyed your time onboard. Thank you!
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Because it was not busy we all had lot…
Because it was not busy we all had lot of space to be comfortable. Sometimes it’s not the same, but this time I was able to have a good relaxing time before long drive. Thank you.
1 May 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good morning Maja
We're happy to hear that you had a relaxing experience with us on your Dover-Dunkirk journey before your long drive. It's great when our customers have enough space to be comfortable. Thank you for your positive feedback!
Monika
Customer Interaction Shift Leader
Efficient loading and unloading.
Efficient loading and unloading.
Clean ships
Staff helpful
30 April 2026
Reply from DFDS
Good Afternoon John,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on our Calais to Dover route.
We’re delighted to hear that you were pleased with the efficient loading and unloading, the cleanliness of our ships, and the helpfulness of our staff. Your comments are greatly appreciated and will be shared with the teams involved, as they work hard to provide a smooth and comfortable crossing.
We hope to welcome you on board again soon for another enjoyable journey.
Kind Regards
Natasha
Customer Interaction Specialist
DFDS
🛳️😊
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