By Isle of Wight Observer
Dear Editor,
I would like to share with your readers my recent experience of trying to book with Wightlink ferries.
Last Saturday I was tasked with booking a family mainland trip to Brighton to attend a funeral due to take place at 3pm on Monday (Jan 27). There are five of us travelling in a normal size car and to enable us to arrive in time I was planning to get on the ferry leaving Fishbourne at around 11.00am. To my astonishment, with well over a week to go before our intended travel, I was unable to book on-line as the only available crossings were at either 5.10am or 1.30pm on that day, which proved completely unacceptable. A call was made to Wightlink and the situation explained but it fell on completely deaf ears, and I felt “The computer says No” scenario was being applied. I was therefore left with no alternative other than to travel with Red Funnel. Not only is this an extra 20 minutes travel time each way on the ferry, but also a further 30 minutes or so driving time to and from Brighton once on the mainland. With this additional couple of hours extra travelling time, an 85-year-old family member has decided not to attend the funeral of a very close relative. I have to say that this is all down to Wightlink!
Yet again it shows that when we really need a ferry, they just let us down time after time!
V Buckland, Yarmouth