Bluebridge and motorbikes

[NC]

Ok,
How good are these buggers? Dunno many people that have used them and their pricing confuses me a bit.
Car / Van / Ute
Excluding driver

$120 Up to 6m and less than 2 tonne
Car / Van / Ute
Excluding driver


$220
$275
6m - 7m
7m - 8m

Motor Homes
Excluding driver
$165
$220
$275
Up to 6m
6m - 7m
7m - 8m


Vehicles over 8 Metres
Excluding driver

$45 per metre or
part thereof
Total length of vehicle
Trailers, Boats on trailers & Caravans
(accompanied by tow vehicle but measured separately) $120
$220
$275
$45 per metre or
part thereof


Up to 6m
6m - 7m
7m - 8m
Over 8m
Total length of trailer

Motorcycle
Sidecar (add to motorcycle rate) $50
$30

Looks to me that the motorcycle + rider is only $50, cause it doesn't say "excluding rider" like it sez with the car,van, truck drivers etc..

[Lou Girardin]

I think it's more than that. When I booked for Easter, Bluebridge was slightly dearer than Interislander.

[limbimtimwim]

Looks to me that the motorcycle + rider is only $50, cause it doesn't say "excluding rider" like it sez with the car,van, truck drivers etc..Last time I went with them, the bike and myself were charged. I think it was nearly $100, but it was short notice. Like I showed up 25 mins before it departed, no prior booking.

One of the deckhands 'helped' tie up the bike. Actually, he did basically all of it. Thanks that guy :-) .

[GR81]

I think it's more than that. When I booked for Easter, Bluebridge was slightly dearer than Interislander.
that sounds odd... why try and compete with the big boys on the block when you are more expensive.

[magicfairy]

Travelled on Interislander (Arahura) last Friday to Picton, Bluebridge back Sunday. From booking online, to helpfulness of crew and places to tie bike down I found the Bluebridge to be heaps better. Even if it costs a bit more it is definately my preferred carrier. Much more bike friendly.

[Lou Girardin]

that sounds odd... why try and compete with the big boys on the block when you are more expensive.

Yeah, I thought that. I was still going to use them, but they had strange sailing times.

[Colapop]

They've got another boat coming online shortly (about 2 months?) so they can't be doing too badly. And their central city location is really easy to get to and in & out of. The wharf is really good and secure too .... I did all the survey and drawing work for it (Yay for me!!)

[Sniper]

Hehehe, you should see the inside of the BB and Interislander/Tolls fight to boot each other out. You will soon understand why BB is cheaper

[Jantar]

Over the past 12 months I have crossed twice with each of them. The Bluebridge tie down area was against the side of the ship, while the interislander tie down was just to a wire rope strung across the deck. I know which one gave me the greater confidence, and it wasn't interIslander.

With prices, BB has just one price. No special deals for early booking etc, Motorbike $50, rider $45. = $95. Interisalnder does have a cheaper rate if you book early enough and are prepared to accept a less popular sailing, but the normal early bookong fare is still dearer than BB.

In future I'll travel Bluebridge every time.

[Clockwork]

Travelled on Interislander (Arahura) last Friday to Picton, Bluebridge back Sunday. From booking online, to helpfulness of crew and places to tie bike down I found the Bluebridge to be heaps better. Even if it costs a bit more it is definately my preferred carrier. Much more bike friendly.

I was a foot passenger on that sailing (Sunday), my biggest gripe was waiting at least 20mins on the vehicle deck while they backed in and opened the doors..... the vehicle decks absolutely reeked from the stock trucks on board.

That and the fact that as a foot passenger, the Picton terminal was a bit of a mission to get to means I wont be in too much hurry to use them again.

[MrMelon]

Bluebridge was $95 when I went on it a little while ago. And the beers on bluebridge are way cheaper than the interislanders. The food was better too!

[Skyryder]

Comparisons between inter island ferries crop up from time to time. I've noticed that the preferred preference is with BB. Have not used them myself but next time I will.

Now how's that biker protest in Parliment coming on. Do I need to book early??:ride:

Skyryder

[quickbuck]

that sounds odd... why try and compete with the big boys on the block when you are more expensive.

Because they are there to transport trucks mainly. The cost to bring a truck on the interislander is much higher yhen the bluebridge.

I found the interislander cheaper for myself and the bike.

[nudemetalz]

The Missus and I are taking both of our bikes across on the Intersilander at Easter. Costing $370.00 return for us and 2 bikes. Not too bad I guess.

[quickbuck]

Not bad for peak time.

[Bandit Rider]

Bluebridge doesn't rip you off by hiking the prices at Christmas etc, and buying stuff on boad is cheaper. Always had 1st rate service. Also use the Interislander as more choice of times.

[Lou Girardin]

$185 is close to what I'm paying on the Interislander. The other issue that put me off was that I could book early on the Interislander, but Bluebridge weren't taking bookings. So it was wait in the hope that Bluebridge would have sailing times that suited and risk missing out on Interislander or just go with the latter.

[NC]

NC the TL has been on the Arahura/Aratere whatever, and also the Lynx. She quite enjoyed her wee trip and had plenty of good solid tie down points so her rider could be up on the deck knowing it was safe as a house down there. Havn't been on BB before, but it sounds ok from what others are saying. BTW I brought my own friction tie downs from Repco x4, they worked a treat.
Yeah yeah, the arahura has good motorbike areas. The aratere was a little bit dodgy due to the fact they have the steel cable laying around. Concidering you don't need to use it cause there are those tiedown ports in the floor which are mint.
The steel ramp freaked me a bit, just cause its so slick. And with the car/truck oils on it :pinch: Tiedowns are the way!

But yeah bluebridge, $3 cheaper... Do they have good sleeping areas? I need sleep...

[Paul in NZ]

But yeah bluebridge, $3 cheaper... Do they have good sleeping areas? I need sleep...

Um.. Didn't you sleep in a ditch or under a tree in the rain when you ran out of gas that time? If you could do that I suspect you could sleep anywhere. :laugh:

I've never been able to get any sleep on the Picton Ferries, dunno why?

I'm old enough to remember the Lyttleton to Wellington run. Left Lyttleton in the evening, arrived Wellington in the morning. You got a cabin and everything and I remember the steward bringing a cup of tea and a couple of bikkies to wake you up. Very civilised!

[Str8 Jacket]

But yeah bluebridge, $3 cheaper... Do they have good sleeping areas? I need sleep...

When I went over on Bluebridge at 2am I slept on one of the couches - very comfortable! You just have to get to one fast...

[Ninja51]

Civilised is the order of the day. I remember when the new Interisland ship (forgotten its Maori name...Kaitiki or something) used to be the Pride of Cherbourg on the Portsmouth to Cherbourg run...ah, those were the days! The night time sailings were a little over six hours cos they used to take it slower in the dark!!. So a cabin was not only cheap but a must if you were to get away refreshed at six in the morning and make some headway in to France. On day time sailings, (four hours) bikes were always loaded first (if you were there on time) and so we always used to grab the best seat in the "Captains Table" Brasserie - before all the footies and cagers with their little darlings got on board - and scoff a good brekkie or lunch depending on the sailing time. We'd take our time over it and have coffee served to us like lords and ladies. Came down to earth with a bump when I first used Bluebridge! But hey! Marlborough Sounds is a tad more picturesque than the English Channel!

[magicfairy]

One more thing I remember - they showed 2 movies for free on the Bluebridge one after the other, in the lounge. SkyHigh and Corpse Bride. On the Interislander you have to pay $10 to see one movie, in a crappy little movie theatre. Great if you have kids.

[NC]

Um.. Didn't you sleep in a ditch or under a tree in the rain when you ran out of gas that time? If you could do that I suspect you could sleep anywhere. :laugh:

Ditchs and under trees are places to sleep... I was checking if they had trees :)

Str8: I'll just steal a couch...mine! PUSH!

[oldrider]

If I book it only costs me $75:00 to cross on the interislander, BB just cant match that. Cheers John.

[Kickaha]

If I book it only costs me $75:00 to cross on the interislander, BB just cant match that. Cheers John.

Senior Citizens discount? :lol:

[oldrider]

Senior Citizens discount? :lol:
Absolutely, it's about the only real good one I get.:banana:

Wish I could get to use it a whole lot more though! :eek:

[Dart]

Haha, guys, now BB added a remark "exclude rider" :) They read KB, definately :)..

[nodrog]

3 of us did the south island in march, crossed with bluebridge on both crossings, $95 each trip, good tiedown points (take your own tie downs). great service, we had some dramas on the way down so we had to change our crossing time, they rebooked us and never charged us any extra, and as we had arrived 4 hours before the next crossing they let us lock our bikes and gear up out the back so we could head into wellington to get a feed etc. highly recomended.