Big Ferry Fortnight Ballot opens with over 2,400 pairs* of Ferry Tickets up for Grabs
The Big Ferry Fortnight public ballot is now open, with over 2,400 free pairs* of ferry tickets up for grabs during Big Ferry Fortnight, which runs from March 23rd – April 6th this year.
Residents from the UK and the Isle of Man can now apply for tickets via the online ballot system – www.bigferryfortnight.com – where they will need to register in order to apply for free tickets on over 50 routes across the UK, Ireland and British Islands, before the closing date, April 6th.
The tickets, which are allocated in pairs, (with some for a vehicle + family travelling together), are for a range of ferry trips, from short island-hopping routes across Scotland and larger island escapes such as the Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly, to cruise-style ferries across the North and Irish Seas, as well as cross-Channel trips and even river journeys with spectacular views across London.
This ballot is part of a celebration of ferry travel, developed by ferry industry body, Discover Ferries, and includes tickets from all 13 of its ferry members. The campaign is designed to encourage people to discover, or re-discover, the freedom, convenience and comfort that ferry travel provides families, couples and people with a passion for travel and adventure.
The latest industry figures show that more than 38 million passenger journeys[1] were made by ferry within the UK and to the British Islands, Ireland, France, Spain and Holland in 2018. A recent survey by IRN Research²also revealed that ferry travellers surveyed last year were overwhelming happy with their experience (92% rated it as good or very good), with 82% of ferry travellers saying they would recommend ferry travel to friends and family.
Emma Batchelor, Director of Discover Ferries, says: “Research suggests that those who try ferries tend to become ferry advocates – especially if you believe that the journey is an important part of your holiday, so we are inviting residents from the UK and the Isle of Man to discover ferry travel for themselves by offering them the chance to win a pair of free tickets on a route of their choice.
“I am delighted to say that we have already seen over 1,300 people pre-register for the ballot, which is fantastic, and with over 2,400 pairs of tickets up for grabs, there is a good chance you will be able to bag tickets on one of your chosen routes, but you only have two weeks to enter, so I advise entering straight away.”
Discover Ferries members taking part in the Big Ferry Fortnight ballot are: Brittany Ferries, Caledonian MacBrayne, Condor Ferries, DFDS, Hovertravel, Irish Ferries, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Isles of Scilly Travel, MBNA Thames Clippers, P&O Ferries, Red Funnel, Stena Line and Wightlink.
“Whether you fancy travelling on advanced cruise-style ferries on the longer routes to Ireland and continental Europe, or checking out some of the shorter crossings on smaller vessels that offer unparalleled views of the coastal waters and rivers surrounding our beautiful and diverse collection of Islands and mainland UK, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Whatever ferry route you take, you will feel your holiday has started as soon as you board,” added Emma.
To enter the Big Ferry Fortnight ballot, visit www.bigferryfortnight.com.
