Hi,
I that ferry still in operation, if so how far ahead one has to book it to ferry a car across to Russia?
Comments from anybody with recent experience would be great.
Thank you

Hi Langthaler,

just stumbled across your request.

The ferry certainly still operates, I will take it 10-11/05/2020, I have been in contact with Mr Kim who has been very helpful:

"
Hello. Sir.
Thank you for your interest.
This is KIM of DBS CRUISEFERRY of Donghae head office.
We can transport your motorcycle from Donghae port to Vladivostok port by our ferry.
Above all, We have a Important question, We should check for Nation of registered of motorcycle.
1. Where is nation of registered ??
The Room & cargo freight is as follows. (Donghae -> Vladivostok / Oneway)
1. Economy class (Most cheap) : KRW222,000 / Per Persons (Only Motorcycle owner 30% DC)
2. Terminal tax : KRW 2,620 / Per Persons
3. Cargo ocean freight : USD 600 / Per Units
(It might be revised or incresed in next year for the above fares.)

But,
you can not to booking until JAN 2020, It was not opened due to very ealier.
We will open to booking program before 3 months from requested booking date.

Peak season.(May ~ AUGUST)

Just recently, also Many Korean & foreigner tourist couldn't make reservation due to so quick closed.

If you reply too late, it might be diffucult to booking.

================================================== ==================================================

In future, when you to want to book, Above all, we have to know your exact condition as follows.
I think you are just travelling through South Korea, right?
If yes, you have to send us copy of "Temporary Import/Export Declaration" under signed
from arrival customs house when you arrive in Korea : You have to bring it and submit to
Donghae customs house, it is most important.

If you want to book later, please send me below documents.
(You should be give us before 3 months from requested booking date.
1) Passport copy
2) Temporary Import/Export Declaration of Korean customs copy.
(You can send us when you arrived in Korea from Korean customs)
3) Motorcycle Certificate of registration copy
4) International driving Permit copy
5) Photo of motorcycle
Later, We can to transport When you give to us all of documents.

Later, When you arrive at vladivostok port,
Your customs handling company info is as follows.
So, Please inquire to local other sur-charge (THC, insurance fee, customs clearance fee) to below company.
<LINKS>
89 svetlanskaya str., ste. 312
690001 vladivostok, russia
tel : 7-423-222-0887, handy : 7-902-524-3447
e-mail : ymelnik@links-ltd.com, info@links-ltd.com
Links Ltd | professional packing and moving services provider in Vladivostok, Russia
We are sailing from Donghae port to Vladivostok port every sunday 02:00 PM(Departure).
DBS Cruise Ferry

Please reply to me, if you have any other question.

Best regards
From MH, Kim
------------ 원본 메일 내용 ------------
보낸 사람 : "Walter Hesse"<whesse@we-do-it.com>
받는 사람 : dbsferry@dbsferry.com
메일 제목 : Ferry Booking Donghae-Vladivostok
보낸 날짜 : Wed, 13 Feb 2019 11:23:51 +1100
"

While Mr Kim is extremly helpful, their web site is extremly shitty.

I will fly Melbourne-Seoul 28/4 picking up my bike 6am, 10 days in South Korea before I take the ferry to Vladivostok and ride to Murmansk, into Norway, down to Denmark, Germany, London - shipping back by container first week of August.

What are your plans?

Regards,
Walter

__________________

DBS ferry has suspended service for the winter. They used to operate year round. On the news they said they "plan" to resume service in spring.
Hope plan doesn't turn into going out of business.

__________________
Japan touring information

Well that quite serious news.
Any more information yet?
There must be Russians etc wanting to go to go to the Olympics next Summer - maybe the boat is having a refit this winter?

Thanks for the info Walter, very informative very much appreciated.
My plans to do what you doing next year, but no $, so no trip
But it was SK, then Coast north of Vladivostok, BAM, Road of Bones, Mongolia, Zimnik 110, Central Asia, Urals, Murmansk and down, I guess it was too much, but I love to plan.

Send inquiry to Yuri at links: ymelnik@links-ltd.com

He will be able to have the fresh info.

Let us know if you need any more support.

Cheers
Dooby

__________________
Bike purchase, storage, expedition tours / insurance, health & repatriation, transport, rally training
www.lobagola-mototours.com/ www.lobagola-insurance.com/

Yuri is providing top service, you can count that all the port process will be as smooth as silk. Very professional and focused and fast.

Let us know if you need any more support or info for your trip.

BR
Dooby

__________________
Bike purchase, storage, expedition tours / insurance, health & repatriation, transport, rally training
www.lobagola-mototours.com/ www.lobagola-insurance.com/

I sent an email to Yuri Melnikov about using his services this July and asked about the rumours that DBS is not going to be operating this summer and this is his reply:

" Now ferry doesn't operate in winter time till March. There are rumours it can be stopped permanently. DBS ferry office now works and they don't have any information. I wisited them this week. They say maybe there will be more information in end of January/beginning of February.

If ferry doesn't start working in March we will ship to Busan, Korea in containers or on RO/RO ship. Container shipping may take 10-15 days. RO/RO ship goes to Busan approximately once in two weeks without schedule. "

In terms of my plans this is a potential disaster.
Hope others are not too badly affected IF the service is not running this summer.

Hi ,Iam also keen to know about the ferry as my plan is also to fly to Seoul and take the ferry to Russia in May 2020, then Monglia ,Kazastan,Russia on to Finland. I have not booked air freight yet is Air Korea the way to go? cheers John

" They say maybe there will be more information in end of January/beginning of February. "

Like you, I am just waiting for news........

Just talked to DBS FERRY in Korea - their Ferry Service is OUT OF BUSINESS (and not just for the winter) due to "lack of money".

Almost all of their staff have been layed off.

I asked about the chances of service revival and the recommendation was to make alternative arrangements.



ANYBODY INTERESTED IN GETTING A SEA FREIGHT CONTAINER TOGETHER BY BIKES ABROAD IN MELBOURNE - ARRIVAL EARLY MAY VLADIVOSTOK?

__________________

hi , there goes my plan A, I am interested in container share to Vladivostok in May.I live in Brisbane.

Well mine too.
I want to get from Vlad to Japan.
I was hoping that the Tokyo Olympics would be a boost for that ferry service.
Yuri said that there are RoRo services from Russia to Japan on a weekly basis but no passengers.

Hello, I had been planning for the last year a roadtrip by car from Barcelona to Japan and back again, and reading the last messages has been really painful for me, since I was planning to take the ferry in June from Vladivostok to Sakaiminato and back again.

I contacted Yuri a few months ago and he said all was ok, but after reading that, I sent him another mail to check if there are any alternatives. Maybe travelling from Wakkanai to Sakhalin island, but I don't know if that ferry still works or if it went out of business too...

This is the answer I recieved right now from DBS:

"I'm sorry to late answer.
We are not sailing service right now.
We have not dicided when to resume.
And then we cannot get any reservation.
Thank you.

Lee junman."

Hi Johajoha,

Can I ask exactly when you got that reply from DBS?
Maybe I'm clutching at straws but it does say:
" We have not decided when to resume ".
This is an improvement on:
"their ferry service is out of business ".

I was also hoping to take the Vlad - Sakaiminato ferry this July.
Still hoping to get there somehow. There is a weekly roro service for vehicles only and you can fly from Vlad to Japan. But the timings seem to be unpredictable.
I may end up leaving the bike in Vlad and taking a return flight to Japan to do what I have to do there and then riding back to the UK from Vlad.