Brittany Ferries

This article is about the ferry company. For the historic trimaran, see Brittany Ferries (trimaran).
Brittany Ferries
Private company
Industry Passenger transportation
Freight transportation
Holidays
Founded 1972
Founder Alexis Gourvennec
Headquarters Roscoff, France
Area served
 France, England, Ireland, Spain
Key people
 Martine Jourdren
Christophe Mathieu
Frédéric Pouget
Mike Bevens
Owner BAI Bretagne Angleterre Irlande S.A.
Website www.brittanyferries.com

Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France and England, France and Ireland, France and Spain, and England and Spain.

History

1970s and 1980s

Brittany Ferries routes
Brittany Ferries' MV Pont-Aven off the coast of Santander
MV Normandie departing Portsmouth International Port for Caen, 11 October 2010.
MV Cap Finistère departing Portsmouth International Port bound for Bilbao 26 November 2010.

In January 1973, following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced operations at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when the existing ferry companies showed reluctance about providing a service from Roscoff to Plymouth. The company began sailings between Roscoff in Brittany and Plymouth in the South West of England, using the freight ferry Kerisnel. The company's primary aim at that time was to provide a service to Brittany's cauliflower and artichoke farmers, giving them easier access to the British market. In the summer of 1973, Vedettes Armoricaines operated a service between Plymouth and Roscoff using the passenger only ferry Poseidon which they had acquired from Stena Line, and Brittany Ferries acted as the agents in the United Kingdom for this service.[1] In 1974 Kerisnel was replaced by Penn-Ar-Bed, which carried both passengers and vehicles. Such was the success of the Plymouth-Roscoff service that a larger ship, the Cornouailles, was ordered and entered service in 1977. New routes were developed in the late 1970s, and the company continued to grow. Routes to Saint-Malo, Santander, and Cork in Ireland were operated by the Armorique and the Prince of Brittany, and in the early 1980s a second ship was chartered for the Saint-Malo route. The Goelo, an attractive-looking vessel, left the fleet in preparation for the new ship to be introduced in 1982. The Quiberon replaced the Armorique for the Santander and Cork services, allowing her to operate alongside the Prince of Brittany on the Saint-Malo route, while the Cornouailles maintained the original routes from Roscoff.

The Benodet operated between Plymouth and Roscoff for just one year before being redeployed as part of Brittany Ferries' new venture, Channel Island Ferries. The Tregastel replaced her and continued on the Plymouth to Roscoff route until 1989. The Cork route was operated by Tregastel and Quiberon, later to be joined by Celtic Pride, operated by Swansea Cork Ferries, supplying a midweek Cork-Roscoff round trip.

In 1985 Brittany Ferries further expanded by buying Truckline Ferries, which operated freight-only ships Coutances and Purbeck between Poole in England and Cherbourg in France.

In 1986, Brittany Ferries introduced the Duc de Normandie, which operated a new route from Caen to the increasingly popular port of Portsmouth. The former Roscoff ship Cornouailles was transferred to the Truckline Ferries route from Poole to Cherbourg, introducing passenger services on this route. This service was also very successful, and new ships were introduced over the next few years. Meanwhile, a second (chartered) ship, the Gotland was installed on the Caen service in 1988, as well as a new Truckline Ferries vessel, the Normandie Shipper in 1989. In addition to the Portsmouth-Caen services, from 1986 a Truckline Ferries ferry ran from Poole to Caen during the summer to cope with the seasonal demand on Brittany's standard ships by holiday makers. However, the introduction of larger ships in 2006, and the sale of the original "truckliners", meant that this service was discontinued.

In 1989 the cruise ferry Bretagne was introduced on the Santander and Cork routes. She displaced the Quiberon, which transferred to the Roscoff route. Tregastel replaced Cornouailles on the Poole-Cherbourg Truckline Ferries passenger route along with Corbiere (formerly the Benodet who had been transferred to Channel Island Ferries). Cornouailles was sold to British Channel Island Ferries and was renamed Havelet. A second-hand purchase was introduced on the St Malo route, the Duchesse Anne. which was to run alongside the Armorique. This allowed the Prince of Brittany to be transferred to the Caen route under its new name the Reine Mathilde.

1990s

At the end of 1991, the Reine Mathilde left the fleet ready for the introduction of the new cruise ferry the Normandie on the Caen route. The Corbiere and Tregastel also stepped down in preparation for the new Truckline Ferries ship, the Barfleur. During 1992, the Truckline Ferries freight vessel, Purbeck, and the St Malo ship Armorique both stepped down.

In 1993, the final new ship of the 1990s was introduced. The Val de Loire was purchased from TT-Line and partially rebuilt for service on the Santander and Cork routes. The vessel replaced the Bretagne which transferred to the St Malo route, allowing the Duchesse Anne to operate new services between Poole, St Malo, Cork, Roscoff and Plymouth. Following further financial difficulties in the mid-1990s, these new routes were ended and the Duchesse Anne left the fleet. The Normandie Shipper was also sold, but the ex-Truckline Ferries vessel Purbeck was later chartered back by the company for use on various routes, primarily Portsmouth-Caen. In 1999, the Barfleur was repainted in Brittany Ferries colours, ending the Truckline Ferries tradition on the route.

2000s

In 2001 a new fast ferry service began to operate between Poole and Cherbourg in partnership with Condor Ferries. The fast Normandie Vitesse could make the voyage in just over two hours. In 2002, a new ship, the Mont St Michel, was due to enter service between Portsmouth and Caen. The Duc de Normandie was transferred to the Roscoff route in July, whilst the Quiberon was sent to Caen to cover until the new ship arrived. The Mont St Michel was delayed until December however. The Quiberon spent the remainder of the year on the busiest Brittany Ferries route. She had been with the company for almost 21 years when she was sold in 2003. In 2004, another new ship, the Pont-Aven, was introduced on the Santander & Cork routes. She could travel much faster than the rest of the fleet, cutting journey times by a quarter. This allowed the Val de Loire to join the Bretagne on the St Malo route. Both ships also provided a new mid-week link to Cherbourg from Portsmouth.

In late 2004, the company withdrew the Duc de Normandie from the fleet. The Bretagne transferred to the Roscoff route, leaving the Val de Loire at St Malo. The Coutances was also earmarked for disposal, but then a change of heart resulted in its refit, losing her Truckline Ferries livery in favour of the new Brittany Ferries logo.

More changes occurred in 2005 with the withdrawal of P&O's French routes from Portsmouth. A new fastcraft, the Normandie Express was chartered to operate between Portsmouth and Cherbourg and Caen. In addition, the Poole-Cherbourg ship Barfleur was redeployed to operate a triangular service between Portsmouth, Poole and Cherbourg. A new ship was announced, in part a replacement for the Coutances. The ship was named the Cotentin. Purbeck was to have returned from operating in New Zealand and cover the Portsmouth-Cherbourg link but this plan was dropped. Barfleur returned to the Poole-Cherbourg link in November 2005.

The former flagship of the fleet (from 1993 until the arrival of the Mont St Michel) Val de Loire left the fleet in February 2006, having been sold to DFDS and renamed King of Scandinavia. In the meantime, Brittany Ferries had taken a 2-year charter of the DFDS ship Duke of Scandinavia, which was renamed Pont-L'Abbé and ran on the Plymouth-Roscoff route. The Bretagne returned to the Portsmouth-St Malo route. Brittany Ferries also announced a new build for the Plymouth-Roscoff route, to be launched early 2008. In February 2006 the Normandie Express was brought under the French flag, she was later purchased by the company in early 2007. Brittany Ferries new freight ship, the Cotentin, entered service on 26 November 2007 with the 23:45 Cherbourg-Poole service. The new ship also operated a weekly service to Santander from Poole. It was announced on 19 December 2007 that the company had purchased the Pont-L'Abbé from DFDS. On 1 May 2008 MV Coutances completed her last sailing for the company - having been with Truckline Ferries] for 30 years and with Brittany Ferries since 1985. In early 2009, the Armorique was launched on the Plymouth-Roscoff route, replacing the Pont L'Abbe. For 2009, the Pont-Aven operated a new Portsmouth to Santander service once a week (cutting the previous Plymouth to Santander route to once a week).

2010s

In late 2009, the new Poole-Santander freight-only service was deemed a success and the frequency was doubled: there would now be two services a week operated by Cotentin. In November 2009, the Armorique was laid up for the rest of the Winter season. Major changes were announced in December 2009. The Barfleur was withdrawn from service at the end of January 2010 after nearly 18 years service on the Poole-Cherbourg route. The service was temporarily serviced by the Armorique which came back to service earlier than originally planned. The Poole-Santander service reverted to one sailing a week with the Cotentin covering freight on the Poole-Cherbourg service in the absence of Barfleur. The Condor Vitesse continued to operate one round sailing a day in the summer months between the two ports. The Cap Finistère ran between Portsmouth and Santander twice a week and also operated three round trips a week between Portsmouth and Cherbourg. In September 2010, Brittany Ferries announced plans to serve the Portsmouth-Bilbao route recently abandoned by P&O Ferries.[2] The route started on 27 March 2011.

In February 2011, Barfleur returned to the Poole-Cherbourg route on a seven-month trial basis after being laid up for a year. Her final crossing of 2011 was 3 October. The return of Barfleur allowed Cotentin to run two Poole-Santander trips a week. However, with Barfleur being laid up again, the Poole-Santander sailings reverted to one trip a week. On 23 March, it was announced that Barfleur was to be chartered to DFDS Seaways for use on their Dover-Calais route. Her first sailing on the route was on 27 April.

On 1 April 2011, the new Portsmouth International Port (PIP) terminal, used by Brittany Ferries, LD Lines and Condor Ferries, was opened to the public. An official opening ceremony took place on 13 May 2011. This modern, stylish, eco-friendly building replaced the previous terminal building that stood from 1976 until its well needed replacement occurred in 2011.

On 21 September 2012, Brittany Ferries cancelled sailings indefinitely following two days of wildcat strikes caused by crew members who were unhappy with changes in working terms and conditions. Meetings took place between management and unions to negotiate the management proposals. A vote was taken on 30 September by union members to decide if the management proposals would be accepted. The crew members accepted the proposal and services resumed on 2 October after 12 days without services.[3] During this period, Brittany Ferries made special arrangements with P&O Ferries and MyFerryLink to accept Brittany Ferries tickets on the Dover-Calais route, any unused tickets were refunded.[4] Services were not affected on the Poole-Cherbourg route which was being operated by Condor Ferries.

The 2012 season was the last year of the Poole-Cherbourg fastcraft operation with Condor Ferries. For the first time since 2001, the Condor vessel operating the Poole-Cherbourg summer service was the Condor Express rather than the Condor Vitesse.

In May 2013, Brittany Ferries introduced a new route with services from Portsmouth to Le Havre using their high-speed vessel, Normandie Express.

In October 2013, Brittany Ferries’ freight service from Poole-Santander terminated and Cotentin, who served the route, is now being chartered by Stena Line.

On 5 November 2013, Christophe Mathieu, Deputy Managing Director of Brittany Ferries and Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive of VisitBritain signed an agreement to run a joint marketing campaign designed to attract more French tourists to the UK. The agreement commits both parties to a three-year campaign with a promotional match-funded spend of £1.5 million, and is the first time Brittany Ferries has entered into such an arrangement with VisitBritain.

On Friday 7 February 2014, Brittany Ferries announced that as from the end of March the former Visentini-built DFDS Seaways Norman Voyager will operate on Le Havre, Portsmouth and Santander.

During the weekends the ferry sails on Portsmouth – Santander. Demand for freight capacity is high during the weekend, but also passengers are interested in such a service.

On weekdays the Norman Voyager, which has been renamed 'Etretat', sails on Portsmouth – Le Havre, a route that was successful last year when Brittany Ferries introduced the catamaran HSC Normandie Express. The latter again sails on Portsmouth - Le Havre during the Summer Season. The "new" ro-pax ferry will sail year-round.

On 13 October 2014, it was announced that plans to convert Armorique, Mont St Michel and Pont-Aven to run on LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as well as a new LNG powered ferry had been cancelled as the company could not justify the costs. These three ships as well as Barfleur, Cap Finistère and Normandie will instead receive exhaust gas scrubbers in order to remove sulphur from their exhaust emissions.

On Friday 30 January 2015, Brittany Ferries announced that it will charter the DFDS Seaways vessel MS Sirena Seaways from the beginning of April 2015 and start service with Brittany Ferries in May 2015, to operate on the their successful Portsmouth - Le Havre route, alongside the MV Etretat and the HSC Normandie Express. It will also operate a weekly Portsmouth - Bilbao service. The ship will be renamed 'MV Baie de Seine'

Current fleet

Passenger ferries

Ship Built Entered service Tonnage Length Beam Service Speed Current status Notes
MV Armorique 2009 2009 29,468 GT 168.30m 26.8m 23.0 Knots In Service
MV Baie de Seine 2002 2015 22,382 GT 199.4m 23.0m 21.0 Knots Repositioning to Le Havre Économie Service
MV Barfleur 1992 1992 20,133 GT 158.7m 23.3m 20.5 Knots Undergoing refit in Santander
MV Bretagne 1989 1989 24,534 GT 152.80m 26.0m 21.0 Knots In Service
MV Cap Finistère 2001 2010 32,728 GT 203.90m 25.0m 28.0 Knots In Service
MV Étretat 2008 2014 26,904 GT 187.00m 26.0m 22.0 Knots Undergoing Refit in Gdansk Économie Service
MV Mont St Michel 2002 2002 35,586 GT 173.95m 28.5m 22.0 Knots In Service
MV Normandie 1992 1992 27,451 GT 161.40m 26.0m 20.5 Knots In Service
HSC Normandie Express 2000 2005 6,581 GT 97.22m 26.6m 42.0 Knots In Service Fastcraft
MV Pont-Aven 2004 2004 40,859 GT 184.30m 25.0m 27.0 Knots In Service Flagship

Past fleet

Ship Built In service Tonnage Current status
MV Kerisnel 1972 1972—1974 1,983 GT Sunk in Atlantic Ocean, 2014
MV Penn-Ar-Bed 1974 1974—1984 6,399 GT Scrapped in India, 2004
MV Armorique 1972 1976—1993 8,181 GT Sunk in Java Sea, 2011
MV Cornouailles 1977 1977—1989 6,918 GT Scrapped in Turkey, 2013
MV Prince of Brittany 1970 1978—1991 7,747 GT Scrapped in India, 2005
MV Breizh Izel 1970 1980—1989 6,576 GT Scrapped in Turkey, 2014
MV Quiberon 1975 1982—2002 11,813 GT Scrapped in India, 2010
MV Tregastel 1971 1985—1991 8,696 GT Since 2011, MV Noor with Baaboud Shipping
MV Coutances 1978 1985—2008 6,507 GT Since 2008, MV Rosa Eugenia with Conferry
MV Purbeck 1978 1985—2003 6,507 GT Since 2006, MV Maria Rosario with Conferry
MV Duc de Normandie 1978 1986—2005 13,505 GT Since 2013, MV Vronskiy with Acciona Trasmediterránea
MV Duchesse Anne 1979 1988—1996 9,795 GT Since 1996, MV Dubrovnik with Jadrolinija
MV Val de Loire 1987 1993—2006 31,788 GT Since 2011, MV King Seaways with DFDS Seaways
MV Pont L'Abbé 1978 2006—2009 19,321 GT Since 2010, MV Moby Corse with Moby Lines
MV Cotentin 2007 2007—2013 19,909 GT Since 2013, MV Stena Baltica with Stena Line

Services

Regular services

Seasonal services

Brittany Ferries began operating on this route in 2004 using the Bretagne and Val de Loire in direct competition with the P&O Ferries service. Following P&O's withdrawal from the route Brittany Ferries introduced the Normandie Express to operate during the summer season with a conventional service for the rest of the year. The route became a seasonal service after the end of the 2006 summer season with the service recommencing on 23 March 2007 and closing again on 29 October 2007. A limited conventional service for freight was provided by the Coutances to reposition the ship from Portsmouth to Poole once a week between the end of November 2007 and 1 May 2008. Regular passenger services resumed in Summer 2008 and Summer 2009.

In the winter, during refit season, this route is used so that both MV Armorique and MV Bretagne can be moved between the Portsmouth to St Malo route and also the Plymouth to Roscoff route.

Exceptional services

During the 'refit season' (roughly early January until before the Easter break), many ships undergo major maintenance and refurbishment. It is not uncommon to, as a positioning move, operate a service from Plymouth - St Malo - Portsmouth, or vice versa. These services are generally noted in the printed and on-line timetables, and are open to passengers.

Onboard facilities

Brittany Ferries' vessels have a variety of onboard facilities. These include shops, self-service and A la carte restaurants, bars and cafes. All vessels have their own bureau de change, except for the Cap Finistère and the Armorique which, alternately, provide an ATM that dispenses Euros. Most vessels have a cinema and gambling/gaming machines. In the past, the on-board shops often included a photography shop with film developing and printing facilities; however, the increase in popularity of digital photography has led to these shops being removed. In late 2009 Brittany Ferries installed a WiFi service across its fleet of traditional ferries and in April 2013 free Wi-Fi was introduced on board, in the public areas on each vessel. In July 2012, spa treatment areas were added to the Pont-Aven and the Cap Finistère. In these on-board spas a wide range of treatments are available from manicures and pedicures to facials and massages.

Pont Aven and Bretagne also have Commodore Lounges. These are exclusive lounges for passengers travelling in a Commodore or De Luxe (Bretagne does not have any De Luxe cabins) cabin. The lounge is rarely open on Bretagne and entry is controlled by the boarding card/cabin key in the same way you would access your cabin.

HSC Normandie Express has more limited facilities, such as a smaller shop and a bar/cafe.

Brittany Ferries Économie

Brittany Ferries Économie operates budget crossings between Portsmouth International Port and Le Havre, and Portsmouth International Port and Santander. Crossings are operated aboard MV Étretat, the former Norman Voyager. There are cabins, each en-suite but without carpets. Brittany Ferries have also introduced Pet Friendly cabins onboard Etretat, as these have proved popular on their Spanish Crossings aboard MV Cap Finistère.

MV Étretat is designed for passengers who want a reasonable fare, but without the cruise-style experience Brittany Ferries offer on all their other ships.

In May 2015, MS Sirena Seaways will join Brittany Ferries Economie on the Portsmouth to Le Havre and Portsmouth to Bilbao routes with the MV Baie de Seine.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Cruising Monthly, newsletter of Coastal Cruising Association, and other contemporary journals, 1973
  2. ↑ "Brittany Ferries saves Portsmouth-Bilbao route". Travel News UK. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  3. ↑ "BF industrial dispute September 2012 - the aftermath". BFEnthusiasts. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "Brittany Ferries services halted 'until further notice'". BBC News. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  5. ↑ http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/press-office/blog/47680/30-01-2015---Brittany-Ferries-expands-fleet-to-offer-more-no-frills-economie-sailings-to-Le-Havre-and-Bilbao?page=1

External links

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