Brittany Ferries
Encyclopedia
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry
company that runs ships between France
, the UK
, Ireland
and Spain
.
Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec
, when existing ferry companies showed reluctance in 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 summer 1973, Vedettes Armoricaines operated a service between Plymouth and Roscoff using the passenger only ferry Poseidon which they had acquired from Stena Line
; Brittany Ferries acted as UK agents for this service. Kerisnel was replaced in 1974 by Penn-Ar-Bed which also carried passengers and their vehicles. Such was the success of the Plymouth-Roscoff service a larger ship, the Cornouailles, was ordered and entered service in 1977. New routes commenced throughout the 1970s, and the company continued to grow. The Saint-Malo
, Santander
and Cork
routes were operated by the Armorique and Prince of Brittany. In the early 1980s a second ship was chartered for the Saint-Malo route. The Goelo was an attractive-looking vessel, but left the fleet in preparation for the new ship to be introduced in 1982. The Quiberon
replaced the Armorique on the Santander and Cork services, allowing her to operate alongside the Prince of Brittany on the Saint-Malo route. The Cornouailles maintained the original Roscoff route.
The Benodet operated Plymouth-Roscoff for just one year before being used as part of Brittany Ferries' new venture, Channel Island Ferries
. The Tregastel replaced her and continued on the route until 1989. In 1985 Brittany Ferries further expanded by buying Truckline Ferries, which operated freight-only ships Coutances
and Purbeck between Poole
(UK) and Cherbourg
(France).
In 1986, Brittany Ferries introduced the Duc de Normandie
, which operated a new route between the increasingly popular port of Portsmouth and Caen
. 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 a Truckline Ferries ferry ran from Poole to Caen during the summer from 1986 cope with the seasonal demand on Brittany's standard ships by holiday maker. with the introduction of larger ships in 2006 and the fact that the original "truckliners" were sold meant 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.
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.
. The Normandie Vitesse operated the service 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 fast craft, 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).
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
. The route started on 27 March 2011.
On February 27, 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 have reverted back to one trip a week.
restaurants, bars and cafes. All vessels have their own bureau de change
. 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 have installed a paid wifi service across its fleet of traditional ferries
The fast craft have more limited facilities, such as a smaller shop and a bar/cafe.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
company that runs ships between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
1970s and 1980s
Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec
Alexis Gourvennec
Alexis Gourvennec was a Breton pig farmer and economic leader who played a major role in the regeneration of Brittany after World War II...
, when existing ferry companies showed reluctance in providing a service from Roscoff to Plymouth. The company began sailings between Roscoff
Roscoff
Roscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
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
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
and artichoke
Artichoke
-Plants:* Globe artichoke, a partially edible perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean* Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower with an edible tuber...
farmers giving them easier access to the British market. In summer 1973, Vedettes Armoricaines operated a service between Plymouth and Roscoff using the passenger only ferry Poseidon which they had acquired from Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
; Brittany Ferries acted as UK agents for this service. Kerisnel was replaced in 1974 by Penn-Ar-Bed which also carried passengers and their vehicles. Such was the success of the Plymouth-Roscoff service a larger ship, the Cornouailles, was ordered and entered service in 1977. New routes commenced throughout the 1970s, and the company continued to grow. The Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
, Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
and Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
routes were operated by the Armorique and Prince of Brittany. In the early 1980s a second ship was chartered for the Saint-Malo route. The Goelo was an attractive-looking vessel, but left the fleet in preparation for the new ship to be introduced in 1982. The Quiberon
MV Quiberon
The M/V Quiberon was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries between 1982 and 2002. She then operated on the Mediterranean for Euroferrys under the name Guila D'Abundo.. In 2010, she was renamed D'Abundo and sent to Alang for scrapping...
replaced the Armorique on the Santander and Cork services, allowing her to operate alongside the Prince of Brittany on the Saint-Malo route. The Cornouailles maintained the original Roscoff route.
The Benodet operated Plymouth-Roscoff for just one year before being used as part of Brittany Ferries' new venture, Channel Island Ferries
British Channel Island Ferries
British Channel Island Ferries was a ferry operator who ran services between the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands.-Channel Island Ferries:...
. The Tregastel replaced her and continued on the route until 1989. In 1985 Brittany Ferries further expanded by buying Truckline Ferries, which operated freight-only ships Coutances
MV Coutances
The M/V Rosa Eugenia, formerly the Coutances and Outances is a freight ferry owned by Conferry and previously operated by Brittany Ferries. It was built at Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre shipyard in France for Truckline Ferries and entered service in 1977...
and Purbeck between Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
(UK) and Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
(France).
In 1986, Brittany Ferries introduced the Duc de Normandie
MV Duc de Normandie
The Wisteria is a passenger car ferry operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea and FerryMaroc between Almeria and the Moroccan port of Nador.-History:...
, which operated a new route between the increasingly popular port of Portsmouth and Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
. 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 a Truckline Ferries ferry ran from Poole to Caen during the summer from 1986 cope with the seasonal demand on Brittany's standard ships by holiday maker. with the introduction of larger ships in 2006 and the fact that the original "truckliners" were sold meant this service was discontinued.
In 1989 the cruise ferry Bretagne
MV Bretagne
MV Bretagne is a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries. She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and has been sailing for Brittany Ferries since 1989...
was introduced on the Santander and Cork routes. She displaced the Quiberon
MV Quiberon
The M/V Quiberon was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries between 1982 and 2002. She then operated on the Mediterranean for Euroferrys under the name Guila D'Abundo.. In 2010, she was renamed D'Abundo and sent to Alang for scrapping...
, 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
British Channel Island Ferries
British Channel Island Ferries was a ferry operator who ran services between the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands.-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
TT-Line
TT-Line is a shipping company based in Lübeck, Germany, which has been providing a ferry service between Travemünde in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Trelleborg in southern Sweden since 1962. From 1992 on, Rostock is also offered as starting harbor to Trelleborg...
and partially rebuilt for service on the Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
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 operated between Poole and Cherbourg in partnership with Condor FerriesCondor Ferries
Condor Ferries is an operator of ferry services between mainland England and the Channel Islands, between England and France, and between France and the Channel Islands.-Recent history:...
. The Normandie Vitesse operated the service 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
MV Duc de Normandie
The Wisteria is a passenger car ferry operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea and FerryMaroc between Almeria and the Moroccan port of Nador.-History:...
was transferred to the Roscoff route in July, whilst the Quiberon
MV Quiberon
The M/V Quiberon was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries between 1982 and 2002. She then operated on the Mediterranean for Euroferrys under the name Guila D'Abundo.. In 2010, she was renamed D'Abundo and sent to Alang for scrapping...
was sent to Caen to cover until the new ship arrived. The Mont St Michel was delayed until December however. The Quiberon
MV Quiberon
The M/V Quiberon was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries between 1982 and 2002. She then operated on the Mediterranean for Euroferrys under the name Guila D'Abundo.. In 2010, she was renamed D'Abundo and sent to Alang for scrapping...
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
MV Duc de Normandie
The Wisteria is a passenger car ferry operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea and FerryMaroc between Almeria and the Moroccan port of Nador.-History:...
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
P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
's French routes from Portsmouth. A new fast craft, 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
DFDS
DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede...
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
MV Armorique
The MV Armorique is a passenger and freight ferry built for Brittany Ferries by STX Europe in Finland at a cost of £81 million . The vessel was delivered to Brittany Ferries on 26 January 2009, it was originally planned for her to be delivered in September 2008. Armorique is named after a national...
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 ArmoriqueMV Armorique
The MV Armorique is a passenger and freight ferry built for Brittany Ferries by STX Europe in Finland at a cost of £81 million . The vessel was delivered to Brittany Ferries on 26 January 2009, it was originally planned for her to be delivered in September 2008. Armorique is named after a national...
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
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
route recently abandoned by P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
. The route started on 27 March 2011.
On February 27, 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 have reverted back to one trip a week.
Passenger/freight ferries
| Ship | Built | Entered service | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 1989 | Laid up for winter | |
| 1992 | 1992 | Laid up in Caen Caen Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel.... |
|
| 1992 | 1992 | In service | |
| 2002 | 2002 | In service | |
| 2004 | 2004 | Flagship - In service | |
| 2007 | 2007 | In service | |
| 2009 | 2009 | In service | |
| 2001 | 2010 | In service |
Fast craft
| Ship | Built | Entered service | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2005 | Laid up for winter |
Past ships
| Ship | Built | In service | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| MV Kerisnel | 1972 | 1972—1974 | Since 2001, Laid up in Las Palmas, Greece |
| MV Penn-Ar-Bed | 1974 | 1974—1984 | Scrapped in India, 2004 |
| MV Armorique | 1972 | 1976—1994 | Since 2005, MV Tirta Kencana with Dharma Lautan Utama |
| MV Cornouailles | 1977 | 1977—1989 | Since 2000, MV Sveti Stefan with Montenegro Lines |
| MV Prince of Brittany MV Reine Mathilde Reine Mathilde was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries. She was built as the MS Prince of Fundy in 1970 by Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser, AG, Bremerhaven, Germany for service between Portland, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.-History:... |
1970 | 1978—1991 | Scrapped in India, 2005 |
| MV Breizh Izel | 1970 | 1980—1989 | Since 2001, MV Duchess M with Marlines |
| 1975 | 1982—2002 | Scrapped in India, 2010 | |
| MV Tregastel | 1971 | 1985—1991 | Since 2002, MV Barakat with Baaboud Shipping |
| 1978 | 1985—2008 | Since 2008, MV Rosa Eugenia with Conferry Conferry Conferry is a Venezuelan shipping company operating passenger and freight services to the islands of Margarita and Coche.-Routes:Conferry operate two routes across the Caribbean Sea..* Punta de Piedras - Puerto la Cruz... |
|
| MV Purbeck | 1978 | 1985—2003 | Since 2006, MV Maria Rosario with Conferry Conferry Conferry is a Venezuelan shipping company operating passenger and freight services to the islands of Margarita and Coche.-Routes:Conferry operate two routes across the Caribbean Sea..* Punta de Piedras - Puerto la Cruz... |
| 1978 | 1986—2005 | Since 2006, MV Wisteria with Acciona Trasmediterránea Acciona Trasmediterránea Acciona Trasmediterránea is part of the Acciona group. It operates passengers and cargo ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and northern Africa.-History:... |
|
| MV Duchesse Anne | 1979 | 1988—1996 | Since 1996, MV Dubrovnik with Jadrolinija Jadrolinija Jadrolinija is a Croatian sea shipping company. It is a state-owned company and its main mission is connecting Croatian islands to the mainland by operating regular passenger and cargo transport services... |
| 1987 | 1993—2006 | Since 2011, MV King Seaways with DFDS Seaways DFDS Seaways DFDS Seaways is a large Danish shipping company operating passenger and freight services across Northern Europe. Following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010, DFDS restructured its other shipping divisions into the previously passenger only operation of DFDS Seaways.-History:The company has... |
|
| 1978 | 2006—2009 | Since 2010, MV Moby Corse with Moby Lines Moby Lines Moby Lines is an Italian shipping company that operates ferries and cruiseferries between the Italian or French mainland and the islands of Elba, Sardinia and Corsica. The company was founded in 1959 under the name Navigazione Arcipelago Maddalenino .In 2006 Moby Lines purchased Lloyd Sardegna... |
Regular services
- PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
-RoscoffRoscoffRoscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
(Armorique, Pont-Aven) - PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
-SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
(Pont-Aven) - PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
-Cherbourg (Cotentin, Normandie Vitesse) - PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
-SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
(Cotentin) - PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-St Malo (Bretagne with winter service operated by Pont-Aven) - PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-OuistrehamOuistrehamOuistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
(CaenCaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
) (Mont St Michel, Normandie, Normandie Express) - RoscoffRoscoffRoscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
-CorkPort of CorkPort of Cork is the main port serving the South of Ireland, County Cork and Cork City. It is a major ferry port and is one of two free ports in Ireland, the other being in the Shannon area...
(Pont-Aven) - PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
(Pont-Aven, Cap Finistère) - PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-BilbaoBilbaoBilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, (Cap Finistère)
Seasonal services
- PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-Cherbourg (Normandie Express)
- Brittany Ferries began operating on this route in 2004 using the BretagneMV BretagneMV Bretagne is a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries. She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and has been sailing for Brittany Ferries since 1989...
and Val de LoireMS King of ScandinaviaMS King Seaways is a cruiseferry operated and owned by the Danish shipping company DFDS Seaways on a route connecting Newcastle, England to IJmuiden in the Netherlands. She was built in 1987 as MS Nils Holgersson by Schichau Unterweser, Bremerhaven, West Germany for TT-Line...
in direct competition with the P&O FerriesP&O FerriesP&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
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.
- PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
-St Malo (Armorique, Bretagne)
- This route will operate weekly between November 2011 and March 2012 using the ArmoriqueMV ArmoriqueThe MV Armorique is a passenger and freight ferry built for Brittany Ferries by STX Europe in Finland at a cost of £81 million . The vessel was delivered to Brittany Ferries on 26 January 2009, it was originally planned for her to be delivered in September 2008. Armorique is named after a national...
and BretagneMV BretagneMV Bretagne is a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries. She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and has been sailing for Brittany Ferries since 1989...
.
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 carteÀ la carte
À la carte is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in* A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, i.e. the usual operation of restaurants * To order an item from the menu on its own, e.g...
restaurants, bars and cafes. All vessels have their own bureau de change
Bureau de Change
A bureau de change or currency exchange is a business whose customers exchange one currency for another. Although originally French, the term bureau de change is widely used throughout Europe, and European travellers can usually easily identify these facilities when in other European countries...
. Most vessels have a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
/gaming machines. In the past, the on-board shops often included a photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
shop with film developing and printing facilities; however, the increase in popularity of digital photography
Digital photography
Digital photography is a form of photography that uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film...
has led to these shops being removed. In late 2009 Brittany Ferries have installed a paid wifi service across its fleet of traditional ferries
The fast craft have more limited facilities, such as a smaller shop and a bar/cafe.