# P&O Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry ending



## hymermick1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Just heard on my local radio station that P&O are stopping the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry in September 2010 when the contract for the Pride of Bilbao runs out. They claim the ferry has been running at a loss for a long time.


----------



## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

Not good

Just checked the P&O website and they are posting the same news.

Perhaps Brittany frries will go for the route, although this will bring an increase in cost


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Brittany Ferries have just sent us this information which suggests otherwise;

_2010 sailings update
We want you to be amongst the first to know about some changes to our 2010 sailing timetable.

A new ship
We are delighted to announce the introduction of Cap Finistère to the fleet. The new ship will sail from Portsmouth to both Santander and Cherbourg and will provide you with more choice on these routes.

Portsmouth to Cherbourg
From 12th March we will be running a daily high speed service from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, and from 27th May this will increase to twice a day, Mondays to Thursdays. To complement this there will be a new cruise ferry service from Portsmouth to Cherbourg on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, operated by Cap Finistère.

4 overnight sailings a week to Santander
Our services from Plymouth and Portsmouth have proved popular this year and so we'll be adding two new services to Santander from Portsmouth, departing on Tuesdays and Fridays with the new ship. This means we can offer a choice of 4 return sailings to Spain every week, all with convenient UK departures times and just one night at sea.

Poole to Cherbourg
You may have heard that there will be a reduction in passenger sailings with the withdrawal from service of mv Barfleur at the end of January, mainly because of falling passenger numbers in low season over recent years. The cruise ferry service will be withdrawn from 8th March 2010.
The high speed service will, however, continue to operate from 17th May until 26th September 2010.

These changes reflect our aim of matching our services to demand. Whilst those used to travelling off-season via Poole may be disappointed, we believe the increased choice available from Portsmouth will prove popular with customers old and new. _

so this suggests that far from decreasing they are planning to restore the number of sailings from the UK to Spain. :lol:

Hope that is of interest,

Dave


----------



## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

Does that mean they will run all year for the Portsmouth/Santander route. We've used both P&O and Brittany Ferries and much prefer the later but haven't been in bad weather on the smaller Ferry


----------



## Manchego (Sep 26, 2009)

I understand that although they call the Cap Finistere a new ship, it is actually a refitted former Superfast ferry that used to run the Italy to Greece route. I understand they expect it to cut up to 4 hours of the run in good weather. Funny isn't it, i remember when we use to send our secondhand ships down to the adriatic. No doubt being Brittany they will still want to charge too much.


----------



## vonnie (Jul 17, 2005)

Good post Hymermick1, we had booking for 28th Sept which is now not sailing. Last sailing out is 25th Sept which we have managed to get transferred to at no extra charge. This was thru the CC& C club who, until I phoned them, hadnt known anything about this. Thanks.


----------



## Waves (Apr 17, 2008)

*P&O Spanish route*

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8461624.stm

This will make Brittany Ferries charges evan higher :x

John


----------



## bertieburstner (May 1, 2005)

*p and o*

P & O PRESS RELEASE
P&O Ferries has given notice that it is proposing to withdraw from the Portsmouth - Bilbao route at the end of September 2010, when the charter of the ship it uses for the service, the Pride of Bilbao, comes to an end.

In the meantime, the service will operate normally and bookings up to and including 27 September are unaffected. P&O Ferries will be contacting passengers with bookings beyond that date in order to make alternative arrangements or offer refunds.

The company says that despite a concerted effort to improve the financial performance of its 15-year-old service, losses continue and are unsustainable. Staff are being advised today (Friday) as the company begins consultations with representatives of its workforce in order to mitigate potential job losses. The months ahead will be used to try to offer alternative positions elsewhere in the company's route network. A total of 252 people work on the Pride of Bilbao including 130 agency staff. A further 12 staff work in the company's shore operation in Bilbao.

Chief executive Helen Deeble said: "We have examined every option very carefully and have been trying for more than three years to find a suitable replacement ship in order to continue the service profitably. The Pride of Bilbao has served us well but is now an old ship nearing the end of her commercial life and needs to be replaced.

"However, we have reached the sad conclusion that such a replacement vessel is not currently available and as this loss-making route is unable to fund the cost of a new purpose-built ship we have no alternative other than to close it."


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Bilbao*

As far as I know the vessel is owned by the Irish Ferries Group. I think the vessel is about 25 years old, so plenty of steam left in her yet.

Russell


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I have merged the two threads that were both covering the same information, thank you to all posters for their contributions - this is a story that we will all wish to watch if we use these routes.

Dave


----------



## MeFeinMcCabe (Mar 28, 2009)

*P&O to close Portsmouth Bilboa Route*

Route will close in September.

Pity that, no doubt the Brittany Ferries prices will rise considerably


----------



## Wupert (Aug 6, 2007)

*P & O*

P & O announce that the UK - Spain ferry is to discontinue in September


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I will merge this with the other three threads on this identical topic. It's destination address will be;

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-773526.html#773526

Dave

for the Mods team


----------



## lev (Feb 14, 2009)

*End of P&O Portsmouth to Bilbao...*

Just saw this...we've booked for end of June so hopefully will be ok!

BBC news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/h...re/8461624.stm

Quote:
Portsmouth to lose Pride of Bilbao ferry service

A P&O ferry service to Spain operating from Portsmouth is to be withdrawn due to "unsustainable" losses, putting 252 jobs at risk.

The Pride of Bilbao's final crossing to Bilbao - which P&O Ferries has operated for 15 years - will take place on 27 September, the firm said.

The 252 employees, including 130 agency workers, all work on the vessel. Twelve others work on shore in Bilbao.

P&O said it was talking to unions. The RMT said the route "remains viable".

Steve Todd, the RMT's national maritime secretary, said: "We believe the Portsmouth-Bilbao route remains viable and that there is no case for axing the service.

"We will be working with the company to look at options to keep the route sailing.

"In the meantime, we have cast-iron assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies and we are in negotiations with P&O to ensure that the interests of staff are fully protected."

Crossings are expected to operate as normal up to and including the 27 September.

It is understood the company is contacting passengers with bookings beyond that date in order to make alternative arrangements or offer refunds.

The news comes after Brittany Ferries announced just before Christmas that it was withdrawing the Barfleur ferry between Poole and Cherbourg because it had been losing money since 2003.


----------



## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

I'm not surprised at the withdrawal of the ferry, its just to expensive. I checked for a crossing in Aug and it was £1337 return. Now crossing with Norfolkline from Dover for £81. Even if you add the cost of fuel for the drive to Bilbao it not like the cost of the ferry

Andy


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Lev

No criticism of you, but this is the fifth thread that has been opened on the same topic so I have merged it with the other four!

Would you like the email address of the Guinness Book of Records! :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: 

I have also moved the combined thread into "Ferry Tickets" where it should have been all along.

(Red faces for the Mods then for not noticing!    )

Dave


----------



## linal (Mar 14, 2006)

Hi A few years ago when P&O were not going to renew the lease for the ship from Irish ferries a Spanish (I think) company Trans Med. moved in to take over the route. 

I remember paying something like £250.00 return with them.

With a bit of luck they may give it another go as competition can only be good for all.

Alex.


----------

