# Brittany Ferries Cancelled Until Further Notice



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19671784

Peter


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*ferry*

http://videos.letelegramme.com/player.php?sig=ec18facbc62s&overlay=1&rub=0

Brittany Ferries wants to save money. For Rivallain Marielle, hostess, it means a drop in Salary of EUR 150 per month and the equivalent of two weeks Holiday per year. She picketed the Crédit Agricole in Quimper today. Brittany Ferries have indicated to the unions to make these savings at the request of the bank.

TM


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

Alternative ferry services

We have made arrangements with P&O Ferries or MyFerryLink to accept your Brittany Ferries ticket between Calais and Dover. You do not need to contact us, all you need to do is present your booking reference at check-in to travel with them free of charge.

There are regular crossings between Calais and Dover but if you would like to find out more details please visit www.poferries.com or call 08716642121. If you are calling from outside of the UK please dial 0044 1304 863000 and select option 1. For MyFerryLink visit www.myferrylink.com or call +44 1304 828 442.

Industrial action is not affecting services between Poole and Cherbourg.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*in-Touch*

If the crew carry on as they are. I can see some big changes.

Maybe even the demise of many routes. Maybe some might come back crewed mostly with staff from the Philippines, Asia or Eastern Europe.

The way I see it is this.

The Banks/Shareholders (French Farmers - Crédit Agricole)

Want to see a return rather than a loss on their investment.

Brittany Ferries has made a loss for three years.

The Staff have been asked to take a reduction in salary of €150 per month and reduced holidays.

As someone who has been in business since I was 21, I cannot understand what the problem is. I have to cut my cloth accordingly in the past and maybe in the future.

Time will tell.

TM


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## shedbrewer (Jan 6, 2007)

*Alternative ferry services,,,*

How nice of Brittany Ferries to allow passengers to use P&O Ferries free of charge by using their existing BF tickets ,,,,,, Tickets from BF cost between £350-£400 to cross from Plymouth to Roscoff, you then have to travel to Dover, presumably at your own expense and then pick up a P&O ticket which you could have bought online for less than £100, plus the cost and time involved in driving from Calais to your original route along the west coast of France. Big Deal Brittany Ferries,,,,, Jack & Patty, Crnwall


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Planned*

We are booked to go out to Spain next week.

See My Post here

The only alternative I can see is to book with LD Lines. But their Capacity is running out Fast (2am this morning LD Lines were full to Tuesday. 12 hours on and they now only have Thursday available with just four cabins left (We need 2).

But If I book with LD Lines and then BF go back to work, I am £600 down as LD Lines will not refund.

So the only other option is a return trip of 3,000 Miles drive through France and back from the NW. So we would need overnight hotels for 8 People and will lose time at our holiday destination.

Flying is coming out at three times the cost of the BF route which was only 1/2 the miles with an overnight on the boat.

There will be more costs as we will not be able to take travel cots etc and shopping that we bought to take with us.

TM


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Brittany Ferries will compensate people on their return journeys with free Calais to Dover travel and fuel costs. Any other costs will have to be raised with insurance companies all according to the BF website.


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

Last year our BF ferry to St Malo was diverted to Cherboug. We were 3 vehicles full of kids and dogs.

They refused to pay any compensation for the extra half day driving and fuel etc etc.

We are due to cross end Oct from Caen hope its settled by then!!! dont fancy the extra drive to Calais then the long drive to North West when I have paid through the nose to travel BF 8O


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## lesanne (May 1, 2008)

Hi , booked on B/Ferries on 2nd Oct return on 5th from Caen to Portsmouth with a Hire Van ,tried all other alternatives ,but with no joy ..if not running will have to be Tunnel ,that means 9hr drive to tunnel + 4hrs other side ,unload then same return ,+ still have to travel back with the Motorhome later,not a happy Bunny at the moment ,will have to wait and see ..Les..


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## oldtart (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi. Just arrived at friends near Toulouse and have at last got Internet access. I thought I would catch up on MHT's and found this posting. Many thanks, or we wouldn't have known!

I have e mailed them as we are due to cross back from Bilbao to Portsmouth on 16th. October and need to know what is happening as our plan is to move on along thePyranees leaving here on 1st. October then go down the coast to Bilbao. 

Val


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Friday*

We are due out Friday afternoon - Bilbao.

Not looking good. No real info from Brittany Ferries. Just left in Limbo.

Very Unhappy with the Situation. That is with both the company and the employees.

As I said, a year at least in the planning for a special occasion. 6 Of us having to find cover for business, take time off work together and one fly in from the other side of the world. Grandchildren waiting for the off counting down on fingers.

And what can Brittany Ferries tell us? **** ALL

TM


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

You probably know this but all details on cancellations are here:

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/routes/sailing-updates


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

A job on reduced pay is better than no job at all. Example Sea France , self employment or social security.
By going on strike they not only harm themselves but hurt the customers that pay their wages.

Dave p


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Twittered the twits*



Mike48 said:


> You probably know this but all details on cancellations are here:
> 
> http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/routes/sailing-updates


I have dealt with them via twitter.

I have worked out from the ship's moored position (Cap Finistere - Santander). That it is very unlikely that the boat will end up in Portsmouth even if they went back tomorrow (which is unlikely as they do not meet until 3pm).

Lost any chance of going via LD Lines. Flights + Minibus for us all went up by £400 in two days.

Plus, if they go back to work whilst we are away. BF will only refund the outgoing leg of the journey.

Yes, we are insured. But on Six different policies. Image the paperwork and form filling.

Best info available is by going to www.google.fr and translating any news. Nothing much being reported here.

No agreement was reached today in Roscoff, the headquarters of the Brittany Ferries. after a day of fruitless discussions, parties will meet tomorrow afternoon to try to find a solution to the crisis. A Roscoff, in the afternoon, a small forty crew members gathered in support of their colleagues stranded in Spain.

After long hours of negotiation Unions and management of the Brittany Ferries parted shortly before 8:00 p.m. tonight without reaching an agreement to end the crisis. A new appointment has been made â€‹â€‹for tomorrow at 15 hours. "Compared to last Sunday's direction took a step back," lamented yesterday Michel Cavorzin the CGT.

During a good part of the day, a small forty employees Brittany Ferries remained gathered at the entrance to the ferry terminal Roscoff . Crew members of the Brittany Ferries waiting to whether negotiations between unions and management would succeed. They mainly want to be present to show their thoughts to their colleagues stranded in Spain .

"Away from their families" 
"They are Santander since Thursday. they remained on board voluntarily to show their discontent, "said Frédéric Gachignard, who works aboard the Cap Finistere. "We take from them. It is not easy for them, away from their families ..."

An escalation of the conflict was already palpable from the beginning of the day on Tuesday, when the incidents took place at Saint-Malo . The officers who were to take over from their colleagues commandeered the ferry " Britain "locked in port since Friday on the orders of management, were prevented from boarding this afternoon by the crew.

"The officers become scapegoats" 
"The officers are taken hostage. They become the scapegoats of this conflict," complained Pierre-Yves and Thierry Le Abomnès Guével, CFDT officers. Since the beginning, the officers have declared their opposition to the movement. They prefer the path of dialogue.

Since the immobilization of eight ships of the company in the various ports of Brittany and Normandy, the officers were requisitioned to ensure the safety and monitoring board. For their part, the crew, although they were summoned by the arming of land, chose for many of them to remain on board the time an agreement is reached.

>> Brittany Ferries: file writing

David Cormier and Frédérique Le Gall


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Could end in a Sea France situation.


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Could end in a Sea France situation.


exactly what I was going to say.

We travelled with them last Tuesday and the staff on board were already working slow.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*twitter*

Well, I have been on twitter to Brittany Ferries again this morning. Same Questions from other customers, same bull**** answers.

Had Brittany Ferries been more upfront, we could have better alternative arrangements than they have offered.

That is,

Cancel
Fly
LD Lines
Brittany Ferries - Cherbourg (Condor)

Alternative ferries full. Flights gone up by 30+% since Monday.

TM


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*transferred*

Have been Transferred to Portsmouth - Caen Going out!

Fingers crossed!

TM


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## Nethernut (Jun 4, 2008)

*Re: transferred*



teemyob said:


> Have been Transferred to Portsmouth - Caen Going out!
> 
> Fingers crossed!
> 
> TM


Hope you manage to get out OK and the hassle doesn't spoil your trip.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: transferred*



Nethernut said:


> teemyob said:
> 
> 
> > Have been Transferred to Portsmouth - Caen Going out!
> ...


According to the French (Well, Breton) press. They have not reached an agreement.

My thoughts are:

Brittany Ferries are going to re-book all the people again that they have left hanging on now so they have the bookings arranged in-place if this is the case.

If, no agreement is reached. They will simply cancel us all again.

I was offered Sunday out to Santander, but this is way too late. Especially if BF cancel.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

TM


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## gillygrim (May 21, 2009)

*Alternative Arrangements*

I happened to come across this thread by chance after I had posted on another one about crossings to France. Have any of you looked at LD lines from Newhaven ? Not such a drive as Dover and far more pleasant when you get to Dieppe. Four hours on the water so not as short as Dover but shorter than Portsmouth. Dieppe is not too far from Caen and Le Havre so distances the other side are also shorter than Calais. Prices for motorhome (6m L and 3.2m H) and two people start from about £130.00 - also, if you are over 60 (only one person needs to be) you get 20% off the whole price but have to book by phone to get the reduction. Tel. 0800 917 1201. (By the way, I don't work for LD lines.)


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*LD*

Thanks you, Yes.

The crossings had no cabins. Possibly now booked up.

It was available when BF could have told me we were not going, but then filled up rapidly.

They did have seats available. But I don't want to try sleeping in a chair and then drive for 8 hours the next day. It is also not that nice to be sat in a seat all night and then sit in a van as a passenger all day. Besides that, I would keep everyone awake with my power snoring.

TM


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Brittany Ferries agreement to unlock the conflict*

Brittany Ferries agreement to unlock the conflict

A draft agreement between the unions and the management of the shipping company whose ships are docked for nearly a week, must be ratified by the sea on Thursday morning.

Brittany Ferries ships to dock since last Friday, will soon regain large. Two weeks after the beginning of a social conflict which centered on wages, unions and management of the shipping company reached an agreement Wednesday to Roscoff in Brittany. "Now, we must take the time to present it to employees," said Jean-Paul Corbel, CFDT representative of crews (excluding officers). Management, in turn, called sailors to sign the agreement on Thursday morning. "Of course, there are things that are not satisfactory, the moment it is a complete revision of our working conditions," ruled the union told AFP.

Delegates CFDT and CGT crews and management had started Tuesday morning at the headquarters of the company talks to achieve the signing of a framework agreement to serve as a guideline for future negotiations in terms of employment , wages and working time. "The real issue is the survival of the box and it is not certain that this agreement will allow us to basically ensure the sustainability of the business," said Jean-Paul Corbel. In June, the company announced a fall in wages and the removal of several crossings before and after season. Michel Cavorzin, CGT, acknowledged the "advanced" obtained from management over the negotiations. "Compared to the original plan, we were able to have some progress on pay and working time." He said, however, "compared to previous agreements that existed at the Brittany Ferries is a big step backwards ".

The company, which serves the UK, Ireland and Spain, decided last Friday to stop its ships until further notice due to strikes. His crew had yet voted to return to work. "We have no money, we are asked to make 6 million in savings and has a direction that allows the ships along the quay, why?" Had questioned Michel Cavorzin before the resumption of negotiations Wednesday. Founded in 1973, Brittany Ferries (BAI SA) claims 2.6 million passengers per year, 85% of Britons.

Source: Le Figaro Thursday 27th September


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## Hawcara (Jun 1, 2009)

When we had a caravan we used to travel Brittany Ferries. We live in Cornwall and the drive to Dover was unrealistic.
Now, with a motorhome it is a lot easier. Roscoff/Plymouth worked out very expensive, almost the same as with a caravan, whereas as Dover Calais is a lot cheaper. The drive to Dover is a pain, but it took 6 hours to get home last Sunday and the ferry crossing to Roscoff is 6 hours.
I have written to BF and stated that this year, we met several people all from our area, who would easily be tempted to use BF if they were more reasonable with their charges.
At one point we were quoted just over £400 for a 6 metre van out of season. A more reasonable £250 would see a lot more use it.
Perhaps this factor of declining passengers out of season, is one of the reasons for this stance by the company.
This is all little compensation for those that have booked, but the current situation and the Company's attitude can only do them harm in the future.
For those of you who have booked on BF, I really hope that the situation is resolved soon and you know where you stand as not knowing is the worst situation, since plans cannot really be made.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*no go*

All off again.

Not been told as of yet.

TM


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*ferries*

Unions and the management of the shipping company whose ships are docked for nearly a week, had reached an agreement Wednesday night, but the sailors would have voted against it Thursday morning.

Brittany Ferries ships to dock since last Friday, do not seem ready to take the sea. Two weeks after the beginning of a social conflict which centered on wages, unions and management of the shipping company had reached an agreement Wednesday to Roscoff in Brittany. "Now, we must take the time to present it to employees," stated Jean-Paul Corbel, CFDT representative of crews (excluding officers) told AFP. For its part, the management had called sailors to sign the agreement on Thursday morning.

However, according to Cyril Toulan, CFDT elected to the works council of Brittany Ferries, the staff finally rejected the agreement. "Nobody wants it," he said. "On 75/80%, the people voted against it." Lefigaro.fr contacted by the company, however, was not "informed of the outcome of the vote." "We're going to the drive," said the CFDT elected, lamenting that a rejection of the agreement amounts to "shoot themselves in the foot."

Delegates CFDT and CGT crews and management had started Tuesday morning at the headquarters of the company talks to achieve the signing of a framework agreement to serve as a guideline for future negotiations in terms of employment , wages and working time. "The real issue is the survival of the box and it is not certain that this agreement will allow us to basically ensure the sustainability of the business," said Jean-Paul Corbel. In June, the company announced a fall in wages and the removal of several crossings before and after season. Michel Cavorzin, CGT, acknowledged the "advanced" obtained from management over the negotiations. "Compared to the original plan, we were able to get some progress on pay and working time." He said, however, "compared to previous agreements that existed at the Brittany Ferries is a big step backwards ".

The company, which serves the UK, Ireland and Spain, decided last Friday to stop its ships until further notice due to strikes. His crew had yet voted to return to work. "We have no money, we are asked to make 6 million in savings and has a direction that allows the ships along the quay, why?" Had questioned Michel Cavorzin before the resumption of negotiations Wednesday. Founded in 1973, Brittany Ferries (BAI SA) claims 2.6 million passengers per year, 85% of Britons.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19740991

Peter


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I wondered why it was so busy at the Tunnel entrance at Calais this morning :roll: . What a shambles! How do they manage to lose so much money with the pirces they charge? As has been said, maybe so many people have been driven away by the high cost of it all, they have dropped below the possibility of making a profit because so few people are using them? We would glady go via Portsmouth to one of the Normandy / Brittany ports if the price got near to the combined cost of fuel and the shorrt crossing ferry / tunnel - and allowing 2 days extra to get there. 

These companies have firstly got to get realistic on wage costs, and if they still are trading (!) they must set up a sensible pricing policy that doesn't put people off, and compares well with uisng the short crossings.


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## Koppersbeat (May 10, 2005)

Yes Gillygrim I have not used the Newhaven crossing before but we are booked for the daytime crossings in 2 weeks time.Four hours over a lunchtime is no real problem and we land 3pm French time.Cost for 6.5m van and us,with the discount,is £123.

Helen


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Strike called off:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19784014

Peter


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

The western approaches crossings are never going to be anywhere near Dover Calais price wise.

Dover - Calais each ship probably does 6 or 7 return sailings (possibly more) so the company have 6 or 7 small bits of profit from each vehicle.

Western approaches manage a single crossing per day so they have to take ALL of the profit from a single vehicle (as opposed to a sixth or a seventh fon the Dover Calais route) The journey is much longer so more fuel is used as well.

I live in Weymouth yet even taking into account the extra fuel costs for me to go to Dover and back AND the same mileage in France it is STILL in the region of £200 CHEAPER than taking a Portsmouth/Southampton or Poole crossing !! and that works out at a LOT of extra Diesel/campsite fees/ meals out etc in France.

Yes it takes 4 hours for me to drive to Dover (in the dead of night usually) but I accept I can save time OR money but never both. 

Out of interest on the 0600 DFDS sailing from Calais on Saturday 14th there were only about 30-40 vehicles on the ship (inc 1 coach and a few artics!!) 

By booking a few months in advance, via the CC, I got a return crossing for 7.4m Mh + Smart car on a trailer for £78 Bargain price or what ???


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## gorsecover (Jun 29, 2011)

Just been on a day trip to St Malo from Jersey..............I guess the above explains the "parked" Brittany ferries boat on the larger ramp usually used by Condor !!!!!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

All over. The Unions saw sense.

Now if only the management would also see sense and make the cost competitive.

Ray.


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

raynipper said:


> All over. The Unions saw sense.
> 
> Now if only the management would also see sense and make the cost competitive.
> 
> Ray.


Didn't the union only go on strike for two days and the rest was a management lock out.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

ralph-dot said:


> raynipper said:
> 
> 
> > All over. The Unions saw sense.
> ...


It was a wildcat strike and the union were promising more. The company were not willing to recommence services with that threat hanging over them.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> I live in Weymouth yet even taking into account the extra fuel costs for me to go to Dover and back AND the same mileage in France it is STILL in the region of £200 CHEAPER than taking a Portsmouth/Southampton or Poole crossing !! and that works out at a LOT of extra Diesel/campsite fees/ meals out etc in France.
> 
> Yes it takes 4 hours for me to drive to Dover (in the dead of night usually) but I accept I can save time OR money but never both.


Exactly the same for me and I only live 10 minutes from the Poole terminal.


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