Looks like we using brittany ferries for a bit just wondered what they like as we normally do dover calamari. How long for crossing
Dover calamari? Thought alł octupus type creature (notice my clever avoidance of the plural?) were extinct around there.? If you meant Calais, it’s around 50 minutes mate. 
Brittany Ferries crossings used to be excellent when they were predominantly used by British, French and Spanish drivers but have deteriorated enormously from a driver’s point of view since 2004.
Harry, you are right, it was a good craic on Ouitreham Caen ,Bilbao,Santander and St Malo routes.
Waited on and free meals, as much beer or wine as you want.
Then due to theft of food, they started to charge drivers.
It was normal to share a cabin with four drivers, which I hated, as they came back late at night to the cabin and wake you up after their bar session.
I used to stay below decks and kip in my cab, the trick was to pull over the cab split curtain and get in the bunk with the crew seeing you.
The smell was bad down there, and there was an emergency, nobody would know you were in the cab .
The freighter to Cherbourg and its famous steak blue, which was quickly pan fried and oozing blood .
The marriage suite Portacabin chained down on the front deck, was for husband and wife team drivers .
Well I think they are great still. You have to pay for food (half price) so eat what all the other passengers eat and as a consequence get really good food. In my opinion.
Harry Monk:
Brittany Ferries crossings used to be excellent when they were predominantly used by British, French and Spanish drivers but have deteriorated enormously from a driver’s point of view since 2004.
Agree with you there Harry, own restaurant, waitress service and food cooked to order didn’t take long for it all to go down hill
A thread about the change in Brittany Ferries policy towards restaurant facilities for truck drivers from 2006 which is worth a read…
switchlogic:
Well I think they are great still. You have to pay for food (half price) so eat what all the other passengers eat and as a consequence get really good food. In my opinion.
But surely you would agree that Brittany Ferries was better when truck drivers ate food cooked to order in a dedicated silver-service restaurant free of charge?
Harry Monk:
But surely you would agree that Brittany Ferries was better when truck drivers ate food cooked to order in a dedicated silver-service restaurant free of charge?
Definitely better in those years Harry without a doubt , then again so was the job and the wage !
Agree with switch logic maybe it was better years ago because it was free
Half price is still good especially when you see what public pay
Only down side is its 4 in a room this time of year you can always upgrade £30
Harry Monk:
switchlogic:
Well I think they are great still. You have to pay for food (half price) so eat what all the other passengers eat and as a consequence get really good food. In my opinion.But surely you would agree that Brittany Ferries was better when truck drivers ate food cooked to order in a dedicated silver-service restaurant free of charge?
I barely remember it. Food wise I still think it’s the best ferry
switchlogic:
Harry Monk:
switchlogic:
Well I think they are great still. You have to pay for food (half price) so eat what all the other passengers eat and as a consequence get really good food. In my opinion.But surely you would agree that Brittany Ferries was better when truck drivers ate food cooked to order in a dedicated silver-service restaurant free of charge?
I barely remember it. Food wise I still think it’s the best ferry
I have eaten better on board stennaline though only been on the Holyhead Dublin/Dún Laoghaire
Britanny are shocking!!! Ive been on Plymouth roscoff regularly with 6 lorries on and they still put at least 2 to a cabin.
Last few times i was on there i stayed in the truck rather than share 4 to a cabin.
Portsmouth is by far the worst port ive ever discharged into.
Tis a while since I went Dover, so comparisons are hard for me to make, however;
Brittany still better food than most other ferries. (Back in the day twas free in best resto, but now you have to pay 50%. {Discount is valid in 1st class resto as well as normal punters resto by the way}).
Staff are more plentiful than other ferries, and seem more relaxed on the whole. Clean modern boats, choice of restos. Nice bar if youre on a long crossing. Cabins are cramped if 4 up, thats for sure, but personally Id advise against chancing a hideout in the cab. Quiet crossing its normally 2 in a 4 berth cabin, but this time of year 3 or 4 is more common. Clean hot showers available in Ouistreham so you can get cleaned up before getting on boat if you want.
Pompey is tight for space. It narrows to only two lanes for passport/customs/immigration, so if youre last off when 2 boats are discharging you could well run out of your hours “ferry movement” time! So be aware and TRY to arrange your hours etc etc… Not easy tho. Ouistreham has plenty of space to park after you debarque to finish a break, but you cant enter the area when shipping back to UK without a booking. Not normally a problem, to stop week-ending by non customers. Obviously longer crossings than Dover so maybe a bit more planning of hours/breaks required? More clandestines are apparent around the western channel now, but its still not anywhere near the Calais situation. Common sense would say not to stop on port approach if possible. Security and Gendarme presence. Currently visual chassis checks and (dry freight) trailer internal checks, pallet carriers etc. It takes a bit of time, but surely we can all see why. When inside a further CO2 check before getting your ticket. Douane wander about doing the normal checks for CMRs etc etc, but mostly relaxed and friendly.
So, IMHO, a smaller, less pressurised place than Dover. Depending on what work you`re doing the crossing time may be a problem, but as ever planning can help.
EDIT. P.S. Because of restricted space in Pompey don`t expect to debarque there and slip into a parking space to finish a break. Parking MAY be possible but even if booked will be expensive. Suggest try to arrange breaks so you get off ferry and are clear to run.