Having shared with many nationalities. I always worry when I am with a stranger in a cabin, especially if they are British as all they normally want, is to see how much beer they can drink then lay snoring and ■■■■■■■ all night. If it is a night crossing I go straight to bed and will have a hearty breakfast in the morning. That way you also get a dry shower to use before the others arrive.
Brittany Ferries always tried to put company drivers in the same cabin rather than nationality, so we would share with French or Hungarians quite often. I quite like Garlic and Paprika 
I think things are changing as from the time i started international work 20plus years ago 
littleman:
I think things are changing as from the time i started international work 20plus years ago
near enough same boats
same amount of cabins
same vehicles
same drivers
but less amount of cabins in use due to custmers demanding that rates are kept down.
Vascoingles:
littleman:
I think things are changing as from the time i started international work 20plus years ago
near enough same boats
same amount of cabins
same vehicles
same drivers
but less amount of cabins in use due to custmers demanding that rates are kept down.
Got that wrong more boats,more cabins,a dam sight more trucks and drivers.
same amount of boats just bigger
Vascoingles:
same amount of boats just bigger
So if they are bigger boats there should not be any problem with sharing cabins correct. 
littleman:
I think things are changing as from the time i started international work 20plus years ago
Yeah, The Coutances was only about 10 years old then 
littleman:
Vascoingles:
same amount of boats just bigger
So if they are bigger boats there should not be any problem with sharing cabins correct.
depends on the cabins to size ratio, might be that there are less cabins but with more beds
Wheel Nut:
Yeah, The Coutances was only about 10 years old then
only been on 2 worse than the Coutance
1 was that old bucket that used to go from Bari to Padras in the eighties and that old rust bucket from Mukran to Klaipeda
Vascoingles:
littleman:
Vascoingles:
same amount of boats just bigger
So if they are bigger boats there should not be any problem with sharing cabins correct.
depends on the cabins to size ratio, might be that there are less cabins but with more beds
I think i should change my job to helping brittany ferries design team to get the right ratio of cabins for the transport industrie so giving the driver peace of mind when travelling.
Vascoingles:
seems you might be more happy doing that than booking spaces on their boats
When was the last time you were on a boat
about 2 years ago
coming back from Istanbul via Piraeus, Padras and Ancona
Vascoingles:
about 2 years ago
coming back from Istanbul via Piraeus, Padras and Ancona
very nice too,have you hung your keys up yet.
hung them up 2 years ago when a Dutch company asked me to open a depot for them down here and run their whole Spanish operation
Allways get a single on the Harwich Hook crossing.
You can’t expect good service on a French boat. If your not happy with the cabin they give you, go and find another one.
They rarely lock the doors so tuck in.
Vascoingles:
and why don’t you ask them ? or do they have to do the thinking for you ? I don’t know when you did the crossing but if it was in the last couple of weeks then even the worst informed person on this planet will assume that it is going to be busy as it is holiday time, which not only means more tourists on each boat but overbooking as well.
Where this argument falls down is that they do the exact same thing in January, when they have 20 freight drivers and 600 empty cabins on the overnight crossing.
No ifs, no buts, I shouldn’t have to bed down with a total stranger- and I have had some ■■■■■■■, wheezing chain-smoking nightmares in my time. Not nice when you need some sleep.
Harry Monk:
I have had some ■■■■■■■, wheezing chain-smoking nightmares in my time. Not nice when you need some sleep.
Not only that, what about security?
Am I supposed to sleep in my clothes, keeping all my valuables in my pockets, while resting my head on my wash kit? Or on longer crossings, carry my kit-bag around everywhere I go?
george3, you have various choices,1; Pay the excess for the other beds,2; leave your valuables in the pursers safe,3;On a long voyage (24hrs+)
most cabins have safes for each bed in the room and separate keys, or
cards,4: travel only by the shuttle and if you need to go to the Balkans and beyond , go by road, 5; give up driving commercial and stay at home
BY the way if you travel by train Germany --Austria,Italy etc etc, you may /will
share the cabin with either 1–3 other drivers definitely, not all will be English, Have a nice Day 