Brittany Ferries News

Sleek and stylish, the lines of Pont-Aven, Brittany Ferries flagship, now in its 20th year of service operating Cork-Roscoff and on routes across the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay. Above the cruise-ferry, featuring a four-deck atrium, luxury cabins with balconies and a sky-lit indoor swimming pool, is seen underway in Cork Harbour on the established Ireland-France connection dating to 1978.

Brittany Ferries Flagship ‘Pont-Aven’ On Its 20th Year Returns to Service the Cork-Roscoff Route

26th March 2024 Brittany Ferries

Pont-Aven Brittany Ferries impressive flagship at the weekend resumed its first Roscoff-Cork round-trip this season, in the 20th anniversary year since its introduction on the Ireland-France route and UK-France/Spain links, writes Jehan Ashmore. During Pont-Aven’s return leg to France on…

Reuben and Captain Bergeroux on board Brittany Ferries Armorique

Soaring Demand for Pet-Friendly Ferry Travel

15th February 2024 Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries has introduced pet-friendly cabins for the first time on its ferry Armorique, which has restarted the twice-weekly Cork Harbour-Roscoff service. There are 18 ‘pet-friendly’ cabins which, the company says, have been introduced to “significantly enhance capacity for passengers…

Brittany Ferries Pont-Aven in Cork Harbour

Brittany Ferries to Boost Fuel Economy of Flagship Vessel with ‘Duck Tail’

31st January 2024 Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries is continuing its commitment to sustainability with an important upgrade to its flagship vessel, Pont-Aven. The ferry that serves the Cork Harbour-Roscoff route will undergo economic upgrades to its hull to improve its hydrodynamic performance. As part of its…

Surprise call as Brittany Ferries well-proportioned cruiseferry Normandie, for the first ever time arrived to an Irish port, berthing at Rosslare Europort after a sailing from Cherbourg earlier this month, so to cover crossings Cotentin would have operated, but currently the ropax is under repair in Brittany. This weekend’s France-Ireland roundtrip is cancelled, as Normandie remains at the French port. On the right, also at Rosslare is partially seen the Stena Europe, which too made a surprise return recently, as Afloat had reported the veteran is off-service on the Fishguard route due also to repairs.

Sailings Cancelled on Brittany Ferries Rosslare-Cherbourg Service to Have Involved Final ‘Normandie’ Crossings

20th January 2024 Brittany Ferries

Today’s night-time Brittany Ferries sailing on the Rosslare-Cherbourg service is cancelled, this was to have been the third and final France-Ireland weekend roundtrip operated notably by Normandie in a relief role, writes Jehan Ashmore. The operator’s website sailing update does…

Last year, Brittany Ferries carried almost twice as many Spaniards travelling to Ireland, at just under 6,000, compared with 3,400 holidaying in the UK. This is even though services have been running from Spain to the UK for 45 years, where the first direct Ireland-Iberian link was only established just five years ago. The company’s newest cruise ferry, the LNG-powered, Salamanca (as above) operates on the year-round Rosslare-Bilbao route, noting as AFLOAT previously reported, there is a winter-only route of Rosslare-Santander which will remain in service until March 2024.

Brittany Ferries Reveals Twice as Many Spanish Passengers Visit Ireland Than They do the UK

19th January 2024 Brittany Ferries

Operator Brittany Ferries last year recorded more than double the number of passengers travelling between Ireland and Spain as 57,000 passengers made the voyage across the Bay of Biscay, an increase of 116% compared with 2022. The surge in volumes…

Santoña, Brittany Ferries newest E-Flexer series cruiseferry as seen at Rosslare Europort having completed its maiden ‘Irish’ port of call from Cherbourg. In addition the newbuild which entered service this year for the French company, is now also operating to Spain but on the ‘temporary’ winter Rosslare-Bilbao route due to infrastructure works at Bilbao.

Santoña, Brittany Ferries Newest E-Flexer Series Sails to Rosslare Europort on Maiden ‘Irish’ Call

16th November 2023 Brittany Ferries

The third and newest E-Flexer class of Brittany Ferries, Santoña which entered service this year, has made its maiden ‘Irish’ port of call, having completed a crossing from Cherbourg to Rosslare Europort, writes Jehan Ashmore. According to Rosslare Europort, Santoña…

Route closes: Brittany Ferries Rosslare-Le Havre route closed earlier than scheduled, however the Ireland-France connection will continue, with ropax Cotentin on the Rosslare-Cherbourg along with a cruise-ferry in direct competition with Stena’s existing two-ship operation which achieved a record boost in travel figures. AFLOAT highlights the Wexford-Normandy services will offer customers the most sailings of all routes between Ireland-France where Brittany Ferries plan to consolidate services at Cherbourg as a freight-hub linked to a new ‘rail-freight motorway’ service to open in 2024.

Brittany Ferries Close Le Havre Link, But Boost Ireland-France Capacity on Rosslare-Cherbourg Route

6th November 2023 Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries has closed its Rosslare-Le Havre route as the operator of the Ireland-France link will not reopen the service in 2024, writes Jehan Ashmore The weekend only operated Wexford-Normandy link was scheduled to close last weekend, however Storm Ciarán…

It was an expected call, as Brittany Ferries Salamanca arrived to the Port of Cork’s Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal, as the E-Flexer ferry was diverted from Rosslare, to the port where fleetmate Armorique routinely operates to Roscoff. Salamanca is seen taking shelter alongside the neighbouring Cork Container Terminal whilst Armorique is berthed at the ferry linkspan which the E-Flexer had vacated.

Storm Ciarán Causes Cancelled Brittany Ferries Sailings And Unscheduled Call to Cork

2nd November 2023 Brittany Ferries

With Storm Ciarán approaching, Brittany Ferries Cherbourg-Rosslare ferry was affected by such weather related conditions and was diverted to the Port of Cork yesterday, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Salamanca in the morning arrived to Cork with an unscheduled call from…

Post-Brexit boost for Irish trade as Brittany Ferries reports increased trend in freight and passenger volumes between Ireland and EU member states of France and Spain. Recently, the company announced that it will operate for the first time a winter service on the Cork-Roscoff route. The popular cruise-ferry Armorique (Afloat captured above at Ringaskiddy) will offer sailings to Brittany every weekend during November and December 2023.

Strong Growth Brittany Ferries Reports On Ireland-France and Spain Routes

25th October 2023 Brittany Ferries

Passenger and freight figures for Brittany Ferries summer season 2023 (June to September), highlighted increased volumes across the board on routes between Ireland and the EU. The figures published by Brittany Ferries, which cover all routes across Ireland, France, Spain,…

E-Flexer Fleet Renewal Steers Brittany Ferries to Fourth Consecutive Green Marine Award

18th October 2023 Brittany Ferries

Operator Brittany Ferries is proud to have been awarded the 'Green Marine Certified Shipowner' accreditation for the fourth year in a row. The accolade to the Breton based company was presented during a ceremony held this week in Bilbao, the…

Jean-Marc Roué, President of Brittany Ferries, Pamela Lee, a native of Greystones, Co. Wicklow and Christophe Mathieu, CEO. The Irish off-shore sailor next month will take part in the 30th annual ‘Transat Jacques Vabre’ race which retraces the historic coffee route from Le Havre, France to Fort-de-France Bay in the Caribbean Sea.

Brittany Ferries Sponsor Pamela Lee in Upcoming Transatlantic Race

4th October 2023 Pamela Lee

World-record-holding Irish off-shore sailor, Pamela Lee, was in Cork Harbour recently, ahead of her next Transatlantic adventure, the 30th annual ‘Transat Jacques Vabre’ race, taking place from October 29th. Pamela was attending the annual France-Ireland Chamber event, hosted by Brittany…

Brittany Ferries to Boost Its Sailings From Ireland to France

20th September 2023 Brittany Ferries

Ferry company Brittany Ferries has announced its 2024 sailing schedules from Ireland to France, allowing travellers in Ireland to plan and book trips to Brittany and Normandy from now until November 2024. The operator says it will offer a wider-than-ever…

In recent months, Brittany Ferries announced the timetable for 2024 where Ireland-Spain sailings on the Rosslare- Bilbao route will temporarily switch during the winter months to Santander, the Cantabrian capital. The change of Spanish port is to enable work to take place to port infrastructure in Bilbao. Both Ireland-Spain routes are operated by E-Flexer series Salamanca, carrying 1,015-passengers with 321 cabins in addition to another E-Flexer, Santoña. The first sailing to Santander AFLOAT adds will be operated by Salamanca, an E-Flexer powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) noting the thin exhaust uptake near the funnel from where less CO2 (carbon dioxide) are emitted.

Brittany Ferries to Switch ‘Temporarily’ Ireland-Spain Route this Winter

11th September 2023 Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries is to open another new direct Ireland-Spain route, albeit based on a ‘winter-only’ basis between Rosslare and Santander in northern Spain, writes Jehan Ashmore. The new temporary service which was announced in recent months to Santander will operate…

Brittany Ferries, Plymouth (Millbay Docks) in Cornwall, along with Plymouth City Council are working together for the port to work towards the ambition of Net Zero by 2030. Above the flagship cruise ferry Pont-Aven which asides operating to Santander, Spain, links Roscoff and from the French port, the seasonal route to Cork at the weekends. In the background, Afloat adds is Devonport and the Hamoaze, the estuarine stretch of the English tidal River Tamar leading to the Royal Naval Base of HMNB Devonport.

Brittany Ferries Signs Groundbreaking Port of Plymouth Agreement

20th August 2023 Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries, a major customer of Plymouth (Millbay Docks), Plymouth City Council, have pledged to work together to support the docks to grow and to work towards Net Zero by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. The move, including from Brittany…

As the summer season approaches, Brittany Ferries says passenger numbers are rising slowly towards pre-Covid levels. On one of their English Channel routes, Poole-Cherbourg is alone reporting growth on the UK-France service when compared to both 2022 and 2019. Above scene by Afloat of the route’s Barfleur berthed at the Dorset port prior to a morning sailing bound for Normandy.

Passenger Boost for Brittany Ferries But Freight Slump Worsens

8th June 2023 Brittany Ferries

Ferry operator Brittany Ferries has said that as the summer season approaches, the number of passengers is increasing slowly towards to pre-Covid levels. However, the slump in freight volumes that came post-Brexit has continued and has even started to worsen…

Christophe Mathieu CEO of Brittany Ferries – the operator have backed plans of a proposed French law to block ferry companies sailing to ports in the country if they pay seafarers on low wages.

Brittany Ferries Welcomes French Move to Block Low-Wage Ferries from Ports

5th April 2023 Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries have welcomed a plan to block ferry companies from sailing to French ports if they pay seafarers peanuts. The Breton based company, which operates through the UK ports of Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth says hard-working sailors deserve the…