Brittany ferry ..just disgusting .

[doboy]

I have just got off brittany ferries boat at santander & all I can say is just terrible .all bikes & some cars are put down in D2 deck ( I'll just call it the "pig pen" ) packed in that tight you cannot open your panniers.. THEN ..when we came to get off we were left till last while all the others got off ..there for almost an hour ..in terrible heat , as there is no vents or a breath of air ..little kids in the cars were crying & parents were stripping the poor little sods off and pouring water on them ...everyone was sweating like pigs & that's how we were treated just like pigs . When they did let us off bikers were sounding their horns & waving their fists at the staff.....brittany ferries you are a  disgrace ..and I for one will never travel with you again .

[King Orry]

That doesn’t sound like much fun.
My experience last year was pretty straightforward, easy on an off, but I did have cause to complain over our dirty cabin, they sent a token ‘£50 off your next trip’ voucher.. not used yet.
Sounds like they’re very busy, so cramming everyone in to ‘maximise returns’.
I’d hope there was some good reason for the delay, and doubt the crew would do it ‘just for the hell of it’, so gesticulating to them serves little benefit.
They’re just blokes doing a job.
But, as for poor communication from staff.. there’s no need for that, so can thoroughly understand passengers response.
Hope you (and everyone else) complain to the company, that’s the only way it’ll improve.

[Ianmc]

When we went to Spain end of May,there was a huge fan running on D deck keeping the fumes down,wasn’t that running ? We had a little problem with dirty waste bins in the cabin but they soon sorted it.

[Mark Shelley]

We had it similar to that the first year we did Portsmouth Bilbao, but since then it has not been so bad. I don't put my bike gear on until I am off the boat now though unless it is raining heavily.

[Ridaz]

Traveled with Brittany from Portsmouth to Santander in May. It also took us an hour to get released for our onward trip. It was hot a frustrating but...somebody has to be last off and we accepted that. It was very tightly packed in which is what we expected so we have an overnight bag handy to save needing access to panniers.

The thing that really annoyed me was the behaviour of others around. It started with the trucks and was followed by the cars and some of the sheep bikers.... they all decided to start engines up even though it was clear we were not getting off for a while and the signage requested not to. Many of these had engines running up to a half hour before the doors were opened and this filled the place with fumes.

The other thing I found frustrating was again the conduct of other bikers...removing straps and cushions etc and just dumping them in front of other bikes instead of making an effort to keep things safe.

I found the staff to be really helpful during loading and unloading as well as on the journey across and had no issues with this.

The experience certainly did not spoil my holiday.

[Barbel Mick]

We've traveled on that route twice in 4 years and yes it's busy, yes you get crammed in, yes it's hot, no it's not much fun but we all want to go to the same place at the same time, what else can they do other than say no more tickets and you don't go???
The ferry we sailed on (Cap Finistere both times) was excellent, clean and comfortable and we had no complaints. If we had, it's to agree with Ridaz and it was with other passengers not the staff.
Sorry you had a bad experience but it won't put us off using that route again.

[old git]

The few times we've used Brittany Ferries everything has been good. It's usually June when we go and possibly not quite as busy. Much prefer them to DFDS though it was DFDS we used this year and to be fair, this time they were fine. Crossing through the week also seems better than travelling at weekends. It can be frustrating sitting on the docks for hours and boarding last and the same with disembarking. It really is stupid when everyone starts their engines way too early

[Joe Rocket]

I'm not condoning the heat/fume environment at all but someone has to be first....and last on or off the boat.

Have done the channel route on BF and was really appalled at being pegged in between two rows of lorries who have to start up and move before we can (even get togged up and ready). It does depend on the boat and how everyone gets loaded.

In the car I've been first off and last off 3/4 hour after docking. Portsmouth is special though, they often have two or three boats arriving around the same time, all traffic has to pass through the goods vehicle yard and then the queue up for Border Force      checks (that used to be called customs and passport control............)

[doboy]

I've had a reply back from brittany ferries saying that there was a hold up. I said I understand that completely and it wasn't the hold up I was complaining about but the conditions we were kept in , and that they have not answered my question " why no ventilation " they came back with ...and I quote .."although we do have ventilation down on deck D2 it only works during the crossing once the engines are running at their full capacity"...this was not just a "one off" trip I've used that same ferry over five times in the last two years & also no had their engine running while waiting to disembark.

[Mystrom]

I used this service once and would never use it again. The reason, dogs, half the upper deck was a dog run and toilet. The very place you want to be on a hot sunny crossing stinks. Constant yap yap yap of obviously unhappy dogs.
To cap it all we were in a pet friendly cabin. As we entered the corridor to the cabin a dog dumped on the deck. Cabin smelled of dog piss and hair everywhere. Disgusting.
Never, ever again.
MyStrom

[doboy]

Well more fun & games on the return brittany ferry . Parked next to me was a big triumph & the owner wasn't a happy man, they had tied his bike down that tight with straps it had broken the plastic frame under his seat, he was busy taking photos of the damage ..then we heard others shouting and complaining to a deck hand ..their seats were damaged also . I was lucky as the v strom seat is well padded & it only wrinkled my cover ,  I am hoping with some sun on it ,it will smooth out ..

[Joe Rocket]

My brother once came over on BF and they strapped his bike down, but not firmly enough! It was a rough crossing and the play in the strapping allowed the bike to collide with a steel post. Result was a big dent in his Fazer tank. They did settle up in full though.

I've learnt that you must supervise the securing of your bike with the 'boat man'. He knows nothing about your machine and probably assumes the same thing applies for everyone.....maybe...... 

@ doboy, they used cushions too?

[doboy]

Yes they used cushions, I think the deckhand had, had too many weetabix  that morning