Brittainy Ferries

[Chris Canning]

As a Brit I don't get too hung up on customer service and getting all excited because my email hasn't been replied to inside 2 days,but having just come back from Le-Mans and the ferry broke down mid channel(I won't bore you with the rest) the way they dealt with it as a company was utterly shambolic,left Caen for Portsmouth ended up in Cherbourg although I did finally get to see the American paratrooper on the clock at St Mere Eglise which kind of made up for it.

[Sin_Tiger]

Sorry to hear that Chris. Are the ferry companies subject to compensation rules similar to the airlines and train companies?  Not something I'd considered previously.

[Bixxer Bob]

Hmm.  That's the one we usually use.

We are planning a short battlefields run this year, just 4 days, and are going fast cat to Cherbourg and staying at Bayeaux. 

Like Sin says, it'll be interesting to see if there's any compensation.

As for the details, go on, bore us.....

[Timbox2]

Not good but still got to better than breaking down mid flight

[Sparky]

Not good but still got to better than breaking down mid flight

Or the Carnival Splendor cruise off the West Coast of Mexico in 2010.

[nickjtc]

Not good but still got to better than breaking down mid flight

Unless this happens, of course....

[Chris Canning]

Hmm.  That's the one we usually use.

We are planning a short battlefields run this year, just 4 days, and are going fast cat to Cherbourg and staying at Bayeaux. 

Like Sin says, it'll be interesting to see if there's any compensation.

As for the details, go on, bore us.....

Boat goes out of Caen been going hour or so and looses all power,two electricians who had been working on the boat got injured,first chopper brings in medical kit second comes in half hour later and takes them off.

Hour later boats starts moving you can see on the progress chart that's it's not going to Portsmouth,are we going to Cherbourg we ask at the info desk? Don't know they reply as we are on the way to a mutiny the tannoy then informs us we are going to Cherbourg,what's the plan when we get there we ask? Don't know!!!

They then tell us the boat will dock over night and breakfast is at 4.30 and we have to get off the ferry at 6.30am,to do what we ask? you will be told when you get off!! As opposed to them telling us all on the boat with the tannoy!!.

Get off boat with no instructions,some just drive out of the dock yard gate,we go to the check in desk and others follow,the choice is either wait at Cherbourg till 10 pm and go to Poole or ride back to Caen and catch the 4.30pm and start all over again,we had already lost our Ibis booking in Portsmouth as I didn't want to do the 175 mile run late at night but finally had to do it Tuesday night!!!!.

If we had known the options the night before all most certainly we would have gone to Calais and forced them to pick the bill up,but with hundreds of other irate punters behind us you got 10 seconds to make decision.

Get on second boat to find a sub contractor dossing in our allotted cabin by which time some one was going to get decked by a very irate and tired Brummie!! As luck would have it they realised that and chucked him out.

Get off said boat at 9.30pm with 175 miles to do,half way up the A34 its shut off and the directions take us down a muddy track dead end along with a lot of others ,even with that cockup still covered the said 175 in 2 hours,the old boxer has a big tank like the Tiger so it can go the distance.

Boy did I have an interesting conversation Brittany customer services yesterday its on going!!!!

[Sin_Tiger]

Obviously very bad customer support. The marine industry has a poor track record sadly I'm ashamed to say. I'm particularly surprised that on such a busy route they didn't have contingency plans in place. They are required to do this as part of a passage plan which is required by IMO regulations 

Time to get out the T&C and sit down for a long calm read, get a brew on chief

[Bixxer Bob]

Obviously very bad customer support. The marine industry has a poor track record sadly

Is that because they generally don't survive to make a complaint in the first place???

[Sin_Tiger]

In the front of your life jacket you'll find a whistle, a water activated light and a feedback form 

[GavD]

Poor ferry service? Thats just a way of life for us over here

[Spud]

Had strikes called on me several times coming out of Caen, I had been to the Pyrenees and just got to Brittany to stay with a mate for a few days before jumping the ferry from Caen to pompey. literally just sat down with a brew to get a text saying ferry strike please make your way to your alternative ferry at Calais. Long day in the saddle    compensation petrol mileage 

cheers Spud   

[Spud]

copied off the ABR forum if anyone is booked on a crossing   cheers Spud 


We were booked to go Plymouth/Santandar this Sunday but got a text today saying that the crossing was cancelled due to technical problems ... ohhh bugger  .
After a few enquiries they've said the Pont Aven is in dry dock due to a propeller problem with no definate repair date  .
So if you are booked on this boat in the next couple of weeks (HISS events???) check your emails in case yours is cancelled, they emailed me yesterday but because I didn't reply they followed it up with a text today.
We are now going to St.Malo a day earlier and face a longer ride down than we really wanted but to be fair to Brittany Ferries they have been more than generous with their compensation.
Just hope it's sorted for our return crossing on the 31st.

[Chris Canning]

Only just noticed this,the boat that broke down was mid Bay of Bicay and was towed to Brest where the 1100 passengers had to make their own way home.

Only know because had a mate who should have gone to Santander a week ago got the same text message