Travelling "CLUB LOUNGE" with P & O FERRIES

Passengers travelling with P & O FERRIES can indulge for extra luxury and book "CLUB LOUNGE" for £14 or just £12 when booked online. These private and exclusive rooms on board the new SPIRIT Class ships on the Dover / Calais route, are really comfortable well decorated with great emphasis on the long Company's History, the rooms also have a viewing area, a complimentary glass of champagne, soft drinks tea or coffee are also served by attentive stewards, there is also an exclusive menu on offer. Photos 28.11.2013 on board "SPIRIT OF FRANCE"

Ship spotting at Portsmouth from "PONT-AVEN"

Today I was back on board "PONT-AVEN" for my trip number 21, the ship was built in 2004 by MEYER WERFT in Germany, twice I have sailed on her from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo, the other 19 trips from either Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander, it seems like yesterday that I did the maiden on "PONT-AVEN" from Plymouth on the 23.3.2004. This ship is one of my favourites so it's always a great excitement to go back on board BRITTANY FERRIES flagship. Portsmouth is also a delightful Port to sail to or from, there is always plenty opportunities for ship spotting, today, 19.11.2013 was no exception

"NORMAN ASTURIAS" started a new service from Poole to Santander this November

LD LINES started this month on the 3.11.2013 a new service from Poole to Santander with two sailings per week, tuesdays and saturdays, the ship is the "NORMAN ASTURIAS" previously on the Saint-Nazaire to Gijon route, now that COTENTIN was withdrawn from the same service by BRITTANY FERRIES this could be another option for the growing numbers of passengers travelling to Spain, she cannot be compared with the BF Cruise Ferries but is definitely an option offering budget crossings. For other entries here about "NORMAN ASTURIAS" when she started the service between Saint-Nazaire and Gijon as the BALTIC AMBER please click here

Research Ship "POURQUOI-PAS ?" in Lisbon

Named after the French Medical Doctor and Polar Scientist Jean Baptiste Charcot's ship, the "POURQUOI-PAS ?", this new IFREMER ship was built at Saint-Nazaire in 2005, she is used as a research biological oceanography vessel. Photos taken in Lisbon, 22.9.2013

"OSTEND SPIRIT" former P & O "PRIDE OF CALAIS" on her way to the scrapyard

the 1987 built PRIDE OF CALAIS is now on her way to scrap as the "OSTEND SPIRIT". The ship served P & O for 25 years on the Dover/Calais service, she was transferred to TRANSEUROPA FERRIES in February of this year, sailed various times on the ship, last one was back in February this year, everything seemed so promising at the time, it wasn't to be and she is now on her way to Aliaga in Turkey, where she is due this tuesday, 12.11.2013, the ship as a sign of her still good qualities is sailing on her own power.

Two voyages on board MONT ST MICHEL this October

Since her debut in December 2002, I have sailed many times on MONT ST MICHEL, this October did a couple of crossings both from Ouistreham to Portsmouth, she is a fantastic cruise ferry, for other "posts" and photos of this ship please visit my BRITTANY FERRIES Blog here. Photos 1.10.2013 and 21.10.2013

"A tree so big that its shadow would cover Normandy and England", History on board MONT ST MICHEL

In 1027 WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR was born at Falaise in Normandy, legend has it that his mother, Herleva, had a dream the night he was conceived, the dream was, "a tree would grow out of her body, so large that its shadow would cover both Normandy and England". Some History on display to passengers on board BRITTANY FERRIES "MONT ST MICHEL", photos on board, 21.10.2013

"PONT-AVEN" cruising the Bay of Biscay for nearly ten years

"PONT-AVEN" is the BRITTANY FERRIES flagship, she was introduced back in 2004, her maiden voyage was on the 23.3.2004, since then she has been cruising mainly on the Plymouth and Portsmouth to Santander, she is also used on the Plymouth/Roscoff and Portsmouth/Saint-Malo routes, the photos above were taken this week during a crossing from Portsmouth to Santander, 16.10.2014

"PONT-AVEN" bunkering and getting ready for sea at Portsmouth

BRITTANY FERRIES magnificent flagship "PONT-AVEN" built in 2004 is seen here at Portsmouth bunkering and getting ready for another trip to Santander, she left 45 minutes late due to late arrival and also because of that precious load taken on board, 508 passengers would make the trip, me included. "PONT-AVEN" will be 10 years old on March the 23rd of 2014, date that she embarked on her maiden voyage from Plymouth to Santander. Photos 15.10.2013

Old Links renewed with the city of SETUBAL

                                  EVORA built 1931

                                          RECORDACAO built in 1961

SETUBAL has been a city in Portugal since 1860, today with just under 120.000 inhabitants is in my opinion one of Portugal's best kept secrets, a Country with many, it is strongly associated with my childhood and teenage years, I lived only 13 miles away, I used to go there with family and friends for the many wonderful things on offer, gastronomy, if you like fish, it's the place to go, incredible beaches, some of the most beautiful I have seen in my life, Portinho da Arrabida is a typical example of that, this beautiful city is 40 kms south of the Portuguese Capital, Lisbon, it has a beautiful bay, a protected Natural Park at Arrabida and the TROIA holiday resort with marinas, beaches and fabulous accommodation, I will come back to this subject in more detail as soon as possible. Setubal is located on the northern bank of the river Sado, so clean and unspoiled that has had  bottlenose dolphins as residents for decades, yes decades. Setubal was the fourth busiest port in Portugal in 2012, commodities exported are cement, paper and fertilizers, last September I was there once again and had opportunity for some ship spotting as well, it was good to see two old freinds from my childhood years, the beautiful EVORA, built in 1931 and still cruising with passengers just for pleasure and the RECORDACAO built 30 years later and unfortunately abandoned, must have bone between the two vessels over one hundred trips on them. Photos 23.9.2013