Last sailing of Barfleur ferry (From Bournemouth Echo)

It's no surprise, but a real shame. HATE going to Caen, but there were several short comings when it came to choice in the Restaurant and the Duty Free Shop, plus the sail times meant we had to use Caen and Poole, instead of just Poole. Oh well, nice while it lasted....

Brittany Ferries didn't bust a gut to make it work -only one overnight sailing per week. Hardly enticing passenger support

Every time i concidered it i found it miles more expensive than other methods of getting to france.

djdaface wrote:
Every time i concidered it i found it miles more expensive than other methods of getting to france.

We've joined the Regular Travellers Club and don't find that the case. If we went via the Chunnel, the cost in fuel, let alone time travelling to Folkstone, then down to Normandy to start our holiday, FAR outwayed any savings....

I was due to travel last April but due to ill health I had to cancel. As in accordance with BF policy, I received a letter voucher to the cost of the trip to use at a later date. Due to work and other committments we cannot travel until next year. Our original tickets were from Poole to Cherbourg. What do we do now. More correspondence to BF.
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I agree with sea poole above. I am sure BF could have done a lot more to entice the right passengers. Ferry departures from Poole, meant a very late arrival if driving some distance in France. An earlier option would have proved beneficial.
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So once again the Barfleur will waste money sitting in some port doing nothing again.
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BF over to you.
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Unfortunate, back to going from Portsmouth then, the writing was on the wall when Brittany Ferries started to offer some very good prices to encourage you to travel with them - they have lost a lot of business to LD from Portsmouth. A trip to France is very cheap for the next 6 weeks!! Are they resuming in the Spring though?

Cotentin is offered for sale on a shipbroker website as well

I see that they never did change their website - I complained before about the difficulty in getting a price. P&O Ferries give you a price on the second page - if you want to book on the Barfleur it will take you a minimum of five pages.

I do hope she returns in the spring - I do not really want to see the last of her, but it doesn't look good.....

Just too expensive. Motorhome return July / August £500 plus. Eurotunnel £150 so even allowing for the diesel at £100 it prices itself out of the market.
I know it is very convinient with those car travellers who live local to Poole and go to Brittany or Normandy but it was never going to attract enough of those from outside the area to make it viable.

rayc wrote:
Just too expensive. Motorhome return July / August £500 plus. Eurotunnel £150 so even allowing for the diesel at £100 it prices itself out of the market.
I know it is very convinient with those car travellers who live local to Poole and go to Brittany or Normandy but it was never going to attract enough of those from outside the area to make it viable.

I priced up going over end August for 7 days and comparing. The deisel down to Normandy and back would be way over £100, PLUS 600 extra miles of wear and tear on ME AND the motorhome, so unless we're going North of Paris, it would never be my choice. The Ferry Portsmouth/Caen and return Barfleur to Poole was £336, INCLUDING cabins each way...

Afcbpete wrote:

rayc wrote: Just too expensive. Motorhome return July / August £500 plus. Eurotunnel £150 so even allowing for the diesel at £100 it prices itself out of the market. I know it is very convinient with those car travellers who live local to Poole and go to Brittany or Normandy but it was never going to attract enough of those from outside the area to make it viable.

I priced up going over end August for 7 days and comparing. The deisel down to Normandy and back would be way over £100, PLUS 600 extra miles of wear and tear on ME AND the motorhome, so unless we're going North of Paris, it would never be my choice. The Ferry Portsmouth/Caen and return Barfleur to Poole was £336, INCLUDING cabins each way...

Yes but that is the END August, try pricing it for end of July.

It obviously suites your needs and if there were thousands more like you then business would be booming and the route's future secure.

I emailed Passenger Services at Brittany Ferries re my outstanding ticket/voucher as mentioned above. The reply I got back from BF appears to contradict the Echo story. This is the reply I received.
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Thank you for your email and I am sorry that you are disappointed that the Barfleur is being withdrawn for the Winter. Our plans for next Summer on the Poole – Cherbourg route will be determined at the end of September, so hopefully you will be able to use your voucher to travel on that route in 2012.
Kind regards,
Passenger Services
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There appears to be a difference in the story from what is said in the Echo and what is said by BF.
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Comments Mike Bevens, Group Commercial Passenger Director: “When we announced the return of Barfleur earlier this year, we made it clear that this would be subject to a review during the summer and, whilst support for the service by the local community has been very positive, it has not been enough to deliver the required revenue. Unfortunately, with the current depressed state of the economy, freight carryings have also not grown to the extent we were anticipating which, coupled with the relatively high price of oil, means that the operation of this type of service is unsustainable during the winter months. I know this announcement will disappoint a good many loyal supporters of Barfleur who were hoping for a year round service, but we have a duty to our shareholders, staff and other customers to maintain a profitable operation, hence the need to make this difficult decision.”

“Our plans for next summer on the Poole to Cherbourg route will be determined at the end of September.”

-Ends-

In addition given recent recent speculation regarding the future of Cotentin the following statement has also been made:

It is already widely known that we were trying and are trying to sell the Barfleur. To date a sale of this vessel has not been secured. In order for the company to move forward with future investments we are simply offering Cotentin for sale to see if there is more interest in this vessel that may generate the funds required for future and more suitable investment. In these difficult economical times we are simply being prudent but importantly still have an eye on the “long game”/future.

rayc wrote:

Afcbpete wrote:

rayc wrote: Just too expensive. Motorhome return July / August £500 plus. Eurotunnel £150 so even allowing for the diesel at £100 it prices itself out of the market. I know it is very convinient with those car travellers who live local to Poole and go to Brittany or Normandy but it was never going to attract enough of those from outside the area to make it viable.

I priced up going over end August for 7 days and comparing. The deisel down to Normandy and back would be way over £100, PLUS 600 extra miles of wear and tear on ME AND the motorhome, so unless we're going North of Paris, it would never be my choice. The Ferry Portsmouth/Caen and return Barfleur to Poole was £336, INCLUDING cabins each way...

Yes but that is the END August, try pricing it for end of July.

It obviously suites your needs and if there were thousands more like you then business would be booming and the route's future secure.

27th July - 5th August Return including cabins both way too Poole £352.40 so THAT'S why I'm miffed about losing the Barfleur LOL

Afcbpete wrote:

rayc wrote:

Afcbpete wrote:

rayc wrote: Just too expensive. Motorhome return July / August £500 plus. Eurotunnel £150 so even allowing for the diesel at £100 it prices itself out of the market. I know it is very convinient with those car travellers who live local to Poole and go to Brittany or Normandy but it was never going to attract enough of those from outside the area to make it viable.

I priced up going over end August for 7 days and comparing. The deisel down to Normandy and back would be way over £100, PLUS 600 extra miles of wear and tear on ME AND the motorhome, so unless we're going North of Paris, it would never be my choice. The Ferry Portsmouth/Caen and return Barfleur to Poole was £336, INCLUDING cabins each way...

Yes but that is the END August, try pricing it for end of July. It obviously suites your needs and if there were thousands more like you then business would be booming and the route's future secure.

27th July - 5th August Return including cabins both way too Poole £352.40 so THAT'S why I'm miffed about losing the Barfleur LOL

"27th July - 5th August Return including cabins both way too Poole £352.40 so THAT'S why I'm miffed about losing the Barfleur LOL"

Not if you go day crossing 20th July and return overnight with cabin 15th August for a motothome up to 7m long and 3m height with 2 people.
The quote today is 529.00 GBP.

That is why it will never compete with the Dover route, the tunnel is £150 return.

Organise the sailings at times when people want to travel.
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Simples!

rayc wrote:

Afcbpete wrote:

rayc wrote:

Afcbpete wrote:

rayc wrote: Just too expensive. Motorhome return July / August £500 plus. Eurotunnel £150 so even allowing for the diesel at £100 it prices itself out of the market. I know it is very convinient with those car travellers who live local to Poole and go to Brittany or Normandy but it was never going to attract enough of those from outside the area to make it viable.

I priced up going over end August for 7 days and comparing. The deisel down to Normandy and back would be way over £100, PLUS 600 extra miles of wear and tear on ME AND the motorhome, so unless we're going North of Paris, it would never be my choice. The Ferry Portsmouth/Caen and return Barfleur to Poole was £336, INCLUDING cabins each way...

Yes but that is the END August, try pricing it for end of July. It obviously suites your needs and if there were thousands more like you then business would be booming and the route's future secure.

27th July - 5th August Return including cabins both way too Poole £352.40 so THAT'S why I'm miffed about losing the Barfleur LOL

"27th July - 5th August Return including cabins both way too Poole £352.40 so THAT'S why I'm miffed about losing the Barfleur LOL"

Not if you go day crossing 20th July and return overnight with cabin 15th August for a motothome up to 7m long and 3m height with 2 people.
The quote today is 529.00 GBP.

That is why it will never compete with the Dover route, the tunnel is £150 return.

Just got a quote £400 exactly, but as I've mentioned before we belong to the Regular Travellers Club, although end of August we MAY go through the Chunnel as going to Burgundy and it's nearer via Calais, but will come back to Poole/Portsmouth....

Shall miss watching the ferry come in at Sandbanks then chasing it along to Baiter, but, have I used it? Like so many on here, no. Worked on it (summer job on the docks) watched it - never been found myself in a position to justify the expence. Still, nice work while you can get it!
BTW Security word they keep on about was nose-upon which is too close to Upton for my liking

****. Those caravans will be clogging these roads up now.

We went on a package deal with BF earlier in the year. A week in a Normandy gite with a pool, including Ferry crossings from Poole-Cherbourg. Just over £500 all in.

With the convenience of the hometown port added in it's just brilliant for us.

The problem is that it is an expensive service to run, longer crossing than Dover-Calais, meaning less passengers per week whilst more fuel used and higher staffing costs per journey. Add in the Sterling rate against the Euro, less people will use Barfleur for going to France as less people are going there, those that do are obviously tempted to use other cheaper routes. Whilst the lower pound has attracted many extra foreign holidaymakers to the UK over the last year, many are from Germany and Netherlands. the catchment area around Cherbourg has relatively few people who are attracted to the UK for a holiday. I like the Barfleur, I have had many happy crossings in the past, but times change, and I suspect this time it really will be a final sad farewell to a ship who was synonymous with the aspirations of Poole and Cherbourg for so many years.

Again the BBC South news quoted that the service will come to end on the 3rd October, yet as indicated above, I received an email from BF which stated that the service was withdrawn for the winter. Which is it to be.
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Regarding davecook above. I believe that the reason why most have used the BF Poole to Cherbourg route is because although it maybe more expensive than other routes. One has to get to such places as Dover, and then a greater extended drive to their normal Normandy or in my cas southern Brittany destinations.
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Many are leaving France and selling up on their properties, some at great losses, and the reduction in their income due to the exchange rate. This in turn would show a lesser passenger quota on all routes in my opinion.
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Personally, I do not think it is the fault of the passenger, or the frieight, but the fault of BF. They withdraw Barfleur last year, and the concentrated on the freight side of business using the Contentin, whilst passengers used the Condor Ferry from Poole, or headed off to other departure points. Delaying the return of the Barfleur, and not marketing its return to the full, freight continued as before, and passengers found alternative routes, and retained those routes.
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One matter that arose was the fact that the Barfleur sailing time was much later than before. This was not good for passengers who had distances to drive on arrival in France. Likewise it was the same for freight. Such a late departure from the UK resulted in financial losses to the companies, and the drivers. BF needed to adjust. To me it appears to have been their intention to bring back the service knowing that it would not work, so that they could withdraw without too much loss.
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Sorry guys, but am I missing something, can't you still make the Poole to Cherbourg crossing on the faster vessel, The Normandie Vitesse?