Brittany Ferries cancels sailings, 50,000 passengers hit
Brittany Ferries is to take two ships out of service following a dramatic slump in demand due the UK government’s decision to remove France from the list of travel-safe destinations.
Immediately after the government imposed a 14-day quarantine for arrivals from France, the ferry operator said 35,000 passengers cancelled or postponed their trips. Forward demand for autumn sailings is ‘extremely weak’, it said.
As a consequence it will take Armorique off the Plymouth to Roscoff route from 31 August and remove Bretagne from the Portsmouth to St Malo route from 7 September. Both ferries will be laid up.
Pont-Aven wil operate three return trips between Plymouth and Roscoff from 10 September, while continuing to operate one return sailing a week from Plymouth to Santader and from Roscoff to Cork.
Brittany Ferries’ Etretat will not resume service, as planned, instead Connemara will continue to operate between Cherbourg and Le Havre rotations from Portsmouth but it will no longer serve Spain.
"We warned over the weekend that schedule changes were likely, as quarantine measures have led to a significant drop in demand for our services," said Director General Christophe Mathieu.
"This is not something we want to do. However, in the context of a terrible summer season we have no choice but to consolidate sailings that, by virtue of lack of passenger numbers, are uneconomic to run. These extraordinary decisions are regrettable and we apologise in advance to all those whose travel plans will be disrupted."
Brittany Ferries said 50,000 passengers with existing bookings will be affected by the schedule changes.
It warned the call centre is expected to be ‘very busy ‘ so it is asking passengers to wait for notification of any changes to their bookings and – where possible – to make alternative arrangements via the My Booking facility on its website.
By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026