ARMORIQUE entering Portsmouth

The magnificent ARMORIQUE arriving Portsmouth last February from Saint-Malo, it was my first crossing on the ship this year.

NORMANDIE at sea

NORMANDIE at sea approaching Ouistreham, photos 15.4.2015

MONT ST MICHEL arriving Ouistreham

"MONT ST MICHEL" arriving Ouistreham on the evening of the 15.4.2015

NORMANDIE arriving Portsmouth after her overnight crossing from Ouistreham

The 15th of April was a beautiful spring day, it was meant to be one of the sunniest in Hampshire, at 6.20 am there I was waiting for the NORMANDIE, just one hour later, I would embark for my third trip of the year on this much loved cruise ferry. Photos 15.4.2015

MONT ST MICHEL departing Portsmouth

Cast off and away we go, on board MONT ST MICHEL, 18.3.2015

Portsmouth, busy International Ferry Port

I have sailed countless times to and from Portsmouth with BRITTANY FERRIES, P & O FERRIES, LD LINES, TRANSMANCHE, for decades the Waterfront City has been a very busy International Ferry Port, today P & O, TRANSMANCHE and LD LINES no longer sail from Portsmouth, but it is still a very busy arrival/departure harbour, much or all to do with BRITTANY FERRIES, now offering sailings to Spain, Santander and Bilbao and France, with the traditional Caen, Saint-Malo, Cherbourg, Le Havre destinations. Photos taken from the Round Tower at Portsmouth, showing MONT ST MICHEL entering the Port, arriving from Caen, 18.3.2015

ARMORIQUE at Saint-Malo

ARMORIQUE docking at Saint-Malo, photos February 2015, the ship was replacing the BRETAGNE which was at Gdansk for her annual refit.

PONT-AVEN sailing the Bay of Biscay back in 2013

These photos take me back to October 2013, I was sailing aboard the PONT-AVEN from Plymouth to Santander, it was a rough crossing with average wind force 7 to 9, here we were about two hours away from our destination, the weather improved, so it was once again possible to walk around the fabulous wrap-around PONT-AVEN's promenade deck, wonderful memories spent on board BRITTANY FERRIES Cruise Ferries. Photos 16.10.2013

BRETAGNE at Portsmouth, close-up views from MONT ST MICHEL

BRETAGNE at Portsmouth seen from MONT ST MICHEL, the ship would soon start loading for her night trip to Saint-Malo, photos 18.3.2015

BRITTANY FERRIES, one of the most environmentally-friendly Cruise Ferry operators in the English Channel

Last year BRITTANY FERRIES embarked on a plan to transform their cruise ferries on the most environmentally-friendly fleet sailing the English Channel, £60 million is the cost estimated to install scrubbers, commonly described as exhaust filters to remove harmful emissions, the first ship was the NORMANDIE when she was sent to Santander in October of 2014, the ship resumed service in January of this year. CAP FINISTERE followed and BARFLEUR is currently at the same shipyard undergoing works, MONT ST MICHEL, PONT-AVEN and ARMORIQUE will also have scrubbers installed, BRETAGNE is the only ship not to have the filters installed which antecipates a potential sale of the ship. Photos included, NORMANDIE at Portsmouth, top one taken 22.1.2015, all the others 18.1.2015.

MONT ST MICHEL entering Portsmouth

MONT ST MICHEL arriving Portsmouth last January, photos taken from Gosport, 28.1.2015

makeover on NORMANDIE

Part of the 2014 refit on NORMANDIE, which included the installation of scrubbers on the ship, was also the makeover on the reclining-seats area, here's a selection of photos illustrating the refurbishment that took place on this part of the ship, I have been sailing on the NORMANDIE for over 20 years, she's never looked better, photos 18.1.2015

"ATRIUM" aboard NORMANDIE

ATRIUM on board the brilliant NORMANDIE, photos taken 18.1.2015