Operated by Brittany Ferries on the Portsmouth Caen route
Commissioned by Brittany Ferries in 1991, the Normandie is named after the French region of the same name and decorated in traditional Norman style and colours, and features first-rate on-board facilities including excellent dining, shopping and live entertainment.
The Normandie offers passengers a choice of over 200 cabins all of which are en-suite and air conditioned. Soap and shower gel are also provided in case you want to freshen up and you'll also find at least 1 plug socket to use or to charge any electrical appliances that you may have.
Reclining seats provide a great value option for overnight crossings and additional comfort to your day sailing. The reserved seating lounges are located towards the front of Normandie on deck 7 and all lounges have large windows offering panoramic views.
There's plenty of choice for eating and drinking onboard including the main restaurant - Le Deauville Restaurant & Bar, a self service restaurant - Riva Bella a Coffee shop - Le Pays d'Auge Café and Le Derby Bar.
Purchases made on board may be paid for in Euros or Sterling. Payment can be made in cash, by credit or debit card. Prices are shown in both currencies and you can combine different payment methods.
The boutiques are on decks 7 and 9 and offer a fine range of spirits, wine, tobacco, perfumes & cosmetics, leather goods, confectionery, toys, fashion, decoration, souvenirs, newspapers, games, cameras, sunglasses, jewellery.
Normandie features plenty of deck space so you can stretch your legs and and enjoy a calm spot to relax, while enjoying the sea air and incredible views, particularly when entering or leaving the port. Sun decks are on decks 8 and 9.
There's also Wi-Fi internet access (not free), a baggage room to leave your luggage, a Bureau de Change, baby changing facilities, games room, video games room and slot machines, seasonal Caberet (DJ, Magician, Live Band) and 2 cinemas.
Young children can enjoy fun and games in the playroom on deck 9 or during the peak season they can take part in the special entertainments programme and enjoy everything from games to treasure hunts.
The ship is wheelchair friendly with specially adapted wheelchair accessible cabins. Disabled toilets are located on deck 7, 8, and 9 and all decks can be accessed by lift.
Please Note: Whilst we have taken great care in making our Normandie guide as accurate as possible, onboard facilities, services and entertainment may vary depending on the date and time of year that you travel, facilities mentioned may change without notification and ferry companies reserve the right to operate vessels other than those mentioned at time of booking without prior notification.
84% of our customers recommended this ship
"Perfect crossing."
Faultless. Enough said!! 👍
Reviewed by Alec who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Our trip on the 26th august"
Overall a great trip - however I feel sorry for the young staff on catering as they appeared to be overworked and under resourced resulting in long waiting times for food and drink
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Smooth professional service "
First time I have taken my car abroad for 30 years. The overall experience was superb and the staff all polite and friendly. The kids all seemed to enjoy their organised activities The reclining seats in the quiet lounge were comfortable and and I could sleep easily.
Reviewed by Richard who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"First crossing with Brittany"
Pleasant trip, definitely worth booking reclining seats, self service restaurant food good and not overpriced
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Mont St Michel - Portsmouth/Caen/Portsmouth"
Lovely boat but catering was abysmal - very disappointing food. Not much better than the Dover/Calais crossing in terms of catering. Restaurant was closed on both journeys and the food served by the self-service cafeteria was pretty awful. Certainly not what I would expect from a French company. Travelled with Brittany Ferries a few years ago and the food was superb. Come on Brittany Ferries. You can do better than this. What happened to your standards? No reflection on your lovely staff. They do their best.
Reviewed by Margaret who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Night crossing"
On our outgoing journey we were kept awake by car horns going off, but on the return journey we were on a higher deck and were un effected by any noise from the car deck and slept well. Cabins are small but perfectly clean and functional, the staff were efficient. It was good to be able to get a breakfast before our onward journey although the cooked breakfast wasn’t great.
Reviewed by Andrew who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"My first experience with ferry ⛴️ "
Everything was more that I was thinking about my first experience with the ferry ⛴️ was perfect thanks
Reviewed by Marian Gabriel who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Very helpful staff"
We had a good crossing both ways, but what I really appreciated was the helpful helpful staff. My husband broke his foot the week before we traveled and they offered assisted boarding and deboarding on each voyage and were pleasant and helpful. The catering was also really good
Reviewed by Sarah who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Brittany ferries ⛴ "
My two daughters and I had a nice ,smooth sail over night. The cabins were comfortable, clean and warm.
Reviewed by Hannan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great trip"
All very efficient
Reviewed by Timothy who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Brittany Ferries improvement."
Having travelled again recently from Portsmouth to Caen, the company seem to be listening to comments from passengers. Though our ferry was 1.5 hours late in departing, we did some advance notice. Brittany Ferries staff were very sympathetic but did not have.much information on what went wrong. Full marks to the crew on board who kept the bar open later than usual. Foot passengers were also disembarked pretty quickly. It's a shame that bus passengers were not informed that the Twisto 12EX bus service had been diverted from its usual bus stop, because of a festival based at Ouistreham Port. The festival was taking place within 800 metres of the terminal. Passengers were told that the delay was a technical issue, combined with bad weather. The crossing itself was almost flat calm. Max Force 4, I believe. Breakfast good, but FAR too little time to enjoy it.So called reclining seats only slightly tilt and are unbelievably uncomfortable, only to be beaten by the world's most uncomfortable terminal seating, which is at the Portsmouth Terminal..
Reviewed by Roger who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Arrived over an hour late on both trips"
Disappointed that all my travel plans were messed up both ways by the delays. I have no idea why we were delayed an hour on the way over from Portsmouth to Caen. We were advised after we had set sail that we would be delayed but not why, The return trip was even worse,. Although they did send a text to say we would be delayed an hour but to still turn up at the usual time to board. Turns out only 3 of the 4 engines were working (think this is why we were delayed on our first trip). We were an hour and a half late - arriving at 10.45 pm instead of 9.15. But then they would not let us off. No reason given, just an announcement. Then they let us off half an hour later (I was a foot passenger) after all the cars had gone. A fellow passenger said it was because the tide was too high for the gangplank or something cos we arrived so late. I will never ever ever travel with this company again. The last train had gone and I had to pay for a last minute hotel or I would have been stranded in Portsmouth.
Reviewed by Alison who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great Trip"
Found our way to the cafe where, early in the morning and having had no breakfast, we found the petit dejeuner which was just what we wanted. As it wasn't too busy, we found ourselves seats where we wanted and had a relaxing voyage before our drive in France.
Reviewed by Dexter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Ferry from Caen"
Quiet trip lots of space and good breakfast
Reviewed by Michael who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Voyage on 8.10.22"
We had a satisfactory voyage, though the ferry docked 30 minutes late.
Reviewed by Maxwell who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great! "
Great service . Plenty of staff. Had films showing in a mini cinema . Food choice and quality was really good.
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Paid for non-existent wifi"
Staff was great, cabin was great, food in the restaurant was really good with healthy options and a wide variety which is wonderful. However 2 points of improvement stand out: #1 there is no obvious central point indicating what enterrtaintment is taking place when. Some prior news by email might be useful. And #2 we bought a 12 premium wifi package that did not work, we were unable to log onto the internet AT ALL. So we effectively threw £12 in the water. If the wifi cannot be guaranteed, I think it is not morally right to ask people to pay for it.
Reviewed by Barbara who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Feedback "
Great journey
Reviewed by Craig who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Poor service "
Both trips late. The return trip was rescheduled to an earlier time which we arrived for but it then left later than original time. Ship very tired and not clean. Food appalling and restaurant was closed on the outward journey as ship left late, leaving us with nowhere to eat. Very poor overall
Reviewed by Nicola who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Excellent crew and ship."
Absolutely fine. Good food and drink. Sailed on schedule.Loading no hassle. Estimate probably only 10% of capacity so no queues for anythin Being out of EC means wait for passport control both ways which could be considerable in main holiday period and could be a test of your patience which is
Reviewed by Kevin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Ferries fine, port connections rubbish!"
The ferries were great. Unfortunately getting to and from them as foot passengers was difficult (and expensive!), involving long walks, navigating local bus timetables, and extremely expensive taxi (to Caen). Why no shuttle bus between nearest stations and ferry port, to meet each and every sailing? We were left at the French port having arrived at 9.30pm to phone for a taxi from Caen, which cost £40.
Reviewed by Alan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"WiFi "
Unfortunately, no WiFi was available on my trip, in spite of contact with staff and moving around to obtain a better reception, toilets were smelly, from early on, so not cleaned prior to departure, otherwise smooth crossing
Reviewed by Karen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good crossing"
Reassuringly competent, no dramas, just get on with the job.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"What could be better?"
Nothing!
Reviewed by Trevor who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"good experience"
travelled in comfort. The free wifi was not strong and I was unable to have the zoom meeting I had intended without significant interruptions
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Delayed and slow but pleasant enough "
Boarding and departing was very slow and we ended up being on the ferry for significantly longer than planned. Entertainment was ok but could have done with more games or things to do. Main tv showing the football broke which was frustrating
Reviewed by James who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"It's been better"
very slow getting onboard and late leaving and again on our return trip, late leaving then long delay getting into port and delay on getting foot passengers off, so all vehicles had already departed whilst foot passengers sat waiting for 30 minutes to get information about disembarking... No explination given.
Reviewed by Paul who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Best way to Europe in 2022"
We've been to and fro to Europe several times this year with different airlines and ferry companies, and the trip with Brittany Ferries was definitely the best.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Misinformed, bad communication and uncooperative "
I would not book through direct ferries as they are unwilling to help if you have a problem. My ferry time was changed and I was misinformed about the new checking time leading to my not making the ferry and losing all my money. Had I been correctly informed this would not have happened. I was either ignored after this or told to commit Clare with Brittany when Brittany told me I needed to communicate with direct ferries. I wasted a lot of time just trying to speak to someone. I asked on several occasions that I dented to make a formal complaint and I stlll haven’t received this information.
Reviewed by Alex who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen"
Crossing out to France was delayed and very choppy,we had a cabin for the first time which was extremely comfortable for the two of us and very clean Return journey today 22 September was very comfortable and calm
Reviewed by Janet who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Cabin "
Just a point ,there was no soap in the dispenser In the shower cubicle But there was some by the sink. Also the sink was dirty
Reviewed by Timothy who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great sail "
Really pleased with this crossing. Left on time, smooth crossing & good choice of good & drinks onboard. Cabin was very basic but ideal For a quiet place to have a nap or read. Loved the amount of outdoor seating & viewing areas. Would definitely book with Brittany ferries again.
Reviewed by S Lloyd who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Delays and queues "
We had no problems with our ferries but the on shore organisation left much to be desired. Outwards the ferry was over an hour late. We arrived on time, first in line then last on the ship and this last off. Extensive checks at customs. No problems in France outwards or onwards. But over an hour at customs in Portsmouth. Brexit???
Reviewed by Rod who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Not great"
They emailed me to say the ferry was leaving 45 mins earlier so I paid to stay in a hotel nearby. Then the ferry boarded loads of people at the original boarding time, left late and arrived late. Plus there was a 45 min delay dlearing passports in Portsmouth - not their fault, but it added to the misery.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Why can't they tell us?"
I have travelled a lot on Ferries between France / Ireland / England & I find that in general everything is fine, the Normandy is starting to look a little tired, our return cabin had a leaky bathroom tap & a broken light switch but as we were only in there to sleep it was not a bother; We also found ourselves waiting for the cabin cleaning crew to finish before we were allowed into our rooms, but in their defence this has happened on other ships & other lines, so I am not blaming the Normandie for this..I am surprised they even have any crew after the FARCE that is BREXIT !
Reviewed by Geoffrey who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Excellent start to a short break"
Seamless operation. Food was very good and good value.
Reviewed by Tim who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A good way to sail"
We sailed on a Thursday afternoon at the end of the summer season as foot passengers. Weather conditions were fine with a very calm sea. Facilities at Ouistreham were good and access to the ship was made easy as there was a bus which had room for luggage and a lift to get on board. There is a designated storage area for luggage which was locked during the crossing. Arrival in Portsmouth was not so easy; foot passengers were the last to leave and disembarkation is via a set of steep ramps. The bus waiting to take passengers to the terminal building is not designed for luggage, pushchairs or people with mobility issues. Our sailing had been delayed and was late arriving so there weren’t many people around to help anyone with onward journey queries. My advice would be to ensure you know where you’re going when leaving the port as this not clear and there is little in the way of information to help. My recommendation to Brittany Ferries is let foot passengers off first as they are probably relying on public transport to reach their destination and these are time sensitive. .
Reviewed by Caroline who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"My birthday trip to Normandy "
We arrived at Portsmouth we got there a bit early for our crossing had a bit of a delay but not to long. The bike were all tied down we had a good crossing and arrived almost on time we got off without any problems 10out of ten to everyone of the staff on board 👍
Reviewed by Steven who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Excellent service "
Although we were late leaving the crossing was very smooth and the staff very helpful.
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Undermanned."
Boat was clean and tidy. Late leaving Portsmouth with no announcements advising why. Take away food counter was the only one available due to understaffing/profiteering and it closed two hours before arrival at caen. Overall ok but not great.
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Dirty ship"
The ship was vile- still had the previous passengers rubbish on the tables and the floors was covered in crumbs and food bits. The chairs was scabby and didn’t recline properly. Mostly it was the cleanliness that was disappointing.
Reviewed by Charlotte who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Poor amendment service over charge "
Added another person to the booking said 47 pounds which I agreed with then went to 70 pounds absolute rip off will never use again will go straight to Brittany Ferries not this 3rd rate company
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Dirty, dated ferries, stuck in a 1990’s time loop"
As a child I regularly crossed the channel, pre-Euro Tunnel, on a ferry from Portsmouth. I hadn’t don’t it in about 15-20 years and I can tell you nothing has changed, except the boats are all a little older and a little more dilapidated. The facilities were all dirty with rubbish strewn in every nook and cranny, despite us only just boarding (an hour late I might add). The facilities are akin to a filthy Wetherspoons pub. A nasty bar with terrible music and some dubious DJ-ing, an arcade where over half the machines were broken and two restaurants, one of which was closed, leaving just the buffet. The food on offer there was all the colours of the beige/brown rainbow, with vegetables only on offer if you begged for them. In fairness it was pretty good value but I’ve starred at things ok the bottom of my shoes and salivated more. Each and every chair, table, corner and area was packed with lorry drivers, grubby families and tired travellers. We eventually stole a sticky table, with a retro 1990’s design, to whittle away the 6.5 hours of warm, humid, cigarette and diesel laced stench. Several trips out on deck to spy the broken, unsecured plastic furniture, sliding across the deck, was about the only activity unless you include drinking the “coffee” at the bar on the top floor. I can’t believe it actually was coffee, I’m sure it was being pumped straight from the bildge? It will take us many years to step foot on a ferry again, especially with 3x small children, so I suspect we will stick to planes and trains until then. I can’t believe so little has been updated or improved in 15-20 years!? Perhaps other operators are better. I don’t really want to find out to be honest, you can make your own minds up!
Reviewed by Henry who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Cannot contact direct ferries after booking at all "
3 hour wait to get on ship and to leave ship awful service. Ship and staff fine
Reviewed by Michael who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen - Portsmouth"
Ship
Reviewed by Claire who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen"
Overall our journey was enjoyable, but we did have an issue with reserved seating. Each time a family left their seats, passengers who had not paid for reserved seating would quickly jump into the seats, resulting in countless confrontations throughout the journey. On one occasion I saw an elderly couple come back to find people in their seats, and rather than face the confrontation they walked away. At one point during our journey a member of staff did check tickets, but the passengers who didn't have reserved seating just left and came back once the check had finished.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Family holiday"
On bioth crossings the boats were clean and comfortable, although finding somewhere for a family of 4 to sit in the way back was a little tricky due to it being so busy. Staff were friendly and helpful, and remained cheerful, despite an obvious full on workload. Food and drink options were good, although a latte coffee would have been much appreciated! On the return ferry we were sat in the cafe area and the ferry was incredibly busy, we were so impressed with the serving staff, they quite literally did not stop the whole trip as there wad not 1 lull in people queuing, but they remained happy and courteous throughout. The only negative wad that both sailings were half an hour to an hour late leaving
Reviewed by Andre who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"First time user but may be not the last"
I found the route to France suited my purposes not having done this before. Brittany Ferries ship have changed for the better since my last time on one many years ago.
Reviewed by Karen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Delay disappointment "
After being asked to arrive early, combined with delayed departures in both directions and lengthy passport checks, all resulted in a disappointing travel time of over 10 hours
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen - Portsmouth"
This ship was over an hour late getting into Portsmouth. Once arrived it took almost 2 hours to get through security.!!
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen to Portsmouth"
Smooth all the way. The sea and getting on and off! Very busy restaurant but on a 5 hour plus crossing, queuing passes the time! Just a word of caution about changing your booking as we did. We booked a cabin on our orginal booking but changed to a ferry later the same day. An admin cost for changing which is okay but there was no cabin available on the later ferry. No refund for the cost of the cabin.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Pretty good going until we met French Customs"
We left Southampton on time, I think, and enjoyed being in the booked lounge seats, bringing coffee and croissants down to them etc. later we ate in the restaurant, and the food and service seemed fine. Not a bad crossing until it came to leaving the boat, the Normandie. Getting the cars off seemed to take an age, but no time at all compared to the time we were forced to spend on the dockside waiting tote through Customs. We were at the end of the line and just as we arrived at/the sheds another douanier appeared and beckoned us to his window. Gee thanks: why could you not have got there earlier so as to get us off the dockside sooner. We were worried about teaching our target place in daylight. We had felt that all would be well in that regard when booking and taking the published times, but felt cheated out of an hour or more.
Reviewed by Stephen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good service "
Very good
Reviewed by Nadia who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A very comfortable and calm crossing"
The journey from Portsmouth to Caen could not have been more comfortable. The ship was stunning as were the views. The food was delicious and the seating really comfortable throughout the ship. The whole journey both ways was calm and relaxing so the time flew by.
Reviewed by Angela who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A relaxing way to start and end my holiday"
The ferry crossing was very relaxing with excellent facilities and I was able to sleep for 3 hours in the reclining chair on the way out. The variety of restaurants and the entertainment for children was very impressive.
Reviewed by Helen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Quick trip"
A good service although the seating arrangements seemed a little chaotic - we booked two reclining seats and found our selves sat at opposite ends of a neary empty room. The staff did change the seta numbers but we felt that there was little control.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"No bikes required!"
Sensibly worked ferry!
Reviewed by Simon who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Comfortable way to cross the Channel"
We found the crossing easy and comfortable. There were various food outlets, all of which served quality food . We had comfortable seats in the main cafeteria. This became a quiet and restful place once the breakfast rush was over. We would definitely use Brittany Ferries again.
Reviewed by Andrew who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Brittany Ferries "
Pleasurable experience.
Reviewed by John who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"My Trip"
Very helpful staff, boarding was very well done. The ship had great facilities, however the cleanliness of the seating could have been better. On booking i had made a mistake on the date of the outward jouorney and tried to alter it straight away but was unable and it then cost me £145 to correct it. This was day light robbery.
Reviewed by Mash who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Trip to France and Back"
On the whole, good experience... Only thing to complain about was the quality of the reclining chairs on both journeys... they seem very old stock and not particularly nice to sit on... out of the 4 we booked, on the way out, only 2 reclined and the air conitioning wasn't working, so it was so hot in the room our recliners were located in, that we were unable to use them... different boat on the way back... but again, the chairs are very old and feel dirty to sit on. Wouldn't pay for these again.
Reviewed by Tony Hill and family who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Very bad experience "
Let me start by saying Brittany ferries the actual operator where amazing we’re amazing . Sadly I can not say the same for Direct ferries . Due to a family emergency we need to bring our return forward and as our ticket could be amended this should have been a simple task . Unfortunately Direct ferries could not be reached ,there system they suggest using failed and after 4 days of trying we contacted Brittany ferries to explain the situation to which they gave us the next sailing . Even after we had changed date and sailed direct ferries write generic emails saying that they had requested a change of date but the operator ( Brittany ferries) had failed to respond. They did not even pick up that our sailing had changed and we had sailed . Poor service that will leave you stranded should an emergency arise. I would not hesitate to use the operator but would never book via direct ferries again :(( and to
Reviewed by Ian who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"All went to plan"
The ferry was on time - facilities acceptable and staff helpful
Reviewed by Colin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Why not fly instead"
It was an experience, but not one I'll be repeating.
Reviewed by Anthony who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Ferry was fine - passport control on both sides of the channel was awful"
The amount of queuing required to get on an off a ferry is staggering. We didn't move the car for 2 hours before the UK departure, then queued for a full hour to get through French passport control on the other side. The return journey was no better - more passport booths are urgently needed. The ships themselves were fine and the reclining seats area nice and quiet.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"thank I love it "
Thank
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Don’t get the ferry"
Whilst the ferry crossing was fine we had to wait for over an hour after leaving the ferry to get through border checks. Terrible system with hundreds of cars trying to go through 5 passport control stations. I would avoid the ferry now if at all possible. Why can’t the ferry operate like Le Shuttle where all the checks are on one side only?
Reviewed by Lizzie who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great trip"
The crossing on Brittany Ferries from Caen to Portsmouth was good with the company providing an efficient and good service.
Reviewed by Malcolm who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good crossing "
The boats where late leaving and as a result the cabins where late being cleaned. No problems for me . The staff where helpful, friendly and kept us updated.
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great trip"
We enjoyed our crossing to and back from Caen!!
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Satisfied customer."
Very comfortable and peaceful way to travel. Ferry design very stylish. Would have been good to be informed of reason for 1Hr delay in departure from Caen on return to avoid anxiety.
Reviewed by Catherine who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Smooooth"
It was so easy - customer service was excellent, cabin clean and comfortable, and the organisation splendid - thank you
Reviewed by Antony who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A very great way o France "
Once on board you can seat back in comfort and rest up before you carry on.
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Food awfully disgusting, 1h late departure, but enjoyed cinema "
Normandy ferry planed to leave on august 6th at 16:30, left at 17:30. Enjoyed movie in cinema 1, which started almost on time (15min delay). We had food on the cafeteria on deck 8. I ordered a steak «saignant» (i am french, the chef as well). The meat was too raw, tasted awful, pepper sauce was a tasteless glutamatefull slimmy thing, fries undercooked. Not recommended.
Reviewed by Matthieu Fossoux who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good Ferry, great crew, awful breakfast "
Busy crossing but to be expected in August. Boat was very clean and cabin spotless. Went for breakfast in the restaurant and had one of the worst attempts at an English breakfast ever. Buffet was ok but £19 each was a rip off. Crew were very good and helpful and arrived on time. spotless
Reviewed by Dominic who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Use Brittany Ferries direct and not through Direct Ferries"
needed to change my return booking as my paertner was getting quite ill because of the heat. This was done but what cost. Brittany Ferries charged £75.00 and Direct Line £113.01 a total of £188.01. Why Direct Ferries need such shocking increase when Brittany Ferries was reasonable I fail to understand Direct Line you were the Agent and entitled to a fee, but I feel cheated. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY I PROPOSE ASKING BRITTANY FERRIES TO SEE WHAT THE AGREEMENT IS BETWEEN THE TWO I have trvelled Brittany Ferries many time and I have no complaints whatsoever but with Direct Ferries, whom I use before, i feel cheated
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Crossing "
Good crossing. Only thing lacking was free WiFi in cabin.
Reviewed by Jonathan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Trip to France on Portsmouth Caen ferry"
We found the ferry trip enjoyable. The cabin was clean and towels provided. Food in the restaurant was French and priced appropriately. Would have liked better facilities at the port- it's a long wait in the queue to board and the toilets are not obvious. The call in the morning arrival.to Caen feels very early- but understand that some customers will want to eat breakfast before they drive. Thank you to your helpful and friendly staff- they were very welcoming in each of their roles from guides to shop to cabin staff.
Reviewed by Jill who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"All good bar the delay"
Shame about the passport queues otherwise a good trip
Reviewed by Angus who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"30/7/2022"
We had a great trip. Left 1/2 hour late but made up time. Good food and comfortable seating. Helpful and attentive staff. Thanks.
Reviewed by Gregory who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Long delay without any warning nor apology"
We left with an hour delay - without warning nor explanation. Half of the deck were not accessible to passengers and on the remaining half the benches were filthy. Several toilets were out of order. Very disapointed. As a regular client this is the first time a journey with Brittany Ferry is so poor.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"So impressed with Brittany Ferries."
Given the shambles at Dover, and seemingly consistently chaotic how refreshing it was to Experience Portsmouth to Caen.All the logistics of handling so many lorries and cars were carried out at both ports very efficiently. At Caen the French Authorities were charming and genuinely assisted a speedy passage through! The Crossing , having first had a well earned first class breakfast in the dining room, went very smoothly and quickly. We were entertained on the journey by Scott McMahon, whose guitar playing and singing really good. His rendition of Gracelands Superbe!
Reviewed by Timothy who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth ferry terminal "
Arrived in the evening told where to park as we would be safe there. At 11.25 pm we had a bike stolen off the back of our motorhome. There is not security there over night. Police notified and cctv captured it all. Be ware do not leave bikes on bike rack at the rear of your motorhome. This is apparently a regular occurrence at this port. Pity we weren’t told about it on arrival. We could have avoided it and all the upset that went with it.
Reviewed by Joy who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Trip for a wedding"
Nice trip, only the delays with customs leaving and entering France were bad
Reviewed by Kathleen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen- Portsmouth ferry trip "
Cannot fault the crossing and all that was involved including boarding and disembarking, everything ran smoothly best crossing I’ve ever experienced
Reviewed by Amanda who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen ferry"
The trip itself went very well. The staff seemed pleasant and the entertainment provided was well received. Only criticism was that the all the outside windows needed cleaning or at least a quick sponge over. Thanks
Reviewed by George who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen"
Boarding was good, no queues or issues. Held up at Caen for 45 minutes waiting to go through French passport control. Only 2 booths operating, quite frustrating. The journey on the ferry was good, we used the lounge with reclining chairs. Comfortable and stress free. Managed to sleep.
Reviewed by Samuel Davies who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Busy sailing "
Was a very very busy weekend for sailing. The staff were very polite. A general shop to just sell drinks and sandwiches would have been perfect. Had to queue for either self serve restaurant or tearoom - queues were very long. Boarding and departure good. Delay from passport control nothing to do with the ferry company. Compared to chaos at Dover was quite smooth. Toilets clean though some not open.
Reviewed by Matthew who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Fantastic trip"
Ferry was lovely. Plenty of room yo walk about. As the Ferry was quiet there was plenty of seating outside to enjoy the sunshine
Reviewed by Eileen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A smooth overnight crossing "
Our trip went according to plan. There was a long wait to board, as the ferry had a short turnaround time, and we would have liked some information about the wait so we could get refreshments etc. Otherwise all was good.
Reviewed by Nicola who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Ferry to caen"
Ferry delayed
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"REVIEW MORNING CROSSING - 5 JULY"
Ship was nearly an hour late in departing, which was unexplained, but otherwise a comfortable and capable voyage. Crew helpful and well presented.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Another delayed ferry!"
June 19th Salamanca late, July 1st Normandie late. A bit tedious, to say the least! Buck your selves up Brittany Ferries!
Reviewed by John who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Normandie"
Excellent ship and top class staff.
Reviewed by LESLIE SQUANCE who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen to Portsmouth "
Very good
Reviewed by Michael who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Awful "
This review is for the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen There was 90 minutes delay. The ferry was filthy. Loos were disgusting. Very few staff. It was so bad we got the tunnel home . We would rather drive to Calais than get back on the Ferry.
Reviewed by Trevor who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Crossing from Normandy to Portsmouth"
We recently crossed from Normandy. Our trip was relaxing. The ferry had plenty of room to get up and move around. The seats were comfortable. It was very enjoyable.
Reviewed by Lawrence who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"It works but getting tired "
Both sailings were on time, what does take forever is loading both ferries we went on are now looking very tired and could do with a refurbished
Reviewed by John who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"P to C"
The boat was 90 mins late and we were left not knowing what was going on…… we were starving and in need of the toilet.
Reviewed by James who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great first trip"
The trip was great although the Uk dude if things was much more punctual and timely than the French side, we left one hour late and getting into the boat was very slow in comparison
Reviewed by Sathyan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Border control"
The journey onboard the ship itself was fine, cinema was fun as was the children’s entertainment and the food was perfectly acceptable. How we what detracted from this on both the journey out and return was the chaos of immigration control. Caen had 3 offices for 500 cars! Took over an half and a half to get through controls when arriving in Caen. Then on the return, we arrived the requested 90 minutes prior to departure went through one set of border controls and then were literally left sat in our parked car for over 2 hours with two very grumpy children. Again Caen had only 3 border controls to process 500 cars! We were over an hour late departing. Never again!!
Reviewed by Christopher who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Comfortable and easy"
Didn’t use the catering but the cabin was clean and the shower was really very good. Clean and comfortable crossing and the booking and ticket collection was simple.
Reviewed by Nicholas who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"As expected"
Trip went exactly as planned
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"All was great"
The only problem was in our cabin 6128, we could not sleep well because of the noise through the window it sounded as if the engine was right there on the side of the window
Reviewed by Ian who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Well done Direct Ferries, and Brittany Ferries "
I booked via Direct Ferries, to travel on a return trip from Portsmouth to Cean. The booking was so easy and all information was sent in good time before my crossing. I found both my outward and return journey well organised and everyone involved was polite and helpful. Will certainly use Direct Ferries again
Reviewed by Marion who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Not impressed. "
Cold and draughty ship. Food choices were awful.
Reviewed by Larry Heare who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Easy - so easy!"
An hour's run to Portsmouth, short queue, relaxed crossing, arrived on time, slight delay at French customs, arrived at hotel as planned .... so easy!
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great service"
Great boat trip
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great experience"
Bon voyage, great trip!
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Excellent service"
Excellent and efficient as alwats
Reviewed by Susan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Overnight trip with cabin"
It’s the first time I have booked an overnight trip with cabin and it’s not gonna be the last. It was a lovely trip, great cabin (outside) and bed was extremely comfortable
Reviewed by Adrian who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"It was Cancelled"
Still waiting a refund or coupon for a future sailing
Reviewed by Alan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"My recent trip "
Very good service overall
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Normandie"
We had a really enjoyable sailing with Brittany ferries, staff where brilliant. Under the latest circumstances with corona virus, they made us feel really safe. Thankyou for your service
Reviewed by Debra who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"excellent service!"
Wow! Really didn't expect very much as we were considering this a very functional way to return to UK from France. What a lovely surprise - everything was orderly, timely and very clean. Our cabin was small but adequate and even had a shower in the bathroom. Friendly, professional staff who made every effort to ensure we were comfortable throughout the entire journey. Wonderful wake-up call music!!
Reviewed by Robert and Suzanne who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Ferry convenience"
Quick boarding, nice boat cean is closest from Pamplona as crow flies, disembark was mega fast !
Reviewed by Paul who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Info not updated"
As you contacted me regarding the further £30 required by the ferry company as I had inadvertently put in the incorrect length my vehicle. You had not updated the correct details onto the new booking form once I arrived at the terminal I had to pay yet again £30. I will be contacting you regarding this matter once I am back in the U.K. For re embursmant of this amount. Anne Davies
Reviewed by Judith Anne who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Holiday Trip "
Going out from Portsmouth - Fab Coming back from Portsmouth - Not so Fab Ridiculously busy, no where to sit, cars packed within inches of each other, unpleasant experience back
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"mv Normandie "
Very enjoyable uneventful trip
Reviewed by Marie who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Brilliant crossing - both ways"
The whole experience of travelling to and returning from France with Brittany Ferries was just perfect. Accommodation and food along with the onboard entertainment was outstanding - many thanks for making the start to our holiday special and a beautiful ending too.
Reviewed by Phillip who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Comfortable journey"
Lovely boat with plenty of seats both inside and outside. Food good value.
Reviewed by Laura who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good service "
Enjoyed the crossing. Staff were friendly and helpful. Decor looks a bit outdated and could do with modernisation. The ship was late and we missed the bus shuttle connection to Caen. The shuttle bus didn't wait for the ferry. Staff at the terminal were helpful and ordered a taxi so we could make our connection.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Very easy"
Very easy to access the website and book. No fuss or frills, just straightforward.
Reviewed by Ian who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Long Wait at the quay before boarding"
Cold and wet, they do not let you board until the last minute, so spent hours in the car. By the time we got on board, too late to eat and not much available anyway. You get the impression they have a monopoly, are subsidised and so do not really care. P&O is much better.
Reviewed by John who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Change of departure"
Arrived Caen on return journey , they let us wait in a queue at least 20 minutes to be told ferry not running , hadn't we received a message , obviously not . We needed to get to Cherbourg not helpful with directions . On return received £20 voucher didn't even cover fuel .
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen "
Access to hot drinks andfood could have been longer . Quiet crossing.
Reviewed by Shelley who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Normandie"
Very smooth sailing. Exceptionally clean ship. Staff friendly and helpful. Only small point, no TV as there is on other crossings
Reviewed by Maureen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen & return 13th - 19t Oct 18"
It was a year since we last sailed with Brittany Ferries, and the pipe music and impending arrival notices previously played in the mornings is no longer played? This resulted in us being late back to the car? I think some announcement or warning should still be given? A number of unoccupied cars were on the deck when we drove off? Also we were concerned with the number immigrants trying to board lorries and cars on the way in to the port? We haven't seen this at Caen before?
Reviewed by Kevin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good but could be better"
Ship going out fine. Ship on route back quite dated and was cold inside throughout. Bathrooms in cabins would benefit from toiletries . Didn't expect bunk cabins as picture on website suggested otherwise.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Brittany ferries "
Outbound fine , except couldn't understand the English announcements , return a nightmare arrived at Caen to be told we had to depart Cherbourg , said they had texted no good to us we were already travelling with no reception , having driven 250 miles we then had to dash to Cherbourg poor attitude from the staff at Caen . Arrived at Cherbourg boarded the boat no apology cup of tea nothing , yet again impossible to hear announcements . Having used up extra fuel had an uneasy time finding some on arrival . Both boats immaculate .
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Amazing "
The food, the cleanliness, the staff, the drinks, the space, the number of facilities, all incredible. The meal I had on board (gammon / ratatouille) was one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten! Which was a surprise. Its a shame everything was closed on the returning night ferry but no I cant fault a thing. Excellent value for money and ease with everything. We were late arriving for the outgoing trip and even switched our return time at last minute and both were handled brilliantly. I cannot give enough stars for all elements of our trip. Cant wait to go again and recommend to everyone.
Reviewed by Anthony who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Bin voyage"
Great crossings
Reviewed by Paul who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Return ferry crossing Portsmouth to Caen"
Would like to comment that our return trip was made all the more enjoyable by the courteous and friendly staff of Brittany Ferries who made sure our trip was as comfortable as possible from start to finish.
Reviewed by Lawrence who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Ferry crossing Portsmouth to Caen "
Very comfortable crossing. Plenty of space and good food in the self service restaurant. Cabin clean and comfortable.
Reviewed by Roger who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"There and back"
All good
Reviewed by Jack who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A good first experience, on the whole"
Efficient boarding. Good (but pricey) food at the restaurant. The live piano music at the bar was rather sad. Still the ship looked tired and could do with some proper modernization but the cabin we had was clean and tidy. Pls seriously update the retail side - the gift shop in particular looks like the sad duty free in the 80s and the prices are non competitive. Finally WiFi is poor
Reviewed by Simon who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"my trip"
I thought Brittany ferries gave me good service overall , however if I had been told that I would be locked in the cinema for the duration of the film I would not have bought a ticket ,the situation reminded me of the Titanic disaster { the event not the film } had there been an emergency we would have been reliant on someone not panicking and letting us out
Reviewed by Christopher who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Customs on the way back."
Be prepared fo a long queue on the way back, like one hour, never mind I am sure it will be better after Brexit? !!!!
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Shame there was no cabin available"
The ship left on time, arrived on time. It was clean and the breakfast was reasonable and not expensive. I am not sure why no cabin was available to be reserved, but I do find the chairs uncomfortable.
Reviewed by Robert who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"French Trip"
The trip to France was excellent , very punctual with straightforward boarding and departing . The ferry was clean and comfortable with good quality food served in both restaurant and self service cafe .
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Long trip, but lots of comfy armchairs"
Good voyage. Plenty of time to rest. But... Wish you'd designate at least one comfy lounge as A Quiet Room. Many of us wanted to sleep but two men talked loudly the whole time, Then a couple came in and picnicked very noisily. With 4 lounges not requiring reservation it should be easy to designate one as a quiet room (also specifying no mobile phones or tablets, as on many trains). The headroom for my Nissan Qashqai where I was put on board was too low for my standard car aerial. It was bent before I realised. Your spec of the cars should include any fixed aerial heights! Then you could warn us to unscrew the aerial before boarding (or put us with the taller cars you separated out on arrival).
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Delayed trip"
Not much help when things go wrong, little feed back from direct ferries won’t use them again
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"M'y trip on Brittanies Ferry. "
Excellent. I enjoy it every time I cross over from Portsmouth to Caen.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth to Caen return"
Ship and cabin was good; very disappointed to have our return trip cancelled and had some difficult conversations with the young man at Direct Ferries about alternatives. He could not explain why the boat had been withdrawn, was not helpful and basically tried hard to avoid getting us booked for the return journey. Being delayed on to a later boat, returning into UK at 22.00 hours instead of mid afternoon, has made working the next day very difficult. We were also given the same point of view from several people on our boat back yesterday. We do feel some form of compensation should have been offered to pay for all the inconvenience we experienced.The lady in charge of the restaurant was rude and inefficient, we queued for thirty minutes to pay after our dinner!!!!!
Reviewed by Angela who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great trip"
Really enjoyed the ferry crossing, staff were great, glad we booked a cabin so we could chill!!
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Unpleasant crossing"
On the 14/09/2018, Our crossing was the worst of all my trip to France I ever got. After 4 hours drive to Portsmouth and another 4 hours drive to La Baule, I booked a cabin to relax my back and have a lay down, shower etc but that was not the case when enter the ferry, I asked one of your staff where are the cabins and he answer me straight away: is no cabin in this ferry, all chair. I have to sit with my wife again for another 5h 45 min. It was so cold and uncomfortable compare to the one on our way back. I also got disability with very painful working and no option when I was booking. I couldn't get place next to the lift and have to park on 4B then on the stair till 7th floor, walk always down to 7023 for my cabin. Always been good on crossing for me except this time which I really don't appreciate to be honest. I paid for cabin and not reclining chair.
Reviewed by El'hadji Amadou who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Commute"
I travel on Brittany ferries quite regularly and always have excellent service both shore staff and on board ship, Nothing too much trouble.
Reviewed by Toby who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"3rd time customer and will be back."
Our out bound sailing from Portsmouth on Mont St Michel went without a hitch both port side and onboard, this is a great ship, but our return on Normandie was a little different. The port at Caen was under heavy security with armed Militery and Police everywhere. Migrants were jumping on trucks and vans trying to get into the port and on to ships. We were stopped and searched at gun point 4 times, The migrents seem to be a real danger. All this security delaied the ships sailing by just 15 minutes now onboard the ship the Normandy seemed to be a lesser quality boat than the Mont St Michel but had more English staff.. food in the restaurant was cold and was sent back twice ended up getting a refund and going to the lounge snack bar for a microwave pizza it was ok but not what we realy wanted. Return crossing was slow and dull ( could be the return to the UK, end of the Holiday) leaving the ship was fast and easy untill security at boarder control searched twice ( We think they had some information re smuggling or just migrants, but security was the highest We have seen) the gards were plesent enough and got there job done and we were waved through and on the way back home. We will be returning to france but will use the Mont St Michel both ways next time as it is a 10/10 ship when we used it.
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Pleasantly surprised"
As I’m pretty scared of the ferry experience I wasn’t looking forward to the crossing but as it turned out I was very impressed. Check-in although a tad slow was pretty efficient. To be honest I would prefer they take a bit more time to get the loading right so this wasn’t.a major issue. The crossing itself was really smooth. Service in the restaurants were good. All in all I really have no complaints. Well done Britanny Ferries.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Blackman who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great trip self serve restaurant staff very rude"
Everything was fabulous except the staff in the self catering restaurant We felt like we were very unwelcome the food was under cooked and cold I had to reheat it in the microwave We went for breakfast but have to say I wouldn't bother again. Apart from this I couldn't fault the trip
Reviewed by Kevin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Beautiful cruise across the Channel to Caen"
On my trip across Europe by bike , it was a very pleasant break and journey to travel from Portsmouth to Caen by Ferry. Beautiful weather, on the deck and later at the table of the restaurant made the whole trip a very pleasant experience! To be repeated!
Reviewed by Alexander who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"The Restaurant is worth a visit even if you are not crossing the channel"
Everything about the crossing was excellent - check in was easy and the facilities were great. The self service restaurant looked great - but the line was slow so we opted for the Restaurant - and we are very glad we did. The food was excellent - the buffet Hors D'ouvre and the buffet desserts were simply delicious - and the dish of the day was melt in the mouth Beef Bourguignon A great start to the holiday
Reviewed by Amanda who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good but get a Cabin!"
The cabin was very comfortable. We didn’t have one outward but managed to get one on the way back. Lesson learned, if you’ve got driving ahead then it’s essential to pay extra for a really comfortable cabin complete with bathroom. The communal reclining seating areas are not conducive to sleeping. A little more info whilst waiting to board would be good because your stuck waiting at different stages unsure whether you’ve time to go get something to eat etc. A clear advice of when check-in will open and when you will board would be great. Getting on and off is smooth though but in Caen (Ouistreham) there were only two passport control booths when we arrived so if you’re at the back then you’re in for a wait. As mentioned, cabin was really comfortable, ship was tidy and staff friendly. You get woken up an hour before docking which is fine.
Reviewed by Paul who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Reclining seats"
The Mont St Michel was a lovely boat with good facilities generally. As a first time customer though I was disappointed that having reserved reclining seats for the overnight trip, the seats did not actually recline and this disrupted the amount of rest I managed to get. The advertised free Wi-fi was also intermittent and I was unable to stream or download. There is Wi-fi to be bought (a much better option) but this was very expensive. The catering was excellent and the staff friendly and helpful (even though one person was unaware that there are showers in some of the toilets!)
Reviewed by Graham who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Traveling with pets "
My doggies have to stay in the car for 8hours, without space for a walk, and next to one of the noisy engines of the ferry.
Reviewed by Patricia who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Portsmouth - Caen - July 2018"
Smooth trip which was efficient and on time; service was generally good; standard double bunk cabin on the way out was clean and comfortable if a little small; commodore cabin on the return trip was excellent - very comfortable and spacious with good facilities and breakfast served in the room.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Plain Sailing"
No complaints at all. Both crossing on time, very comfortable, helpful staff
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A very Pleasant Journey."
Found the staff very friendly and helpful..the crossing was calm and the bed comfortable... A good way to travel and wake refreshed to continue the journey.
Reviewed by Gordon who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A great experience "
A breath of fresh air compared to our crossing to france from Ireland with a competitor... Brittany Ferries staff were efficient, courteous, friendly and went out of there way, catering was excellent quality and good value, and the ships facilities were clean and comfortable. Will definitely travel wirh Brittany ferries in the future.
Reviewed by Colm who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Trip Aug Caen to Portsmouth"
Our return trip back from France was a great experience. Nice smooth sailing with good entertainment for the kids to keep them occupied. Kids had a pizza which they both liked. We only had a coffee and tea. Cabin was clean and perfect for us.
Reviewed by Mark who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Plain sailing"
Great crossing from Portsmouth to Caen. Food reasonably priced, lots of activities to do. Some consideration for dog owners and their pets, especially in the hot weather. The cabins were clean and offered a haven for those travelling long distances. Ship was a bit late leaving Caen and arriving in Portsmouth which was a little frustrating as the channel was like a millpond. Overall, a good service.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Amendments"
All fine except I tried to amend our booking to include bicycles on the back of our Discovery. I could only find the option for bicycle rack on roof And not at rear of car. Consequently when we arrived at Portsmouth we had to pay an extra £35.00 to board. Can you check the options on your website please.
Reviewed by Serena who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Very 'bon voyage'"
I certainly had a very agreeable crossing. I hired a cabin which was clean and comfortable and it's a very good thing to be able to have a shower and a snooze even on the day crossing. The food is quite reasonably priced and the standard in the restaurant was really pretty good - I was travelling and dining alone and I wasn't hurried through my meal. There were of course very many families on board and the Ferry had made an effort laying on a clown, play areas and a cinema. One word of caution is that it's tough work if you have a lot of luggage as a foot passenger as you'll have to haul it all yourself on and off the boat; clearly if you've a car this won't be a bother. Otherwise, full marks!
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great crossing "
This was the first time we had used this crossing, but we will certainly use it again. The terminal is easy to access and the resort of Ouistreham is well worth a stopover. The ship was clean and well appointed with a wide range of places to sit and eat and drink. The food in the self service restaurant was excellent.
Reviewed by Ian who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Excellent crossings"
Daytime crossing out in glorious weather. We were on board early for our afternoon crossing. We found seats at the back of the ship and enjoyed the journey there until around 5.30pm. We then went in and had a very nice meal in the cafeteria and the service was first class. We then went and sat in our pre-booked seats for a couple of hours enjoying watching the French coast roll into view. Our return trip was overnight and we had booked a cabin. The cabin was very warm and could have done with being cooler. Upper bunk not the best for seniors. We slept fitfully due to the heat, rising at 5.00 am and enjoyed a hot shower before going up for breakfast. We were surprised to see Portsmouth outside and just had time to gather our belongings before going back down to the car deck to prepare for our journey home. Thank you for your excellent service. 5*
Reviewed by Malcolm & Angela who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Pleasant journey!"
I was brought up in the Western Isles so I don't take a great deal of pleasure in ferry crossings - for me, it's a bit like being on a bus! However, I enjoy Brittany Ferries because the food is good and not too expensive, there are lots of different places to hang out, so you can usually find somewhere quiet to sit and read or whatever, the staff are very nice and generally you arrive at your destination rested and relaxed. I've also found the shore staff friendly and very helpful. Any moans? No!
Reviewed by Andrew who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Overnight sailing "
Annoyingly late departure but not fault of Brittany Ferries. Given water at check in - appreciated. As we booked late only recliner seats available. Very uncomfortable and almost impossible to sleep in. Due to underuse of these, why not turn every 3 recliners into a flat bed and sell for £5/£10 each and overnight passengers would be refreshed and Brittany Ferries would generate more income.
Reviewed by Doris who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"great staff "
Excellent customer service but on asking for a hot breakfast at the bistro I should have been directed to the self service restaurant on the deck below rather than say no you can't until lunch. It was very early and we hadn't had time to review the ship demographic
Reviewed by Karen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Not really good enough"
I wish that I had booked directly with Brittanny Ferries rather than through Direct. I would have had better flexibility, especially when amending a booking, and I believe that the cabin allocation system would have worked more in my favour.
Reviewed by Matthew who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"English staff"
Your English staff at the port are a disgrace !! Very rude no help what so ever !! Couldn't wait to leave the port ! Totally unacceptable, the French staff on the ferry and in France amazing people so polite and helpfull
Reviewed by Martin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Return trip Portsmouth to Caen"
All very nice and punctual. Reclining chairs could be better as they don’t recline much. Ferry clean and tidy with friendly staff. A vegetarian option with the full English breakfast would be appreciated. Many thanks
Reviewed by Rodney who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"motoring to northern France"
the ferry mont st Michel operates from Portsmouth to Caen: It was a well run ship and everything you could want in a car ferry. Helpful staff both onshore and on the ship. I would use this service again.
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good crossing "
Efficient boarding , easy to get around the boat. Nice areas to sit outside. They were still cleaning the outside so everything tidy. Maybe a dedicated smoking area would more pleasant for non smokers.
Reviewed by David who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen trip"
Unfortunately , ferry Delayed over 30 mins, ( precious minutes when travelling many hours the next day - had to queue and wait for cabin to be ready. Once in cabin, very greasy smell, situated above engines so very little sleep. Not what we needed for 8 hr drive next day!! also French either practising/ preparing for brexit as 1 hour to clear passport control - Or letting us know - possibly - they rule the world ( football that is!!!) Not our best experience
Reviewed by who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"late boarding"
I very much enjoyed travelling in your Commadore class cabin last night. What rather marred the experience was that we were unable to board the ship until just before embarkation. We arrived at the port hoping to go on board before embarkation and have a meal, but were told that boarding was to be around 10:00 pm. This was too late for us to have dinner, so we ate at a restaurant in the port. As it turned out we were practically the last vehicle to be allowed to board and the ship left very soon afterwards Some form of early boarding or priority boarding would be appreciated. You'd sell more in the restaurant and shops too.
Reviewed by Andrew who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen Portsmouth 2018"
Was a easy, relaxed trip.
Reviewed by Anita who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Lack of amenities on tarmac but very nice boat"
We arrived ahead of time and were left to roast on the tarmac before boarding for much too long. We'd have appreciated some service or at least information. Once on the boat instead, things brightened up: people were nice, food was good, and the boat was silent which is a big plus.
Reviewed by MC who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"An excellent ecperience"
We are from New Zealand and on our return trip from France to England. The 5 hour journey was a relaxing and comfortable experience. Excellent service in bar and restaurant and comfortable and quiet seating area.
Reviewed by Anne who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Travel feedback"
Exceeknt time keepinga nd service on board
Reviewed by Kevin who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Seating arrangement"
Reserved two reclining seats but they were not next to each other. However the boat was certainty not full and were able to relocate. The boat was clean and the restaurant facilities excellent.
Reviewed by Trevor who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Caen-Portsmouth ferry Tue 19th June"
Our (daytime) ferry trip on 19th June was generally fine. However, the temperature on the ferry was pretty cold because of the air conditioning. Why spend money and energy on unnecessarily strong air conditioning, which affects passengers' enjoyment of the trip?
Reviewed by Jonathan who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Extremely happy"
Rey good crossing and breakfast very good also arrived on time
Reviewed by John who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Parking "
I am very shocked that parents with young babies are not even thought of whenprking on the ferry, we were in the tiniest gap we couldn’t get our pushchair out for our 5 month old babie so we could push him around on the ferry. Parking really needs to be thought through for parents and babies they should defiantly be a priority
Reviewed by Becky Allen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Small Print"
Make sure you read the small print! Bought what I thought was an amendable ticket but when I went to add a passenger I could not amend it and had to buy another ticket. Ticket was cheap but the fact that i had to but another was really annoying ended up paying nearly as much for a foot passenger as for the car with two passengers
Reviewed by Robert who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Very handy sailing times"
Good ship, and really handy departure times, both routes. One thing - the cabin temperature was really hot and setting the aircon to max cold didn't make a difference until about 4am!
Reviewed by Ian who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"trip to lemans "
We had a good experience using Britany ferries, the check in, boarding and journey were all excellent the service ran on time both ways the facilities were all good our food and drink requirements were met with no issues whilst we were on board
Reviewed by Dean who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Trip to france"
Only fault was schoolchildren racing around. Bad on trip out. But back to England after four hours someone finally asked them to tone it down. A bit wearing. They were old enough to know better. Or maybe the teachers didn’t see it all all. I Never complain. Live and let live. But it was far too much. But service and staff. Spot on. And I am having problems with breathing and they put sticker on car. Got right next to lift. Top marks
Reviewed by Brenda who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Relaxing and great food "
Getting on and off the ship was very easy and smooth running. Food at breakfast in the cafe and al a carte lunch was lovely. Our cabin was comfortable and staff very friendly
Reviewed by Joanne who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Good way to travel"
Very good experience, lovely ferry, friendly staff, just gets really cold at night and dawn, heating should be turned up
Reviewed by Anita who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"50/50 "
The ferry from Caen to Portsmouth had good reclining seats, the room was cool but bearable. The ferry back from Portsmouth to Caen was terrible. The seats did not recline and I reported 3 times how cold the room was. Nothing was done. I hated every moment of that journey and was physically shaking with cold.
Reviewed by Leila who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Poor Service"
As I am disabled, the care on your ship was appalling .We had to lift the Gantry so that the wheelchairs could get into the CAR DECK by hand there was no crew available to assist with this job. also the lifts down to the car deck was being used by crew members to go up and down doing whatever they had to do instead of waiting until passengers had cleared the lifts with their wheel chairs. A Crew member should have been available for safety reasons under the health and safety LAWS.
Reviewed by Derrick Haines who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Trip tp France"
Very impressed with the service received on board our crossing from Portsmouth to Caen. The cabin was comfortable , clean and well maintained. We were particularly pleased with the quality, variety and price of food and drinks available on board. Our experience on our return journey with another ferry company was not so good,- the food was of poor quality yet more expensive. your staff are all very friendly and helpful
Reviewed by John who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Peace"
On arriving at the port only having to wait a little while before embarking on to a very clean ship with polite staff. The crossing was one of the best have had
Reviewed by Stephen who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A MOST DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE "
The ship was due to leave Portsmouth at 22.45. The process to board started at 8.45 and we were informed that we should be on the ship in half an hour. We had to wait in a queue for more than 2 hours. During this time there were no facilities available. When the Normandie arrived from France is was chaotic and the traffic queued to disembark. The ship left almost an hour late. The cleaners were still organising the cabins and were not helpful. We were more than an hour late in getting into Cherbourg the next morning.
Reviewed by Eric who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Great trip, but...."
A great trip from Ouistreham to Portsmouth and very impressed with the service security and welcome we received. However the departure process in Portsmouth was surprisingly disorganised and inefficient. Trucks getting in the way of cars, confused lane control and haphazard security checks made for a disappointing departure process from the Terminal
Reviewed by Philip who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"Our pre booked sleep seats stolen! "
We had booked sleep seats for our crossing over night Portsmouth to Caen. Despite having a pre paid for booking for our specific seats - lounge 4, reclining seats - the seats were awarded to French passengers by French staff leaving us know where to sleep! Brittany Ferries absolutely appalling in this regard! A breach of contract for which they will be sued! I am aware of this approach having affected at least 10 other passengers!
Reviewed by Peter who travelled with Brittany Ferries on Normandie
"A relaxing start - and finish"
The ship is a real delight, with cinemas, a restaurant, tea bar, kiosk etc. and clean accessible lavatories everywhere. It appears to be able to accept huge numbers of people and readily serve them with little fuss. In this it varies from the channel 'packet boats' out of Dover, which seem harassed when full. This is presumably because it is both huge and well-designed. For example, staircases leading directly to car decks have no queues to leave, even when the boat is full. Staff are professional, well turned out and seem very polite, even under intense pressure. They are helped by what is clearly a superior organisation compared to the norm. Indeed organisation is so good, staff give out cards stating the location of your car for novices who fail to register where they leave them. Female staff, in particular take a pride in their appearance, unlike their counterparts on channel packets, who appear dreary and under dressed in comparison. Male staff, likewise are equally well turned-out; and equally polite. Cabins vary little from those on the packets. Like them, they are clean and fragrant and peaceful. The big difference is the time - you have hours to sleep and get your breath back from storming across France; and this is a real treat Above all, perhaps, though it can cost a few bob more, the ferry is a real alternative to the misery of the increasingly filthy tunnel shuttles. Where they provide 3/4 hour in a cattle truck with no facilities whatsoever, the ferry is part and parcel of the holiday - an enjoyable, relaxing, comfortable service
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