SC Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 [quote user="Gardian"]The Unions and employees have made their point and as I understand it, have agreed to return to work. [/quote]I can't find anything about an agreement to the past week's dispute? There was an agreement reached a week ago that was presumably misinterpreted by both sides and led to the wildcat strikes and the shutdown.What's needed is an agreement to the agreement [:)]Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I've just got back from my long weekend break in Brittany . The strike pretty much ruined it, it's hard to relax when you know you have an unplanned 11 hour drive ahead of you. Especially when some of it was in areas we were unfamiliar with. We arrived back in Dover in very heavy rain and lightening so that didn't help, instead of being relaxed we're exhausted...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 Be thankful you didn't sail overnight, it is very very rough here and has been all night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 [quote user="Val_2"]Be thankful you didn't sail overnight, it is very very rough here and has been all night.[/quote]Absolutely! Our shutters are closed tight and according to the radio news the wind's blowing at 110kms per hour. So pleased I wasn't sailing through the bay of biscay last night![+o(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgina Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Glad I wasn't on that Sunday boat too, thunder and lightening at 8am Sunday yikes..... Anyhow upshot is the staff had agreed to go back to work on Friday but the boats got pulled anyhow. Management showing muscle then plain old fashioned chaos.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 [quote user="Georgina"]Glad I wasn't on that Sunday boat too, thunder and lightening at 8am Sunday yikes..... Anyhow upshot is the staff had agreed to go back to work on Friday but the boats got pulled anyhow. Management showing muscle then plain old fashioned chaos.?[/quote]Georgina, I imagine the ferries all need to reposition before normal service can be resumed, It's not unlike the airline industry when flights have been cancelled due to fog / ash cloud / strikes whatever, aircraft are out of position.RH you have my sympathy, what an awful experience for you. It's a pity I wasn't in touch with you, you could have had an extended holiday and come to us for a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 We recently booked next years holiday with Eurocamp using the Portsmouth-Caen crossing with Brittany. I assume everything will be settled by next June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I didn't see you mention why it is taking you so long to get to Calais. We live just north of the M25 (St Albans) and always take the tunnel to Calais for shopping trips and Wine Society events near Montreuil. I can't remember the last time we crossed by ferry. At the best of times, in my opinion, most of Calais isn't much to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Do you mean me? Google give Dinan Calais as a 5 hour plus trip, we stopped three times for comfort breaks, petrol and for the driver to stretch his legs, then this side the conditions were dreadful, thunder, lightening etc, and we stopped at Clackets Lane for petrol too. We used to do Calais quite a lot too, and we've done it much quicker. But that was in a much bigger car, not the Citroen C3 Picasso we have now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaud Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 On Saturday lunchtime, I was shutting down my computer before leaving and saw an email from Brittany Ferries telling me our booked crossing to Portsmouth via the late night sailing from Caen, was cancelled. I am grateful they let us know. We had an eight hour drive to Calais (in good conditions) and were on a P&O ferry within an hour. The crossing was free and we are due to get a refund the Caen ferry trip.The meal on the P&O boat was better than we would have got in the cluster of restaurants around the square in Ouistreham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 If you mean dwmcn, I meant georgina, but might have misunderstood her. I didn't know they did Dinan Calais, but then never needed it. We have a smallish Hyundai Getz which is OK for shopping, but it is a bit larger than our old Citroen AX was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Gus,They should refund your petrol costs as well. Nothing like driving from Caen (or wherever) to Calais. The restaurant we usually use near the Ouisterham port is called Broche D'Argent. It has gone downhill the last two visits and we won't be using it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 [quote user="dwmcn"]They should refund your petrol costs as well. [/quote]Ummm - I think not.Whilst everybody will have suffered quite a bit of inconvenience, they'll have had a free crossing and a refund of their original BF fare. The latter would be worth anything from £100 - £250 depending on the tariff and whether a cabin was booked.I reckon that's a more than fair offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Talking to my neighbour about the situation he said " Buy a cheap old car leave it here I will drive it to La Rochelle airport and pick you up " As the airport is 34 km down the road from here and I can use Flybe from Southampton . If I have to use P&O as BF suggest and then drive Dover to Dorset I am lilely to be so brassed off I may just take up my neighbours suggestion and offer . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 [quote user="Gardian"][quote user="dwmcn"]They should refund your petrol costs as well. [/quote]Ummm - I think not.Whilst everybody will have suffered quite a bit of inconvenience, they'll have had a free crossing and a refund of their original BF fare. The latter would be worth anything from £100 - £250 depending on the tariff and whether a cabin was booked.I reckon that's a more than fair offer. [/quote]As far as I know BF are refunding the cost of the ticket that we didn't use ( the return leg of the journey) have provided a ticket for the Calais, Dover crossing and will pay for extra petrol, I'm going to include the tolls in my claim too. After that it's between you and your travel insurance.You may think its a fair offer, but it in no way makes up for having your break wrecked, I can assure you......we don't get much down time and the little we have is valuable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Gardian,Payage fees? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Don't forget Newhaven- Dieppe, I know they only have two sailings per day but it can cut the journey time which means less of a numb bum! [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Apparently BF did offer this option, but it was no good for us as we had a 2pm appointment in Dinan and I just didn't fancy my chances of getting to Dieppe in time for the 6 pm sailing, in theory it might have been do able but it would only take a hold up or wrong turn and we'd have been in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgina Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 And so it continues all ferries cancelled again today...... and all Cherbourg full practically.... and that service ends on Sunday.Poor holidaymakers. Glad I didn't go to Calais then. Wouldn't have wanted another 11 hours drive...Phew. Updated on Tuesday 25th SeptemberThe following sailings are confirmed as cancelled:Tuesday 25th SeptemberDeparting from: PORTSMOUTH08:15 to Caen09:00 to Cherbourg14:45 to Caen17:00 to Santander20:15 to St Malo22:45 to CaenDeparting from: PLYMOUTH08:00 to Roscoff23:00 to RoscoffDeparting from: CAEN08:30 to Portsmouth16:30 to Portsmouth23:00 to PortsmouthDeparting from: CHERBOURG 17:00 to PortsmouthDeparting from: ST MALO10:30 to PortsmouthDeparting from: ROSCOFF 16:30 to PlymouthDeparting from: BILBAO 10:30 to Portsmouth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Just phoned BF to ask about reclaiming petrol, we'll get about £70 if we want to claim tolls etc we'll have to email customer services. As far as I could tell the refund does need you to phone, and it will take about 5 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 On a lighter note, here's a reminder of what you've been missing:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcVlutIUyDA&feature=fvsr[:)]Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Russethouse, Don't forget wear on tyres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwmcn Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Russethouse, It looks pretty straighforward once you get around Rouen and on the E402 according to my Michelin France map 2011, although getting around Caen can be tricky. I assume no ring road around Rouen has been improved since 2011. We have driven bits of that trip in various years, the most recent being Calais to a campsite near St Valery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I was nervous about going through Rouen as I have read about it frequently on here, however the instructions on the BF web site were very good and that's what we stuck too.The irony was that because we don't do much driving in France these days we plan these shortbreaks to keep driving to a minimum and to give Mr RH a proper break, thats why we stay in Dinan and just drive to Caen, it was busyish through Rouen and on the A16, and the weather was pretty bad this side of the channel.We used to drive down to the Vendee or even to Bayonne and not give it a second thought, but that was for longer breaks and in a bigger car.We Eurocamped too and really enjoyed it!We're going to Cornwall in October, I expect there will be a fuel strike.....[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Well negociations didn't go well, no decisions made etc and so it continues at least until end of today when they might get something sorted.The crew stuck in Santander are not happy having been there since last thursday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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