This is why we take the tunnel on our way down to Spain...

Cruise ship entirely different proposition to ferry going back and forth.

Brittany Ferries do cancel or delay crossings if storm weather predicted. We have also be asked to arrive 6 hours earlier on one occasion so that the ferry could be beyond the worst of an incoming storm once it had passed around Brest. We were lucky as we had the last Spanish ferry out of Portsmouth for 5 days as it was hell of a storm over an Easter period as well! Think it was Easter 2016.

In saying this there have be 2 occasions when we stayed in our cabin and did not feel like moving around the public areas or dining.
 
My worst all time ferry crossing was a fast ferry to St Malo, a car and tent camping trip.

The small fast ferry got bounced around and it seemed like half the passengers were throwing up. Plates, drinks glasses, etc were going everywhere.

No cabins of course so no escape from the mayhem in the public areas. Well actually there was. I stood on the one outer deck that was open and stared at the horizon for 3 hours.

The absolute relief was apparent on passengers faces when we stopped at Guernsey on route to St Malo.

I never took a fast ferry again!
 
Best one I remember was Stranraer to Larne in the early 90s. Me and a girl from work were on it having been to Belfast with work for a few days. The waves were literally battering the windows on the upper deck in the bar area where we were sat. Fiona who I was with just kept looking greener and greener. Me being a salty old sea dog decided I was going to go for a pint of Stella. I managed to pretty much crawl across to the bar where I found the bar tender sitting on the floor. :D He literally looked at me like I was mad but served me a very sloppy pint anyway. I ended up wearing most of it. :D Great fun.
 
Quite busy there still.


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I recall one trip across from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire for the rugby. This way back in the 90's. The ferry was 10 hours late leaving port, so 10 hours sat in the car with my 2 mates waiting, whilst most of the other 300 Welsh rugby fans went to the pub. Even getting out of the harbour the ferry was banging down after each wave, let alone out in the sea.

As could be expected with all those fans on the beer all day, the boat was full of geese...people honking everywhere!
 
The only time I almost puked was on a holiday day cruise on our honeymoon in the Greek islands. All the day trips were cancelled that day apart from ours which apparently was a "big ship" and would be ok. Top end of the Island was like Cape Horn on a bad day! I wasnt concerned but people were starting to panic and puking everywhere. It was the smell that almost got to me. I remember going up to the Bridge to find out what was going on and the crew were actually fighting over what to do. Then I started to worry a bit and started looking at how far it was to swim to shore. :D

They turned it round eventually but only just without it going over.
 
Liverpool to belfast was bad many years back, boat had to hold its head in a force 9/10 about 10 miles outside belfast lough, 3/4 hrs out there before she started to move and get to the calmish waters of the lough, lots of folk were calling for huey & ralf and the toilet floor was full of sick, that starts me of, but lucky i remained ok, bit green mind you. :(
 
Moped said:
My worst all time ferry crossing was a fast ferry to St Malo, a car and tent camping trip.

The small fast ferry got bounced around and it seemed like half the passengers were throwing up. Plates, drinks glasses, etc were going everywhere.

No cabins of course so no escape from the mayhem in the public areas. Well actually there was. I stood on the one outer deck that was open and stared at the horizon for 3 hours.

The absolute relief was apparent on passengers faces when we stopped at Guernsey on route to St Malo.

I never took a fast ferry again!
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That the one from Weymouth? Condor? I used that and was good. All depends on the weather.

The most bouncy trip I had was when my mum and I dropped my Aunty off at Dover to a ferry where her son would meet her at the other end. Whilst at the port, saw tickets for a round trip over the channel on the Hovercraft (didn't get off in France, just turned around and got your Duty Free allowance. Good value for a Fiver :)
Those Hovercrafts were choppy old things and way more than the Fast Ferries. Shame they stopped the service but not sure if I would have been happy taking a car on one?
 
wildebus said:
That the one from Weymouth? Condor? I used that and was good. All depends on the weather.

The most bouncy trip I had was when my mum and I dropped my Aunty off at Dover to a ferry where her son would meet her at the other end. Whilst at the port, saw tickets for a round trip over the channel on the Hovercraft (didn't get off in France, just turned around and got your Duty Free allowance. Good value for a Fiver :)
Those Hovercrafts were choppy old things and way more than the Fast Ferries. Shame they stopped the service but not sure if I would have been happy taking a car on one?
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Yes you have reminded me it was from Weymouth. The ferry port closed 10 to 15 years ago and port buildings now demolished. Reason for closure was that the ferry was damaging the port and Condor were not prepared to pay to repair and reinforce the quay walls or the dredging required.

Did a hovercraft booze run once and, like the fast ferry trip, never again. It felt like all my fillings and crowns were being shaken loose!

For those who want a hovercraft experience they still run to the Isle of Wight from Southsea although it’s only a 10 minute trip unlike the 35 minutes to cross the Channel.
 
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I actually enjoy a good storm at sea and have been caught out in some fairly small boats and rough weather, I rarely get queasy with it.

A force 10 about 12 miles out from Bridlington in a 32 foot fishing boat briefly converted me to Christianity though!
 
Tunnel for us as Bea don't travel well on boats. During one of our Florida trips we drove to Key West, booked into a Motel with the room having a water bed, B eventually slept on the sofa, a combination of me moving around and flatulence, created the perfect storm :ROFLMAO:

Like Rob, I too like the challenge of ripping through a heavy sea and adrenaline keeps the fear at bay. I have a handful of scary stories with the Dive on the AKKA, just of Dunoon probably No 1, where I had a conversation with the Grim Reaper!!
 
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Tunnel. That means driving the M25 through the Essex section.
Newhaven, I can go the Surrey way, and that has the advantages of
1, probably cheaper, and
2, a Greggs at Pease Pottage services 😋
 
We would go by road as gf is not the best seafarer, but I would note that several people where injured on the boat vs how many die on French roads which you have to traverse?
 
And if the tunnel collapsed how would you get out, no lfe boats down there, no way for me thank you.
 
trevskoda said:
And if the tunnel collapsed how would you get out, no lfe boats down there, no way for me thank you.
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I have two Interspiro AGA positive pressure full face masks Trev, we stick them on as the train heads off, each one is attached to a 15litre tank of air, more than enough to reach the surface alive, if the tunnel collapses 😳
 
barryd said:
The only time I almost puked was on a holiday day cruise on our honeymoon in the Greek islands. All the day trips were cancelled that day apart from ours which apparently was a "big ship" and would be ok. Top end of the Island was like Cape Horn on a bad day! I wasnt concerned but people were starting to panic and puking everywhere. It was the smell that almost got to me. I remember going up to the Bridge to find out what was going on and the crew were actually fighting over what to do. Then I started to worry a bit and started looking at how far it was to swim to shore. :D

They turned it round eventually but only just without it going over.
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Went to college to train as a radio officer in Merchant navy .
Was told by many not to go on a Greek ship
 
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