Portsmouth/ Bilbao P&O Ferry Cancelled Again!!

[BeemerMal]

Last year we booked on the P&O ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao and P&O cancelled the crossing 2 weeks before we were due to go.

This year we booked with AT Ferries and they cancelled all their crossings on 28th January until the end of April.

So, we re-booked with P&O for Tomorrows crossing (9th March) only to be telephoned at 4.30pm today by our booking agent to say P&O have cancelled this crossing as well but they could get us on next Mondays ferry without our caravan!!! A fat lot of good that is!

The thing is none of them really care, no appologies, no alternatives offered, other than the stupid one mentioned above and trying to contact them on their 0870 number has been a nightmare. Over an hour on the phone trying to sort it out. Now finally booked to go via Dover/Calais on Saturday morning.

I think they are all a complete waste of space (I could swear but Mr Mod may be listening!).

NOW I GOT THAT OFF MY CHEST...happy hols

 

[EvansofSprot]

And with good reason in that 'The Pride of Bilbao' took 23 hours to enter the harbour at Bilbao, because of storms in the Bay of Biscay.

The passengers said 'Oooouughhh!

 

[ValA.]

This is one reason why we now always use Dover/Calais. If the weather's bad you're only on the ferry for an hour and a quarter, if you miss the ferry there's another along in an hour, and you save a fortune over the cost of the long crossing! As well as that you get more time to drive through some beautiful parts of France, and make it part of your holiday. I know it's a long way to Spain, but you can go through some beautiful countryside, see things you never expected, and enjoy two or three extra days of holiday, instead of 'suffering' rough weather, delays, and 23 hours outside of Bilbao! Do go down the A75 (free motorway south of Clermont Ferrand) instead of down the Rhone Valley for some beautiful countryside - there are sites open all year near Millau (St Rome du Tarn) and others along the way, and you'll not regret it.

 

[BeemerMal]

Thanks for the advise Valarie....We are off very early tomorrow to get the 05.40 ferry from Dover. Found a couple of sites open all year, one south of Paris near Fontainebleau, and another close to Nimes, both open so should be ok. thanks Mal

 

[MikeJE]

BeemerMal,

Which site near Fontainebleau? I would like any opinions of such sites especially if it is Le Parc du Gue you stay at - we fancy booking there in July.

Enjoy your trip.

Mike E

 

[EvansofSprot]

I always enjoy the PoB whatever the weather - but I'm a good sailor.

 

[EvansofSprot]

I always enjoy the PoB whatever the weather - but I'm a good sailor.

I think!

 

[cris_408518]

We booked one of our drivers via Plymouth / Santander a long while back, ex navy who had been around Cape Horn in the roughest of weather, when they docked he spent the next two days in a hotel as he was so ill due to the rough crossing.

The next year the client booked the Portsmouth / Bilbao crossing and after it was over half a day late the same driver ended up in a hotel to recover.

A neighbour of ours was on the same crossing, known to his sailing club friends as "Any Weather" as he and his wife would tackle any weather in their 40 foot yacht they spent a day recovering before they could head on as well.

 

[Angela_5076436]

I have to say I've been on some rough sailings on the PofB - I remember very early on - when it was a huge restaurant [ before it got split ito a posh water service restaurant and a self service one ] , that part of it was roped off because of the danger of the Front windows giving way . That was the crossing when you could see that the staff were having problems carrying things on their trays - and you heard plates crashing on the deck regularly.

I've also been on one when folk were just lying down on the deck in the Reception area - dunno why they just didn't stay in their cabins.

However I now use the Dover to Dunquerque crossing from preference - Portsmouth has really got too expensive . This year we had intended to use the Acciona Trasmediterranea crossing - we had booked it too and have now had to transfer to Dover Caais

 

[Robert_374242026]

Our first time to Bilbao was in fog so did not see any thing, second time could not get any sleep as the thudding of waves underneath the hull or was we scrapeing the bottom! . Anyway we were at Albufeira Portugal and when the time came to go home my Wife said no way am i going back by Bibao.We got no refund for return fare and had to pay Carefree