Mini Cruise to Santander (Spain) (Brittany Ferries)

Member Name: DannoUK2005

Product:	Brittany Ferries
Date:	02/07/06 (1875 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap booze, cheap fags, good entertainment, swimming pool

Disadvantages: Bars have no late licence, Pool not open long enough

If you want a really good mini cruise to Spain then look no further. I went on this fabulous cruise a couple of months a go and will be going again next month.

The Cruise Ship:
Let me start off by talking about the cruise ship itself. The boat (called the Pont-Aven) was launched in March 2004 and has a stunning 10 decks. It cost £100million and is the flagship of Brittany Ferries. It can take 2400 passengers and 650 vehicles. Being on this ship is almost like a holiday in itself. Good accommodation, a choice of 4 restaurants, 3 bars, swimming pool, shops, entertainment from a magician, resident live band and disco. I have gone into more detail below.

Accommodation:
The Pont-Aven cruise ship has a staggering 652 cabins. All cabins have air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, radio and alarms. You get the choice when booking of which cabin you want. These include standard, superior or luxury cabins. If you opt for the superior cabin, you get a flat screen tv and for the luxury cabins you get a dvd player as well. Also the luxury option gets you a continental breakfast, morning coffee or afternoon tea and some even have their own private balconies. There is also a choice of inside or outside cabins.

Dining:
As mentioned earlier, there is 4 restaurants on the Pont-Aven. The main restaurant (Le Flora) is very stylish and has great ocean views. The food in here is either a buffet or an a la carte set menu. The next restaurant (La Belle Angele) is self service with a wide range of traditional menus. Le Cafe du Festival is a self service cafe which is open 24hrs. Here you can pick up sandwiches and pastries. The final restaurant is the Freight Restaurant which is for lorry drivers and their passengers.

Bars:
My favourite place.... the bar. Just as well they have 3 of them onboard. Lets start with the main bar (Le Grand Parvois). This bar is pretty big and has two floors. The upper mezzanine level has a glass roof which goes into the swimming pool area which also has sun decks and another bar which i will come to in a minute. In the main bar is where all the entertainment takes place on the stage and dance floor. May i just add at this point that the bar/cigarette prices are very nice here. Because this is a french ship, the prices are much cheaper then back here in the UK!! Right, the next bar is the Pool Bar (Les Finisteres). Obviously this is the bar wich serves the swimming pool area. The final bar is the Piano Bar (Le Fastnet) and as suspected, yes it does have a piano in it. This is quite a pleasant bar with window seats and occassionly a pianist.

Facilities:
Pool & Leisure Area:
The swimming pool is here along with the pool bar and sun decks. The pool is of a fair size and great when the boat is tipping about slightly as it creates some great waves. The only downside to the pool is that it is only open for a few hours a day.

Entertainment Shows:
The ship has an on board resident live band, who play mainly covers of pretty much any style of music you can think of! Also there is a magicain and various quizzes, oh and a disco which goes on til the early hours.

Decks:
The Promenade on deck 6 is fantastic. you can walk round the entire ship and you get great ocean views. The top deck is pretty good also. Both are awesome when the sun is out and you have a beer in your hand.

Shops:
You will find various shops on board offering many items at reduced prices. Many items can be bought at Spainish prices.

Cinemas:
There are 2 cinemas on the ship playing the latest films. About 90 passengers can use these at one time.

Casino:
The casino area is more of an amusement arcade. The usualy slot machines, dancing games and air hockey tables are in here.

Childrens Playroom:
Speaks for itself really.


Departures:
The Pont-Aven sails from Plymouth twice a week on either a Wednesday or a Sunday and from Santander (Spain) on a Monday or Thursday. Each crossing takes about 20hrs each way.

Prices:
Prices start at about £285 each way for 2 people with a car. There are numerous breaks and offers available also.

Summary: Very good experience, highly recommended!!