We didn't want to get off! (Brittany Ferries)

Member Name: michaeln

Product:	Brittany Ferries
Date:	16/08/02 (1004 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Saves a long drive, extra nights holiday, take your own car

Disadvantages: Sea sick sufferers

At the beginning of August My Family and I went on Brittany Ferries? MV Val de Loire for their 24-hour crossing from Plymouth to Santander in Northern Spain.

The ferry departed from Plymouth at 0830 so check in was by 0730 which meant an early start, but not as bad as if we had been flying at the same time and had to check in two hours before. We were on board within 30 minutes after a very slick loading operation and on the way to our cabin.

Travelling with two small boys of 4 and 6 years old we had gone to the extra expense of booking a deluxe cabin. This was an extra £20.00 over a standard four-berth cabin but worth every penny. We had double the space of a standard cabin with two good size single beds, a sofa bed, a drop down bunk over the sofa, coffee table, armchair, TV, video player, fridge with free mini bar, trouser press, dressing table and stool, a good size en-suite shower/w.c. with lots of free toiletries and plenty of towels, complimentary morning coffee and afternoon tea in the cabin, and free continental breakfast served in the cabin in the morning. You also get a key which allows you access to the Commodore Lounge on deck 10, which is good if you want a quiet area with a good view forward and comfy sofa style armchairs but otherwise a bit of an over-rated perk as no drinks are available up there.

The public areas are largely on decks 7,8 and 9 with the main foyer on 7 very much like that of a smart hotel with carpet and marble tile flooring and lots of chrome and glass. Also on deck 7 are the main wine and sprit shop which had tastings every few hours throughout the day and prices on a par with your local Tesco / Sainsbury for wine and branded spirits a touch cheaper. Also the perfumery kiosk with the majority of things at below high street prices by about 10%. Heading to the stern you come to a children?s playroom for the under 7?s with padded climbing frames, ball pond etc. and where other organised activities take
place during the day. Finally the main self-service cafeteria restaurant is here. This serves fairly standard fare although well cooked and the chef doling out the chips did not seem too concerned about presentation. You can have a three-course meal here including a 50cl pitcher of wine for £8.00 but be prepared to sit at Formica tables with plastic chairs.

Deck 8 is where the serious dining is done and the prices increase accordingly. There is a Café de Thé serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, pizzas, baguettes, salads and wonderful pastries with nothing priced over £2.80. A piano bar for a pre-dinner cocktail at prices below UK pubs is very pleasant. If you wish to dine in the main A la Carte restaurant in the evening you need to book your table as soon as the restaurant opens for lunch as it is very popular, especially if you wish to eat between 6.30 and 8.30. You have a choice of a three course Buffet style menu for £16 or a five course Table d?hôte menu for £19. This may seem quite pricey but the food is very good, plentiful and with a good choice of quite expensive items. Wine is on the expensive side with the cheapest bottle at about £6.00 but it is above average rather than ?ordinary? table wine. Cheaper and probably better value is the Café du Port Bistro. There is less of a choice here but again the portions are a good size, well cooked and very tasty. My wife and I had a three-course meal including wine for £33. My only criticism was that neither restaurant allowed wine by the glass. The main bar where evening entertainment takes place is on deck 9. The usual range of drinks and cocktails is available here along with Bingo, quizzes, disco and live band music and a nightly cabaret show. Musical style tended towards disco/rock rather than garage/ house and an older audience, with a fair standard of performance.

We were very impressed with the extent and value of children?s entertainment available, which ranged from various club
s catering for age ranges between 4 and 14. The older ones get taken off to their own club area for arts and crafts, video, a meal/ snack, cinema and visit to the bridge with a chance to take the wheel (thoroughly supervised!). Our two had a thoroughly enjoyable two hours having their faces painted, dressing up in costumes, a tour of the ship including a visit to the bridge and a snack all for £4 each. Had they both been six or more we could have got rid of them for a half or whole day if we had wanted at the same rate of £2 per hour! We did avail ourselves of two hours ?baby sitting? in the evening to allow us to have dinner ?a deux?, again at £2 each per hour.

The ship also boasts a swimming pool and two cinemas. The pool is not very large (about 8m x 8m) so can get quite crowded though numbers are controlled, and is 1.5m deep all over so is not ideal for small children without close supervision. We did have a lot of good fun though and the cost of £3 allows you unlimited access for the whole crossing. The cinemas each take about 100 people and show a variety of films at a cost of £4.

The staff on board were all extremely helpful and courteous and our disembarkation on arrival in Santander was very smooth and efficient. It was raining when we arrived and my wife said ?you carry on and I?ll go backwards and forwards for the week?! We left the ship looking forward to our return journey and were not disappointed either. We had the same standard coming back to Plymouth and would have no hesitation in recommending this crossing.

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