BAI4

Bretagne’s tannoy system was very old, had less functionality to select zones etc. It was operated by a pedal and the sound quality wasn’t always the clearest. The new system - which is used on Armorique, Normandie, MSM, Bretagne and Barfleur - is must more suited to requirements, you can add prerecorded announcements, be more selective with zones etc. Wow, what a pointless nugget of information that is for a Wednesday 😂

News just out for those who haven't seen or heard! https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/brittany-ferries-confirms-fourth-new-cruise-ferry-post-brexit/

I'd highly recommend Le Bouche à Oreille on the Chausée du Sillon - it's about a 15 minute walk along the seafront away from Intra Muros but the food is fantastic, the service amazing and price very reasonable. It feels a much more authentic, different to those in the tourist hub. Bon ap !

For the hotel crew, It'll be a mix of some on leave - some voluntarily, other imposed - others will have been posted to other ships over the winter period. There's a lot of chopping and changing out of season. There are also a handful who will be seconded to shoreside departments in Roscoff for a few months to help with upcoming projects and planning for the upcoming season. The officers and engineers, again, some will have been posted to other ships - other's may have been seconded - a handful will have stayed with Bretagne during her layover and the rest - yes - are seasonal on CDD contracts.

Ever so slight correction, Seashore - just me being pedantic 😉 P&O Cruises (along with Cunard) is indeed owned by Carnival Corporation & PLC, based in Miami (listed on both the NY and London stock exchanges) but operated by Carnival UK - who retain full executive control - based in Southampton.

Lesson to myself – read the thread title before the post, and then actually read the post in full; I thought it actually happened for a second then whilst reading. Duh! Might be a good idea to start this post with *FOR EXCERISE FOR EXCERISE FOR EXERCISE* for idiots like me 😂

Exactly that, Gareth. It's always best, as an initial action, to let the crew know - whether that be relating to your food, service, cabin etc - of your complaint. Then, depending on the resolution or severity, contact customer services afterwards. In many cases, the crew contact customer services to let them know of the situation. Sometimes you will be contacted by the shoreside team, otherwise it is used to improve procedure and minimise reoccurrence.

Best to wait for official Brittany Ferries impressions before casting judgement.

Tout à fait! Each ship having its own feel, identity and character doesn't detract from a company's ID, but is actually part of it, if that's what the company wants to convey of course. From the moment you see BF marketing, through the booking process, ports, on board, and post-travel, you should be experiencing the same consistent branding, colours, fonts, logos, uniforms right down to the sugar cubes in the self service restaurant; it should all be consistent and where possible, reflect the company's values, how it views itself and how it wants to be viewed (which is also corporate image, which is a little different). Harking back to the McDonald's and BA examples, you see the golden arches or BA ribbon, and it's immediately recognisable. That's not to say that BF have to be as sterile as McDonald's or as global as BA but they are good examples of strong corporate IDs. I think that when people hear the words 'corporate' it means sterile, stripping a company of its character, when in fact it's all about how the company wishes to be viewed. Moby Lines' loony tunes artwork is all part of their corporate ID (through a conscious choice of visual identity).

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Cabin-boy. However, just because a company is investing in its branding, visual and corporate identity does not at all mean that they aren't just as equally investing in their product and service offering. The two aren't mutually exclusive; the two investments and projects can run alongside each other; it just may be in this instance, a rebranding project has reached completion first and is probably a lesser scale task than reviewing products and services. I can speak from past experience and say that Brittany Ferries takes customer feedback, good and bad, very seriously and acts upon it. That's not to say that every suggestion warrants an action, that would be knee-jerk, but each one is studied, considered and reviewed. Things are changing within the company and people across the business, from top to bottom, bottom to top are making differences, creating waves and working to ensure that Brittany Ferries has a long and prosperous future.

I don't think that the logo, brand or identity of any company should be overlooked; it's hugely important. For those loyal customers who have travelled with Brittany Ferries for years, arguably a change in logo - and even a current logo - is of little importance when selecting whether to use their services. Looking at the bigger picture however, every company needs to establish a brand, logo, colours, typeface etc. that most accurately reflects their values, current or evolving. Whether that be colourful, playful, contemporary or somber, more serious and toned down, it's a massive part of the marketing mix - one that attracts new customers, sets a company out from the crowd and generates business. It's said that we eat with our eyes, well, we also shop with our eyes. You then have the important task of ensuring that the connection between logo and company/brand is made by current and prospective companies. Think about British Airways' ribbon; you see that alone and immediately think of BA. Or when somebody whistles the McDonald's tune, you bet that someone will chime in and finish it off with 'I'm lovin' it'; hugely clever and important to any corporation. As I say, everyone is entitled to their opinion and for many a logo is not of importance, but to millions of others it is, more-so on a subconscious level of decision making than a 'Darling, let's choose to sail with that company as I much prefer their corporate colours' 😉 Anyway, much less of boring marketing speak. But I will end of saying that clearly, for many, the logo has engaged people on an emotional level - a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

Hi BF Bretagne You’ll be very happy with your cabin on deck 8; it’s very smooth and quite up there. The other Club Class cabins are located on deck 6, from midships down aft, from the information hall. You’ll find that these are slightly louder being close to the engine casing, and also being lower down, you’ll feel more vibration from the props etc. Have a great sailing!

Fun fact for you on a Tuesday: The red and blue waves signify the south coast of Britain and the northern coast of France; you can see it more clearly in the older logos. This has then evolved into the waves, or flags as some call them, as we know today.

Piece by piece quite literally in the case of Pont-Aven!