Halfcrown Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 I have been following the location and progress of the Cap over the last few hours (I'm booked on her from Bilbao on Tuesday) and I've noticed that she is currently heading for Brest instead of Roscoff. I've checked on the French BF web site and indeed it says that the departures for Bilbao for 15th and 22nd January will be from Brest at 12:30 instead of Roscoff. I had no idea about this. Anyone know why? Ray Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 It's due, we think, to dredging work in Roscoff. Here is the link to last week's discussion on the subject. It shouldn't affect your return trip. Ed Link to post Share on other sites
Halfcrown Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Ahh - missed that! That makes sense. No, I’m sure that won’t make a difference for my crossing - but the weather and sea conditions might. I’ve seen forecasts for similar conditions to those that led to cancellations and delays in the last couple of weeks. Link to post Share on other sites
Trev Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Yes indeed this should not make any difference to anyone apart from the crews who change over. As far as I know (exceptional circumstances aside) passengers never disembark or embark at Roscoff (in this case Brest) when the Cap makes her weekly call. I hope the weather and sea conditions hold out for you Halfcrown! Link to post Share on other sites
Gareth Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Disembarkation is not allowed at Roscoff by passengers from Portsmouth. However, French customers are able to book the Roscoff to Bilbao leg, and this is quite strongly advertised in Brittany. So any passengers booked to embark in France will have to go to Brest instead. But I’m sure that they will have had ample notice of the diversion (and one can assume it will be listed on the French Sailings Updates page, or else Ed would be jumping up and down to complain!) 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Gardian Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 5 minutes ago, Trev said: As far as I know (exceptional circumstances aside) passengers never disembark or embark at Roscoff (in this case Brest) when the Cap makes her weekly call. For France-based travellers, it is advertised as a departure. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 BF does allow passengers to embark at Roscoff for sailings down to Spain, especially those booked on special offer deals with returns either via Portsmouth and Caen or by driving back up. I doubt there are many who actually take up the offer and those that do must all come from the top northern half of France for it to make any sense. Ed 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Gardian Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Sorry - Gareth beat me to it ! Link to post Share on other sites
Trev Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 @Gareth @Gardian @Cabin-boy Thanks, we live and learn. Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Jumping up and down is SO last year! My new year's resolution is to stop doing Tigger impressions. I've taken to hissing and growling instead 😬 but have not had any real cause to do so yet. Ed. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMWeaver Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 There is currently maintenance work being carried out on the linkspan in Roscoff, hence the diversion of 'Cap Finistere' to Brest. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Hawser Trunnion Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 9 hours ago, Cabin-boy said: BF does allow passengers to embark at Roscoff for sailings down to Spain, especially those booked on special offer deals with returns either via Portsmouth and Caen or by driving back up. I doubt there are many who actually take up the offer and those that do must all come from the top northern half of France for it to make any sense. Ed If my memory be right BF decided to allow embarkation for Spain at Roscoff on discovering some 3,000 pax had during the course of one season crossed from Roscoff to Plymouth specifically to join a ferry to Spain. I believe they found this statistic very surprising.. Link to post Share on other sites
Gareth Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 14 minutes ago, Hawser Trunnion said: If my memory be right BF decided to allow embarkation for Spain at Roscoff on discovering some 3,000 pax had during the course of one season crossed from Roscoff to Plymouth specifically to join a ferry to Spain. I believe they found this statistic very surprising.. As far as I am aware, embarkation at Roscoff was permitted as soon as CF started making her calls at Roscoff. The ability to get on, but not off, at Roscoff was discussed quite comprehensively at the time on here from what I can remember. So I don’t think there was ever a time, since CF has been handling her crew changes at Roscoff, when embarkation at Roscoff was not possible. Link to post Share on other sites
Hawser Trunnion Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 46 minutes ago, Gareth said: As far as I am aware, embarkation at Roscoff was permitted as soon as CF started making her calls at Roscoff. The ability to get on, but not off, at Roscoff was discussed quite comprehensively at the time on here from what I can remember. So I don’t think there was ever a time, since CF has been handling her crew changes at Roscoff, when embarkation at Roscoff was not possible. However I distinctly remember reading BF were most surprised to learn some 3,000 pax had crossed from Roscoff to Plymouth presumably during the course of one season for the specific purpose of catching a ferry to Spain. I rather think the CF Roscoff calls were originally just for the purpose of effecting crew changes because otherwise the vessel never called at a French port and it was/is BF's policy that crew members join/leave their ship in a French port and then BF discovered -- to their surprise -- that there was a worthwhile demand for a Roscoff-Spain service. I could speculate that this crossing to get to Spain predates the introduction of CF but seemingly BF were unaware of it. I suppose if CF called at Roscoff on the northbound leg they could convey pax to Roscoff on this leg as well. I believe it's a purely commercial decision. Link to post Share on other sites
TeeMyob Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Last October, on Cap Finistere en-route to Bilbao, we had to Dock in Brest due to storms in the channel. Link to post Share on other sites
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