Coronavirus: Brittany Ferries cancels more services between Portsmouth, France and Spain due to Covid-19 outbreak

Brittany Ferries has suspended more passenger sailings in response to changing government policy in France, Spain and Ireland, and to protect all passengers and crew members.

Bosses said the decision ‘has not been taken lightly, but has been taken in the best interest of all’.

The last sailing will leave St Malo to Portsmouth today (March 17) at 8.30pm and will be suspended until at least March 24.

As things stand, sailings between Portsmouth and Caen on Mont St Michel and Normandie will continue as normal, for passengers and for freight.

Ships serving routes connecting Spain with the UK will continue to sail. However, they will only carry passengers who must return home, therefore offering a lifeline-only service for British and Spanish for whom travel is essential. Freight will continue to be carried as normal.

The company has cancelled sailings between Portsmouth and Santander, Spain:

- March 23: Santander to Portsmouth 3.15pm

- March 24: Portsmouth to Santander at 5.15pm

- March 30: Santander to Portsmouth 3.15pm

- March 31: Portsmouth to Santander 5.15pm

- April 6: Santander to Portsmouth 3.15pm

- April 7: Portsmouth to Santander 5.15pm

Latest advice from the The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, updated today, advises against all travel to Spain because of the restrictions put in place by government.

Despite this, Brittany Ferries said all its services between Portsmouth and Bilbao are operating as normal.

It has cancelled its sailings to Cherbourg until April 30.

A spokesman for the firm said: ‘We are systematically contacting all affected customers by telephone, email and SMS but there is enormous pressure on our contact centre staff. The speed of response may not be up to its usual standard for which Brittany Ferries apologises in advance. Passengers are being asked not to contact us by telephone but to visit the website

‘Brittany Ferries very much regrets the effect that this ongoing disruption will have on customers. Directors will continue to monitor the situation with a view to resuming normal service as soon as the situation allows.

‘We respectfully ask all customers who are not booked to travel within the next two weeks to delay contacting our customer call centres. In addition, normal two-way interaction via social media may not be possible due to the volume of enquiries and availability of staff. Brittany Ferries apologises in advance for delays in usual response times.’

Visit brittany-ferries.co.uk/routes/sailing-updates for latest information.