Coronavirus: Brittany Ferries apologises after announcing schedule changes amid 'crisis situation'

The company issued an apology to all passengers affected by the latest changes.

Services that have been affected include:

Normandie (Portsmouth – Caen)

The last passenger and freight crossing will leave Portsmouth on Thursday, March 19 at 8.15am and will arrive at 3pm at Caen. Normandie will then be taken out of service until April 9 at the earliest.

Connemara (Portsmouth – Bilbao)

The last passenger crossing will leave Bilbao on Wednesday, March 18 at 5.15pm. Its arrival is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at 8.45pm into Portsmouth. From the afternoon of March 20 it will move to serve Portsmouth-Cherbourg carrying freight only.

Mont St Michel (Portsmouth – Caen)

The last passenger crossing will leave Portsmouth on Thursday, March 19 at 2.45pm. It will arrive in Caen at 9.30pm. The service will then take freight only, beginning with the 11pm return Caen to Portsmouth departure.

Cap Finistère (UK – Spain)

The last passenger crossing will leave Santander on Saturday March 21 at 8.30. Its arrival into Portsmouth is scheduled for Sunday, March 22 at 8.30pm. The service will then take freight only.

Changes to UK-France routes:

St Malo to Portsmouth service – Bretagne (until March 24 at least)

The last sailing will leave St Malo on Tuesday March 17 at 8:30pm for Portsmouth.

Additional measures:

· Passengers and freight drivers will be asked to remain in their cabins. Cabins will be open to all travellers.

· Sales and catering facilities will be closed on board. Passenger movements will be restricted and meals will be taken in cabins. Customers will be informed by SMS that they will have to stay in their cabins and that the on-board shops will be closed.

· Passengers will be asked to bring their own food and drink on board. This is to protect everyone on board – including Brittany Ferries crews who are working hard to maintain services for as long as possible.

· All passengers are advised that they must travel only if it is essential to do so, for example if they are returning home. Furthermore British passengers travelling to Spain are advised that they must take evidence of a permanent address in Spain, or they will be stopped after arrival by the authorities.

In a statement, the company wrote: ‘All affected customers will be contacted by telephone, email and SMS, but there is currently enormous pressure on our contact centre staff.

‘The speed of response may not be up to its usual standard. Passengers are asked not to contact us by telephone but to visit the website www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/routes/sailing-updates for latest information.

‘We respectfully ask all customers who are not booked to travel within the next two weeks to delay contacting our customer call centres.’