"Fantastic" Brittany Ferries ship MV Normandie has new life and role after 33 years of Portsmouth service

MV Normandie, operated by Brittany Ferries, has been taking passengers from the city to France since the 1990s. She retired from the route and took her last voyage from Portsmouth International Port on April 17, a sad moment for employees and naval enthusiasts.

The 27,542 tonne vessel has since been replaced by MV Guillaume de Normandie, a new and exciting liquified natural gas powered ship. She is the second modern ferry operating between Portsmouth and France, with MV Saint Malo carrying out journeys since February.

Now though, MV Normandie has a new career and is taking passengers between Marseille in France and Tangier, Morocco. European ferry company La Meridional purchased the 161m ship from Brittany Ferries, and has been renamed as MV Massalia.

A Brittany Ferries spokesman did not confirm how much she was sold for, but praised her long-standing service. “Normandie has been a fantastic ship for the Brittany Ferries fleet, faithfully serving our busiest route for more than three decades,” he said.

“Of course we are sad she has gone, but her replacement is a worthy successor, a cleaner greener ship that serves as a love-letter to the Normandy region. Plus there will be echoes of Normandie on board. Mare and The Foal, the elegant bronze by Norbert Iborra has been transferred to Guillaume de Normandie for passengers to enjoy for decades to come.”

“Revolutionary”

The formerly known MV Normandie took her maiden voyage on the Portsmouth to Caen route May 18, 1992. On occasion, she completed sailings between the city and Cherbourg, mostly for Christmas and New Year layovers. The ferry can carry up to 2,123 cars and 575 vehicles, manned by a crew of 137.

Ben McInnes, Portsmouth International Port’s harbour master, previously said: “She was one of the first luxury ferries to come into Portsmouth. At the time when she came in, she was so big we had to close the harbour for other vessels to come in and out, which shows how far the harbour has come in that time.

“We only close the harbour now for the large aircraft carriers. Even for the large cruise ships, we often don’t need to shut the harbour. It just shows how revolutionary she was at the time.”