The direct ferry route between Poole in the UK and Cherbourg in Normandy, France, has ceased operations three weeks earlier than initially planned. Brittany Ferries confirmed the service, which had run for over four decades, made its final sailing on Monday.
The vessel Barfleur, which served the Poole to Cherbourg route since 1992, has been moved to cover Rosslare to Cherbourg sailings, commencing on 12 October. This operational change was influenced by the sale of the Contentin, formerly on the Rosslare route, which was required to be withdrawn by mid-October.
Additionally, a potential backup vessel, the Commodore Clipper, experienced a "significant technical problem" with a gearbox failure earlier this month. This issue led to its withdrawal from the fleet for remedial work and contributed to the early closure of the Portsmouth to Le Havre route, necessitating the early redeployment of the Barfleur.
Brittany Ferries stated that bookings on the Poole to Cherbourg route had "already weakened" prior to the closure. The company has apologised to affected travellers and is offering alternative travel options from Portsmouth or a full refund.