On Board Catering

[elaine80]

For many years our travel pattern was outbound overnight to Ouistreham and inbound on NEX. To maximise our sleeping, having already driven from the central belt of Scotland, we didn't eat onboard outbound (we had an evening meal in Portsmouth and breakfast was eaten either in Ouistreham or at an Aire) and the snack offering on NEX wasn't enough for a meal so we ate in Portsmouth after disembarking.

This year, I couldn't get an overnight cabin outbound because the loss of 3 close family members in the space of 5 weeks meant that sorting out ferries wasn't a priority so we are on the 08.15 to Ouistreham and I intend to take breakfast onboard with us but we are going to want a proper meal at lunchtime. What are the current options to buy a meal on Normandie (we return on the afternoon crossing on Normandie so will want a meal onboard then too). The offspring are 21 and 18 so children's menus aren't an issue.

[David]

Normandie has a reasonable self service with a Microwave to get the food to a decent temperature and a decent buffet / waiter service.

However up to now the decent restaurant has been closed, that should change hopefully, it should have been open at Easter, however it wasn't !

The simplest thing is to check timings when you board. If the decent restaurant is open, it is worth joining the queue 15 mins before opening.

Note that the food in the self serve is perfectly acceptable, however the ambience is more cafe style.

[finnalyneilishere]

Do they not do a brunch option on the Ouistreham route now?

[David]

Do they not do a brunch option on the Ouistreham route now?

Dunno, nothing seems to have stabilised given the crew shortages. 

[David]

Re Ouistreham, they do seem to have a Brunch option (if open) this year.

On the PA, I am going from Plymouth to Santander on Wednesday and the pre crossing email now says:-

A choice of dining options await on board: self-service restaurant, salon de thé and on busier sailings an À La Carte* restaurant. It’s important to note facilities will vary and we are currently unable to offer any buffet service

This is disappointing as they will be closing Le Flora if not busy and not offering a buffet at all.
 

[David]

The current description of the decent restaurant is:-Main restaurants
ENJOY FINE DINING
Served until midday, our Brunch menu features all of your breakfast favourites and a selection of hot ‘à la carte’ dishes.Our main restaurants close at lunchtime after the Brunch service, however, you will find great lunchtime options in the self-service restaurant and the café.
On Pont-Aven, there are two ‘à la carte’ menus at dinner - a two-course menu (starter + main course or main course + dessert) for £26.50 and a three-course menu for £32. On Bretagne, enjoy a three-course meal of buffet starter and dessert, with an à la carte main course for £32.
*Restaurant currently closed on Mont St Michel and Normandie.
 
https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ship ... g-and-bars

[mjturner]

Great news that the Buffet has returned on Bretagne. Now looking forward to our July crossing even more!!

[chrisg1uk]

The current description of the decent restaurant is:-Main restaurants
ENJOY FINE DINING
Served until midday, our Brunch menu features all of your breakfast favourites and a selection of hot ‘à la carte’ dishes.Our main restaurants close at lunchtime after the Brunch service, however, you will find great lunchtime options in the self-service restaurant and the café.
On Pont-Aven, there are two ‘à la carte’ menus at dinner - a two-course menu (starter + main course or main course + dessert) for £26.50 and a three-course menu for £32. On Bretagne, enjoy a three-course meal of buffet starter and dessert, with an à la carte main course for £32.
*Restaurant currently closed on Mont St Michel and Normandie.
 
https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ship ... g-and-bars

Despite this statement about brunch being available, the main restaurant on Bretagne has been closed for the entire crossing on the day boat back from France on both our 2 recent crossings. Came out last week again overnight and the main restaurant was packed full with a waitlist. Not looking forward to the  return trip if busy and only the "canteen" available again.          

[David]

I think that BF need to decide what services they intend to offer and then make sure they do. I am disappointed that it looks like no buffet on the PA for my trip this week. I am not sure if Caen will ever return.

 

[triquet]

On the early morning sailings both out of Portsmouth and Caen, you can get breakfast but there is a short shut-down late morning when they swap over to lunch (takes a while to remove the hot breakfast offerings from the bain-maries and fill up with the hot lunch stuff)

On our last trip, it was very evident that both MSM and Normadie are running with much reduced staffing, and I think the chances of getting the served restaurants open this season are very slim. If ever.

[finnalyneilishere]

So the restaurant isn’t open on morning sailings out of Ouistreham?

[triquet]

So the restaurant isn’t open on morning sailings out of Ouistreham?

The self service is open, but the served restaurants have not returned at all.

[hhvferry]

Well when it is actually served it still looks to be... 🤤🤤🤤

Pont Aven Buffet

Photo: patpaug

[colin]

I have done 6 Roscoff-Plyouth-Roscoffs since the service restarted this spring, and there are more and more (inexperienced) staff each time, so they are recruiting hard and numbers are getting better.

[zuludelta]

I have done 6 Roscoff-Plyouth-Roscoffs since the service restarted this spring, and there are more and more (inexperienced) staff each time, so they are recruiting hard and numbers are getting better.

As you probably know Colin, it's the same phenomenon on French terra firma. Recently returned from a French road trip, most of the staff in hotels along the route seemed to have staff where a substantial majority of them were new to the business.

[David]

The buffet was back on PA yesterday which is good, £32 for all courses with no option of missing a course. Rack of lamb was on as a special and that was great.
 

[finnalyneilishere]

Only for the Spanish and Irish routes apparently.

[David]

CV members can now reserve tables in the PA restaurant (assuming that it is open !). Up to now this has been limited to the premium cabins.

https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/info ... e-i-embark

 

[elaine80]

Thanks all. We are on Normandie on Thursday morning. I have packed cereal and fruit juice for breakfast and we will pick up muffins in Portsmouth tomorrow night to supplement it. We will do what we are able for lunch (the car is full of snacks so we won't go hungry).

[finnalyneilishere]

Restaurant shut on Saturday whole sailing (8.30 am dep), was starving so had a fry up for breakfast which was stone cold , very quiet sailing lack of passengers and staff , had a beef bourguignon for lunch which was watery but ok , cake was spot on for a defrosted cake anyway. 

[David]

Restaurant shut on Saturday whole sailing (8.30 am dep), was starving so had a fry up for breakfast which was stone cold , very quiet sailing lack of passengers and staff , had a beef bourguignon for lunch which was watery but ok , cake was spot on for a defrosted cake anyway. 

was that the Caen route ?

at least they have a microwave for general use, however they and the Ouistreham Border control are turning that route into an unpleasant experience.

[finnalyneilishere]

Yep Caen to Portsmouth, we usually spend a good while sitting in the restaurant making full use of the continental breakfast, the restaurant being shut made it feel more like a budget service.