Night of delight .... but get a cabin
It had been ten years since my last cross Channel ferry trip and I was not relishing the prospect.
Previous crossings had been witness to dreadful passengers Ð yes, the English problem with drink Ð and surly, hard-pressed staff enduring life on a grubby boat. Imagine then my growing delight on a Brittany Ferries overnight trip from Portsmouth to St Malo.
From the moment our car was guided aboard by a man whose arm and hand movements would have given mime artist Marcel Marceau a run for his money, we encountered good solid professionalism.
The pleasant young French woman on the food till found time to tell our 10-year-old son some basic words of her native language Ð bonjour, s'il vous plait and merci for starters Ð without holding anyone up, while the bar staff braved a crowded counter and a noisy live band to deliver beer with a smile.
Indeed, the French staff seemed content with their work. This was in contrast to what I thought were British photographers who had been taking pictures of travellers boarding the boat and who when I saw them in their shop/studio later appeared bored and indifferent.
The return trip, by day this time, was equally pleasant although I wished they could do more dishes for those of us who don't eat meat.
Do it again? Certainly, but next time I go overnight I will get a cabin. Those recliner seats felt like they had been stuffed with bricks.
