Travel Channel 
Ships Report Archive: June 2011
Brittany Ferries Pont Aven
There’s no denying that cruise ferries have come a long way since they were first launched during the 1970s but Pont Aven really is in a class all of its own. Named after a Breton town famous for its artists, Pont Aven is Brittany Ferries’ £100 million pound flagship ferry that cruises the English Channel between the UK, Brittany, Ireland and northern Spain. It’s the largest vessel in their fleet carrying 2400 passengers and 650 cars.
Launched in March 2004, Pont Aven offers a luxurious experience with fantastic facilities. There’s a swimming pool and trendy cocktail bar with fabulous views of the ocean, a wrap around promenade for gentle strolls along the deck and not one but two cinemas to catch up on the latest movies.
At meal times you’ll be spoilt for choice with a café offering snacks, a self service restaurant for something a bit more substantial and for passengers looking to indulge, a superb a la carte dining room serving top notch French cuisine.
And when it comes to bedtime there are 652 cabins onboard all with en suite facilities and air con.
Onboard Entertainment & Facilities
- Live band, DJ, cabaret & pianist (seasonal)
- Bureau de Change
- Swimming Pool
- Wrap around promenade deck
- 2 Cinemas
- Wi-Fi Internet Access
- Children’s Playroom
- Video Games & Slot Machines
- Children’s Entertainment Programme (seasonal)
Food Outlets & Bars
- Main Restaurant (Le Flora)
- Self Service (La Belle Angele)
- Café (Le Café du Festival)
- Main Bar (Le Grand Pavois)
- Piano & Cocktail Bar (Le Fastnet)
- Pool Bar (Les Finisteres)
Accommodation
- 652 Cabins – all en suite with air conditioning
- Commodore Class (sleeps 3 adults and 1 child)
- De Luxe Cabins (sleeps 4 adults)
- Club 4 cabins (sleeps 4 adults)
- Four Berth cabins (with and without porthole)
- Two Berth cabins (with and without porthole)
- Cabins with wheelchair access (4 berth with porthole)
- Reclining Seats
- Cots
Ship Facts
- Launched 2004
- Gross Tonnage 41,700 tonnes
- Length 184.60m
- Beam 30.90m
- Draught 6.80m
- Depth 9.70m
- Service Speed 27 knots
- Crew 183
- Passenger Capacity 2400
- Car Capacity 650
Crew Report
Gareth Davis - Producer
Like most people, I have a pretty unglamorous image of ferries. We used to take our family holidays on the Isle of Wight and unsurprisingly, I have no memories of the ferry crossing which suggests it must have been pretty basic. Pont Aven therefore is a great surprise. It’s comfortable, cosy, and as far as food and drink goes, absolutely on the money. Cabins are small so I don’t think I could spend days onboard. But that’s the point. You don’t have to! This is after all a ferry so the aim is to get from A to B, and as far as I’m concerned, I’d rather do that onboard Pont Aven than many an uncomfortable airplane. Big thumbs up.
Itinerary
- Portsmouth & Plymouth to Santander
- Plymouth to Roscoff
- Cork to Roscoff
Presenter Report
Ben Hull - Presenter says...
The Pont Aven was my first Cruise Ferry Experience, but it definitely won’t be my last.
From the second we left Portsmouth, I felt myself begin to unwind, and the twenty-four hour crossing gave me ample opportunity to enjoy the great facilities on offer: A cinema, swimming pool, cafes, bars, live entertainment and the most delicious a-la-carte restaurant, on arriving in Spain, I half wanted to stay on the boat!
Having previously only ever travelled anywhere by air, I would always dread the journey, seeing it as a frantic, uncomfortable means to an end. On the Pont Aven however, the ‘journey is the thing’, and it felt like a luxurious, hassle-free and very enjoyable way of starting a holiday, which begins the very moment you step on board.
