|
I have 4 children and regularly travel the 20.30 hr Portsmouth-St Malo route about 6 times per year (12 times per year if you count going back again as well).
I ALWAYS take the night ferries. The day ferries work out really expensive because you have to keep the little ones occupied e.g children's clubs, meals, shopping etc. You need to book in plenty of time so that you get a cabin. I have done the crossing with recliner seats and it's pretty horrendous with young children. Check it out for yourself but Brittany Ferries have a good cancellation policy so you can advance book with peace of mind.
The fast cats are vomit-a-minute boats. I did it once and NEVER again. I had all 4 very ill.
The very best return jouney is the 23.30hr crossing from Caen to Portsmouth (there is only a day crossing from St Malo). The little darlings are absolutely knackered and fall asleep immediately you get to the cabin. Booking two singles (Portsmouth-St Malo outward and Caen-Portsmouth back) does not cost a huge amount more than a return.
I always adminster sea sickness tablets waiting in the queue, just in case. If they don't like swallowing tablets, place it into a banana or a soft honey roll and they just chew it down. The tablet has the added advantage of making them drowsy and so they sleep better on the crossing, even if it is rough.
The Brittany Ferry boats are very robust and it takes a pretty strong gale to rock it badly e.g. one Gale 9 crossing in February but that's only one crossing out of, say, 30 journeys that I've done. I now check the weather forecast (BBC 5 day Atlantic pressure charts) and, last year in mid winter, transferred at the last minute to another date with only a small admin charge (£25 I think they charged me).
I can honestly say that the journey goes very quickly on the night crossings. If you can trust leaving your children in the cabin (I can't but leave my husband with them), you can go to the caberet in the bar - the Abba lookalike group has to be seen to be believed. Nice legs but shame about the voices...
Cathy
-----
Your children won't remember you ironing their pyjamas but they will remember you reading them a bedside story.
|