Thousands of Irish and French holidaymakers yesterday began making alternative travel arrangements after Brittany Ferries cancelled the scheduled sailing of its flagship, Pont Aven, for the second consecutive weekend.
Repair crews in Brest in Brittany were unable to fix a cracked sea valve on board the vessel in time for it to sail back to Ringaskiddy in Cork Harbour to collect departing passengers on Saturday night.
Brittany Ferries' general manager in Cork, Hugh Bruton apologised to customers and said that the company was trying to contact them to make alternative arrangements.
But Frank O'Brien - producer on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's 96FM - said that the show had received several calls from passengers angry over the cancellation including one woman who only learned of last week's cancellation as she and her family neared Roscoff. Another woman broke down when telling 96FM news that this weekend's cancelled sailing had thrown holiday plans into total disarray.
She said she didn't know how they were going to get to their accommodation in France. "It's actually a present from my son and my daughter for our wedding anniversary and it's actually my husband's birthday as well, it's all combined.
"My son and daughter had hotels and cars booked for us, but everything is gone now."
