Brittany Plymouth to Santander then back into Potsmouth - any advice?

[FusionChefGeoff]

We've booked an en-suite cabin with TV etc

We're stocked up with Stugeron tablets.

Planning on getting to Plymouth early and having a big lunch.

Is there anything we need to book in advance or make a bee line for as soon as we board?

Any tips on food / drinks? We will probably take a small cool bag and a large snack bag with drinks too. And milk for making tea in the cabin. Ooh maybe pot noodles!

4 way extension to charge the many devices!

Looks like the Plymouth ship is much nicer than the Portsmouth one - can anyone compare the two??

Is it a Brittany Ferry? I have only been on the Portsmouth ones and they are really nice but the Santander one is quite swish. The shop is expensive so taking snacks is good but I like the restaurants for main meals. And the morning croissants.

What route are you taking and where are you staying? Out of interest 😃

the Plymouth ferry is newer and had a pool from memory but we much preferred the Portsmouth one even if longer journey. More activities for the kids and cheaper snacks and drinks. Cooler bag, snacks, pot noodles and tea etc all good plan. We found the cheaper canteen style places ok in terms of quality and price. Restaurant very busy, hugely expensive and underwhelming. And long queues.

We're travelling from Plymouth to Santander then actually driving into France to stay at a Sylvamar campsite near Biarritz.

Then due to the timings / days, we are going Santander back to Portsmouth which is a longer ferry but better for the home leg.

The Plymouth ship does look great with a pool but I am starting to panic a bit about entertaining kids (9 and 12) for such a long time. I hope the wifi is good!!!

We are going on the Plymouth ferry this year too. I have no idea what to expect. Just had an email about food which I need to try to understand. Anyone know if there are kettles in the rooms?

We have one with a dairy allergy and one /two autistic so queues for mealtimes etc might be not fun. Id like more tips for sure.

I'm hoping all 5 of us can fit in cabin probably with one of us on floor with carry mat.

Coming home on Eurotunnel which is normal and driving is also fine

We have a travel kettle so I've added that to my packing list just in case - can't see anything on the website about kettles. We've done overnight to St Malo before the cabins are TINY - do they know you've booked 5 in 1 cabin?

I've taken the Santander ferry the last two summers, and the pool hasn't been operational.
Agree with pp that the self service restaurant is good quality, just make sure you check meal times when you are onboard.
When they were younger, my kids just loved exploring the ship, watching the shows in the bar and playing endless card games. Sleeping in the cabin is fun too.
I've never used the WIFI onboard as it's an extra, so can't comment.

We've done the Plymouth to Santander crossing several times. It's a nice boat!
The cabins are small! We have done five people with a roll mat, but it is a squeeze! Last time we bit the bullet and paid for two cabins - kids are late teens now though and take up an adult amount of space. No kettles. I guess the ones with TVs etc might be a bit bigger though.
Lots of people rush to book dinner in the fancier restaurant as soon as they get on board (it sells out). We always have dinner at the self-service restaurant - queues can be massive, but food is pretty good, and tbf you have plenty of time. We've had breakfast in the fancy restaurant, which is great if you want to splash out. BUT... breakfast time is also your best chance of seeing whales (on the way to Santander). There will be a wildlife volunteer on the top deck looking out and lots of people go up there around then too. Last time, two fin whales swam right past the boat. Obviously there are no guarantees, but we have always seen dolphins and/or whales, so that can pass some of the time if kids interested in wildlife.
We've used the pool once - I think it has to be a pretty calm crossing for them to open it. Fun if it's open though.
To be honest, I've always been surprised at how quickly the crossing goes by - we've done it with toddlers, late-primary age and teens and it's always been fun. Looking forward to it again this year!

I would definitely take a travel kettle and your own tea/coffee etc. We have been in cabins which should have had tea and coffee making facilities but there was nothing.

Check which Plymouth ferry you're on, there are two the Pont-Aven is newer and has a pool, Armorique isn't as new and doesn't have a pool but there is a cinema.

I've only been on the Armorique but I found that the restaurant was quite pricey and the food not too special. I tend to bring my own but only cross in the day so we don't need any big meals.

And I've just realised this is to Santander, not France so completely ignore all the above, I can't delete the post.

I love the ferry. Just treat it as part of your holiday as opposed to an experience to be endured.

There's loads of lovely food options, a cinema and some cheesy entertainment on board. The pool is small and busy. Bring card games, books, enjoy people watching, have binoculars handy in case of dolphins.

There will be limited sockets in the cabins, and afaicr you'll need an adaptor.

I don't think there are kettles in the rooms so you might want to pack one. Take plenty of snacks, books and download lots of movies etc onto a device as WiFi costs a lot. If you want to go to the restaurant then you need to book when you get on board. With the kids we have always used the self service restaurant / shop for meals and it's been fine. The queues can be long but the staff are pretty efficient. There is a cinema which we have used to kill some time, also there are kids activities (whale watching was great) and on the crossings we have been on the pool has been open but be warned it is freezing. It's worth being organised about what you are going to take on board as you don't want to be faffing about on the car deck (and you absolutely can't go back to the car). Also make sure you turn you car alarm off!

Ok amazing tips. We will pack kettle and adaptor. Possibly also a cool box with breakfast in it too! We have a cabin plus a reclining seat but the kids aren't old enough to sleep in the seat and it will lbe hard with only me in the cabin, so needs must. We did it as kids many years ago and it was cramped but fine.

Not sure if I want to bring swimkit, up will have a lot of luggage it seems already!!