MV Bretagne

MV Bretagne entering the port of Saint-Malo
History
Name	Bretagne
Owner	SABEMEN
Operator	Brittany Ferries
Port of registry	Morlaix,  France
Route	Portsmouth-Saint-Malo
Ordered	1986
Builder	Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire, France
Cost	£55 million
Yard number	D29
Launched	4 February 1989
Christened	12th July 1989
Completed	1989
Maiden voyage	16 July 1989
In service	16 July 1989
Out of service	4 November 2024
Identification	IMO number: 8707329
Status	Awaiting sale
General characteristics [1]
Tonnage	24,534 GT
Length	151.2 m (496.1 ft) 152.2 m (499.3 ft) (With Ducktail)
Beam	26 m (85.3 ft) 27.8 m (91.2 ft) (With Sponsons)
Height	41 m (134.5 ft)
Decks	10
Installed power	Four 12-cyl Wärtsilä-Crepelle medium speed diesel engines, 5,950bhp each
Propulsion	2 Variable pitch propellers
Speed	20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) cruising, 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) max
Capacity	2056 passengers 580 vehicles
Crew	134

MV Bretagne is a ferry that was operated by Brittany Ferries. She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and was the first purpose built ship for the company and sailed for Brittany Ferries for 35 years from 1989 until 2024. She was Brittany Ferries flagship until the arrival of MV Val de Loire in 1993.

MV Bretagne was ordered by Brittany Ferries in the late 1980s in order to increase capacity on the company's routes from Plymouth to Santander, Plymouth to Roscoff and Roscoff to Cork. The ship set a new standard in on-board facilities for the company and was one of the first true cruise-ferries on the Channel. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Bretagne was launched on 4 February 1989 and entered service on 16 July the same year. Bretagne's interior was furnished in typical 'Breton' decor featuring original artwork by the Scottish painter Alexander Goudie.^[2]

Following the commissioning of the Val de Loire in 1993 the ship was transferred to the Saint-Malo to Portsmouth route, which she would predominantly serve until her retirement in 2024.

Bretagne was used on the Cherbourg to Poole route between 26 February 2007 and 10 March 2007. She then became the only current passenger vessel in the Brittany Ferries fleet to visit every port served by the company and to have operated on all the current routes. It was originally planned that she would return to Poole in January 2008 to cover for the absence of the Cotentin. In addition to sailing from Cherbourg alongside the Barfleur she would also have sailed between Poole and Santander at the weekend departing Poole on Friday night and arriving back on Monday morning. This plan was dropped shortly after the publication of the 2008 timetable and Bretagne instead covered for the refit on the Mont St Michel on the Ouistreham-Portsmouth route.

In early 2009 Bretagne underwent a £5million refit. The work included creation of 50 'Club 4' cabins along with refurbishment of the rest of the ships cabins, refurbishment of the self-service restaurant, refit of the 'La Gerbe de Locronan Salon de Thé' to create a WiFi cafe area and rebuilding of the reclining seat lounges to create new lounge areas for business, reading and watching television.^[3][4]

On 20 July 2021, Brittany Ferries announced at a press conference in Paris that it had secured a charter with Stena RoRo for 2 more E-Flexers. One of these new vessels, to be named 'Saint-Malo' will replace Bretagne on the Saint-Malo to Portsmouth route, The other vessel is to replace the 1992 'Normandie' on the Ouistreham (Caen) to Portsmouth service. 'Saint Malo' is expected to be delivered in 2024 and enter service in 2025.^[5] Bretagne's last sailing with the company was the 20.15 crossing from Portsmouth to St Malo on the 3rd of November 2024 and retired from service the following day.^{[citation needed]}

The ship was designed for the Plymouth to Santander, Plymouth to Roscoff and Roscoff to Cork routes.

From 1993 until 2024 the Bretagne served the Saint-Malo to Portsmouth route daily but has also seen use on the Ouistreham-Portsmouth and Cherbourg-Poole lines as refit cover and also the winter only route between Saint-Malo and Plymouth.

• Media related to Bretagne (ship, 1989) at Wikimedia Commons
• Brittany Ferries Bretagne