Brittany ferries Club Voyage reduced membership charges.Are they a good option?

[Ozzy Pete]

I was sent an email from Brittany ferries offering me a reduced price membership because I had been a guest of a member over the past few years. We only go once a year and because of Brittany Ferries now dumping the “Guest, Family and friends” status, wondering if it would be a viable alternative.
We normally catch the ferry to France “Caen” and sail back from Santander. This time we would like to travel to Spain and return from there on the ferry.
But I notice that the yearly subscription is £60 for France and £90 for Spain.
I was wondering if with the discounts it is a viable option or cheaper to just do a straight booking.
I know you get a meal voucher of around 12€ per person but not sure about discounts on sailings and cabins.
Much appreciate any feedback.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

I’ve just had a long conversation with a Brittany Ferries guy and the savings are almost zero. I would save £71 on the ferry crossings and receive approximately £20 in meal vouchers. £90 for the membership.
I would come out £1 ahead.
One thing he did tell me was that from tomorrow the Flex ticket which we always have is now going to be 50% up front payment not 25% as it is today.
I thought it was too good to be true…

 

[SFO]

Or get them to book hotel(s) as well, it becomes a package holiday. That means £120 deposit (non refundable) but full payment 1 month before start date.

 

[B J G]

Membership is aimed at the multi-crossings per year traveller not the once a year trip traveller.

If you had a business would you give a discount entitlement membership to someone who bought one item only?

 

[Scarylion1]

We’ve used the club for the past five years and enjoy the slightly higher discount than the one available when you join today.
I know these are margins and the Brit Ferries folk feel that they are being corporately but in reality they lose out. Travellers that would ordinarily be tempted by a small discount, won’t now bother and go elsewhere. The dynamic pricing they employ will become more aggressive and ‘we’ the traveller will suffer financially and also with more punitive tariffs and contractual constraints. Eg. Being charged £100 excess for changing a crossing is not a fair charge, paying double what the original 10% saving was?
Overall Brit Ferries offer a pretty good service but offering favourable deals to passengers would, I believe, fill the ships again and Brit Ferries could avoid the cuts in service on board which we have noticed since Brexit and Covid.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Since the demise of P&O on the Spanish routes Brittany Ferries have got the Monopoly so they can do exactly what they want when they want and charge what they like.. So your choice is to either drive through France to get to Spain and make it part of your holiday or pay the £600 + to take the ferry. ( £200 less for the return trip back to the Uk) . We decided to do the same as previous years and go from Portsmouth to Caen. Then come back from Santander to Plymouth. Fill up with Diesel then get our quota of beer and. wine from Lidl. Happy days.

 

[Marc S]

I did actually renew my club voyage membership a couple of months ago having used Brittany for several years, however based on the recent quote for my California and trailer I won't be booking a crossing this year as the price seems quite high compared to alternative routes. My Club Voyage membership is therefore wasted and irrelevant.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

I did actually renew my club voyage membership a couple of months ago having used Brittany for several years, however based on the recent quote for my California and trailer I won't be booking a crossing this year as the price seems quite high compared to alternative routes. My Club Voyage membership is therefore wasted and irrelevant.

Since Brittany Ferries finished the “Family and Friends “ I think many will feel the same as you. The discount for that was 10%. When I asked regarding being a member was told that for the same period as last year the discount was now 5% plus £90 membership fee.

 

[B J G]

We’ve used the club for the past five years and enjoy the slightly higher discount than the one available when you join today.
I know these are margins and the Brit Ferries folk feel that they are being corporately but in reality they lose out. Travellers that would ordinarily be tempted by a small discount, won’t now bother and go elsewhere. The dynamic pricing they employ will become more aggressive and ‘we’ the traveller will suffer financially and also with more punitive tariffs and contractual constraints. Eg. Being charged £100 excess for changing a crossing is not a fair charge, paying double what the original 10% saving was?
Overall Brit Ferries offer a pretty good service but offering favourable deals to passengers would, I believe, fill the ships again and Brit Ferries could avoid the cuts in service on board which we have noticed since Brexit and Covid.

I've got the sense that they have now put older Members into the same terms as new ones.

 

[Kernowboy]

Being charged £100 excess for changing a crossing is not a fair charge, paying double what the original 10% saving was?

Is that on the Spain routes? We use the France routes regularly and the highest penalty for changing a crossing online is £20 and that’s only with early bird tickets, or standard tickets within 2 weeks of sailing. Flexi is no charge. Seems reasonable to me.
We still get 35% discount on winter crossings which is the bulk of our travel so the loss if the friends and family discount is a shame but membership still offers signifanct benefits dependant on use profile.