| Quiberon's biggest moment in the spotlight came with the engine room fire aboard in July 1992. This evoked some extensive press coverage, not all of it complimentary. The Daily Mirror's headline "MAYDAY ON THE CROSS CHANNEL 'RUSTBUCKET' " being perhaps the least flattering exposure a Brittany Ferries ship has received: |
| THE AA GUIDE TO FERRIES The Guides to ferries operating out of British ports prepared by the AA in the early 1990s were moderately favourable to Quiberon. However, whilst her Brittany Ferries fleetmates Bretagne, Normandie and Barfleur (then of BF-Truckline) all gained four or five star ratings and all won awards or were nominated for their catering facilities (as was Duchesse Anne), Quiberon was not so fortunate - the 1993 guide gave her a three star rating and commented, "The Quiberon is a bright, modern ferry with good facilities for the length of crossing, though lounge space is limited. Our inspector was disappointed with the food and felt that the staff, particularly at the Information Desk, could have been more helpful." The lack of any significant amounts of luxury cabin accommodation precluded the ship gaining the maximum level 3 rating for cabins, although Quiberon at level 2 fared better than fleetmate Duchesse Anne which could manage only a rather poor level 1 - cabin facilities being deemed "basic", not the best commendation for what was an overnight ferry for much of her time. The comments on the lack of lounge space on Quiberon were fairly accurate - the conversion of the original aft lounges into reclining seats during Brittany Ferries' service meant that the ship was robbed of any genuinely quiet area apart from those seats. This was adequate enough for night crossings, but for day sailings where poor weather meant passengers could not venture outside general seating was restricted to the bar, self-service restaurant and Salon de thé. |
| Below left to right: A study in the role the media can play in public perception of a news story. Reaction to the Quiberon fire ranged from the positive "holidaymakers displayed the true British bulldog spirit" in The Sun, through the neutral, fact-based approach of The Daily Telegraph to the scaremongering of The Daily Mirror's "rustbucket" references. The latter quoted from the Holiday Which survey of March 1992 which said, "The boat was not as clean as it should have been and there was an overwhelming smell of oil and vomit... Basically, it is a rustbucket compared with Bretagne - Brittany Ferries' flagship". Comments on passenger reaction differed from "everyone seemed calm and cheerful. There was no sign of panic... children chatted happily as stewards handed out sandwiches" (The Sun) to "frightened families spent four hours crammed on swaying open decks... they watched with growing dread as crewmen prepared the lifeboats to be dropped into the pitching sea below on the order to 'abandon ship' "(Daily Mirror). Brittany Ferries' spokesman said, "there was no panic because there was never any real risk to the passengers." |
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| REVIEWS & PRESS COMMENTS |
| ABOVE: Quiberon leaving Portsmouth for Caen during her final Summer season operating for Brittany Ferries. |
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| THE OCEAN FERRYLINERS OF EUROPE Michael and Laura Murphy's mammoth two-volume trek through the overnight ferries of Europe, The Ocean Ferryliners of Europe was published in the mid-1980s and covered most of the Brittany Ferries' fleet of the day - Armorique, Prince of Brittany, Duc de Normandie (prior to her entering service), Benodet (soon to become BCIF's Corbiere) and Quiberon, then of the Plymouth to Santander route. Aimed primarily at an American tourist rather than an enthusiast market, the book reviewed facilities on all the ships as well as offering advice and travelling suggestions, and guides to the ports. Although various factual errors emerge in the text relating to ships and their histories, the comments made concerning the vessels' interiors make interesting reading. Quiberon makes an early entry by appearing in a black and white frontispiece picture in the Northern Europe volume, apparently taken during her maiden crossing to Santander. The detailed section on the ships is quite flattering, and the authors certainly seem to have taken a liking for the then relatively large and modern Quiberon: (comments are in italics in square brackets) "The five ships of Brittany Ferries comprise an attractive fleet. They aren't new, but they are well-tended; in size they are average for ocean ferryliners - large enough for the seas they travel and to provide adequate-size cabins and public areas, yet small enough so that you know you're on a ship. The Quiberon is the flagship, new to the fleet in 1982. The Cabins on Quiberon are clean and neat and the deluxe class are spacious and attractive. The standards [standard cabins] with shower and toilet are of adequate size, well designed and are all exteriors on the cabin deck; triples and four-berth are interiors. The two- and four-berth cabins without toilet facilities have adequate space, and are located inside on the lower 'C' and 'D' decks [presumably meaning Decks 2 and 1 respectively on the 2002 deckplan]. A serious drawback to 'D' deck cabins (all four-berth with no toilet) is that there are no toilet facilities at all on that deck to serve the occupants; passengers must go up to 'C' deck, not only for a shower but for the toilet. And on 'C' deck there are only four shower/lav/toilet rooms, two each for men and women. If you plan to book a 4-berth cabin without toilet, spend the extra and book one with a wash-basin - this will place it on 'C' deck. It is suggested to take full advantage of this very attractive and nicely appointed ship by booking at least a standard with full toilet facilities if possible. Dining Rooms - All the Brittany ships have both a cafeteria and a formal dining room and, justifiably, a certain pride in the restaurant cuisine. The Quiberon and Benodet, which travel the France-Ireland and England-Spain routes, seem to pay special attention to dining, and offer a choice of an outstanding hot and cold buffet, or a four-course fixed-price menu with a good selection. Quiberon prides itself on its on-board French bakery. Service is attentive, the surroundings are very attractive and overall, dining is a pleasure. The cafeteria offers sandwiches, hot dinners, breakfasts, salads and pastries in pleasant surroundings. Other facilities on the Quiberon include a small movie theater, bars, a lounge, quiet room, live music and a dance floor, a gaming area, children's play area and a nursing-mothers' room. There are also a self-service duty-free shop, an elevator and special cabins for the disabled." |
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| e-mail: matt@hhvferry.com |