Brittany Ferries takes delivery of SAINT-MALO

FerryBrittany Ferries LNG-electric hybrid vessel SAINT-MALO has been delivered from CMI Jinling Weihai shipyard and will now transit to Europe. Portsmouth will be her home from early next year, and she will link Pompey with the eponymous Corsair town from which she takes her name.

SAINT-MALO will operate on LNG at sea and on electric power when manoeuvring, as well as when alongside in port, thanks to shoreside power. Battery capacity is 11.3 MWh.

Passengers will feel like they have arrived in Brittany the moment they step on board because interior design has been realised in partnership with the Brittany Region. Dedicated French crews will help with the Breton ambiance: more than three quarters of the company’s sailors hail from the northwest peninsula.

SAINT-MALO will be an exemplar of locally sourced produce served in her restaurants. She will also feature a huge choice of new cabin types, including 28 pet-friendlies, an exclusive club lounge and an art collection hosting 150 works by Alexander Goudie.

SAINT-MALO replaces BRETAGNE. Launched in 1989, this grande dame of the Brittany Ferries fleet, sails for the final time on 3 November. Her replacement enters service on 12 February 2025.

Plug-in power will come to Portsmouth International Port via the Sea Change Project. Preparatory work is already underway in the port, ready for the arrival of shore power ready ships on two berths.

Comfort and accessibility were at the forefront of design. SAINT-MALO will therefore feature a much more spacious garage, wider interior spaces, and more comfortable beds than the ship she replaces. Video on-demand is available throughout the ship, including in cabins.

Her ten decks house 387 cabins, 28 of which will be pet friendly. There will also be an ultra-luxury Admiral Cabin, a cabin for six occupants, and cabins designed for those with allergy issues. The ship’s capacity is 1,290 passengers.

Brittany Ferries contributed EUR 231 million to the Brittany region through tourism last year (and nearly EUR 1 billion to France plc overall). The new ship will continue to present the best of Brittany, hosting two fabulous restaurants called Le Littoral and Le Jardin. These will feature locally sourced produce, some of which may have been grown on the farms of the company president and shareholders, the majority of whom are still Breton farmers. There will be a luxury club lounge and fantastic, spacious bar bathed in light.

SAINT-MALO is owned by Stena RoRo and is chartered by Brittany Ferries for a period of 10 years with a purchase option after four years.