The Incat built Normandie Express (above) reopened her Portsmouth services on 29th April operating to Cherbourg. From 30th April-14th May the vessel operated to Cherbourg from both Portsmouth and Poole in lieu of the Barfleur at the latter, Mondays excepted. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays during this period the Portsmouth-Cherbourg sailings did not operate, the craft offering daytrips from Poole instead.

On Friday 15th May there were no sailings from Poole due to the Normandie Express commencing her double peak time rotations to Le Havre & Cherbourg from Portsmouth. Bad weather affected the highspeed service during the week beginning 4th May. The Barfleur returned to service at Poole from Santander ex-refit, and complete with new exhaust scrubbers, on 16th May.

She sailed to Gijon on 11th May from Santander, apparently for bunkers but possibly also in connection with Brittany Ferries’ discussions to re-open the St. Nazaire-Gijon service? The Baie de Seine, formerly DFDS Seaway’s Sirena Seaways, entered service on the Portsmouth-Le Havre service on 11th May with her first sailing to Bilbao coming on 9th May in lieu of the Etretat that had gone to Gdansk for refit and exhaust scrubber installation. Strike action at Caen/Ouistreham (see below) forced the newly arrived Baie de Seine into service from lay over at Cherbourg, having arrived there from Gdansk via berthing trials at Le Havre on 4th May. She operated a special overnight freight only sailing to Portsmouth prior to berthing trials there.

On 6th May a dockers’ strike paralysed the port of Ouistreham (Caen) once the Mont St. Michel had arrived from Portsmouth. The Normandie had to divert her sailings to Cherbourg and this situation lasted for over a week. Angry at “their” ferry being blockaded, Shareholders used force to break the linkspan blockade and the ship was freed from the berth once the mooring lines had been severed. The Mont St. Michel was then taken to Roscoff (her first visit there) and anchored off the port on 10th May whilst the dispute at Ouistreham continued. The industrial action has also seen the Normandie make her first visit to Roscoff from Portsmouth when Cherbourg was affected on 11th May.