As our distance from UK shores inched ever further away, we had the space to reflect on our sailing choices. Was upgrading our ferry cabin choice a good one financially and experientially? Read on as we share how it unfolded for us.

From our early days living on the Isle of Man, we soon learnt to make good travel choices thanks to the frequency of our island departures. These choices involved booking either the Premier Lounge or a cabin if we took the 0215 overnight sailing from Heysham. It took us a few years to come to the realisation that money doesn’t buy you happiness, although often it can buy you comfort.

We take that philosophy with us into our full-time travels, although with nine years of ferry crossings to and from the UK and Ireland, we have always focused on budget travel. Channel crossings have increasingly becoming more expensive, as are most things in our modern life. We are constantly having to adapt to the rising cost of living, that’s just part of life. Thankfully, our typical annual spend with our life on the road, is still a good 60% of our expenditure when we lived in a house. 

With a focus on budget, we always reviewed the most cost effective travel solutions weighing up whether to take the road route or the ferry crossing. I wrote about this after taking the Civitavecchia to Barcelona ferry crossing many years ago. When we did the cost exercise we concluded that it was far cheaper and, more importantly easier to take the ferry than to drive through the south of France.

We did a similar exercise when choosing whether to travel through France to reach Spain or take the Santander or Bilbao ferry and certainly with the addition of our Schengen Visa requirements, the time saving definitely provides another benefit of taking the ferry. So these days the ferry is an absolute no-brainer, as long as the Bay of Biscay is in a good mood. Still in our 9 crossings, we have, touch wood, been blessed with pretty calm sailings. I’m sure one of these days, our luck will run out.

Anyway back to the upgrading topic for the Brittany Ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbao on the Galacia. As we planned our route to Europe for winter 2024 we knew that the weather may not be on our side. Inspired by seeing other travel folks with their luxury cabins, I posed the question to Myles. After a busy time in the UK, we decided that we deserved that extra comfort, having had far too many crossings over the years, where he climbs deftly up on the top bunk and straps himself in. We never sleep well in those cabins as they feel very claustrophobic and are definitely not sound proof.

So the decision at that moment was not difficult. We went for it and our anticipation and excitement, we have to admit was high. It has taken us a long time to realise that investing in our comfort and well-being really needs to be top of the list. Yet little did we know how much of a good choice this would turn out to be.

Our Commodore Cabin offered us a nice size room with the all important and luxury double bed, which was sumptuous. The same standard size ensuite, a gorgeous window and direct access to the outside deck. We had a mini bar with soft drinks, tea and coffee making facilities and a 42” TV with free video on demand options. Oh and the sound proofing was second to none.

Now you could be tempted by this concept alone, although add to this that we had complimentary access to the Club Lounge. Now we knew that we would get some snacks in the lounge together with a bit of privacy, yet what we didn’t realise was the additional food options we would be treated to. And it is this element of our upgrade, that we believe really makes the difference financially and additional value worth.

On offer was a Continental or English breakfast with as much as you could eat and drink. You could of course choose to have your continental breakfast delivered to your room, if you wished. There were snacks and drinks available throughout the day which were stocked up regularly. From 12noon the wine was ready to be poured. White, Red and Gris all readily available until around 4pm. From 5.30pm it was replenished ready for the evening meal.

Lunch was a cold buffet with meats, cheeses and a lovely range of salads and small petite fours for desert. Then dinner was served, giving us a hot meal choice with vegetables, rice or pasta options again with ample salad alternatives. All these food options we were not expecting. Snacks yes, a full meal was a complete surprise and the quality was actually really good.

This whole experience inspired us to do the math. What did we save by booking the Commodore Cabin and having exclusive access to the Club Lounge? Here are the figures:

Standard Crossing costs

One way crossing for our 7.5m motorhome with bike carrier	£470
Standard, 2 berth inside cabin	£110
Meals; 2 x breakfast, lunch, evening meal excluding snacks for two people	£150
Drinks; this is difficult to quantify although 1 glass of wine costs £6 on board. Approximate cost.	£50

Total £780

Upgrade costs

One way crossing for our 7.5m motorhome with bike carrier	£470
Commodore Cabin Inclusive of access to Club Lounge and all meals, wine and hot and cold refreshments.	£270

Total. £740

So as you can see, the cost of the upgrade and all that was included in the deal made it well worth the price and actually no more than a standard cabin. And for the additional price, you get a comfort and convenience that is really hard to financially quantify. For us the price is an investment in us and so well worth it and we would do it again.

Of course, I must make a couple of additions to this commentary.

• The first is that the standard price could be influenced by bringing some of your own supplies, which we have done in the past.
• Also the upgraded cabins are not pet-friendly.
• The other important factor to add in here, is that the Upgrade costs are of course only relevant if the crossing is smooth and you are not confined to your cabin because of stormy weather. Although at least you will be able to ride the storm out in some relative comfort.
• Also you can book the Club Lounge separately as an add on to your booking or when you arrive on board, although you will pay around £80 per person.
• And finally, I want to add that these costs are relevant to the Brittany Ferries Galicia crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbao. Other routes and ferries may differ in costs or offerings, so please check before you book, if you are inspired to take the upgrade plunge.

We were surprised and delighted by the advantages of upgrading and, we have no doubt, that if the similar deal is on offer, that we will take it with both hands. Of course, if you have any questions, comments or experiences to share, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you and hope that sharing our experiences might give you some food for thought.

/K