Can someone please tell me if ferry boats rock very much?

Old thread.
OP has presumably been and come back again by now Or not, as the case may be.

Unfortunately the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff can be a little bit rocky depending upon the weather. We crossed last April and it was literally all over the place. My suggestion would be to either book a cabin prior to travel or failing that to get onboard and see what it's like. If the weather isn't great book a cabin once you board. They will be a lot cheaper and to be honest being in a cabin gives you the chance to lay down (and to have your own bathroom to be ill in)
Hope this helps

Plymouth to Roscoff

I have done this crossing loads of times , having a cabin is a very good idea as often there is nowhere to sit comfortably in the main part of the ship. There is also loads to do and see on the ship and even a cinema if you are inclined . Take sturgeron and eat regularly (small amounts) . I only had one crossing which was a little rocky but that was in winter , mostly after the first 15 mins or so you don`t feel any movement just a gentle buzzing under your feet . It is quite enjoyable so try not to worry .

You just need to check the Shipping Forecast. It is calm here in North- West France today, but still wet and miserable....

Oh I thought with all this wind? But I suppose it is off the land.

Why? It is only 4-5, slight to moderate in that bit of the Channel. You wouldn't feel movement at all on those boats.

Wouldn't be a very good trip today?

I still remember it vividly all these years later crun

Ferries have improved since then, in fact the normal ferry was very good but had broken down so we got an old wreck without stabilisers instead.

Jalima what I found hilarious was after the crowd had all traipsed through it back to their cars it had vanished without trace! Talk about kick it around 'till you lose it.

The outside four berth cabins are fine enough room and an ensuite.

we arrived at Calais with the floor of the ferry covered in puddles of sick
I wasn't going to mention that crun
The only time any of us was sick was DS (mentioned in above post) who suddenly felt queasy, I rushed him to the loos and we both skidded .....

You can hire a car at Dinard airport or a taxi ride into the town is 15 euros. It's all very simple.

Lillie all those cabins are booked for when we want to go. It would have to be a bog standard one.

Yes. I had a very kind PM from a Gransnetters today suggesting the Stansted to Dinard Ryanair flight. That way does sound very easy. So I think I will be able to chicken out.

(Thanks Winifred )

We used to live near St. Malo and also had a property in Dinard so have done the journey hundreds of times. As everyone says BF are very safe, smooth and comfortable. I'm not sure what your budget is, but if you can go for a Commodore Class cabin - it's worth every penny especially on the day crossing. Keep eating too on board, it settles the stomach. Don't be tempted to fly to Jersey and then take the Condor (Vomit Comet), it is very bouncy and is often late in due to engine problems.
If, however, you live in London you could fly Ryanair from Stansted to Dinard which is an easy hour's flight.

We have travelled on innumerable ferries and the hydrofoil to Ireland and only a couple of times have we fallen foul of the weather. Once crossing from Larne to Preston when we had a superb dinner on board and then during the night the sea was so rough everyone even crew members were sick!! Goodbye superb dinner. The other time was Rotterdam to Hull. I ate dinner with a young Australian chap who could put food away like it was going out of fashion. It was a really awful crossing and I was sharing a cabin on 'e' deck with another lady who it turned out was a doctor. I was fine but spent the night looking after her. Talk about "physician heal thyself"! She was in a terrible state. The young Aussie had apparently slept through it in one of the upstairs lounges and when I went up he was tucking into a huge breakfast! The odds are, jingl, that you will be absolutely fine, but if you're not, just remember Nelson was see sick all the time (probably why he wore a big hat!) so you'll be in exalted company!

Does anyone remember the 'Booze Cruises'? Day trip to France, put as much wine as you could afford in your car and bring it back to be drunk at leisure saving paying the tax.
Years ago one of the daily papers had a promotion to collect tokens and make the crossing for only £1. We took advantage of it and went off to Boulogne to stock up at the convenient cash and carry. It was January and for some reason I didn't even think about the weather. It was bad, we heard later that one ferry had gone down. (?)
I wasn't just sick I had diarrhoea as well. Once I was able to get in the ladies I didn't dare leave the cubicle. After what felt like years I tottered to the car and we drove on to French soil.
Whereupon I burst into tears and said that I was either going to stay in France forever or fly home.
DH humoured me (he didn't really have much choice!) and said of course we could stay and let's just enjoy a day in France. I think he thought he would talk me round later but I was still thinking about the nearest airport when the latest ferry left. So we found the cheapest hotel we could and had a meal nearby that he still raves about and I can't remember.
The next morning seemed clearer and I was persuaded that Calais would be a much shorter crossing.
We saw some more French countryside and headed for Calais where we had to pay last minute full prices of course. If anything it was even rougher. The hovercraft had been cancelled because of the conditions. I took the pills we had bought in a French pharmacy and stayed outside the whole way, including an extra 3 hours queuing to enter Dover harbour. Felt very cold and wet but I wasn't sick.

Some years later when we were taking a caravan down to Portugal, I seriously considered flying but didn't want to miss out on the drive through France and Spain. We went overnight and had my pills (Stugeron) We had dinner in Portsmouth and. probably a drink as well and boarded as late as possible. I put my head on my pillow,slept like a baby and woke up in France. I can still remember the relief.

I am the world's worst at being influenced psychologically but I was absolutely fine and I'm sure you will be as well jingle.

I think that is right crun facing forward is best and, failing that, facing backwards. I suppose it is the same motion. In any case you need to think 'rocking to sleep' on an overnight.
I spent a week crossing the Atlantic in horrendous gales and never missed a meal. Most of the time my friend and I were the only people in the dining room and since we were teenagers at the time we enjoyed the undivided attentions of the crew. We didn't even feel queasy when we were in the cinema and sometimes the screen was up and sometimes it was down but it was a bit odd when it went from side to side I have to admit. We just laughed and we had a whale of a time!
DH and I travel on ferries across the Irish Sea regularly to see the DGC and with the stabilisers out it is fine even in a storm. Oldest DGS always takes Kwells and has wristbands but everyone else is fine and so is he with those things.

You will be fine jings so relax and enjoy!

We have travelled overnight several times find engine noise more likely to keep me awake so use earplugs worse ferry we have used IofMan ferries have never been sick
You will be fine ?

Motion sickness occurs because your eyes and ears are sending your brain different messages, so the sure-fire way to prevent seasickness is to face forwards and watch the horizon. I feel sick within two or three minutes if I take my eyes off the road to map-read in a car, but I've been on numerous rough boat journeys with no problem at all, including the occasion we arrived at Calais with the floor of the ferry covered in puddles of sick.

it depends on the weather in normal conditions they don't but I've been on the north sea when member of the crew was running around shouting force 10 immanent to all staff & duty free was being hurled off the shelves, that was a bit bumpy but \i wasn't seasick

jings it'll be fine, honestly. We've travelled on Brittany Ferries from Plymouth to Roscoff, from Poole to Cherbourg, Portsmouth to St Malo, even Plymouth to Santander, and never felt sick in rough weather. (Funnily enough, I'm more likely to feel slightly nauseous if the sea is flat calm and all I can hear is the thrum thrum thrum of the engines!). As people say, it's all down to the weather, but Brittany Ferries have BIG boats, and that's what makes such a difference. They are very stable even in rough seas.
Yes, make sure you have a good supply of stugeron or kwells. Also, get a can or bottle of coke, open it and leave it to go flat. If you start feeling bad, just sip the flat coke - it seems to settle the stomach. I have no idea why it works, but it does!
Have a lovely time - St Malo is so worth visiting, a really fabulous place. And there are some lovely places to visit nearby - Cancale, Dinard (just across the estuary - there's a road bridge). But particularly worth seeing is Dinan, about half an hour's drive south. It really is absolutely beautiful!

I also recommend the wrist bands. Really helped me on recent clipped cruise.

We have done that crossing a couple of times, but ages ago with younger children, so older ships. No problem at all, whether in the cabin or on deck. I really think you would be fine. Advice to take Stugeron (or the Boots own brand) early is good, it also tends to make you sleepy so you may find it helps a good night. It also gives confidence in being ok which is half the battle. I thoroughly enjoyed the crossings and much to my surprise did sleep. Go for it! You'll always wonder if it would have been allright if you don't. .

You could be right Welshwife we did the Newcastle to Amsterdam at Easter and it was horrendous.

when do you actually assume that summer has started? Looking out of my window and seeing the ferry coming in this morning I wouldn't want to be a cleaner on board today