Brittany Ferries confirms time-charter of ferry for Rosslare to Cherbourg route

6th March 2026

  • Ro-ro vessel charter will permit daily freight sailings Rosslare/Cherbourg from late-March
  • Time charter is for 12 months
  • First sailing on Monday 23rd March 2026

A ro-ro freight ship called Norbay will serve the Rosslare to Cherbourg route for Brittany Ferries from late-March 2026. Brittany Ferries has confirmed the one-year time charter, which includes the option of a year’s extension, maintaining seven return-sailings a week throughout 2026.

Additional slots were secured by Brittany Ferries for its Rosslare to Cherbourg service following the departure of a competitor in October 2025. The time charter assures continuity of service, providing certainty for hauliers and logistics operators this year.

“For freight customers stability and continuity are vital when planning and transporting goods between Ireland and mainland Europe,” said Christophe Mathieu CEO Brittany Ferries.

“We can now confirm seven return freight sailings a week from Rosslare throughout 2026, and have the option to extend the charter, or find an alternative vessel before the end of the contract.”

Launched in 1994, Norbay is 167m long with more than 2 km of lanes for freight, and 57 cabins for drivers.

The ship is scheduled to make its first commercial crossing on Monday 23rd March 2026. Its schedule will include three weekly round trips. Further departures served by Cotentin and Santoña complete seven departures a week.

Time charter includes crew and applies for a fixed term. The ship will be chartered from owner P&O Ferries.

—Ends—

Notes to editors:

Norbay photo credit – Scott Mackey – image available for download here https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/image_category/norbay/

New regular weekly freight timetable Rosslare/Cherbourg

Rosslare to Cherbourg
Depart Rosslare Arrive Cherbourg Ship
Monday 18:00 Tuesday 12:00 Santoña
Tuesday 21:00 Wednesday 17:00 Norbay
Wednesday 19:00 Thursday 15:00 Cotentin
Thursday 18:00 Friday 14:30 Norbay
Friday 13:00 Saturday 14:45 Cotentin
Saturday 18:00 Sunday 15:00 Norbay
Sunday 19:00 Monday 15:00 Cotentin
 
Cherbourg to Rosslare
Depart Cherbourg Arrive Rosslare Ship
Tuesday 15:00 Wednesday 06:00 Santoña
Tuesday 19:30 Wednesday 13:30 Cotentin
Wednesday 20:30 Thursday 14:00 Norbay
Thursday 19:00 Friday 13:00 Cotentin
Friday 18:30 Saturday 13:30 Norbay
Saturday 19:00 Sunday 13:00 Cotentin
Sunday 19:00 Monday 13:00 Norbay
   

About Brittany Ferries:

Brittany Ferries was conceived in 1972, starting life as a freight-only ferry-service on 2nd January the following year. The first vessel (Kerisnel) linked Roscoff in Brittany with Plymouth on the southwest of England and carried a cargo of cauliflowers and cognac. Since then, the company has progressively launched, then strengthened its shipping routes. In more than 52 years of service, millions of passengers and businesses have travelled by sea across the so-called Atlantic Arc (France, UK, Spain and Ireland). They rely on the links forged by more than five decades of experience. In addition to cutting congestion and emissions on busy roads, Brittany Ferries’ motorways-of the sea have helped enrich local communities, creating jobs, nurturing international tourism and boosting cross-border trade. Five new vessels joined the fleet between 2019 and 2025. Two LNG-electric-hybrids (Saint-Malo in February 2025 and Guillaume de Normandie in April 2025) complete the largest fleet renewal programme in the company’s history.

More details, and images here:

Key figures:

  • Turnover: €516 million in 2024 compared with €484.7 million 2023 and €444.7 million in 2022.
  • Employment: Around 2,707 employees, including 1,818 seafarers (full-time equivalent)
  • Passengers: 2.15 million in 2024 compared to 2.03 million in 2023
  • Freight: 162,000 compared with 155,592 in 2023
  • 13 ships connecting France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland, via 13 maritime routes
  • 12 ports: Roscoff, Saint-Malo, Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Poole, Cork, Rosslare, Santander, Bilbao.
  • New for summer 2025: rail-freight ‘ro-ro-rail’ service connecting Cherbourg with Bayonne (Mouguerre)

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