#FerryNews – Brittany Ferries final Cork-Roscoff end of season sailing for 2013 took place on Saturday as the flagship cruiseferry Pont-Aven headed past Cork Harbour's Roches Point Lighthouse, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Irish-French service began operations 35 years ago when Breton based operator Bretagne-Angleterre Irlande (B.A.I) otherwise known as Brittany Ferries introduced the small and sleek Armorique into service in 1978.

Over the decades the French ferry company has continued to grow the service with a range of stylish ferries.  The deck interiors exude a typical air of French flair and an extensive art collection of Breton scenes all adding to the holiday atmosphere.

Pont-Aven is a custom-built 41,748 tonnes cruiseferry that features luxury cabins with balconies and there's an indoor swimming pool, the only ferry to have this unique facility serving in Irish waters. The 2,400 passenger /650 cabin cruiseferry returns onto the Irish service in March 2014 on the shortest and fastest route linking the continent with a 14 hour sailing time.

Pont-Aven opens the season with a sailing from Roscoff on 14 March. The following morning she arrives in Cork (Ringaskiddy) ferryport to unload before resuming on her first round-trip leg to Roscoff with a sailing departing in the afternoon.