They Survived the Summer… So We Took Them to France!
They say a happy crew makes a happy ship. Well, after a long, busy summer, we decided it was time to let someone else do the sailing, the cooking and, most importantly, the clearing up!
Running a passenger boat company is about so much more than boats, timetables and selling tickets. It’s about people. And at Coastal Cruises Poole, we are incredibly lucky to have a team of people who give their all, day in and day out.
Throughout the summer, our captains, crew, kiosk team and office staff work incredibly hard. There are early mornings, long days, thousands of passengers, endless questions, ropes to handle, drinks to pour and, occasionally, a few challenges thrown in for good measure.
But whatever the day brings, they get on with it, usually with a smile and almost always with a healthy dose of humour.
So, as the summer season drew to a close, we wanted to do something special to say thank you.
The answer? Take the whole lot of them to France aboard Brittany Ferries’ Barfleur!
An Early Start, a Lot of Fog and a Questionable Breakfast!
Monday morning arrived, and so did the team — bright and early, ready for our adventure.
Well, perhaps not everyone was quite so bright at that hour!
Poole Harbour was blanketed in thick fog as we departed, so there wasn’t much to see initially. But spirits were high, breakfast was served and the excitement of a day away together soon took over.
Of course, while some of us opted for a traditional breakfast, others appeared to favour a more liquid alternative.
I’m not naming names. What happens on Barfleur stays on Barfleur! 😂
For once, our captains weren’t responsible for navigating, our crew weren’t handling ropes, and the office team weren’t answering telephones or dealing with bookings.
We were simply passengers.
And we have to say, it was rather lovely!
Bonjour, France! After our crossing, we enjoyed some time ashore in France before heading back to Barfleur for the return journey.
There was plenty of food, a few drinks and an enormous amount of laughter.
One thing we’ve learnt about our team is that they don’t need much encouragement to have a good time. Put them together, remove the responsibility of running a boat company for a few hours, and the entertainment pretty much takes care of itself!
As the day went on, the weather became absolutely glorious.
The foggy morning seemed a distant memory as we enjoyed beautiful sunshine, spotted dolphins swimming in the sea and were treated to the most spectacular sunset on our journey home.
We even had the opportunity to visit the bridge and have a chat with Barfleur’s Captain.
For a group of people who spend their working lives around boats, you’d think we’d have had enough of bridges, ships and all things nautical.
Apparently not!
Once a boat person, always a boat person.
One Team, One French Town… Very Different Ideas of Sightseeing! 😂
Now, you might think that taking a group of maritime professionals to France would result in everyone enjoying a nice, civilised day of sightseeing.
You’d be wrong!
Once we arrived, everyone headed off in different directions, and it quickly became apparent that our team had some very different ideas about how to spend a day in France.
Some opted for a lovely visit to the aquarium, enjoying a slightly more relaxing encounter with marine life than they’re used to back in Poole Harbour.
A couple of our captains decided that being in charge of boats on the surface clearly wasn’t enough, so they headed off to try their hand at being submarine captains. Apparently, a day off from driving boats just means finding a different type of boat to drive!
Then there were the ones who discovered electric scooters…
Now, we’re fairly sure the manufacturers designed these for one person at a time. But apparently, three members of the Coastal Cruises team decided that was merely a suggestion rather than an actual limit! 🛴😂
Their explanation? They were simply giving each other a lift to find more scooters.
Of course they were.
And finally, there were those who decided that French culture was best experienced from the comfort of a local bar. 🍷🍺
No rushing around, no sightseeing itinerary, just a little liquid refreshment and an opportunity to sample the local hospitality.
We won’t say which members of the team chose which activities, although photographic evidence does exist!
One thing’s for certain — you can take the team away from Coastal Cruises, but you can’t take the Coastal Cruises out of the team! 😂
And somehow, despite everyone heading off on their own little adventures, we all made it back to Barfleur ready for the journey home.
Which, quite frankly, was an achievement in itself!
It’s Not Just About the Boats. It’s About the People. 💙
As we looked around at everyone enjoying themselves, we were reminded of just how special our little Coastal Cruises family really is.
We have people of different ages, personalities, backgrounds and experiences. From the youngest members of the team to the oldest, everyone brings something different.
Some have spent their entire working lives at sea. Others are just starting their careers. Some are wonderfully organised, others are wonderfully chaotic, and a few are probably best supervised when there’s a bar nearby!
But somehow, it all works.
We laugh together, support each other and occasionally drive each other completely mad.
And when things get difficult, everyone pulls together.
That, to us, is what makes a great team.
When we started Coastal Cruises, we wanted to create more than just a successful boat company. We wanted somewhere people genuinely enjoyed working, where they felt valued, respected and part of something.
Because the truth is, our boats might carry the passengers, but it’s our people who make the business what it is.
And we never want them to forget how much we appreciate that.
A Day Full of Memories
There are some days you know you’ll remember for a long time, and this was definitely one of them.
From our foggy departure to the sunshine in France, from the dolphins to the sunset, from the bridge visit to the endless laughter, it really was a wonderful day.
But our favourite memories won’t necessarily be of the places we visited or the things we saw.
They’ll be of watching everyone relax, laugh and enjoy being together without the pressures of work.
And perhaps hearing a few stories that really shouldn’t make it into the company social media posts!
It was also particularly special to enjoy one of Barfleur’s final crossings from Poole. She’s been part of our harbour for so many years, and sharing this experience with the team before her farewell made the day even more memorable.
A Very Big Thank You
‘To every single member of the Coastal Cruises team, thank you.
Thank you for the early starts, the late finishes, the professionalism, the patience, the laughter and the care you show our passengers.
Thank you for looking after our boats, our customers and each other.
And thank you for making Coastal Cruises a company I’m incredibly proud to be part of.
I hope you all enjoyed our little French adventure as much as I did.
You absolutely deserved it.
There’s just one rather significant problem now.
I’ve set the bar ridiculously high.
A ferry trip to France, glorious weather, dolphins, a spectacular sunset, a bridge visit and a day full of laughs.
How on earth am I supposed to top THAT next year?! 😂
Suggestions welcome — although perhaps I should check the budget with the commercial manager first!’
Carol 💙
Managing Director, Coastal Cruises Poole
A little note from all of us at Coastal Cruises: Our team are now back doing what they do best — welcoming passengers aboard, sharing the beauty of Poole Harbour and creating wonderful memories on the water. Come and say hello on one of our cruises. We promise they’re just as friendly when they’re working as they are when they’re on holiday!