Clipper sailings the only ones to avoid the cut

Thursday 10 December 2020

There will be no high-speed sailings to and from Guernsey in the first three months of 2021.

Instead, the island will only be served by a daily Commodore Clipper service to Portsmouth and a once-weekly sailing to St Malo. There will be no changes to freight services, and the high-speed ferry will still operate this month, albeit on a revised schedule.

Condor says it has had to reduce its service because of the continuing impact of the pandemic, which has made a full schedule financially unsustainable. 

“The frequency of high-speed passenger sailings is being pared back during the January - March winter period as a consequence of the continuing severe travel and quarantine restrictions," said a spokesman for Condor. 

“We are continuing to see extremely low demand following the movement of both France and the UK into national lockdowns and border controls which are affecting travel volumes to and from the Channel Islands.

Pictured: The changes do not affect freight travel to and from the island. 

“Following recent discussions with the Government of Jersey and States of Guernsey on the financial implications of maintaining unsustainable passenger sailings during the winter, Condor will not operate high speed services from St Malo and Poole until April 2021. 

The Commodore Clipper will continue to provide daily passenger savings to Portsmouth and on Saturdays to St Malo. Forward booking demand on the southern route has been "extremely low", the spokesman added. 

“High speed services for the rest of December, linking the Islands with the UK and St Malo, will be maintained on a slightly revised schedule to enable passengers to complete their Christmas travel at this important time of year," they said. 

“Booking demand has also understandably fallen significantly in this period. Any minor timetable changes will be communicated early this week.

“Condor remains absolutely committed to a fuller schedule resumption as soon as restrictions lift and travel normalcy returns - currently there is no certainty when any easing of controls will be possible. 

“These are, of course, exceptional and unprecedented times so Condor will continue to liaise closely with the Channel Islands’ governments to ensure sea connectivity services are robust and viable during the pandemic."

Freight services to and from the islands remain unchanged.