P&O Ferry customers face stressful changes

People travelling with P&O Ferries have been warned of "significant disruption" to their journeys, after the company announced it was laying off 800 workers. Frustrated customers have spoken to the BBC about cancelled trips, last-minute texts, and their anger over the treatment of employees.

John and Helen Carson were in a rush when they picked up the phone. They were trying to get to John's brother's funeral in Northern Ireland.

The couple, from Leamington Spa, had planned to sail with P&O Ferries from Scotland to Northern Ireland on Friday, arriving a day early to spend precious time with their family. But, as they drove into Gretna Green at 5pm on Thursday, they received a text from P&O saying their ferry was cancelled.

They were suddenly faced with the prospect of missing the funeral.

"We were panicking, you know?" says John, 65. "We were on the computer all last night trying to get flights."

They booked one that leaves London's Heathrow Airport at 6:40am on Saturday, and were on their way back to Leamington Spa to catch a few hours of sleep.

They have been unable to contact P&O Ferries, and hope they can get a refund for their £320 crossing - especially as they have spent about £600 on transport, hotels and the new flights.

"When you think about the fact that we're going over there to bury my brother and the way they've treated us," says John. "The stress and anxiety we faced last night."

"What they've done to their poor staff is disgraceful and beyond comprehension," he adds.

Ryan Fuller, from Gosport, works for a haulage company - and is due to drive a six tonne shipment of aid to Ukrainian refugees on the Romanian border on Saturday.

But he fears he will not make it as he and his brother are booked on a P&O ferry.

"All was going to plan until P&O decided to do what they did, which has caused a bit of chaos," he tells the BBC.

Their shipment is made up of donations collected by a local company, and includes food, clothes and toiletries.

"Hopefully we'll get down there," he says.

"Especially with the Russian attack outside Lviv, we really need to get the aid out to that border."

Cathy Hunt, from Ilkley, had planned to travel with P&O Ferries this summer, but has cancelled her return ticket and opted to go with a different ferry company.

"We're supposed to be going on this holiday which was booked three years ago," she tells BBC Radio 5 live, adding that the pandemic has prevented her from travelling. "This is the third time we've tried to go."

"How they can treat their employees like this? It's just abhorrent," she says.

"I'm not spending my hard-earned money on a company that behaved like that."

P&O Ferries said on Thursday that the decision to lay off 800 workers was "tough" but the business would not be viable without "making swift and significant changes now".

It said it had made a £100m loss year-on-year, which has been covered by its parent company, DP World.

Announcing the job losses, it said: "This is not sustainable. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries."

The company has told clients the changes will allow it to provide "a better service to our customers across the tourism and freight industries".

It warned of "significant disruption" over the coming days, but said it was working "to minimise the impact on your journey".

It has apologised to customers on social media.

Ben Nicholson, from Workington, is a promotions manager for darts events. He travels on a darts mini cruise from Hull to Rotterdam twice a year with P&O ferries - a trip where darts fans get a chance to play with professionals.

He was meant to join the next trip in December, but will no longer go because of what he says is "disgusting" treatment of staff.

"They're all absolutely fantastic, they work really hard," he says, adding that captains even sometimes posed for photographs with players.

"It's an entertainment ferry so they're not just there to transport passengers, there's a show to put on."

He says he will be open to opportunities to work with other ferry companies instead.

"Even if P&O turn around and say 'we still want to carry on'... we will not support it," he says. "As a promoter and a darts fan I would not ever support it again."