Brittany Ferries has cancelled its two sailings this weekend between Cork and Roscoff in France, leaving over 4,000 passengers seeking alternative travel routes.
The sailing from Cork this evening at 11 p.m. to Roscoff and the return journey tomorrow have been cancelled due to a faulty valve on its ferry Pont-Aven.
Each sailing, which takes place only once a week, would have carried over 2,000 passengers at this high point of the holiday season.
Intending passengers - mainly Irish and French families - are being offered alternative travel arrangements by Brittany Ferries, which is also offering ex-gratia payments for the inconvenience caused or complete refunds.
A spokesman for Brittany Ferries in Dublin said that intending passengers should ring the company.
"Passengers should not go to the port in Ringaskiddy as there is no point in inconveniencing them any more than they already are. They should ring and make arrangements and decide what they want to do," he said.
The Brittany Ferries number to contact in Cork is 021-4277801.
The spokesman said that Brittany Ferries had been trying to get in touch with Irish people in France.
In a statement yesterday, the company said its staff would continue to contact as many passengers as possible to alert them of the cancellation.
"Brittany Ferries understands the disappointment of people who had been planning to sail on the Pont-Aven and apologises for any inconvenience caused," the company said.
"We are also making alternative travel arrangements for our passengers, whether directly with other ferry operators, or by landbridge through the UK.
"Any passengers not wishing to travel using these alternative arrangements are being fully refunded. We will also make ex-gratia payments to passengers for any inconvenience caused," the company said.
The fault was due to a failed seawater cooling valve which resulted in water entering the auxiliary engine compartment.
The company said no passengers were on board when the water entered and there was no danger to either crew or ship.
The ship was currently being worked on and they were optimistic that it would be back in service next week. This was the first sailing that Brittany Ferries had to cancel in well over 10 years, the company said.