Urgent talks were taking place over the weekend to try to resolve a dispute which has crippled all Brittany Ferries’ cross channel services.
The company “reluctantly” decided to tie up the whole fleet following a series of wildcat strikes last week.
Ferries from Portsmouth and Plymouth to France and Spain were suspended indefinitely.
The only unaffected route is a Poole-Cherbourg service operated by Condor Ferries for Brittany Ferries.
The firm said: “Following the series of strikes which has been disrupting our services, our board has reluctantly taken the decision to tie up the fleet and to cancel all crossings with immediate effect, until further notice.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, but we cannot subject our passengers to the ongoing uncertainty caused by wildcat strikes and cancellation of services at short notice.”
Passengers have been contacted by telephone, email, text and Twitter. “but this is placing enormous pressure on our contact centre so our speed of response may not be up to its usual standards,” a statement added.
P&O Ferries and MyFerryLink have agreed to accept Brittany Ferries tickets on sailings to France from Dover. Otherwise refunds are being offered to those unable to travel.
“Brittany Ferries very much regrets the effect the disruption will have on our customers but is hopeful that a resolution will be found soon, as discussions with the unions are ongoing and will continue throughout the weekend,” the company said.