Dover to Calais ferries were at a standstill for a second day after strike action by MyFerryLink workers over its sale by owner Eurotunnel to DSDS Seaways following a ruling by the competition watchdog.
P&O Ferries chief executive, Helen Deeble, told the BBC: “Through no fault of their own, our passengers are caught in the middle of an industrial relations battle that has been caused by Eurotunnel.
“This has left thousands of holidaymakers and lorry drivers stranded without adequate facilities.”
She said the company’s staff had been “doing their best” to keep passengers supplied with food and water.
“Let me be clear, the buck stops with the French government. They have effectively abandoned any attempt to maintain security at the port of Calais,” she said.
“When is the British government going to stand up to ensure that we can all get to mainland Europe safely and securely?”
Brittany Ferries confirmed that all its services across the Channel are operating normally despite continuing disruption to ferry services at Calais.
The ferry company reports that it has space on many crossings on longer routes to France ahead of a threatened two-day strike by French air traffic controllers on Thursday and Friday.
The French ferry firm operates 120 sailings a week from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to Le Havre, Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Roscoff.
Eurostar and Shuttle services were also brought to a halt today due to the Channel Tunnel being closed after striking ferry workers set fire to tyres on the tracks near Calais.
Eurostar said it expected normal services to be resumed tomorrow.