Cherbourg-Octeville is a port on the English Channel with a number of regular passenger and freight ferry services operating from the large modern ferry terminal and has a major artificial harbour. The following operators currently run services from the port:
● Brittany Ferries to Poole (up to 3 sailings daily during the winter, 5 in summer) and Portsmouth (up to 2 sailings daily, summer only).
● Celtic Link Ferries to Rosslare (3 sailings weekly).
● Irish Ferries to Rosslare (3 sailings weekly).
● Condor Ferries to Portsmouth (1 sailing weekly in summer only).
Cherbourg-Octeville has previously had services operated by the following operators:
● Stena Line to Southampton (up to 2 sailings daily). Withdrawn in 1996.
● P&O Ferries to Portsmouth (up to 2 sailings daily by conventional ferry and up to 3 by fast ferry during the summer). Withdrawn in 2005 following a business review.
● P&O Irish Sea to Rosslare (up to 3 sailings weekly) and Dublin (weekends only during the summer). Dublin service withdrawn in 2004 and Rosslare service sold top Celtic Link.
● HD Ferries to Guernsey and Jersey. Operated in 2007 but cancelled in 2008 due to lack of customers.
It should be mentioned that Brittany Ferries to Poole briefly stopped their conventional ferry service in early 2010 but resumed it in February 2011; the seasonal catermaran service continues to run, as does the freight service to the Dorset port. Brittany Ferries have introduced more frequent services from Portsmouth to Cherbourg-Octeville with their latest acquisition, "Cap Finistère" (ex- "Superfast V").
In addition to ferry services, the port also handles cruise ships at the Gare Maritime Transatlantique on the Quai de France next to the Cité de la mer and conventional
