After posting about far too many needless tragedies on poorly maintained third world ferry boats which sink and kill their passengers, here is something completely different, though still involving a ferry.

Last week, fitting enough on April Fool’s Day, two hundred students from two British universities, the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University, set sail on an early morning trip from Dover to Calais on the P&O cross channel ferry Spirit of France. The students were on their way to a skiing vacation and according to crew members on the ferry, many arrived already intoxicated. Reportedly, students stripped naked, overturned furniture and smashed glasses. A clash broke out in the ferry bar between between students from the rival schools. P&O staff on the ferry moved non-student passengers out of harm’s way to an exclusive lounge, to keep them safe from the rampaging,, drunken and occasionally naked students.

The students may be flying home. P&O has cancelled their return trip tickets and banned them from their ferries.

Drunken students run amok naked on cross-Channel ferry en route to ski resort and are banned from return trip

The spokeswoman said: ‘P&O ferries can confirm that around 200 students from the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University caused disruption on an early morning sailing of its ship the Spirit of France on Sunday April 1.

‘The company deplores the behaviour of this group of students, who were clearly drunk before they boarded the ship and whose actions on board were wholly unacceptable.

‘P&O ferries has contacted both universities to advise that it will not be transporting these groups on their homeward voyage and to seek assurances that their behaviour is addressed.’

She added: ‘Customers and staff on board the ship were appalled by the students’ aggressive and lewd conduct, which
should be stamped out by the authorities.’

The company said it had reported the incident to the police.