The post you are reporting:
Vic: Have you checked out Britanny Ferries? They run direct to Santander from Plymouth and Portsmouth. As from next March, they will also run to Bilbao in place of P&O who have just closed down on that route. They are not cheap but may be no more expensive than paying for all the fuel, tolls and wear and tear (on the car and you).
Regarding P&O, they have just handed the Pride of Bilbao back to her owners, Irish Ferries, after many years on charter running Portsmouth-Bilbao. This has repercussions for Dover. The displaced crew are being found slots in the other P&O ferry services around the coast, including Dover. This leaves no slack for when the P&O newbuilding, Spirit of Britain, commences service Dover-Calais in January. She will replace the Pride of Dover and carry nearly twice the payload. This could not have come at a worse time as the global depression has resulted in less freight being carried, not more. It is therefore expected that the European Seaway, or the Pride of Burgundy, or both, will also be dispensed with.