Pont-Aven was ordered by Brittany Ferries from the Meyer Werft shipyard on the river Ems, gt Papenburg, Germany on 22 February 2002.

Most serious was the flooding of an auxiliary engine room in August 2004 caused by a faulty sea valve leaving the ferry unable to move from the Plymouth terminal for two days.

The problem occurred at the same time as a major breakdown on the Irish Ferries vessel Normandy, which operates on the Rosslare - Cherbourg route.

Other problems included the bow door jamming shut and the unusual roll when travelling at high speed even in calm weather.

This led to further delays and the problem was not fixed before the next crossing to Plymouth later that day; meaning that vehicles had to reverse or make a U-turn to disembark.

The town is famous as the home of a group of artists known as the Pont-Aven School, and the interior decor of the ship commemorates this link.