We love a ferry trip!
The decision to take the ferry from
Patra to Trieste was a no-brainer and 32 hours after boarding we stepped off
refreshed and ready for our quick dash back through Europe. The whole trip went
so quickly from the moment we arrived at the almost deserted quayside and were
whisked onto the boat leaving me no time to take any photos. We weren’t late, we were over 2 hours early,
but they have a method of loading vehicles according to your final destination
so we were directed past a small queue onto the ship and into the furthest corner of the garage section of deck 5.
We collected our cabin keys and after a very quick 'unpack' went off to explore the facilities – nightclub, casino, 2 lounge
areas, restaurant, self-service cafe, wellness centre, gym, swimming pool and shop. Foot passengers
piled on and immediately set up camp with lilos, inflatable mattresses, sleeping bags and
blankets on every available wind protected outside deck space and quiet corners
between the inside stair wells.
Dave testing the bed out! |
At least they'll be first in line for the life jackets at the muster station! |
I needn’t have worried about dress
etiquette – only one Greek lady stood out from the crowd of bikini, shorts and T-shirt
brigade. We saw her wearing at least three different snazzy outfits during the voyage –
she was probably the only person who used the nightclub or the casino. I spent most of the trip looking like Hair Bear from the 70's cartoon strip - somewhat windswept!
The cruise ship didn’t really live up to its
glossy brochure pictures. On our saunter around everything seemed either empty or closed –
the pool was definitely empty and closed. Despite them telling us it would be open after embarkation,
they never put any water in it!
It was tiny & wouldn't have needed much water! |
Never mind it was an interesting trip with plenty going on.....
In Patra, where they were drilling in the harbour, we watched the sister ship dock and vehicles and passengers disembark in
a typical manic and dangerous Greek style. Just as our ships ropes were cast off
and we drifted away from the quayside a big white lorry sped along the tarmac, tooting
madly and scattering the passengers – he was too late, even to try a Top Gear
style stunt!
"Try and catch us up in Igoumenitsa......." |
At midnight on Thursday from a vantage point high
above the stern 11 decks up we watched the ferry dock in Igoumenitsa and hundreds
of people, vans, cars, motorbikes and lorries board in yet another chaotically disorganised
Greek manner. It was like the start of Wacky races, whistles being blown and vehicles jockeying for places.
On Friday afternoon, under cloudy skies,
the captain negotiated the very narrow entrance at Ancona, Italy, assisted by
the local pilot. He arrived off a boat that looked just like a kids plastic toy bobbing
around in the harbour. Lots of people and vehicles got off in a much more
orderly fashion than in Greece, only a handful got on.
And in the early hours of Saturday morning
we watched another pilot leap on board in the darkness and guide the ship into Trieste harbour.
These huge boats, assisted by bow thrusters manoeuvre so gracefully into their
given berth – quite a feat.
No lifejacket, no harness....one leap in the darkness |
The cost was £300 for the two of us,
the van, a cabin for the duration and a meal which although not cheap was less
than the drive back along the Adriatic coast would have been taking into
account the fuel, food, additional insurance costs and campsites.
We like bridges, tunnels are fun, mountain
passes are exciting but we love a ferry trip! Dover here we come....
As you say, a no brainer - and those chips look delicious...! Safe journey.
ReplyDeleteAxxx
Chips - yes bit of a treat. Back home today and already gorged ourselves on a full-english, jam doughnut and have a take-away curry planned for this evening!
DeleteDear Kath and Dave, for a landlubber like myself here in the central part of the United States--the prairie states is what they called these states--all this sounds so exciting and enticing! Peace.
ReplyDeleteHi Dee, one day we would like to drive across America. We did plan to cross America in 1990 and had round the world tickets that included flying into Los Angeles and out of New York. Unexpected events resulted in that not happening, so we are now back home and need to start saving again....Life's short - live it eh!
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