Do you mean departing 0657 and changing Manningtree, Ipswich and Ely to arrive Cambridge a whole 6 minutes eariler than the direct service would? Also not possible today with Ipswich-Ely-Peterborough cancelledwhich has happened lots recently.To be fair, if the ferry is on time there are quicker options to Ipswich and beyond - albeit potentially less convenient, I accept.
This allows other units to step up at Ipswich and is the least damaging of options, both in terms of cancellations and the number of passengers affected.
Maybe it affects fewer passengers, but those passengers are more likely than local commuters to be carrying suitcases, bags, animals (lots of dog owners use the ferry and it’s kennel). Changing at Manningtree (two staircases or elevators) and Ipswich is easy if you’re a commuter, but it’s a royal pain in the proverbial if you’re an international traveller.
I would have thought that most international travellers would be used to using lifts en route - it's hardly possible to avoid them, indeed unless the current ferries have been rebuilt since I last used them you can't board or leave without lift or stairs.
Well, there’s a big difference there: lifts or stairs - when traveling with serious luggage?
There was a choice on board: lift or stairs. For disembarkation at Hoek most used the stairs. It's good if that has changed.Well, there’s a big difference there: lifts or stairs - when traveling with serious luggage?
Well, there’s a big difference there: lifts or stairs - when traveling with serious luggage?
There are conveyor belts at both ends but I can’t say I have ever seen them used in more than twenty years of travelling the route.Do they not offer luggage check-in for foot passengers at the terminals in Hoek and Harwich? It is standard practice on all the Irish sea Stena routes.
There are conveyor belts at both ends but I can’t say I have ever seen them used in more than twenty years of travelling the route.
I suspect most people opt to carry their cases on board the ferries having already made it all the way to check in. Of course they may not realise the extreme length of the gangways at that stage!
I think a long walk from the terminal to the ship is preferable to the long walk down the stairs or the long queue for a lift and then being on a claustrophobic old bus. I also guess the peak times of boarding some ferries would mean the buses would be a fairly expensive hire or purchase and sit idle most of the day. I do not see many benefits of buses for ferry operator or passenger as long as the port owner is willing to provide a walkway.I am surprised they went to the expense, in Holyhead and Dublin they just use buses from the terminal to the ship. No long walk is a plus but it can be quite crowded on the bus, especially if there are pushchairs and the biggest downside is you board last so all the best seas are taken and you have to wait until the truck deck is mostly cleared before the bus can be brought on so there is a 10-20min wait for exiting.
I think a long walk from the terminal to the ship is preferable to the long walk down the stairs or the long queue for a lift and then being on a claustrophobic old bus. I also guess the peak times of boarding some ferries would mean the buses would be a fairly expensive hire or purchase and sit idle most of the day. I do not see many benefits of buses for ferry operator or passenger as long as the port owner is willing to provide a walkway.
The current ships both connect to the foot gangway on deck 7, on one side for Harwich and the other for Hoek. The main passenger facilities are on deck 9 and cabins on 10&11. Footies need to take the stairs or lift at both ports. You can see the deck plans here (the ships are identical):At Hoek the gangway is connected at least one floor below the main deck, and two decks below the one with the largest number of cabins. At Harwich you can exit from the main deck.
Glad you didn't have the oppressive music; yes, I will give them some feedback, since it really spoiled what was otherwise a good experience.
I guess the mile was hyperbole - but it must have been the longest "inside connection" walk I can remember in such a context; I'm sure I've had worse at an airport somewhere, years ago, but this did feel really over-long. It might have been partly because of the comparison with the short connection at the Harwich end, and what that led me to expect, and it might have been affected by my non-breakfasted grumpiness!