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The North Boat (Northlink ferries)


peeriebryan
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Where should the North Boat dock?  

447 members have voted

  1. 1. Where should the North Boat dock?

    • Aberdeen
      223
    • Rosyth
      102
    • Peterhead
      11
    • Barbados
      125


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Hold the front page!! Northlink ferries shocker! Boats unfit for job with woeful facilities claims University boffin

"The lifeline ferries serving Shetland and Orkney are some of the most inefficient and environmentally unfriendly ships built in recent years", according to a report by a "leading Scottish academic" on The Shetland News Website.

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And if that isn't bad enough, North Tonight tonight (?) reported that, according to the Northern Maritme Corridor Group, we should be docking in Peterhead. Have the Northern Maritme Corridor Group ever been to Peterhead I wonder?

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I couldn't agree more McFly. All we need is somewhere dark and quiet to lie down for a few hours. How much hassle is that for them to organise? :roll:

 

And why did they do away with the public showers? Trying to wash your bits 'n' pieces in a sink in a busy toilet next to the cafe at 6.30 in the morning after semi-sleeping on a 1ft wide bench in a fully lit bar? Luxury :evil:

 

The bags in the luggage room has better overnight conditions. At least your rucksack gets a shelf :?

 

How come, no matter what time you board the boat, there's always backpackers with blankets on the 2 sofas above the reception? :roll:

 

And the price of the cinema.......

 

And the lack of left luggage in Aberdeen.......

 

And despite the appalling level of service, expensive fares and huge subsidies, they still make a horrendous loss

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Guest Anonymous

i totaly agree with you there guys, i like going to Aberdeen and would not like to go to anywhare else. It might be ok going to leith etc but the extra cost what will it cost to steem to there - its £300 for one person to get a bed and take their car with them. Thats a terible cost for a 'lifeline' link.

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Weel, I have to say I'm absolutely scunnered with the boat. As a student and mother the cash situation is often quite tight. Northlink, however, insist that if I want to book a cabin it has to be exclusive, as you can't share with others if you have a child. They were more than happy for my child and I to sleep in the large bar area though, or when there was no room the play area floor, both of which entailed unconfortable nights within a stone's throw of drunks. Both of those nights there were spaces in shared cabins. Who's the policy for, the safety of the child or the comfort of the other passengers? So, as I'm a horrific sailor the winter weather forced me to go for the exclusive option, which amounted to over £200. I wis da blyde.

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Guest Anonymous

Now hang on a perrie minute. For those like me who suffer while at sea I want an express service from Virkie to Scrabster and one toilet cubicle per passenger. Other than that I must question my sanity about wanting to leave Shetland even for a day/

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Am I being a complete Muppet here or what?

 

The report is recommending the use of vessels larger than 186m ( much larger than the Norrona) as being more fuel efficient.

 

There is still the same amount of freight to shift and the increase in passengers seems to have levelled out, although I accept that if people could get a bed they would be more willing to travel, so it may increase slightly.

 

So how are two thumpin great ferries running all winter with very few passengers aboard (especially if they have to put the foot down to get to Rosyth) going to be more fuel efficient than the present ferries? Have they learnt nothing from Smyril Lines experience?

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There is still the same amount of freight to shift and the increase in passengers seems to have levelled out, although I accept that if people could get a bed they would be more willing to travel, so it may increase slightly.

 

 

Probably, as in, bye bye shetland line=more freight

 

and bigger boats means more cabins/bunks+greater stability=more pleasant ride=more passengers. Maybe?

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Anonymous

they could think of one big boat and one perrie een - like the clare and the suniva - one big one like the norona and keep one of the present eens- then with just the extra in the one big boat might make it a bit better. then in the future they might think of getting a 2nd big one.

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Guest Anonymous

This forum is a load of bull compared to (Link removed due to reports of malicious software content - Shetlink moderators) That has what ppl really want to hear and see. :evil: 8O

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Since it is the users of the forum who ultimately decide it's content, I fail to see how the other site can have "what the people really want"?

 

Sorry, got a bit carried away there. Ever seen chewin the fat where the guy goes mental? Well, it was like that. I gave my computer screen a malkie and now it dosn't work. Thanks fir steppin in admin.......I was gonna end up in jail.

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Probably, as in, bye bye shetland line=more freight

 

 

I just dont see that happening. There is no comparison costwise between lift on and roll on freight. Likewise there is no comparison speedwise, so there is always going to be a market for both.

 

These 'experts' seem to have overlooked a few fairly major points. If their intention is to have larger ferries and do away with the freight ferries, are they aware that many good are classified as 'dangerous goods' and can not be carried on passenger vessels?

 

Also, the freight ferries carry all the inter island freight, beween shetland, orkney and aberdeen. These super ferries would have to spend hours in orkney mid-trip working cargo. The voyage to rosyth is about 5 hours longer as it is without a couple of hours stop-over in kirkwall en route, and to make it worse, Northlink wont let you off the ferry once boarded to sample the delights of the tovhaug!!!

 

Oh and you'll be back to that beloved countrified aroma on the car/freight/livestock deck!

 

and bigger boats means more cabins/bunks+greater stability=more pleasant ride=more passengers. Maybe?

 

I did concede that point in my original post, but I doubt if it would be anything like enough to cover the substantial extra running costs of larger ferries. They're still going to be running all winter with very few people aboard. Anyone remember Smyril Line? Methinks there are pretty obvoius lessons to be learnt there!

 

 

How much did these consultants charge for that report?

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