The North Boat (Northlink ferries)

[Skunnered]

It would add on at least 5 hours steaming time at a reasonable speed.

 

So either you'd have people complaining that the journey is too long, or you'd have to go at a speed so fast that the cost would defeat the point.

 

And it would have to be Rosyth rather than Leith as Leith doesn't have ro/ro facilities and is hampered by the tides on a daily basis.

 

And Rosyth isn't Edinburgh. It is pretty much useless for foot passengers.

 

Absolutely spot-on on all counts!

[mikeyboy]

Boy boy im heard it all noo mikeyboy your on about a smaller boat tae Aberdeen hows dat gain tae wirk in da winter...

Sorry old bean didn't understand a word of that.

Isn't it part of the issue that Northlink are using smaller boats with a shallower draught?

I was thinking of a large boat carrying trucks etc leaving Leith/Rosyth.

[mikeyboy]

Glipper there is a push on to get traffic of the roads. I am wondering if the financial / environmental savings in not doing that extra 100 odd road miles would offset the extra fuel costs.

I thought the current ships have docked at Leith in the past due to bad weather??

As for tides Ive gone in and out off Leith on ships and don't remember it being an issue. I just assumed there was a deep channel after the lock.

I will check the tide tables and get back to you.

I'm just wondering however where do those lorries off fish go to? Is their final destination Aberdeen?

[smarty]

I recently travelled on the north boat where I and my family was verbally abused by a group of drunk orkney young singletons. When I asked them at 3.00am to be quieter I suffered a round of abuse and hearing all their sexual preferences in graphic detail

and was told to F--k off shetland sharn! I was forced to try and sleep with my family in the bar area at the front of the boat due to no cabins being available. I did not sleep and made the decision to never travel on the ferry again unless I had a cabin. I believe Northlink should have a policy like the airlines if folk are intoxicated when trying to board they are not allowed on board, although they may wel have taken other stuff too I think

 

(***Mod Edit - Merged with existing thread***)

[JustMe]

Part of the problem with Northlink's cabins is that though there may be none available that does not mean that there are no berths unused but simply that passengers are choosing to "buy" the spare berths in a cabin rather than having to share. A direct result of Northlink not having a better range of cabins available including singles for people travelling on their own as well as 3/5/6 berth cabins for families.

 

As for 3am noise be it abusive or just plain disturbing I would have hoped that the on-board security staff would have dealt with that.

[crofter-amy]

All they want is folk on the ferry. Why think they care about drunkenness when they have TWO bars on there and no decent place, for those unable to get a cabin, to sleep.

[man of kent]

Strangely enough I was talking to a very good friend of mine who is also living in England but from Shetland like me. We were chatting about how it used to be a great experience going home by boat!

Spending the evening in the bar, someone on a fiddle rather than on the fiddle. Someone else on the old squeeze box and a good time was had by all , a little bit of Shetland before you got there!

There were cabins to retire to, so what idiot came up with totally the wrong ship for the job?

I'm coming home in January by boat for the first time in 30 years, I hope its not going to be a disappointment like you guy's have had.

[Seaflech]

Strangely enough I was talking to a very good friend of mine who is also living in England but from Shetland like me. We were chatting about how it used to be a great experience going home by boat!

Spending the evening in the bar, someone on a fiddle rather than on the fiddle. Someone else on the old squeeze box and a good time was had by all , a little bit of Shetland before you got there!

There were cabins to retire to, so what idiot came up with totally the wrong ship for the job?

I'm coming home in January by boat for the first time in 30 years, I hope its not going to be a disappointment like you guy's have had.

 

I was on the boat a couple of weeks ago and there were definitely cabins on it

I don't think the installation of fiddle and accordian players was in the design specifications for the ship, that's up to the public!

 

I guess we just live in different times

[Michael]

I haven't travelled with a cabin for a good while now but have had no problems (or heard of no problems) for a good 10 or so trips. As far as my experience has been, you must have been unlucky

[JustMe]

One thing the debate about cabins reminds me of is when I used to travel with another ferry company and they would not sell tickets for overnight crossings until all cabins and reclining seats had been booked (and of course paid for). On my last overnight crossing with Northlink I was not exactly happy to see sleeping bags (empty) laid out on some of the benches in the forward bar even before the ship had left Lerwick. Thought that it did not look good for the rest of the passengers.

 

Having said that I think that there are insufficient toilets provided for passengers without cabins (and perhaps even insufficient for passengers using the restaurant, cafeteria or bars who do not want to make a trip back to a distant cabin to spend a penny) and I also think that if Northlink cannot (or will not) provide washrooms and showers for passengers in reclining seats or sleeping in the bars then they should provide these facilities within the terminals at either end of the journey.

[paulb]

Strangely enough I was talking to a very good friend of mine who is also living in England but from Shetland like me. We were chatting about how it used to be a great experience going home by boat!

Spending the evening in the bar, someone on a fiddle rather than on the fiddle. Someone else on the old squeeze box and a good time was had by all , a little bit of Shetland before you got there!

There were cabins to retire to, so what idiot came up with totally the wrong ship for the job?

I'm coming home in January by boat for the first time in 30 years, I hope its not going to be a disappointment like you guy's have had.

memory always plays trick hot summers and snowy winters. im sure that there were great times on the old boat but i also bet there were drunks and bad crossings to.

[Guest Anonymous]

aw man , the states of drink folk used to get in on the clair , unreal , had a go at it too, thankfully thats been tidied up. Nothing worse as gettin somebody steaming in those shoe box cabins, dreadfull.

[unlinkedstudent]

^^ Northlink does have a policy if someone is "worse for wear" - I think this is probably part of general Maritime Regulations relating to ferries and no doubt someone more in the know than me might point you in the right direction.

 

The security staff onboard do deal with such instances be it relating to drunks, abusive behaviour, kids running wild unsupervised, ciggie ashtrays on fire, etc.

 

I posted a while ago on the Northlink boat thread re being unable to get a ticket around the time of the volcano spewing - I must say that I did manage to get onboard in the end and the staff were absolutely wonderful. My friend had just been diagnosed with cancer (and sadly died within 3 months) and the staff onboard, including one of the security officers, were extremely helpful and as there were no cabins or berths shown as available when we set sail, it was suggested to me that I put my name down. Sure enough, about 40 minutes later I was called over the tannoy and did get a shared berth.

 

I'm not a great fan of the boats but have found on most journeys that the staff are polite, helpful and courteous.

[enkelt skapninger]

I think that anyone found to be behaving antisocially on the boat should be asked to leave by security.

 

 

[daveh]

Not that easy if they are first spotted, behaving antisocially, when the boat is already at sea.

Should they be requested to walk the plank, perhaps?