|
The following has been received from correspondent Kevin Bennett, a
long time traveller with the Isle of Man Steam Packet and relates
the recent experience of friends who travelled to the Isle of Man in
May 2006.
Two friends had
the misfortune to travel to the Isle of Man for a short break via
Liverpool on SUPERSEACAT TWO during May 2006. The experience did not
leave them with a favourable impression of the vessel:
They were
scheduled to travel out on Monday May 22 and returning on Thursday
May 26.
My friends
are not regular Steam Packet travellers and neither are they
shipping enthusiasts. Their comments are more likely to represent
those of an average holiday maker travelling with the Isle of
Man Steam Packet Company.
Prevailing
weather conditions on their outward day of travel were poor, with
gale force winds, heavy rain and rough seas at best marginal
conditions for fast craft operation.
SUPERSEACAT TWO
arrived at Liverpool at 10:00. Before boarding my friends had to
pass through the Liverpool security check which they considered over
the top when compared to that at Douglas on the return trip which
was just plain tedious!
When my friends
boarded SUPERSEACAT TWO the first thing that hit them was the smell
from the servery but then this appeared to be mingled with the eau
de vomit.
After
negotiating around puddles of sick on the
floor they also noted evidence of vomit up seat backs and had a job
finding seats which were clean, dry and not broken.
For the whole
sailing they were trapped inside the vessel as the open deck space
was closed to passengers. Any passengers that did manage to escape
the smell of vomit were soon chased back inside by the crew.
Obviously all in the name of health and safety!
Once clear of
the Liverpool Bar – all hell let loose, things were flying of tables
and shelves and the sound of breaking glass and crockery could be
heard – passengers and crew were being thrown around violently.
From what I have
been told - in these conditions I
personally don’t think the vessel should have sailed. The prevailing
conditions made the crossing unpleasant for both passengers and crew
and which obviously put stress on the vessel. I think
passengers deserve some degree of comfort and safety over schedule
keeping. If that means cancelling a sailing due to the weather – so
be it – or perhaps better still get a more suitable vessel!
Many people who
my friends spoke to said they would not have travelled had they been
warned of the sea conditions at check – in. During the voyage
all the crew appeared to be doing was running around frantically
with sick bags or cleaning up vomit. Due to the conditions
most of the retail outlets remained closed. My friend was sick a
number of times and found the crew unhelpful and unsympathetic. [Not
surprising when he appears to have been one of many! - JHL]
This was understandable as they were being run ragged. On board
there were 23 crew looking after 269 poorly passengers.
The air
conditioning was apparently working overtime probably trying to
reduce the stomach churning stench. [Keeping
the cabin cool / cold should reduce the incidence of mal-de-mer.
People often become ill when they become too warm - JHL]
My friend
visited the aft toilets to be confronted by unmentionables mixed
with vomit sloshing around the floor. Opting for the forward toilets
conditions were little better – so much for the money well spent
upgrading the toilets during the refit!
The
sight of water seeping into the vessel from numerous panels as well
as through some of the window seals was a further un-nerving aspect
of the crossing.
By the time
Douglas was reached my friends had never been so pleased to
disembark on to dry land and a breath fresh air!
I would hate to
think what things would have been like on board had there been 400+
passengers travelling.
Part of the
problem with SUPERSEACAT TWO since the refit, has in my opinion,
been the loss of the availability of the upper quiet lounge to
“steerage” passengers in favour of first class. This appears to put
pressure on the main deck seating. [On very
busy sailings 1st Class now appear to be placed in part of the Blue
Riband Club Lounge - which isn't fair to members who pay a
significant annual fee - and who were promised more space following
the refit and relocation of 1st Class! - JHL]
When my friends
returned from Douglas on May 26 conditions were much calmer, though
SUPERSEACAT TWO appeared to have a full load. They still found it
difficult to find clean, unstained seats for the return sailing.
SUPERSEACAT TWO
departed Douglas on time and she was secure on Prince’s Landing
Stage at 16:23. However, they did not emerge from the terminal
building until 16:55 after enduring chaos in the baggage reclaim
area.
Over the years
my friends have travelled to the Isle of Man on a succession of
ships LADY OF MANN, KING ORRY, SEACAT ISLE OF MAN, SUPERSEACAT TWO
and SUPERSEACAT THREE. As fast craft go they preferred SEACAT ISLE
OF MAN over either of the SUPERSEACATs and the KING ORRY over the
LADY OF MANN when it came to conventional ships.
- Kevin Bennett |
