Author Topic: Scandinavia / Polferries  (Read 5564 times)

Offline polsteam

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Scandinavia / Polferries
« on: October 13, 2005, 06:07:34 PM »
The ferry is generally OK, so is the service onboard.

However I have to comment on a feature found onboard which is extremely irritating to a shiplover.


Due do vague reasons some places on open decks that should be definitely open for passengers, because - after all - they had been designed as such, are fenced with small gates on accommodation ladders or closed with chains or pieces of rope.


Some ferries, especially the more modern ones, are often designed with very poor, limited access to open decks, especially as far as sites allowing for looking to the fore (and seeing what is in front of the ship) are concerned.


Scandinavia has this excellent feature (by design) that passengers can look fore, while standing on the open deck ABOVE the bridge (exactly on top of the bridge), yet they are stupidly prevented from entering there.


Oh, this "ban everything without a reasonable explanation" culture perhaps..   :(


Even if we assume (but it is obviously wrong, false reasoning), that for some (made up) security resons passengers' access on the open deck NEAR the bridge should be banned (bullshit), then i wonder what the hell is the reason to prevent passengers onboard Scandinavia from entering the aft most and upper most full ship width sun deck with the aft edge being the superstructure wall above the transom stern?...
You cannot see the keelwater trace behind the ship onboard Scandinavia.
Not only the foremost upper open deck is closed to passengers but aft one as well even despite they should be open to passengers as they had been designed as such.

This is probably a security over-reaction driven paranoia !


Also, while on most or all ferries the boat deck is open to the public (passengers) and you can freely walk passing by the boat davits (sometimes separated from a promenade deck by railings) and under the boats, on Scandinavia it is different.
You have small pieces of deck FORE of the boats and AFT of the boats accessible separately by door from inside.
You cannot walk the whole length of the boat deck.


Maybe ferry operators should lock all the passengers in cabins ?....
despite using "polsteam" for my nick I have NO personal (professional) or business connections with the company of the same name

Offline Jeroen v.d. Kaaden

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Re: Scandinavia / Polferries
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2005, 04:32:26 PM »
Polsteam,

I noticed the last 3 years the same points as you discripped. I travel generaly between germany-sweden/norway, and between denmark norway, with mostly Stena Line and Color Line (last time Fjord Line).

For 8 years ago it was possible to walk over the entire deck of ships, (Stena Scandinavia/Germanica for example) now these days it's not possible anymore to go straight behind the bridgewings, it's "strictly forbidden" to go that stair up to that deck level. (blocked with chain/cable).  The same for Color line, last time I sailed with the 'M/V Color Fantasy' i noticed a lot of out-board camera's, for watching the deck (some years before there were no camera's) and whole area's were not accesable, so that a lot of passangers had to stand all-togehter on a small piece of deckarea, I couldn't even standing to the railing to take some nice pict's of the sailing out of the port!!  

But it can be have several reasons for blocking area's, I noticed it also that it's sometimes temporary (maybe because of hightimes in some seasons) or by repairworks/alternatingworks of, stairs/handrail, davits, lifeboats, paintworks, etc..  But the main reason is i think realy safety, the threat terroristic-attacks now these days after 9-11, in that case it's a good thing, that's my oppinion, ships are getting larger, lots of people in some seasons so it's a serious target.

But ofcourse i understand your frustration, but sometimes, when it's quit on the outside decks (later in the evening) I go out again with my camera, and look over my shoulder for 2, 3 times, and just crossing the chain or cable, watch out for deckcamera's, take my picts, enjoy the view and go back, and (hopefully) know-one see's :-D  

Regards,
Jeroen.

Offline Norfolkline

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Re: Scandinavia / Polferries
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2005, 06:19:14 AM »
Hi,

Most probebly this is a result of tight ISPS regulations. However ISPS is first of all regulated by the company itself, it has to be approved by the goverment. All because 9/11.

Rgds

Offline Jackdusty

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Re: Scandinavia / Polferries
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2005, 04:48:05 PM »
Going back to the wife's home (Gdynia) next year and from there go by sea (non-ferry) to Sweden or England but it seems impossible to find any contacts to see what's out there for sailings. Is there any sailings from Poland apart from ferries ??

Pozdrowienia
Jackdusty   :-)
Jackdusty  :pint:

Offline Robert Winduss

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Re: Scandinavia / Polferries
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2005, 11:03:33 AM »
Interesting comment polsteam. I travelled on the Dover-Calais route in 2002 and was surprised how some ships lacked deck space for sight seeing. What worried me even more was how to escape from inside during an emergency!
Travelling recently Melbourne-Tasmania-Melbourne on the "Spirit of Tasmania" pair (ex-Superfasts) I was pleased to find deck space on each side of deck 7. But as the ships are non-smoking inside, the decks tended to be crowded with fellow passengers puffing away merrily as if to compete with the funnel above. The view was great though.

Bob :-D

 

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