Hello There,
Not an easy question to answer for sure!It would have to depend on what aspect you are looking at and comparing it.For example passenger comfort and the ability to clear the lot the 2 new ferries beat them hands down.In regards to breakdowns and cancellations the 2 old Gulfspans seem to beat them in that department.In regards to breakdowns whether it is getting to know your ship which in this day and age are very complicated pieces of machinery, incompetence or they are just lemons, based on results so far the old vessels seemed to have performed better.Also the issue of cancellations has also come to the forefront.The new vessels seem to be alongside the dock more often which is most likely a result of the new vessels bigger size and handling.Some say it is because they are junk and others say they are not designed for the run.It seems to be a tough call for many reasons and comes down to personal opinion.From my experience I have enjoyed travelling on the new ones and the old ones and they all have good points and bad.To to me you cannot compare them based on their different size,characteristics and crew experience(You are comparing the Gulfspans with 20 years of crew experience to the Seabridgers with almost 1 year of crew experience).It is definately a tough one to call so far and I think will be for the foreseeable future.
Take Care
Jarrod