| e-mail: matt@hhvferry.com |
| [HOME] [LINKS] [HENGIST] [HORSA] [VORTIGERN] [INDEX PAGES: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z] |
| CANADA, SUMMER 2006 Part Two continued: C.T.M.A. Vacancier Cap-aux-Meules - Chandler Text and all pictures © matt@hhvferry.com except where stated |
| Top: The C.T.M.A. Vacancier at Cap-aux-Meules. |
| The central section of Deck 6 is split by the central funnel casing into two alleyways on either side; to port, the main reception desk can be found. Ahead is the shop, once offering Duty Free but now selling a variety of travel essentials, local products and C.T.M.A. souvenirs. On either beam of this there remain banks of reclining seats: given the ship is supposed to be a cruise ship, this seemed slightly unusual but these were very evidently popular with the more elderly passengers who could happily sit there chatting, reading a book or catching a quick snooze. It all presented a strange contrast to the image one had of the young HML travellers who would have settled down for the night in this spot during her period as the largest ship in the Brindisi backpacker trade. Right forward is the self-service cafeteria, which served rather happily as the Mariehamn Cafeteria under ICL. Like the former Shamrock Restaurant on the deck above, this is a Viking Line original, complete with its original furniture, colourful tiled artworks and distinctive light fittings. The cafeteria servery is aft, entered from either side, whereas the restaurant retains its central smörgåsbord tables. Aft of the restaurant on Deck 7 are some of the ship’s original passenger cabins, ahead of the aft lounge; previously a reclining seat lounge, this has now been split with a port-side cinema adjacent to a main saloon with individual tables and chairs. The counter in the lounge retains its old Irish Ferries “Coffee Dock” name. It was here, having decamped from the main bar to avoid the hordes of elderly passengers engaged in a mass outbreak of line dancing, that we were introduced to the ship’s kids’ club mascot – an overstuffed giant bird with a winning demeanour who seemed attracted to us very possibly because we were close to being the youngest passengers on board. |
| Above: The main reception desk on the C.T.M.A. Vacancier. |
| Amongst the renaissance of this delightfully renovated ferry, a doubt lingered at the back of our minds: would C.T.M.A. be able to rise to the cruise occasion with a decent meal offering? The answer, alas, was a resounding no. Food is included in the price for all passengers but during our evening on board the restaurant was never opened for dinner. Instead we were presented with the services of the cafeteria but here the offering was dismal: a variety of sandwiches on stale bread and wrapped in cellophane was available along with some adequate freshly made cookies. The limitless supplies of each of these hardly compensated for the lack of any proper food: even a bowl of soup would have represented a 100% improvement here but alas, with the sandwiches all but inedible, we were instead reduced to nibbling on the packs of saltine biscuits that are usually served to accompany soup in Canada but which we paired with margarine to provide a minimal amount of sustenance.
Trying to rationalise this, it seems that C.T.M.A. know their market only too well: those elderly passengers had spent all day exploring the islands and had been fed and watered during the day, with the promise of a light snack on their return to the ship. As just about the only people joining the ‘Vacancier’ here we were therefore a bit out of things. But still, not even opening the restaurant to give people the option of having a proper evening meal seemed a little shoddy and this was mentioned at the information desk to little avail. Presumably on other days the company are able to offer something more than we were served but it left us singularly unimpressed. Breakfast the following morning after arrival in Chandler was only slightly better. At Chandler we left C.T.M.A. and the ‘Vacancier’ behind; the genuinely prohibitive cost of sailing onwards (CAN$659 for the three night trip from the islands to Montreal in an outside cabin with private facilities) was allied to the chance of some time in New Brunswick. What then to make of C.T.M.A.? Compared to several monopoly ferry operators serving some islands which spring to mind, they do a pretty good job, and I have yet to hear or read any complaints from islanders about the service they offer. The core ferry route is reliable and they have expanded the islands’ tourist potential from the large cities to the east since the introduction of the ‘Vacancier’. If only they could sort out their food. As the ship’s cruise passengers disembarked the ship to board their coaches for the day’s outings on the Gaspé peninsular, we drove north to explore the area around Gaspé itself, before ultimately joining a connecting Air Canada Jazz flight back to Montreal and onwards to Vancouver. |
| Above & below: Forward of reception, on either side of the main shop are (above to port) an alleyway with shop displays and (below, starboard) an area of reclining seating. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Above: The fairly well stocked ship's shop. |
 |
 |
 |
| Above & below: Right forward on Deck 6 is the self-service cafeteria, entirely unchanged from its Irish Ferries days and in fact mostly dating from the Viking Line era. |
 |
| Above: The cafeteria servery area. |
 |
| Above & below: The comfortable and immaculate forward restaurant on Deck 7. |
 |
 |
| Above: The restaurant retains its original central smörgåsbord counter. |
 |
| Above & below: The former reclining seat lounge, aft on Deck 7, has now been split with a new cinema to port (above) and general seating to starboard. |
 |
 |
| Above: In various areas the C.T.M.A. Vacancier retains her original abstract artwork panels, all in a similar style to this one seen in the upper aft lounge, artist unknown. |
 |
| Above: Dr Bruce Peter BA (Hons) MA (RCA) PhD. And a bird. |
 |
 |
 |
| Above & below: The ship has plentiful outside deck space including tiered aft decks (above) and partially covered promenades (below). |