We took the ferry back; it arrived late in North Sydney. We were told that The Vision, Newfoundland's new elegant ferry was running late so we had to wait until it left North Sydney to be able to dock. We sat in the water for some time. While the photo was taken on Day 207 - I'm writing this on July 29. I saw this article on the CBC site: It talked about the fact that on the new ferry there are more cabins and the beds are covered with duvets. It takes the housekeeping staff much longer to change the beds and clean, delaying the ferry. Sunday was bad; apparently Monday was even worse.
We were told to be at the ferry between 6:30 and 7:30 (with the ship scheduled to leave at 9:00) The wait for the ferry passed by – looking at the license plates from all over (BC, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Texas ….) and chatting with some others who shared their past experience with the ferry. Finally we drove into the gaping mouth of the ferry. It is unbelievable how many vehicles fit into this ship – from huge 18 wheelers with full cargo to passenger cars, motor homes, motorcycles, school buses, trucks towing boats... It took over and hour and a half just to load them all on. The ferry, itself is quite large with lounges, areas with seats that recline, a cafeteria, movie theatre, lounge with entertainment and sleeping cabins. We had been on the waiting list for a cabin and were fortunate enough to get one once we were on the ferry. Neither of us relished a night sitting up (no matter how far the seats reclined or that they had foot rests). Our cabin was well equipped with 4 bunks and a bathroom with a shower. Once the lights were off it was very dark and that plus the slight rocking of the ship helped us sleep.
The crossing is supposed to take 14-16 hours – it really makes you feel you are going somewhere far away. In this day of jet travel, we sometimes don't appreciate distances . Moving at a slower pace and through the territory makes you realize how vast our country is and how it is possible to have regions with such varied cultures – born of the different environments, different immigrants who settled there and different realities.
