Another sleepless night as the boat plies its way across the strait at a leisurely 23 knots; smoothly riding a reported three metre swell with just enough sway to make you walk like a drunkard. The “cheap seats” are at the noisy vibrating end of the ship, they face backwards and, if the wind happens to be aft, exhaust fumes sometimes waft inside. A higher deck is mostly deserted but the benches are narrow and hard and there are other impediments to sleep: metal fixtures vibrate loudly at regular intervals and sliding doors crash open and closed; and an empty video game parlour crammed with brightly lit machines that play inane sounds all night long.
Padded benches just under the “do not sleep here” signs in the lounge are more comfortable but word has got around and all spots are taken. There are comfortable benches further along but TV screens blaze throughout the night and it’s impossible to sleep to the sound of long-running infomercials promising healthier skin or better-toned abs. A few screens are tuned to sports channels and it is possible to doze lightly during rugby.
Other insomniacs wander the decks; some brave the outdoors to sample the bracing night air and smoke a cigarette, others happily tell you about free tea and coffee available in the diner before it opens for breakfast, others do Sudoku and one nerdy person whiles away the hours writing.
Of course there are cabins which, for extra cost, provide a proper bed if you don’t mind sharing with strangers of the same gender. Some might like it but I just feel uncomfortable. Once, owing to a fortuitous free upgrade, I travelled in a deluxe cabin complete with porthole and situated near the pointy end of the ship. That’s the way to go if you can afford it! However, if “day tickets” were available for night sailings, I’d buy those, since a good night’s sleep is a very unlikely prospect.
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