First Ferry Sucks!!!
Posted by SpikeFeb 4
The only negative in our Macau trip was First Ferry, both coming and going.
I didn’t want to pay $1,000 to park by the ferry terminal for four days. And didn’t want to deal with dragging luggage through the MTR and the city streets. I figured that the taxi trip to China Ferry Terminal in TST would be much cheaper than a taxi to Shun Tak Centre. And so …
Ferry to Macau – the trip there took 75 minutes and it was rough all the way. Something was clanging loudly in the front of the boat for the entire ride. And the rough seas in the HK harbor had my girlfriend reaching for the puke bag.
Ferry to TST – the trip back took 85 minutes. No clanging but the boat was bobbing up and down, back and forth the entire way. This time my gf managed to keep her breakfast in but people all around me were diving for the puke bags. It seemed that even the wake from row boats was setting us off.
Talk about your slow fucking boats to China!
In 15 years of going to Macau, this was by far the most uncomfortable, “when the fuck will it be over” trip I’ve taken there. I will not be using First Ferry again. I’ll pay the extra $50 or $100 each way to Shun Tak.
Like so many other bullshit second rate services in Hong Kong, First Ferry is owned by a property company, in this case New World. HKCEC, First Bus, Citybus, Chow Tai Fook and more. In terms of their ferry service, they’ve accomplished the extraordinary rare feat of making Stanley Ho look good.
20 comments
Comment by smog on February 4, 2010 at 8:41 pm
I hardly think you can blame First Ferry for fucking up the harbour by reclaiming so much of it and putting vertical walls which reflect the waves on much of the shore! The harbour used to be famed for its tranquillity. Now it’s a nightmare in any boat smaller than about 150 feet. Blame the rapacious property developers and the completely screwed up thinking that says Hong Kong must grow and grow and grow, and hence fill in more and more of the harbour.
Comment by Spike on February 4, 2010 at 8:48 pm
If you take the time to go back and read what I wrote, you’ll see that I wrote “the boat was bobbing up and down, back and forth the entire way” and not just in the HK harbor.
Comment by S on February 4, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Which day was it that you took the ferry to Macau (or back to HK) ? I happened to come back from Macau Saturday evening with Turbo Jet on a TRI-CAT. It was really, really choppy, far more than my trip there Friday morning. May be the seas were just rough that day!
Comment by Spike on February 4, 2010 at 10:53 pm
We went to Macau on Monday, 1:30 PM boat. Returned today (Thursday) noon boat.
Comment by Ed Burke on February 5, 2010 at 7:50 am
Hey, don’t rock the boat.
Comment by whitedusk on February 5, 2010 at 9:33 am
The ferry ride has been the only reason that’s keeping us away from Macau. Anyone tried the chopper ride yet?
Comment by Don Quixote on February 5, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Only way in and out of Macau as far as I’m concerned is the Cotai Jet. Nice, spacious, fast boats, and no immigration queues.
Comment by Spike on February 5, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Chopper’s too expensive for me!
Comment by Spike on February 5, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Yeah and since my new favorite is A Petisqueira in Taipa, I’ll probably go this route when I go over for just a day trip. What I need to find out is how to register for the e-channel in Macau, couldn’t find any info online, at least not in English.
Comment by Don Quixote on February 5, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Have done the helicopter I think 3 times.
Coming back from Macau on a rare clear night into HK is cheap at twice the price. Try and get a front window seat.
Just back from the new pool bar above Club Venus. Not bad.
Comment by Spike on February 6, 2010 at 10:10 am
Where is Club Venus?
Comment by whitedusk on February 6, 2010 at 11:17 am
Promotional package is HKD2650/one-way to Macau for 2. Probably once in a lifetime trip for me… but there’s the return trip to worry about… No offers for Macau-HK leg which cost something like HKD1900/pax…
Comment by Spike on February 6, 2010 at 11:25 am
Yeah, the thing is, for $1900 I can do a round trip to Manila and have enough change back to pay for the hotel! (Of course Macau is a helluva lot nicer!)
Comment by whitedusk on February 6, 2010 at 11:42 am
How much did you spend for the trip (hotel, tickets etc) anyway?
Comment by Spike on February 6, 2010 at 3:57 pm
The boat tix were $140 each way. Thought I’d already posted the prices for the hotel – standard room less than $1200++, executive room with free internet, free buffet breakfast for two, slightly larger room, higher floor was $300 more. Our most expensive meal was at Litoral, around $900, which included the $400 bottle of wine.
Comment by whitedusk on February 6, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Think I missed that post on hotel rates. Good for a short vacation without flying. With the amount of time you have you should check out Kyoto-Osaka. About <HKD3000 during off-peak.
Comment by Spike on February 6, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I went to Kyoto six months ago. It’s a lot easier for us to choose vacation spots that don’t require a visa for my gf.
Comment by Joyce Lau on February 6, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I’m with Smog.
The harbour is destroyed. It’s like a traffic jam set amid rocky seas.
We took the Macau ferry from Central / Sheung Wan recently. And it was also very rough. In fact, we even had to stop more than once to let bigger ships go by.
Many people were sick around us. The boat smelled like vomit. And my husband almost lost it!
This was several weeks ago.
Comment by Don Quixote on February 7, 2010 at 10:43 am
Club Venus is on blowjob corner.
New pool bar is on the 2nd floor… take the lift near Thai Hut.
Comment by Spike on February 7, 2010 at 10:45 am
D-oh! I thought you were talking about some place in Macau.