Jaunted

Transportation

New Ferry Not Just an Irish Joke

May 15, 2007 at 9:34 AM | 0 Comments

Options for grabbing a ferry between Britain and Ireland have got bigger and better this year with the introduction of the Stena ferry service between Fishguard, United Kingdom, and Rosslare, Ireland.

With a fast crossing time of just 2 hours, they're obviously hoping to hold onto a market that could be tempted to flock to budget airlines. Stena's also got summer specials of £80 for a single ticket (car included) plus extra adults for just 17 quid a piece if you sail mid-week.

150 cars can squeeze onto a Stena ferry. And 650 people telling Irish jokes. For the record, Stena also sails to Holland and Scandinavia, but the jokes there cost extra.

[Photo: isotopp]

Related Stories:
· Stena Line [Official Site]
· Superferry Roils Hawaiian Waters [Jaunted]
· Hong Kong's Ferry Smoggy [Jaunted]

Ferry Service

Superferry Roils Hawaiian Waters

April 23, 2007 at 4:00 PM | 0 Comments

(Jaunted first reported on the Superferry's appearance in Mobile earlier this month. Now, Alex Salkever weighs in with a local's take on the launch.

Honolulu resident and Jaunted contributor Alex Salkever is the editor/founder of Hawaiirama, a painfully authoritative Hawaii travel blog.)

In Mobile, Alabama on April 14, the latest way to get from Maui to Oahu -- the new Hawaii Superferry "Alakai" -- was christened. The 350-foot ferry will carry both people and cars. It's set to sail for the Hawaiian Islands in May 2007. Service on the ferry will begin in July 2007 with passage to and from Honolulu on Oahu, Kahului on Maui, and Nawiliwili on Kauai. Here's a recent article on the topic in the Honolulu Advertiser.

Is this a big deal? It used to be a bigger deal. The fare war brought on by the entrance of go! Airlines has caused interisland plane ticket prices to plummet from nearly $200 round trip to $100 or even, for certain off-peak trips, $60 round trip.

One-way ferry tickets purchased on the Internet will run $47 for passages Tuesday to Thursday, and $57 for voyages departing Friday to Monday. The base tickets will set a traveler back $50 to $60 bucks. Anyone shipping a car or SUV / small pickup will pay a separate fare of $60 to $70, depending on the departure date.

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Hawaii Superferry

Hawaii Superferry: Friend or Foe?

April 11, 2007 at 10:58 AM | 1 Comment

The Hawaii Superferry has cleared environmental hurdles and is aiming to start interisland service in July.

The ferry service has been opposed by environmental factions claiming the big boats will threaten whales, bring invasive species, and cause traffic jams.

One of the leading anti-superferry groups is Maui Tomrrow.

Now we don't know much about environmentalism, but on the surface, doesn't it seem like directing people to ferries and away from airplanes for interisland jaunts will actually help the environment? Can someone ask Leonardo Dicaprio?

In any event, this July, Hawaii Superferry will begin daily passenger and vehicle ferry service between Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, and between Honolulu and Nāwiliwili, Kaua`i. In 2009, daily service begins between Honolulu and Kawaihae on the Island of Hawai`i.

[Photo: lalachan]

Related Stories:
· Official Site [Hawaii Superferry]
· Hawaii Travel Stories [Jaunted]