I just came back from Devonport sailing and experiencing the 9-hour Spirit of Tasmania from Melbourne. Being able to bring my car to Tasmania meant that I could save some money for me and my companions. However, depending on the dates you choose to sail, prices can differ and it might end up cheaper to fly into Hobart or Launceston.
Since it was the Easter week, the fares were not on the low side. On our trip there, we had to pick the day sail (although we would have preferred the night sailing). There were plenty of comfortable seats of different shapes and sizes onboard but if you prefer more privacy, you might want to buy a cabin or a recliner. Since it was a day sailing and the price of a cabin were twice that of our fares, we decided to just roam around the ship.
I am not going to bore you with the details about what you can find on the ship. You can always visit the SOT website for more information. In short, there were 1 restaurant, 2 snack bars, 1 alcoholic bar, 1 playground, 2 games room, 2 cinemas playing different movies at different times of the day (chargeable) and 1 adult gaming room.
We were done exploring the ship on the first hour we got there. We picked our seats on deck 7 port side where there were comfortable armchairs, tables and power points. Fortunately we boarded the ship early and got some ‘good’ seats. However, depending on the crowd, you might end up on plastic chairs on deck 9 and your butt might not be thankful to you at the end of the 9-hour journey.
Unlike being on a plane where realestate is prime, on a ship, you have the luxury of space. With a generous inflight entertainment system, killing time is easy on a plane but on a ship like this, it is a challenge if you are not prepared. We watched Big Boss baby which cost us $10 each. Wifi cost about $15 for the whole duration of the journey but we decided not to since the signals would be patchy along the way. As far as your eyes could see land, otherwise 3G/4G signals were almost non-existent.
So here’s 9 tips to survive that 9-hour journey from Melbourne to Devonport on a day sailing – sans a private cabin.
1. Bring a book / magazine / newspaper
2. Crossword puzzles / Sudoku / Cards
3. Snacks (because nothing is free on the ship except drinking water)
4. Sunscreen – there’s no suntan chair for you to get a shade darker but no one is stopping you to go outside and let the wind caress your hair as you watch the world goes by
5. iPad / laptop loaded with your favourite shows / music
6. Breakfast and lunch – Food ain’t that fantastic on the ship. So bring your own.
7. Coffee / tea – there’s hot water at the automatic coffee dispenser in the only retail shop. You might want to bring a tumbler to hold your hot water
8. Cross-stitch / knitting if you are into those
9. Eye shade for when you want to snooze…
Enjoy the pictures below…
