Cook Strait Ferries Megathread

[Laava]

I booked BB for next fri morning purely as a guarantee I get a fare. Prob could have still winged it but whangarei to chch is too-big a trip to rely on casual booking in the circumstances.

[BMWST?]

if you're in no hurry or don't mind the extra half hour, the blue bridge is good to travel on

st regina is much the same as the interislander,straitsman is slower .But i reckon they have the best food i have had on the strait

[_Shrek_]

I'm sailing on it tomorrow with the bike with a group of riders. We all got booked on no trouble. I have used BB before but it was some years ago.

More concerned now about the sound of RAIN on the roof! Time to dust off the wets. Most years we can avoid the rain in the South by simply switching sides between East or West, but tomorrow looks like one of those bastard days where there's no escaping the bloody rain.

welcome to the south

st regina is much the same as the interislander,straitsman is slower .But i reckon they have the best food i have had on the strait

aye would have to agree there

[MD]

Doh! Santa Vagina has broken down in Picton this morning. At least BB are good at informing us. Got a personal ph call at 6.30am and regular texts since. So did the other guys so well done on that front BB.

Not the best of starst to a long weekend of riding the best roads in the world though. Still, just means over dosing on coffees waiting for updates. Better than being at work!

[Tazz]

Doh! Santa Regina has broken down in Picton this morning. At least BB are good at informing us. Got a personal ph call at 6.30am and regular texts since. So did the other guys so well done on that front BB.

Not the best of starts to a long weekend of riding the best roads in the world though. Still, just means over dosing on coffees waiting for updates. Better than being at work!

Ahh, gutted to hear that. Not like they can reach into a bottomless pit of money when things like this happen either, unlike their 'competition'.
At least it was an even playing field when Toll owned the Interislander

Hope they get it sorted soon. I was reading permission was being sought to take the Aratere on freight only runs with the help of a tug. Would help get things back on schedule if they could.

[BEAMER89]

I just got this email from Interislander,

"Last night Interislander confirmed the charter of a ship to replace Aratere until a replacement tail-shaft is built and installed on Aratere in drydock early in the New Year.

The chartered ship, Stena Alegra, will be able to take passengers and cars as well as road freight. This will significantly reduce capacity constraints across Cook Strait until Aratere’s return to service.

However the severe lack of vehicle capacity in the critical lead-up before Christmas still remains.

The ship will take several weeks to sail from Poland where she is currently moored. There will be regulatory issues to resolve, crew training and some trial runs as a freight only ship before Stena Alegra can enter service as a passenger vessel. We currently anticipate that this will occur sometime in early January.

The good news is though that we will be busy for the next few days integrating the new ship into our timetable and shortly we will be able to open our booking system for new vehicle bookings in January to soon give visitors to New Zealand and domestic holidaymakers some certainty to their travel plans from early January onwards.

Please note that we are open to take new foot passenger bookings right throughout the busy Christmas period on at least one sailing on each date and in both directions.

We hope to have some vehicle space available for sale shortly for the period 25 Dec – 5 Jan on our remaining two ships when the freight demand slows down in the period immediately post-Christmas.

We will get further information on a revised timetable and any available vehicle capacity through to you as soon as possible.


To read the press release and for more information you can visit our website here.

To check out the Stena Alegra you can view it here"

l should be all good to book my bike across in Feb to the "Classic bike racing at Hampton Downs"

[insomnia01]

i got that email last night also & I'm not crossing till March

[oldman_rider2013]

There are 4 of us crossing ( north to south) on the 10th of Feb next year do you need to book or will it be ok just to turn up?

[STJim]

There are 4 of us crossing ( north to south) on the 10th of Feb next year do you need to book or will it be ok just to turn up?

I would try and book. I have just had my interisland booking for 22 February changed for the second time. I expect that the Inteislander will be taking bookings again soon with their replacement ferry being here from mid January. You might have more certainty booking with Blue Bridge.

[strumpet]

There are 4 of us crossing ( north to south) on the 10th of Feb next year do you need to book or will it be ok just to turn up?

Theres a few crossing South to North the week of Waitangi Day and the next week. The Triumph National Rally is 7-9 Feb at Lake Karapiro and the HOG National Rally is in Palmy the following weekend. Not to forget the Paeroa street races as well that weekend. So for anyone crossing with bike(s) over that period I would think about booking soon rather than risk a' turn up and see' approach.

[oldman_rider2013]

Unfortunately I'm out voted we are doing the turn up and see approach , at least I can do the I told you so thing ,although that may not help much.

[BMWST?]

Unfortunately I'm out voted we are doing the turn up and see approach , at least I can do the I told you so thing ,although that may not help much.

i ussually book but i have never had trouble when i have turned up early or late...However at busy times(like it sounds like it may be at this time) you could miss out.in your place i would ensure you have your own tie downs.

[oldman_rider2013]

.in your place i would ensure you have your own tie downs.

Yep got them

[Transalper]

Thought is was a lot cheaper if you booked.
Pain to have to plan around those things.

[oldman_rider2013]

I guess it can't be a bad thing to stay in Wellington if we can't get on a ferry that day..any recommendations if we do?