Is there a better reason for RU-vid at all than sharing steak pie recommendations? Sorry I’m late to this awesome vid, been on a ferry myself with zero phone signal!!!
Haha, I’d love to share a ‘subs and views pie’ with you mate! Congrats on the 100k btw. I hope your Brittany Ferries trip is going well, looking forward to that coming out - kept me in beers all year my Portsmouth to Santander video has 😂
Thanks mate! Hey I absolutely loved Brittany Ferries, especially the lounge, although it was £99, but the food was incredible. And the unlimited beers in there helped too :)
Back in the day I used to get the ferry from Fleetwood over to the Isle of Man. Those were the days as a week in Blackpool was augmented by a couple of days in the Isle of Man.
Looks an impressive vessel Mark, it seems fairly quiet probably the time of the year. I think I mentioned too you before I travel from Llandudno to Douglas back in 1975. Very good crossing by the look of it. 👍🏻
Hi Mark, I loved your video. A long time ago I used to do day return trips to the I-O-M from Liverpool thru the Summer months on the likes of the old Ben My Chree, the old Manmax (Steam Ship) Snaefel (Steam Ship), Lady of Man, Monas Queen. I loved this crossing. Every year you would register with the Steam Packet, and you would receive a weekly update of which ships were on which sailings, and there was a regular group of people who did these daily sailings. It was so good to see the latest Manxman. The new Manxman looks lovely. I personally would have liked more open air deck space. I'm not one to sit in lounges too much, obviously depending on the weather. The food looked good, as did the cabin and lounge. An excellent video. Thank You.
Hi mate, many thanks for the comment and wow, some interesting ships there by the sounds of it (I’ll have to look them up). Never travelled on the Ben but I believe from others comments that there was lots of deck space. I did come back to Liverpool on the Manannan (see my other video on that) but did find it a bit rough! I’d love to see Manxman do that route and maybe the cabins will be more appropriate then too. Cheers 😊👍
Looked like a great trip. Im going over next may with the car on that route at about 0200 departure arriving 0600 staying 3 nights and returning via liverpool crossing. You paid a great price for the ferry. And decent looking grub as well
Mark, your content is always fresh, unique and a lot of normally people will see it and fit very informative in future plans they have in using this ferry service and other of the planes/buses and trains you’ve reviewed. Also most of your content is UK based which I find enjoyable and again v helpful being British myself. Keep it up.
Cheers Shane, thanks for the kind words - much appreciated. I’ll continue with the mainly British content I think as you’re right, mainly U.K. audience my other stuff doesn’t do half as well! Thanks mate 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip It would be nice to see you review Amtrak, Greyhound, Peter Pan, Flixbus, Redcoach, and Vonlane in America... I am sure you would be impressed with Vonlane... You may be shocked though how few proper bus depots are in America today with Greyhound in the process of selling and closing all of their art deco depots...
Was on the Ben My Chree back in October when I had a couple of days I'm the Isle of Man. I think the best way of describing it is the complete opposite to the Manxman. The outdoor deck space is amazing but as for the indoor passenger space that is totally inadequate even on the quietest of crossing! No room to swing a cat on the Ben let alone a 20L rucksack! Due to being delayed by a day on the return due to weather we were due to have the Manxman so was looking forward to comparing them but was changed last minute to the Ben because of the weather. Also, on a side note glad to see you actually got a train. On weekends they tend not to run them and substitute it with a bus!
I must’ve been quite lucky with that train then. I think it was only the one on that day too. Like I said, never went on the Ben but maybe I’ll get the chance still? I’ll keep an eye on the schedules anyway 🤞
@@LetsMakeaTrip You have had voyages on the Condor Ferries which are sister ferries of the Steam Packet's Ben. You didn't give any of them a good review... Not enough open decks space or a promenade deck...
Thanks Sheila. Yes a lovely family, I really appreciated that 😊 I’d definitely recommend this ship and I’d recommend the lounge too tbh. I’m definitely a lounge fan now 😂👍
Another great video and up to your usual high standard, I am back in the UK in '24 and intend to take this trip myself so thanks to both you and Steve Marsh for your incites, as always stay safe and well and all the best for your trip to Brazil, cheers.
Hi Mark. Always look forward to your well produced videos, which I watch on my TV - great quality and always enjoyable. The ferry looks great. Have an excellent weekend. D
Excellent video as ever Mark, the ship looked really good and great value for your meal. I’ve only been to the Isle of Man once, years ago, and the crossing was rough! As far as the lounges are concerned, I think you should use them next time, well worth the money, comfortable seating, deck space and complimentary food, and a very comprehensive report. Sorry to see you suffering with a cold, I also have a cold, first one in 5 years believe it or not. Thanks again Mark for your consistent down to earth commentary and look forward to the next one😊
Hi Diana - appreciate the kind words thanks very much. Hope your cold gets better, first one in five years isn't too bad though (wish I could do that). I'm off to Brazil tomorrow so hopefully that'll shift it! Last crossing I had coming back from the IoM was rough (see my Manannan video for that one) so I was a bit wary this time. Overall though, I really enjoyed it and will be back (and in the lounge) next time. Cheers,
Heysham port looks like it is much changed! I used the work on the Heysham-Belfast BR ferries, the three Dukes! Back in the late fifties when the Dukes were new! Thanks for this. Cheers from Oz.
I must say it is really good to see some nice new monohull ferries coming into service like Manxman which will hopefully sail for many years to come, as in Orkney we are seeing some "exciting" new developments including but not limited to foiling ferries which could be in service by March next year! For me at least you just can't beat a good old monohull!
It's a really nice ship. I'll keep my eye on the Orkney ferries as it's somewhere I really want to return to and do some more trips. Cheers for the heads-up.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I believe Condor Ferries is about to order one or two sister ships of the Steam Packet's Manxman for the Channel Islands service... They face the same 135 meter length restriction as at Douglas... I don't think there is a better ferry at that size than the new Manxman...
I travel regularly from the island and generally find the Steam Packet okay as a foot passenger but far too expensive to bring a vehicle. Much prefer Manxman to the Ben which was little more than a cattle truck. Food is too expensive for what it is, I never book the 'exclusive' lounges and like to find myself a quiet space which is much easier to do on Manxman than the Ben. Preference though is Manannan which runs into Liverpool, journey time is shorter and links are more accessible. Manannan though does not run in Winter which means I have no viable option but to travel into Heysham which is the back of beyond. Train links I can only describe as very poor meaning I rarely get to my destination without problems. In days when they are constantly banging on about phasing out fossil fuels the first thing they should be doing is to provide reliable public transport systems which are presently seriously lacking.
The ben my chree served the island well for 25 years she had massive deck space but lacked general passenger facilities unless you payed for a lounge. The ben my chree is know the back up vessel for the manxman.
Yes a few have commented on the deck space already - right on the top deck by the sounds of it. I may get a chance to travel on it yet if it's the back-up vessel. I wonder if they'll use it next Summer on an increased frequency with the Manxman?
I once called a ship a boat and got a rollicking.. The food looked perfect in comparison to the Stena offerings I'm used to. I do enjoy these ferry trips i find them inspiring to do some more next year.
Oh I know, there's always someone who'll go on about it not being a boat like you've committed the most heinous crime imagineable! Great food yes, and the prices were excellent. I'm hoping to do a lot more ferry trips too next year. Cheers.
Hi Mark, so you share a love of Steak pie & Chips with Steve 😂 brilliant, both yours and Steve's Manxman vlogs are excellent, so informative, thanks again bud, keep safe 👍
New ship looks nice great vid and just so everyone knows those pies are crammed full of meat absolutely top nosh , good selection of food on Steam Packet Ferrys and good price's
I travelled on this same route on the Ben My Chree last May and had no complaints other than the interior was looking very aged. Done the same route this last Monday, returning this afternoon, 5.6.24 on the Manxman and all I can say is WOW!, I had high expectations from viewing various You Tube videos, but this ship is different class to anything I've travelled on before. Clean,modern and comfortable on the main deck,7. I'm.normally very sea sick in anything other than a smooth sea,but despite a near gale force seven on the outward crossing, the ships stabilisers cancelled this out, apart from walking a bit unsteady. If I had to make any complaint, it would be that there is very little seating on deck 9. Overall 10/ 10. Great review,BTW 🙂
The Steam Packet's MV Ben My Chree is a sister ship of the Condor Islander, Commodore Clipper, and Stena Vinga. They were built before the days of smart phones, tablets, and laptops with their USB sockets... We used batteries to power their cd and cassette players, not to mention transistor radios a long time ago...
Great video. It's completely night and day between BMC & the Manxman. BMC is really old and tired looking now, offers very little facilities but does have more outdoor space as you mention. I've only been on the Manxman once so far but thoroughly enjoyed it far more. Very modern, so much space, great food. Over the years she'll show what a great vessel she is for the Island. There'll be very few opportunities to go on the BMC now, but there is a random sailing showing on the 15th April if you were interested while Manxmanx is off to try out the new berth in Liverpool for the day.
Cheers Andrew, I’m in Ireland on 15th unfortunately. I really want to try and get a ride on BMC though so I’ll keep an eye open. Yes I liked the new ferry but I’m sure the Ben is a classic 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Maybe not a classic considering all of the ferries whether smaller or larger, there are better ferries. However, at that size requiring overnight cabins and reclining seats, as well as some restaurants and pubs, there aren't any better ships. Condor desires to buy the Ben or the Stena Vinga as they are the only two ships in the world available at that size with the overnight requirements stated before, yet presently none are for sale. I wonder why? Condor owns the other two sisters. However, that old class of ferry is approaching the end of life, the Steam Packet's NEW Manxman IS the best overnight ferry available presently to replace the lot. In the past the Steam Packet took the lead for a overnight ferry this size, and is doing so again today... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tZGw9EewhGg.html
The (very)historic P&O Portsmouth to Cherbourg (talking 2003?) Catamaran security used to attempt to relieve you of your rucksacks on boarding ... used to buy club class to keep the bags...
Unfortunately many who ride the Steam Packet Manannan tend to use a seat adjacent to theirs for a luggage rack without paying for that seat.. Hopefully with the next high speed catamaran the Steam Packet insists there would be some interior luggage racks for their rucksacks besides the hold. Unfortunately ferries with theater style seating are not buses, trains, or airlines with a overhead luggage rack above your seat...
Personally i think its £80000000 well spent, i know its new but its as smart as **** in my opinion , its fitted out to a very high standard to, its had a bit of a bashing from the manx residents for its cost to build and teathing troubles, i dont know whats going on with the bag security, but ive not traveled on the manxman only the manannan, i and hundreds of other motorcyclists have back packs,tank bags,panniers,bum bags,top box's etc and i never witnessed any security checks, i know i left everything with my bike on the cargo deck (same as most people) come TT time it will be a true test of the manxmans security and capabilities,. Long live the mv manxman i say,cheers.
Used the Ben quite a lot over 25 years and the new ship is an improvement. Much more space inside, which is great peak summer. Not sure what that staff member was on about with the bag though! Only downside is the deck space. The very top deck on the Ben was great when the weather was nice. Understandable why the locals dislike the boat. A lot of money spent. It’s quite controversial as they always complain about the lack of ways off the island and I think they wanted something more radical. ‘Getting off the island’ is a deeply embedded joke on the IOM, as car travel on the boat can be extortionate (foot passenger price is quite good). Great vid as ever!
Cheers mate, an interesting insight there into what the islanders think (so I'm glad I asked in the vid). Didn't realise the Ben had access on the top deck either - that would've been great. Not sure what's going to happen with that but I hope I get the chance to try it someday.
Hi Mark. Nice little "boat"😂😂. I think it would be a lot different at TT time or school holidays when it would be quite a bit noisier. It seems to be just about best ferry going across the Irish sea, possibly because it's so new. Great review again, Mark😊😊
Don’t say boat, you’ll get the ship pedants after you 😂 yes I’d find it hard to disagree (although I tentatively will 😂) because I think the Stena Embla, Edda, Estrid (just trying to remember all their names!) are still better ships. The Manxman is a definite improvement though. Cheers mate 😊👍
A lot of cabins for a fairly short crossing. Here's the 'but', these ferries do get sold eventually or change routes ( and their names) so have to be suitable for other uses.
😅We regularly cross to Ireland which takes at least 4hours and have never had any form of entertainment. We crossed on the Manxman on its inaugural crossing just by coincidence which was very pleasant although on windy days it has trouble docking at Heysham where it has to turn 180 degrees.
Cheers Andy, yep I think entertainment can depend on the ferry company. I was on the (very unpopular) P&O Ferries a couple of weeks back and tbf, they had a children's entertainer on their Calais - Dover crossing (1h 45m). Doesn't bother me either way tbh on a crossing of this length. The ship itself was lovely.
Thanks for the video 👍not many videos on it yet to go on it in a couple of weeks but its easy to get lost😂🤣. Although i live on the iom i still haven't gone on it yet but theres some good and bad things. Very nice ferry though.👌🏻
Great video. Lovely ship. TBH, unsless you are a professional Vlogger like you, nobody is going to spend hours wandering round inspecting he ship so I kind of understand the left luggage issue. Most of use just sit somewhere munching and kipping but I'm glad you do what you do.
Cheers Keith, tbh I’ve always wandered around ships but I think that’s just me. I agree, most people just want to get from A to B don’t they and have little interest in how that happens. Unfortunately I’m not doing this professionally as yet but maybe one day if the views and subs increase 😊
Excellent content as always. I must confess I found the suggestion that security take your bag very odd. That's a new one one me and I'm not really certain what the point would be.
I don’t know either. I mean it wouldn’t happen on a flight (which I would assume is more of a risk). Bag was searched too (which is fine by me). Just a bit odd. Cheers mate.
I've never had my hand luggage removed from me on a ferry, although P&O Larne-Cairnryan won't let you take your pillow from your car which is a pain especially if you have just driven 8hrs from Kent and you want to sleep before traveling on after.
great film ship is amazing and price is good for travel and food, not been iom for 16 years last times wich has been 4 times on lady of man , the king ory. and the fast ferry snay fell not been on bmc
Hi Mark steve marsh had the same meal and his face was like a Cheshire cat you cannot beat a Lancashire pie with chips and mushy peas wow ❤ ps I'm sure he only paid a tenner they must have put the price up you will have to check with steve! You cannot beat £22 for the extra I know you will get your moneys worth m8 all the best John 😊
Very nice explore. Manxman’s lovely compared to the Ben, which was always small and sparse for passengers. You’re right about lack of deck space. I sailed on her in October and was disappointed by the meagre open decks (the Ben was generous in that area). The unpopularity you mentioned, I can attest to; some people I spoke to on my return crossing had been stranded for 2 days, due to rough weather. Sailing is fine, it’s berthing such a high-sided ship in high winds that her crews struggle with. The confines of Douglas and Heysham don’t help either.
Interesting what you say about the berthing there - makes sense as well and when I was looking up capacity etc I did notice it’s not much longer than the Ben but with almost double passenger capacity it must be quite a bit higher. Cheers for the comment 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip The main difference other than the age of technology over the past 25 years is that the new ferry has a superstructure nearly for the entire length of the ship whereas the old ferry has a superstructure for about half the length. Thereby providing for the new ferry more public spaces of cabins and lounges, if not exterior space... Follow the money, cabins and lounges generate income exterior space don't... When a new ferry cost 78 million quid while the old ferry 25 years ago cost less than 25 million quid, money and income matters... Traffic hasn't increased three fold...
Such a nice trip indeed, just for £21.50 is a bargain. Crossing over from Malta to Sicily I usually found it at no less thqn €50. Might have to visit the Isle of Man
You should mate because as well as getting there, you've got the heritage railways, the trams, the horse-drawn tram and loads of other history. I did a few videos last year on all that though they didn't get many views so not sure that many have seen them. Worth going just before end of season I would say as stuff like the Groudle Glen railway will still be open then.
I love that vid Mark. I love most vids about the IoM, I have to say but this was very illuminating. A new ship, an upgraded service and thankfully a smooth crossing. For a 3.75 hour crossing I'd question why you'd want a cabin. Two people in there fair enough - a private space to sit and kip for a bit but four people - sleeping? Having grown up with the old school of ferries in the UK I am baffled by the propensity to create distinct class-divided areas - particularly for a relatively short-ish crossing. Was the food included in the premium lounges ticket price (twice the amount you paid for your budget traveller fare)? If food and drinks were included well, then yes .. why not? Reduced deck space? Is this a new trend on modern ships? Doesn't worry me too much. I am happy with lots of deck on say Greek island ferries (and even there I am more inclined to take the enclosed catamaran and get to my island quicker) but on the gloomy Irish Sea? Nah! Happier with a pint, a comfy chair and a book or some Podcasts to while away the hours. Look forward to the next vid from the IoM. Paul in Oz.
It’s been a while since I went on the Greek ferries and the flying dolphins etc. great days but the latter are the first to stop running when the seas get a bit rough! Overall, a good ship, yes deck 8 devoted to passengers paying more money tbh but the lounge I visited was really nice and worth the extra imho. Cheers mate.
I remember travelling to Ireland on the ferry as a child a few times a year and everyone had to keep all there luggage with them. A few years ago i went back after many years away and it was more like an airport check in regarding luggage but they let keep hold of my small backpack. I guess different companies have different rules?
Yep, I can't figure it out the luggage thing really. I get it with large luggage but most people have small carry-on bags with them. The sort you'd take on an aircraft and not have a problem with.
Great video. The ship looks fantastic - certainly would be my chosen route to IoM. Wonder what the free refreshments are in the Lounges? If it's just tea and coffee, wouldn't be easy to get through £22 worth 🤔😁 Food looks great (I remember seeing Steve's video mentioning it). Looked a fairly calm sea crossing - I prefer it choppy 😂
No I’d rather it was calm tbh even if I don’t get so many views!! Food was snacks from what I remember. Had to be discreet tbh filming in there but well-worth £22 imo.
It does look a very nice ship and certainly much better food than the Channel ferries. It looks a half way house between between those and the large North Sea Ferries and I would certainly use it if visiting the island. I may well pay for one of the lounges but the cabin looked a bit pricy compared with the night price though not much time to sleep on either. I agree the desk space is minimal which seems to be the modern style for ferries in the last 10 years or so. Over all a very good ferry at a great price.
Cheers mate. Yep the cabin thing is probably good if you've had a long drive, need a shower and a bit of privacy and a safe place to leave your stuff. They were nice from what I saw. Having said that, I'd probably take a bag and a change of clothes, head for the lounge and get a shower in the rather posh toilets in that area instead. The money saved can go towards accommodation at my destination tbh.
Watching this. I enjoy IoM stuff. I got confused at the port and got shouted at. Xx oops. Steam packet food is good though. Not been on the new one though only the cat and old Ben. The Ben had loads of deck space. I paid for the lounge and my dinner was brought out on a lap tray 😂
I do wonder if I'll get the chance to go on the Ben, depending on what happens with that? I've been on the Manannan but the sea conditions were so rough I didn't really eat much!
The Niarbyl lounge on Manxman offers reserved seats for £7 each. However, I believe that anyone can sit in there for free if you're happy to take pot luck with your seat. I'm not sure it's clear from the website you can do this.
Having used the Irish Ferries & Stena Line ferries for 21 years between Holyhead & Dublin (SailRail from Manchester Piccadilly/Victoria via Chester, Lladnuo or Crewe) being Irish myself, I’d love to see them doing a service between Liverpool old port (not Birkenhead) to Dublin, even though the crossing time is 8 hours from Liverpool to Dublin, compared to 3 hours Holyhead to Dublin - I do like the premium lounges on this Manx ship and I would consider paying the bit extra for this, as I do currently do with Irish Ferries Ulysses Club Class Lounge (18.00 Euro) - this ship compares well to the Ulysses, Isle of Inishmore, WB Yeates and to the Stena Adventurer
Yep, that would be a comfortable crossing and you’d get decent use out of the cabin on a crossing of that length. OK it’s a lot smaller than the Irish Ferries ships but I’d certainly try it again on that route especially having done the Commodore Clipper for over 10 hours to Jersey. Cheers 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip I’ve never been a fan of the Irish Ferries Dublin Swift, as the ride is way too rough, even in calm seas, even though it’s a faster crossing time - and it’s always getting cancelled in rough seas too
Thanks for the video, as I am planning to travel to Isle of Man next summer. However, I plan on taking the reverse direction ferry (flying to Douglas). Just wondering if I'll be able to make the once a day train in Heysham. Or if no trains, are there taxis nearby which I can take going to Lancaster?
I'm interested in going to the I.O.M. by ferry and was wondering, as a foot passenger do you have to keep your suitcase on you for the journey or is it stored away when you board by the on board crew?
Cheers Neil, it seemed to me that they wanted to take your bags off you (yes even my small rucksack) so I reckon you may be asked to hand over a suitcase in the terminal.
There are very few foot passengers on this route because Heysham is not the most accessible place. It's a long pain in the arse to get there from anywhere other than Manchester intime to catch the 14:00 service. Bus service is crap and forget it if you are travelling on the 2:00am service. It's really for cars and freight.
@@LetsMakeaTrip that is correct. And it takes forever to get to Heysham from Lancaster as the train has to go a long way north first - carnforth or oxenholme before it switches lines and heads back through morecombe to heysham. And there is only the one train a day. You can get the bus from Lancaster to heysham. I've had to go this route when the Liverpool sailing is cancelled due to bad weather. In winter it is the only sea route available. The Ben-my-Cree used to go o n Saturday from Birkenhead in the winter - the stena line terminal - at least there was a free connecting coach that ran from the pier head terminal in Liverpool to the other side of the Mersey just for the boat. The steam packet has now started charging foot passengers an extra £10 if they bring their bike on board - bike to Lancaster is easy and then train. My brother leaves his vehicle at the heysham port and travels on foot as the car fare is simple extortion - £250ish return.
I don't think they should get rid of the "Ben" - I have watched that battering through the gales in the Irish sea - the Manxman does not look as resilient ! The drinking water taps are off just now - it seems to have lots of little "niggles "that are affecting its introduction to service.
Yes there are one or two niggles. The door sticking (I wish I could've recorded that) not great being stuck outside when that happened! It's good the water is provided but yep, needs to be working I agree. I guess time will tell. Overall though, I was impressed - especially with the lounges which must be a big improvement on the Ben. Hopefully I'll get the chance to travel on that at some point then I'll have done all three.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I believe the general rule of thumb worldwide Is IF the bigger boat carries a boat, not just a rubber dingy, the bigger boat is a SHIP. Sea going cruise ships and ferries are ships when they carry those motorized covered lifeboats. However that little ferry crossing a river is a boat because it doesn't carry a life boat...
Another fab video. My Partner and I went to the Isle of wight on Monday and were annoyed it didn't say anywhere the tickets were cheaper to buy at the Ferry Terminal. No security whatsoever which we were surprised about.
@LetsMakeaTrip It's about 50%. We got the only ticket available on the website (red funnel) if you buty from the ferry terminal in southampton after 11am ish you can get a super off peak return for 12.50. The Signature lounge is good as well. We went on the outgoing journey.
@LetsMakeaTrip No worries. The ferry terminal isn't all that far from the station. We also went over to Portsmouth and did a tour of the historic dockyard. We got to see the QE 2 Aircraft Carrier. The other one is docking there soon too.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I regularly travel to Ireland by Stenna and I must say their ships are very stable in up to force 7 . Over that level it starts to get bumpy . I used to use Irish ferries but always needed the pills and discomfort of feeling fuzzy headed after the journey.
It’s a safety thing these days normally only stern deck access , saying that I went on the Baltic Queen (Tallink Estonia to Sweden ) and you could walk around the whole ship old skool style love it 👌, it also had live bands and entertainment but it is an 18hr crossing tho , but I just find the Scandinavian ships so much better , even Brittany ferries who I have been sailing with since I was a kid are lifeless , soulless and pure money grabbers …. Shame really and this Manxman looks just like that and I won’t be going on it but great video showing what it has to offer 👌
Cheers mate. I love Brittany Ferries tbh, think I've been on all their ships more than once - Bretagne (a classic), Pont Aven, Armorique (which is more of a Plymouth boat isn't it). They're all different in one way or another. The Estonia - Finland route I went on with Eckero Line and Viking Line and I did find their ships very good with extremely large shops! I do hope to travel on a few more ferries in that part of the world so will see how that goes. the Hirtshalls - Iceland trip would be the ultimate adventure for me!!
@@LetsMakeaTrip yes I want to do the Denmark to Iceland ferry via the faroes last time I looked tho it was £500+ just as a foot passenger with cabins 😬
Too much lounge space at the expense of deck space. More money to be had from extras so that's why. Personally I wouldn't pay for lounge, especially as you pay for drinks inside. Food too dear- pie, frozen chips and peas nearly 14 quid? Not on my watch! Last Manxman I was on was the steamer, in 1970. Very busy, but much better I would think. Price for the trip was very fair. However if I want to take my motorhome, it's eye wateringly expensive. And I don't like all the health and safety cack to save the brainless from themselves! I initially thought 'why a cabin on a 4 hour crossing?' But when it's awash with drunks and brats, the penny drops. At those times expect to pay a pretty penny.
The lounge comes with complimentary drinks and snacks Laszlo so don’t let that put you off. Depends how much you eat and drink I suppose and the food imo was great, certainly nothing wrong with the chips that I ate. Agree with you on the motor home point, I’ve heard it’s really expensive especially Ty week (if you can even get a space!).
Although I find some of your videos informative I do have some comments..I would advise you obtain a better microphone or maybe when you are providing information talk into the microphone and stop moving your head all over the place. When you do that, and given windy weather as well, it is almost impossible to hear what you have to say.
