The ship had seen better days and in places was shabby, rusty and worn, especially our cabin. The cabin had a stale odour and boasted a TV and radio, neither of which worked. Only one towel was provided for the whole voyage for two people. Restaurant service was good but the meals were basic and we had no choice, there was no menu so we had to guess what we were eating. Dessert was an apple on one occasion, a banana on another. There were no chairs or sun loungers on the sun deck even though the weather was good - we were told that these were only provided in summer. On the plus side, the journey was smooth and we arrived safely, the lounges were comfortable but we would have preferred the ship to be non-smoking. We seemed to be the only British passengers on board and possibly the only tourists. We thought it was an interesting experience.

This is not the first time we have used this route and we hope it won't be the last. Once on board, the staff and general ambience make this a special experience. We feel we've really been 'abroad'.
The snag for foot-passengers is getting on and off the vessel. The procedure has improved from terrible to awful, but still doesn't compare with, say, Britanny Ferries.