It’s a cargo ship. That’s my first thought as I look at the Barbara Krahulik, one of Tirrenia’s ferries that goes between the two islands.
One of my tricks for travelling long term and with as little stress as possible is to book as little as possible in advance. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the reality is it lets you be agile, staying longer in places you like, and less time in places you don’t. Sometimes, though, it means you're stuck with less than ideal transport options. This was one of those times.
Malta certainly was lovely, but it was time for Sicily. Specifically, a return to the lovely town of Taormina. You can’t exactly drive there from Malta, so that leaves two options: Plane and boat.
There are a couple of flights a day between Malta and Catania. I’m sure if you are headed farther afield, there’d be more flights. My friend and I had arrived from Barcelona, for example, on a dirt-cheap Vueling flight.
But the flights to Catania are either cheap and early, or expensive and late. Neither is a great option. The main ferry to Sicily goes to Pozzallo, which is fine, but it’s at 6am and 6pm, takes about 1:45.
Again, not awesome. Get up super early, or get in too late to get to Taormina. It’s also expensive. At this writing, about $150 per person (plus taxes and such). Ouch.
As luck would have it, there was another option.
A few times a week there’s a ferry that leaves at 9:30, and gets into Catania at 6:30 the following morning. And it’s cheap! Only $60. You can add in your own private cabin, complete with shower and toilet, for a bit more. All told, for two people in our own cabin, I paid $270. Not bad, considering. Plus you don’t need accommodation that night, so the price is even “cheaper.” Taormina would just be a few euros and minutes away. It all seemed perfect.
Too perfect.
I had, rather wrongly, it turns out, pictured something similar to the big ferries that travel around the Greek islands.
A few restaurants, shops, seats galore. I wasn’t expecting cruise ship lush for the cabin, but who knows.
Under that is another deck that runs the length. It’s 137m (150 yards) long, and it’s main purpose is to carry loaded and unloaded tractor trailer trucks between the islands. We soft bits are frosting on the cargo cake.
The steep metal ladders (aka “stairs” on a boat) were the first giveaway. Inside, plain beige passageways with plain beige hatches were eerie in their similarity.
The small saloon/rec room was something out of a movie about oil rigs.
The cabin, however, was quite spacious. Four bunks in two stacks, with space between them about equal to another. There was a desk, closet, and a head (bathroom!) not much smaller than what you might find in a small hotel.
The food was… fine, if expensive. I’ll say this, I’ve eaten worse for more.
I went up on deck and watched the lights of Valletta disappear over the horizon. It is dark at sea at night.
I did not sleep well. It was a combination of factors. The room was a bit too hot, the mattress a bit too hard, and it seems there was something dangling (a hose maybe?) off the side of the boat and as the boat rocked, it would clang against the side, seemingly right against my head. Eh, whatever. Who needs sleep.
In the morning I had a hot shower. Free soap and shampoo! I did not need the latter.
Though capable of a top speed of 19 knots, we did around 15.5 overnight, arriving in Catania right on time(-ish).
We disembarked and walked to the train station, about 15 minutes away, and arrived in Taormina in time for breakfast.
In all, I’d say this was an interesting experience. Had I slept better (with no knocking hoses), I’d not have minded it at all. There were several passengers, of the few dozen in total, that didn’t book a cabin and instead slept out on the rear deck, or in the lounge/saloon. Neither seemed a very appetizing option to me, though it certainly would save you money. This being July, it was plenty warm outside. Inside wasn’t much cooler, and at least out back there was a breeze.
Would I do it again? Eh, probably not. It was neat but I wouldn’t go so far as to say “enjoyable.” “Fine” would be a more accurate term.
In all, I’d say this was an interesting experience. Had I slept better (with no knocking hoses), I’d not have minded it at all. There were several passengers, of the few dozen in total, that didn’t book a cabin and instead slept out on the rear deck, or in the lounge/saloon. Neither seemed a very appetizing option to me, though it certainly would save you money. This being July, it was plenty warm outside. Inside wasn’t much cooler, and at least out back there was a breeze.
Would I do it again? Eh, probably not. It was neat but I wouldn’t go so far as to say “enjoyable.” “Fine” would be a more accurate term.
But hey, it’s all an adventure, right?
