This post is a bit out of order as far as my entries about our recent trip to Budapest, Montenegro, & Italy. But, the ferry ride from Montenegro to Italy was when I took the only photo that qualified for the PhotoHunt assignment of 'wrinkled' for this week.
We are pretty easy going travellers. We don't require first class accomodations, and aren't inclined to pay for them. So, when we booked our tickets on Sv. Stefan II operated by Montenegro Lines, we decided we could tolerate one night of going down the hall to the bathroom and we didn't need an outside cabin. After all, my mantra is "All hotel rooms look the same with the lights out." That is, of course, providing they are clean.
Our cabin wasn't. I don't know if you can tell from the picture just how filthy the mattress was. No mattress pad, Just a thin flat sheet covering a saggy and grimy green canvas 'sack' stuffed with God knows what! The sheet kept coming untucked. The carpet was so dirty and coated with crud, we could not identify the color. I should have taken a picture of the floor, but to tell you the truth, I just didn't want to look at it long enough for that.
The only other picture I took inside the cabin was of the sink area. It appeared, thankfully, clean. However, this was a bring-your-own-towel proposition.
Our cabin -- inside two beds with sink, but no bathroom was E87 per person ($260 total). We thought that was a steep price, so how bad could the cabin be? Right? We had no intention of paying the E180 per person for a deluxe cabin.
Had we known then, what we know now, we'd have opted to sit up all night in the airline style seats for E66 per person. We would have saved $63 and probably slept just as well. PLUS we wouldn't have come away feeling like we had just been exposed to every disease and microscopic insect known to man.
When I get to this point in our trip, I'll post some other photos of the ship and provide a more balanced assessment of the entire experience. Fortunately for us, the cabin was the only really awful part.
Comments (12)
You are brave Deborah! I don't think I could have lasted the night. When reading about the bathroom situation, at first I thought I read: However, this was a bring-your-own-TOILET- proposition. I was relieved that it was just me tired and misreading your sentence.
Deborah responds: Not sure if it was bravery or stupidity. ;-)
Posted by girasoli | August 23, 2008 3:40 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 03:40
Whoops meant to add before I clicked that post button - very cool PhotoHunt post!
Posted by girasoli | August 23, 2008 3:40 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 03:40
Well, I'm glad that was the only awful part! Have a good weekend.
Deborah responds: Thanks Annie. You too.
Posted by annie | August 23, 2008 6:52 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 06:52
Deborah, I thought a good shot would also be the site of me wrinkled after a flight overseas, but of course, I didn't have one. :D
Posted by Kim | August 23, 2008 8:03 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 08:03
yes wrinkled but not all bad right?
Deborah responds: The photo didn't really capture the condition of the mattress cover. That was what was bad. The sheets were, thankfully clean.
Posted by marcia@joyismy goal | August 23, 2008 8:15 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 08:15
i see a lot of wrinkles on the sheets. happy photo hunting!
Posted by gmac | August 23, 2008 8:17 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 08:17
Wow! I cannot believe they turned over the cabin to you guys like that. I thought that was after you slept in it before I read your post.
I am glad I found your blog this week my husband and I love to travel. Your blog will give us new ideas for places to go!
Have a great weekend! -- Amanda
Deborah responds: Amanda, I didn't make it very clear in the blog entry. The beds were made with fresh sheets. These photos were taken the next morning. It is what was UNDER the sheets that was gross.
Thanks for the kind words. If you like to travel, you should check out SlowTrav.com
Posted by Amanda | August 23, 2008 8:19 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 08:19
So, this was the only "wrinkle" on your recent trip?
On ferries and trains I avoid the cabins and go for the seats. One train ride 29 years ago from Paris to Kaiserslautern was enough for me.
Deborah responds: I know what your are saying, Maria. We did learn our lesson about ferries. However, we were spoiled on the train from Budapest to Beograd. We were in the 1st class sleeper car with our own hostess. (What do you call the train version of a flight attendant? A rail attendant?)
Posted by María I. | August 23, 2008 11:18 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 11:18
Eew, how awful!! I remember staying in a hotel once in South Africa and when I woke up, there were a gazillion bed bugs all over the bed (and me!)...it was horrible. Great photos. Mine is up to...come take a peek.
Have a great day!
Elinor
http://elinorandedward.blogspot.com
Posted by Elinor | August 23, 2008 2:01 PM
Posted on August 23, 2008 14:01
oh, that is wrinkled all right. sounds like you had a really bad experience there. for me it doesn't matter if it's small as long as it's clean!
I will come back to check out more of your pics from your holiday! have a great weekend =D
Posted by kaycee | August 23, 2008 4:03 PM
Posted on August 23, 2008 16:03
Wrinkled sheets - another great idea.
I confess that I wouldn't have lasted the night there either. I am quite picky about the bed!
Deborah responds: Jerry, If I had seen what was UNDER the sheets before we went to bed, I'd probably have insisted we either upgrade or move to the airline seating.
Posted by Jerry | August 23, 2008 8:12 PM
Posted on August 23, 2008 20:12
Hi Deborah, wow! If I manage to travel there some time in the distant future, I'm going to have to remember this post!
Great photos of the wrinkly sheets in the unfortunately not so clean room.
Deborah responds: The rest of the ferry was just fine. Just don't waste your money on a cabin unless you want to pay for 1st class.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | August 24, 2008 11:29 AM
Posted on August 24, 2008 11:29