4. Re: Restaurants within walking distance of Marine Atlantic ferry
We took the overnight ferry in early August from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Argentia, Newfoundland. We were pleasantly surprised to find the vessel was like a striped down, small cruise ship with a lounge, snack bar, gift shop, TV room, etc. Our accommodations were better than anticipated with comfortable beds, individual climate control, just enough room to maneuver, and enough space for our belongings. The bathroom was larger than the overnight trains we have been on. We slept like babies in the very soundproof room. Here are a couple of tips that may help future passengers:
•There is a nice water side restaurant near the ferry on the North Sydney side - Rollie's Wharf. We had lunch (lobster rolls, of course) and watched the ship traffic over a glass of wine. I didn't visit the ferry terminal snack bar, but I'm guessing this restaurant was a better choice.
•Ferry time is like island time. It takes a good 2 hours to load the cars and trucks onto the ferry. About half of the vessel - 5 decks - are vehicle decks. Many, many of these are tractor trailers where only the trailer is loaded. There are also a lot of RVs and these all have to be balanced with the cars so the ferry sails smoothly. I imagine that this is one on the major means of getting goods to and from Newfoundland. When you realize the enormity of this operation you better understand the time it takes so just get there at the time Marine Atlantic requests, turn off your engine, open your windows, and take out a book.
Part-time, NSW, AU