Good trip if you have a cabin. The cabins are small but the privacy and the private bathroom compensate it. We made a round trip from Nova Scotia to Argentia and the 15 hours in the ferry when flying. Our ferry was the Atlantic Vision and has a buffet restaurant, an a la carte and a grab and go. The dinner buffet it’s 30 dollars per person and kids under 5 eat free. There’s a tiny playground with a slide a tv and 2 games.

First trip on the ferry to Newfoundland. If you are wanting a cabin..... book early!!! Took an overnight to Port Aux Basque with a cabin. Worth the money, nice to be able to have a shower relax with a bit of tv and have a nap. The bunks were comfortable, sheets, pillow and duvet were fine. You can get reclining chairs but there is no bedding supplied and it is subject to noise around you. The area is cool, bring a blanket and a pillow. If your doing this overnight trip don't arrive before 6pm. They load cars around 9:45 pm. Bring snacks and something to eat there are only vending machines in the terminal, it will cost you $5.00 for a candy bar, chips or soda. There is a Walmart, Dollar Store, Tim's near the terminal. You can leave your car and walk to Tim Hortons. There isn't much to occupy yourself in Sydney or North Sydney so don't arrive too early. The crossing was smooth. We didn't go upstairs for breakfast but opted for Tim Hortons just outside the terminal at Port Aux Basque. There is a snack bar, bar lounge, small gift shop. The room has a hair dryer, tv, shower soap, shampoo, towels and face cloth. There are pet friendly cabins, 2 bunk and 4 bunk rooms, kennel area or you can leave your pet in the vehicle. Once you leave the vehicle area and the ship leaves the dock you cannot return to the vehicle. They will wake you with an announcement 1 hour prior to docking. Fill the gas tank in North Sydney or before as gas is more expensive in the island.

Impressed with how organized and on time everything was done. The boat was clean and very modern. The restaurant food was very good. Home style meals fresh and hot. Pricing was a little higher but to be expected. Great job by all members of their team.

Everyone was friendly, even the passengers. We were on motorcycles so we were the first on and almost the first off. Tying down the motorcycles was my biggest anticipated challenge. However, it turned out to be no big deal. It is not a real hotel room but a very nice small cabin on a large ferry. We took it from Argentine, NL to North Sydney, NS. We were on the evening trip. We were in a cabin for two with two single beds. The cabin is small with a bathroom similar to an RV wet bath. It was large enough for the two of us for the one night. Only take what you really need into the cabin. It is too small for anything extra if there is more than one person. Be sure you have everything you need including meds as you cannot return to your vehicle. The room was equipped with 2 bath towels and 2 hand towels, no face towels. For a ship and a small cabin the lighting was adequate. We had a window. Only two 120v outlets rated for 1500 watts. I did not take my CPAP into the cabin and glad because of the limited space. If you take a CPAP take an extension cord. The shower curtain was too short so the entire bathroom floor got wet. Don't go in with only socks or they will be wet. The seas were rough but we really did not experience any issues and we slept well. The prices on the ship were reasonable. The buffet was a bargain in our opinion. Even the gift shop was reasonable, especially considering were we were. Beer was expensive.

My family did a return trip in June as rescheduled due to the issues with the Argentia route. Marine Atlantic is the only option to get on/off Newfoundland without flying. Customer service seems lacking. There aren’t many signs or staff helping you find the ferry or know what to expect when you check- in. On both sides, terminal staff seemed stressed and dedicated to ticketing. No store, canteen or cafe, or other visitor info. Bring your own entertainment and snacks for the wait. Our actual sailings went smoothly. Staff were on board to answer questions though not around much after we set sail. I witnessed some issues between passengers and wished there were pursers or security to intervene. Most people try to get a cabin and many who are waitlisted do end up with one. They are useful for having a secure ‘home base’ and if you want to lay down during the crossing. But a cabin isn’t necessary if you don’t need the space, dedicated washroom, or bed. There are several passenger areas with a restaurant and bar, other tables and chairs, and theatre-style recliner chairs. Rest, read a book, watch a downloaded show or movie, or play cards. There’s no wifi on board and limited food options, so plan ahead! Set expectations low and hope for smooth sailing!

The room on this ship was excellent for a good night's sleep. It contained a shower in the bathroom, a blow dryer in the room, stool, mirror and small bedside table. On the way there, our room had no porthole but the bonus on the way back was that we happened to get a porthole so we could look out to sea. There is a step into the bathroom, so take care.

Our first time taking the ferry to and from Newfoundland. Boarding was a bit slow on the PAB route, fine on Argentia route. Be prepared w/no plants, potatoes etc as you can’t cross with them. Cabins were good, especially on the new Ala’Suinu. Beds reasonably comfortable and the showers were great. Showers a bit tighter on the older boat (Blue Puttees and I assume Highlanders). I’d recommend bringing your own pillow if you have any neck/back issues as each single bed just gets one pillow and didn’t offer much support. Didn’t buy any food on the Port Aux Basques route, but on the Argentia route we went for dinner and breakfast at Sage restaurant. Both meals were excellent. The lobster chowder was especially good, and I enjoyed the nacho bowl breakfast (though would prefer real cheese over cheese sauce). Service was great all around, friendly staff. Boat was very stable for our PAB route, felt the waves more on Argentia. Ala’Suinu wifi was spotty and didn’t work much in our cabin. Would have liked more info on restaurant timings and more communication from the crew regarding estimated arrival times etc as we weren’t able to find this info very easily. Otherwise no complaints, a pleasant experience.

Took Blue Puttees to PAB, Ala’suinu back from Argentia. Smooth ride both ways but chairs in lounges weren’t very comfortable; need to recline farther and have longer leg rests. Ala’suinu needs improvements. Its lounge was freezing. Sliding doors make an annoying beeping sound whenever opened, which is throughout the trip. Bizarre system of buttons for opening, locking and closing restroom doors. Snack bar serves panini sandwiches … nice thought but with just one panini machine, lines are long and staff is overworked. A buffet would be better.

The Ala'suinu is a beautiful, brandnew ferry - am not too fond of long ferry crossings, but this trip from Argentia to North Sydney was quite agreeable. Book a cabin if possible. We heard from other passengers that cabins sell out quickly, so booking as early as possible seems advisable. The cabins were small but very comfortable and clean (great matresses and duvets!). There is one restaurant and one café, which isn't a lot for a ship of this size and there were long queues. We saw the queues early in the evening, gave up and came back at around 8, and people were still queuing. Food was nice though. You can even catch a glimpse of sunset if you are lucky enough to be seated at the front of the vessel. Very friendly, attentive staff. Speedy boarding procedures, too. Definitely a pleasant on-board experience.

Took the North Sydney to Port aux Basques day ferry at the height of the summer season. As such it was very full so booking is essential. Boarding was slow and we were told to check in 2+ hours before, then it left 30 minutes late. (In my homeland of W Europe & the UK we're used to checking in 1 hour before and boarding 30-40 minutes later - and leaving on time). Once on board, it was comfortable but not special. Unfortunately, the kitchen's (galley's) A/C had broken so the only food to be had was at the cafe. They did their very best to serve everyone but it was a challenge. Since this was known from the day before, it would've been nice if they'd told us at check-in - we would have had more than enough time to get some provisions before boarding. A perfectly reasonable 6.5 hours crossing but they could've been more customer focused.