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The Condor Liberation, which takes passengers between Poole and Guernsey and Jersey, has three levels of seating: Standard, Horizon Lounge with reserved seating up at the front of the ship, and the Club Class Lounge, which can be found on the right-hand side of the boat when facing forward.
1. Price
The standard seats on Condor Ferries are available at no cost. The Horizon Lounge costs around £14 more than standard seats per person per journey. The Club Class Seats cost £38 more than standard seats per person per journey.
As the whole boat gets from A to B, if your decision when choosing between classes is purely based on cost, you should pick the standard seats. However, this is not the most luxurious way to travel.
2. Seats
The standard seats are thin blue airline-style seats and are not particularly comfortable. They are arranged in rows, so you will likely sit next to other passengers, possibly on both sides. These are definitely the economy seats on the ship, and only a few of these seats have views; most are next to the shops and cafeteria.
The seats in the Horizon lounge are allocated, and a code accesses this lounge to stop those traveling in the standard seats from sneaking in. If you get lucky, you will be allocated one of the seats at the front of the cabin, with views out over the front of the ship. The seats to the side of the ship in the Horizon lounge also offer great views down the front side of the ship. The seats in the middle don’t have much of a view. You will be looking over heads and other seats to see the horizon.
The Horizon Lounge seats are brown or tan and seem set out mainly in 3s and 4s, ideal for families. There are fewer groups of two seats, so if you are traveling as a couple, the seats are less ideal as you might be placed next to other passengers.
These seats are more comfortable than the standard seats, but only some recline and the ones that dont are quite upright and not overly comfortable. For a 2-hour+ journey, this can be an annoyance. While they are certainly more comfortable than the standard seats they are much less comfortable as the seats in the Club Class.
Additionally, as the Horizon Lounge takes up the whole of the front of the ship, it is very busy and noisy with children running around and a few coughing passengers, so you generally feel like you are in a busy area, making it more difficult to relax and sleep.
Finally, the Condor Club Class Lounge is down the right of the ship and is decorated in a soothing blue and grey, and seats are laid out in 4 rows of 2 seats, with some four sets of seats set around tables. The seats here are huge and comfortable, with benches or tables in front of them to eat or place your drinks. This lounge is much smaller than the Horizon Lounge and has around 48 seats. It is also much quieter than the Horizon Lounge, and as the seats are designed to be slightly reclined, you can doze in this lounge if you wish.
3. View
The best class to pick for a great view is the Horizon Lounge, as the windows in this lounge span the front of the ship and circle down each side of the ship, too. If you travel on the standard class seats, you will be lucky to get a seat with a good view as many of the seats are in the interior of the ship. There are some seats with views, but you need to be one of the first on the boat to get one of these seats.
The views from the Club Class lounge are hit-and-miss. There is one row of seats right next to the window, which I have photographed above, and the view from these seats is fantastic. The other three rows (so three-quarters of the cabin) are further from the windows, so they don’t offer a view. There is no way to book specific seats in this lounge, so it’s the luck of the draw whether you get a view.
4. Food
The food in standard class is purchased by queuing with a tray in a hot and cold buffet area. There are many options, but you must queue to get your food. The Horizon Lounge has its own cafe selling sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. You can also head to the standard seating area if you prefer hot food from their buffet.
In Club Class, you have your own menu and can order food to be delivered to your seat by the Club Lounge staff. The menu in the Club Class lounge includes light bites like sandwiches, salads, and sweets like ice cream and cake. There is a main meal section with fish and chips, hot dogs, chicken curry, chili, pizza, and jacket potatoes. There is also a specific breakfast menu with a big English breakfast option, bacon or sausage baps, vegan options, cereal, yogurts, and fruit.
All the food is chargeable in whichever class you travel in, but when you book Club Class Lounge, you get a free bottle of water, mini cheddars, and a pack of lightly salted crisps. In addition, there is complimentary tea, herbal tea, coffee, express latte cappuccino, hot chocolate, and soft drinks from a tap, including 7Up, Pepsi, Pepsi Max, and Tango. These are free, but premium canned drinks and all food are chargeable. On the way out from Poole, unlimited Prosecco and Orange Juice were also offered in the Club Class Lounge.
5. Service
The only lounge that has proper service is the Club Class Lounge, and the service is very good with very kind and helpful staff. In the other lounges, you have to queue for food and take it back to your seat to eat it.
6. Conclusion
The Horizon Lounge is a vastly superior experience to the standard seats, and you get the best views from the Horizon Lounge, too. This lounge is definitely worth paying to upgrade to. You can see where the boat is going, and it’s wonderful to watch the views of Poole Harbour and coming into Guernsey. However, this lounge is busy, large, and quite noisy, and the seats aren’t the best.
The Condor Club Class Lounge seats are undoubtedly the most comfortable, with plenty of room and a relaxing tilt to the chair. Yes, the views are not as good in this lounge, but in all other ways, the experience is superior. For my family, who tend to work throughout the voyage, the peaceful environment and spacious seats are worth paying extra for.
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