The Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry has played a starring role worthy of a cinematic hero as it helped weary travellers wind their way back home.
The year-old Norfolkline ferry has taken the unprecedented step of opening up its cinema to offer extra seats to homesick Britons stuck abroad amid the wholesale disruption to air travel across Europe.
A “house full” sign normally goes up with 260 on board but the ferry arrived back in Fife bang on time on Tuesday with nearly 350 passengers.
Among them were dozens of Scots glad to be back on home soil after days of delays, cancellations and expense as airports ground to a halt.
Although tired and glad to be back, each had tales of camaraderie and friendships forged with strangers.
One couple’s dream trip to Florida turned into a nightmare long stop in Paris, but they were finally home and anxiously waiting to be reunited with their 10-month-old baby.
Peter and Denise Hadden from Glenrothes had taken son Ethan (2) to enjoy the sunshine. But their planned connecting flight from Paris was cancelled and they have been stranded in France since last Thursday.StuckHad they not got on the Rosyth ferry they knew the soonest they could have got on a flight was this Saturday.
“We left Florida last Wednesday and were supposed to arrive in Paris on Thursday and on to Edinburgh but we have been stuck in Paris since then,” said Peter.
Air France paid for their first three nights in a hotel but then the couple said the company had “washed their hands of us” and had to find their own way.
“Eurostar was full, Calais crossings were a nightmare with thousands of people down there and it was first come, first served so we went to Brussels from Paris by train then on to Ostend in Belgium and then on to Zeebrugge.
“We are very thankful Norfolkline did all they could to get us on board and we got a cabin. It was great they managed to squeeze us in.”
One good samaritan, who wished to remain out of the spotlight, even shared his cabin with a couple desperately looking for a way to get back to Scotland.
Dundee-born David Slammon and Carol Ball were holidaying in Bratislava when they got caught up in the chaos.
Due to return home via Frankfurt airport they instead took the bus to Vienna and train to Frankfurt, where they stayed for two nights before another trip to Brussels then onto Bruges and Zeebrugge at a cost of around £700.
And it was on board the mystery good samaritan let them share his cabin.MarathonAnd even after that marathon David said, “We had it pretty easy compared to some folk we met a couple from Oslo who had had a bad time.”
Carol added, “Now we’re back and look back on it, we quite enjoyed it it’s given us something to talk about.”
Another family reunion came for 20-month-old twins Freya and Heidi Noble, who were at Rosyth with mother Becky anxiously awaiting the arrival of their dad Leon just in time for his birthday yesterday.
He had been on a two-day business trip in Amsterdam when the planes were grounded and has been stuck on the continent since Thursday.
“The first couple of days the girls didn’t say much but since then they have missed him and we have a birthday cake waiting at home for him,” said Becky.
Much to his family’s delight, Leon soon arrived through customs and said the ferry had been busy but cheerful.
“There was a really good spirit and a lot of people were talking about all sorts of ordeals, so it’s not been too bad for me,” he said.
All sailing from Zeebrugge to Rosyth is now fully booked until next Monday and there is still limited availability outward bound from Rosyth.
If you have been affected by the travel chaos, The Courier wants to hear from you. Phone 01382 575291 or email online@thecourier.co.uk