RORO: M/V Maria Wynona

RORO: M/V Maria Wynona

It is my first time traveling through a ship although it is not my first time to ride one.

When going somewhere in the South, you may try boarding a ship for a cheaper alternative going to Mindoro, Tablas, Romblon, Marinduque and Iloilo. There are a few shipping lines that are available at the Batangas Pier like Besta Shipping Lines and Montenegro Lines. There are also ferries like SuperCat and RM, which would lessen travel time by half an hour compared to RORO.

I had the chance to ride the M/V Maria Wynona, which is headed to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. Since it is my first time riding a moving ship, I stroll around and experience the cool breeze of the air. The fare was worth Php 154 going to Calapan plus a terminal fee of Php 20.

M/V Maria Wynona is one of the fleets under Montenegro Lines. Even though it is not new ship, it is well maintained. They have life vests located everywhere around the ship. They do also have videos on safety precautions and the facilities of the ship. They do also pray for the safety of the travel before leaving the port.

The ship was composed of three decks. The ground deck is where the wheeled cargo are placed.

The first deck was the air conditioned deck, where the couches, curtains and TVs are located. There is also a mini store there where you could buy snacks and beverages of course at a higher price. Even though the deck was air conditioned, as if it was not. The sliding doors are freely opened and it was hot. Maybe because our travel time was in the middle of the night and the air outside was cooler and the company would like to save as much as possible.


The second deck was an open air deck, which are composed of plastic benches, diner tables and some double decked beds.

The upper deck is where the pilot house is located.
The travel was smooth and you would never know that you are already in your destination. I was amazed that the RORO could maneuver sideways and the ship do have two captain's cabin, which are located at the both ends of the ship. Just like the pilot's cabin in LRTs and MRTs. Well, there will always be a first time. c",)