Protip: be sure to know which part of Macau you want to land. If you want to see the old part of the island more (like Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul), take the ferry to the Macau Outer Harbour. If you want to go to the new and more glamorous casinos, take the ferry to Macau Taipa.
Cotai is one of the two major ferry companies that transport people to Macau (along with TurboJET). Long story short, I was supposed to have gone on TurboJET, but things change, and I ended up with Cotai. Eh, it's a 50-55 boat ride, and both companies have similar boats. What's the diff?
I sat in first class, which was on the upper deck. Honestly, I didn't buy the tickets and just followed the petite copine. We were fortunate that the ride was smooth throughout, but just in case, I took non-drowsy Dramamine (hey, gotta be in tip-top shape when you're at the video slots). First class was really quiet, and well-lighted. It was a humid day but the air quality inside was pleasant. The entire boat has wifi, which is a very positive touch.
Is it worth the extra $15 USD or so for first class? Eh, a little more yes than no. You get to disembark first, so that means you get to hop on those tour buses that take you to the casinos before everyone else, you degenerate gambler. The seat is admittedly more roomy and there is more legroom. Additionally, both trips, there wasn't a person near us, so that was nice. There were a couple of tvs in front, but there wasn't anything of significance showing. I didn't take advantage of the complimentary food and drink. The ride is less than an hour; do you really need to hastily wolf down an instant ramen and a bag of chips, like the guy I saw to my left? It's not like the food sucks in HK or Macau.
If I were to take the ferry again, and if I wasn't on a tight budget, I suppose I would take first class again. But yeah, in general, Cotai is fine as transport to Macau. read more