Friendlier staff and cleaner toilets were welcomed on board the new Lamma ferries, but a lack of coffee and space to chat were criticised by morning commuters. Passengers, many of whom had complained about the service previously offered by the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company, said at first glance they liked the new operator, Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF). 'The staff are much friendlier. They smile when they see the customers - before they gave us strange looks,' said Alex Manoj Kumar, a Lamma resident. Fellow passenger Julie Ayad, a domestic helper who works on Lamma, said: 'Before, I used to dread going to the bathroom, but these are more tidy.' The lack of snacks and drinks disappointed many who enjoyed a morning cup of coffee to wake them up or a relaxing can of beer on the way home, but there are no plans for on-board kiosks. 'We don't want it to be messy like on the Yaumati ferries. Besides, our ferries are smaller so we don't have the space to sell things,' HKKF director Cheung Tai-kee said. Smokers will not be tolerated on the new faster boats which are all air-conditioned, unlike the old service. But the main problem for commuter James Ellerbeck is not the loss of noodles and caffeine, but the curtailing of his on-board social networking. 'Before, everybody would sit around the table and have coffee and talk about what parties were coming up and their work. 'Here everyone faces the same way and they've got to do something about the noise. 'It's polluting. You can't hear each other.' But a piece of good news for late-night travellers is that a 2am or 3am service is under consideration.