Translation of furnishing in German

Then we did a boat trip which started somewhere in the delta and ended somewhere else in the delta. Each couple received a boat and an elderly lady had to row. I did not feel comfortable with that.
When we arrived at the port, or whatever it was, we were a little scared since the boats were very old and dirty. We entered the boats anyway and hoped for best. The boat driver started the engine.
The counter opened 45 minutes before take-off, and we really had to beg the ground personal to check for another seat. They were friendly, but nonetheless we felt that they would do us a favor.