Steam Packet Probe

[Amadeus]

it costs a lot to run those boats and then theres crew (which they need for legal and emergency requirements)

no - it costs a lot to run fastcrafts, not boats. The crews earned f-all when I worked there and I guess that hasn't changed much (unless you have a permanent contract, like most of the guys on the Ben for example). The superseacrap trolley dollies are usually on seasonal contracts so you start with a new one every six months (if they keep you on for the winter, that is). The Ben runs on the cheapest fuel and I can't imagine it really costs that much to run - the fecking "fuel surcharge" alone probably pays for it.

 

I'm always amazed that people buy food and drink on boats and planes. I would frankly rather starve than pay grossly inflated prices for what is at best mediocre food and service - it only encourages them!

 

breakfast on board: 5.99 - cost price (all in) 99p. That was a few years ago, though - might be 1.05 now...

[grant]

That probably explains why the staff on the Ben are, on the whole, very pleasant, whilst the fastcraft staff don't tend to be. I'd rather go on the Ben if time allows the choice, smoother and safer!

 

I'd also pay their prices for food, rather than starve. Where you are a captive audience, things are always dearer, then again, I could just be a pig.

[Amadeus]

That probably explains why the staff on the Ben are, on the whole, very pleasant, whilst the fastcraft staff don't tend to be. I'd rather go on the Ben if time allows the choice, smoother and safer!

 

I'd also pay their prices for food, rather than starve. Where you are a captive audience, things are always dearer, then again, I could just be a pig.

Yep, I guess so - enjoyed my time working on that boat - everything's way more organised and professional

 

Food on the Ben is usually spot on as well - proper chefs'n proper galley.

[spermann]

I went to the Sea Terminal on Saturday to book a Steam Packet package break to Dublin for next week - boat and hotel. I did not use the web because its a good site when booking the boat only, but very restrictive when trying to book a package. I did not expect a particularily good price as we were going to book so close to the time of departure (i usually try and book early to get a lower fare). Anyway, the girl at the sales desk said that she could book us on for the boat to Dublin, however Steam Packet Holidays was a seperate company which was closed at weekends? Perhaps they should join up both at the Sea Terminal sales and on their Web. We ended up booking the hotel on lastminute.com so they lost the sale on the accomodation side.

 

I think that the Government should dispose of their user agreement now that the company has been extensively assett stripped, and leave it open to the market to decide prices. I would have to agree with previous posts that i dont think any other operators would want to bother competing on the Island routes as there is such a limited market. You may get operators supplying vessels at peak periods such as TT, MGP wich would help ease the pain and costs for the visitors at these times.

[Gladys]

How can you leave it to the open market to decide prices when there is only one shipping company operating?

[Lonan3]

I would suggest that, some time before it's due for renewal, the government should advertise the user agreement as being available for tender - with appropriate conditions of service attached - to see if there is any interest from other companies.

[Pragmatopian]

How can you leave it to the open market to decide prices when there is only one shipping company operating?

 

You can't force suppliers to participate in a market. Even if you remove restrictive agreements that doesn't mean that alternative suppliers will suddenly appear: they will only participate if the perceived benefit to them outweighs the perceived risk. In such circumstances it is still technically an open market, but it is just not large or attractive enough for other suppliers.

 

The best thing you can do is to simply remove the user agreement and see what happens. Creating incentives or subsidies to encourage other suppliers would only distort competition.

[Lost Login]

I understood that the user agreement contained conditions in respect of prices and frequency of service. If the user agreement is scrapped then yes there might be competition forcing costs down although last time there was competition there was not enough business to keep two shipping companies going.

 

If nobody comes into compete then having scapped the user agreement and accordingly all conditions with regard to prices and frequency of service then I would argue both might suffer.

 

The user agreement is in place and I would presume that it can only be cancelled if both parties mutually agree. The Steam Packet will only do so if they think it is in there interest to which probably means if they can increase revenue or decrease costs by doing so. The simple ways of doing both we the IoM commiunity might not like

 

How can you leave it to the open market to decide prices when there is only one shipping company operating?

 

You can't force suppliers to participate in a market. Even if you remove restrictive agreements that doesn't mean that alternative suppliers will suddenly appear: they will only participate if the perceived benefit to them outweighs the perceived risk. In such circumstances it is still technically an open market, but it is just not large or attractive enough for other suppliers.

 

The best thing you can do is to simply remove the user agreement and see what happens. Creating incentives or subsidies to encourage other suppliers would only distort competition.

[Tempus Fugit]

to be honest, i think prices are pretty reasonable19ish quid for a foot passenger and 160 quid for a car and 4 people aint bad if your not fussy bout night sailings, it costs a lot to run those boats and then theres crew (which they need for legal and emergency requirements) and at the end of the day, would it be cheaper to fly, even if competition did come, they wouldnt be much cheaper, if most people werent fussed about a conventional ferry time and didnt expect 2 and a half hours maybe it would be a bit cheaper as seacats are more fuel guzzling. i dont know what everybodys problem is

 

are you aware that it's more expensive to travel on the overnight Ben from Heysham than the evening SSC2 from L/pool ?

[feelslikeitshould]

to be honest, i think prices are pretty reasonable19ish quid for a foot passenger and 160 quid for a car and 4 people aint bad if your not fussy bout night sailings, it costs a lot to run those boats and then theres crew (which they need for legal and emergency requirements) and at the end of the day, would it be cheaper to fly, even if competition did come, they wouldnt be much cheaper, if most people werent fussed about a conventional ferry time and didnt expect 2 and a half hours maybe it would be a bit cheaper as seacats are more fuel guzzling. i dont know what everybodys problem is

 

are you aware that it's more expensive to travel on the overnight Ben from Heysham than the evening SSC2 from L/pool ?

 

Erm, no it's not. I was looking for sailings a couple of days ago for my husband and I as foot passengers in August.....IOM - LIV return (evening/afternoon) £120, IOM - Heysham return (02:15) £60. I also looked to the price to take a bike on the boat, as night trains are a fooking joke. A train from Glasgow to Liverpool over night takes 7 hrs and costs nearly £400pp. The bike, plus 2 adults return, coming back from Heysham at 02:15 was £115.50, Liverpool return was over £150. Yes, that's right, it's cheaper to travel with a bike to and from Heyshm than it is to go on foot to and from Liverpool.