Newsbot Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Fast craft services between the Isle of Man and Liverpool are cancelled because of poor weather conditions Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7601991.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silentbob Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 (again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevster Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 (again) Doesn't really come under "NEWS" anymore, does it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 (again) A guy I know was coming over from via Liverpool recently. Booked on-line and gave all the contact phone numbers 'so we can contact you if there is a change to sailings'. Gets to Liverpool and is told to 'park over there - the morning boat is not going so you will be going on one at (I think he said) 10.00pm.' When he suggests he might be able to get on the afternoon sailing from Heysham is told 'it will be full'. So he trots over to the Portakabin and books himself onto the Heysham sailing anyway. He was really peed off that noone from the IOMSPC had bothered to let him know about the cancellation to save him coming into Liverpool and then having to double back past where he lives to go to Heysham. He wondered why the IOMSPC ask for contact details if they don't use them. My (maybe groundless) suspicion is that the IOMSPC don't call staff in early to do phone calls if there is a cancellation/change in saiings but wait until 09.00 to start doing it. Wonder what happens at weekends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebrof Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 (again) A guy I know was coming over from via Liverpool recently. Booked on-line and gave all the contact phone numbers 'so we can contact you if there is a change to sailings'. Gets to Liverpool and is told to 'park over there - the morning boat is not going so you will be going on one at (I think he said) 10.00pm.' When he suggests he might be able to get on the afternoon sailing from Heysham is told 'it will be full'. So he trots over to the Portakabin and books himself onto the Heysham sailing anyway. He was really peed off that noone from the IOMSPC had bothered to let him know about the cancellation to save him coming into Liverpool and then having to double back past where he lives to go to Heysham. He wondered why the IOMSPC ask for contact details if they don't use them. My (maybe groundless) suspicion is that the IOMSPC don't call staff in early to do phone calls if there is a cancellation/change in saiings but wait until 09.00 to start doing it. Wonder what happens at weekends? I go across once a month. Three times this year I have booked via Liverpool, and twice the ferry has been cancelled. On the latest occasion, they knew on Friday morning that there would be problems, but waited until 15.30 on Saturday to ring and tell me I was being bounced off the 19:00 sailing, and would have to take the 02:15 from Heysham. At that stage, I was on the motorway heading for Liverpool. Had I been told on Friday, I could have rearranged my plans, and travelled at a civilised hour on Sunday, having used Saturday usefully. When you actually get on the boat, the staff are usually great, but this sort of nonsense makes me despair. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I go across once a month. Three times this year I have booked via Liverpool, and twice the ferry has been cancelled. On the latest occasion, they knew on Friday morning that there would be problems, but waited until 15.30 on Saturday to ring and tell me I was being bounced off the 19:00 sailing, and would have to take the 02:15 from Heysham. At that stage, I was on the motorway heading for Liverpool. Had I been told on Friday, I could have rearranged my plans, and travelled at a civilised hour on Sunday, having used Saturday usefully. When you actually get on the boat, the staff are usually great, but this sort of nonsense makes me despair. S Sebrof, have you tried writing to Mak Woodward's blog on the IOMSPC site? If you did was there any reply explainig their policy? I have found that when I write to it drawing attention to a potential service improvement I get zero response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Sebrof, have you tried writing to Mak Woodward's blog on the IOMSPC site? If you did was there any reply explainig their policy? I have found that when I write to it drawing attention to a potential service improvement I get zero response. Be fair to the guy, most people can only deal with around 100 complaints a day at most. Perhaps you could suggest on the blog that he go on an MS Word mail-merge refresher course.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whodaman Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I recently returned from the USA with my family and the trip back to IOM went smoothly and efficiently, until we hit Liverpool. Our 7:00pm sailing was cancelled and we were to board coaches to Heysham for the 2:50am sailing the next morning. Nothing unusual there, for us seasoned manxies. When we got to Heysham, the terminal was in darkness. The coach driver very kindly let us stay sat in our seats until staff eventually turned up later that evening to let us in. What surprises me was that the Heysham terminal must have been open earlier that day, and the staff knew from about 4:00pm that the 7:00pm sailing from Liverpool was going to be cancelled. Why then weren't there any staff at Heysham when we arrived? It just smacks of utter comtempt for the travelling customers on the part of SteamPacket management. It's not the crew's fault, and they were courtious to a fault when we actually got on board the Ben. I know that this post wont change anything, or get read by anyone who can effect a change, so I might as well be typing njbc oa hfaoioin oafg jafo aqfoo v nao naofoafjn aogo anaofg napfr.... I just needed to get it out. I'm sure that the Steam Packet would be better off with more 'slow' ships like the Ben, rather than the supposedly fast craft. I'd rather spend 4.5 hours on a ship with a reliable schedule than 2.5 hours on a ship which 'might' sail. ~sigh~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Our 7:00pm sailing was cancelled and we were to board coaches to Heysham for the 2:50am sailing the next morning. /snip/ I'd rather spend 4.5 hours on a ship with a reliable schedule than 2.5 hours on a ship which 'might' sail. ~sigh~ so why did you book the fastcraft ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Sebrof, have you tried writing to Mak Woodward's blog on the IOMSPC site? If you did was there any reply explainig their policy? I have found that when I write to it drawing attention to a potential service improvement I get zero response. Be fair to the guy, most people can only deal with around 100 complaints a day at most. Perhaps you could suggest on the blog that he go on an MS Word mail-merge refresher course.. Yes, of course I'd overlooked that point. As they say in the IOMSPC 'Blog Off' P.S. I see the Blog is headed: A word with Woodward Welcome to ‘A Word With Woodward’ a chance to have your say….. Funny that comments have become increasingly 'good news from the IOMSPC' despite the fact that there seems to be so many concerns about service out there. I get the impression that most people aren't anti-IOMSPC - they just want to see it smartening up its service standards - one of those cases where something is probably 90% OK but the other 10% that is missing has a big impact on satisfaction (like a TV that gives you 90% of a picture) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebrof Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Our 7:00pm sailing was cancelled and we were to board coaches to Heysham for the 2:50am sailing the next morning. /snip/ I'd rather spend 4.5 hours on a ship with a reliable schedule than 2.5 hours on a ship which 'might' sail. ~sigh~ so why did you book the fastcraft ? Oi! Stop asking sensible questions. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbms Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 so I might as well be typing njbc oa hfaoioin oafg jafo aqfoo v nao naofoafjn aogo anaofg napfr.... In reply I agree the food could be of better quality although I think that was a bit harsh as she does look ok after 4 pints of guinness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I was on the Liverpool ferry last night. Two families were sat on the floor with their kids because there wasn't enough seating. The people two in front of me, directly in front of me and directly behind me in the queue for food had their orders fucked up (one of them was the dad of one of the families sat on the floor, not his day really), in two of those cases that required an extra ten minute wait for their food. The seats were FILTHY, the baby changing facilities FILTHIER STILL, and on a number of the seats the thing that holds the tray on the back of the seat in front was broken so it was staying down, all journey. How the government allows them to get away with this is beyond me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I reckon with 644 pax on board it would be a bit busy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaefell050 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Sebrof, have you tried writing to Mak Woodward's blog on the IOMSPC site? If you did was there any reply explainig their policy? I have found that when I write to it drawing attention to a potential service improvement I get zero response. I've written in twice, and got a reply once so not a bad return really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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