manshimajin Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Have just got back from NZ and read that the future of the SNAEFELL is being reviewed in view of the arrival of the MANANNAN and that the ferry services to Dublin and Belfast are under threat. Was wondering has anyone heard any more about this? I have a vested interest in that I use the service from Belfast about 5 times a year (Dublin is too inconvenient traffic-wise). From previous threads on the User Agreement I understood that the IOMSPC were required to provide a certain number of sailings to Ireland each year. If this is correct withdrawing Irish services would presumably be in breach of the UA? One thing that has struck me this year has been the almost total abscence of any advertising for the IOM in Ireland - however I have been away a lot so may have missed the 'campaign'. Certainly I saw nothing in the critical 'holiday booking season' at the start of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilligan Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 FUCKING NO! I want to go to Uni there, and how the fuck am i meant to transport my worldly possesions to Belfast with out a boat? Surely this is a piss take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbones Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Where did you read it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosferatu Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 It has been mentioned before , mainly due to the chronic underuse of the services . Not really helped by the ridiculous sailing times that were in place a few seasons back . Hmm lets arrive in Belfast at 1 am then back in Douglas at 4 am . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 FUCKING NO! I want to go to Uni there, and how the fuck am i meant to transport my worldly possesions to Belfast with out a boat? Surely this is a piss take? looks like a trip to england first then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted June 21, 2009 Author Share Posted June 21, 2009 Where did you read it? In "Irish Sea Shipping News" who were saying that the IOMSPC were saying 'use it or lose it'. That seems daft if they don't advertise the service. Surely it would make sense to advertise, to maybe concentrate sailings on Belfast given the excellent road access from Dublin and further south to Belfast, and to think of ways of promoting more Irish bound tourists to get there via the IOM (and vice versa). I wonder if it is a 'red herring' from the IOMSPC to justify getting rid of the SNAEFELL now they have got the new ship? "We don't really want the costs of the SNAEFELL so how about dropping Irish services?" Mind you I would be delighted if they got rid of the SNAEFELL as long as they used a ship on the route that can sail in anything other than flat calm without causing an epidemic of maritime nausea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosferatu Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 The snaffle should have been scrapped when she was sunk . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowell thurber Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 under the terms of the user agreement the steam packet are required to run a certain number of sailings to both dublin and belfast. However they are not required to run them when you would probably want to sail. If the snaefell goes then the sailings will probably revert back to the same as a few years back either in the middle of the night after the liverpool sailings are done or sunday mornings they cannot drop sailings to ireland only make them less attractive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikingRaider Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Also from Irish Sea Shipping News: "A correspondent reports that a leaflet giving outline timings for TT 2010 is available. They comment that the timings appears to have been drawn up on the basis that only two ships will operate - The BEN-MY-CHREE and MANANNAN. The Northern Ireland sailings are overnight and operate to and from Larne which suggests that P&O EXPRESS may be chartered again. Recently the company indicated that the future of SNAEFELL remained under review due to poor loadings on the Irish routes." So it would seem that the Snaefell's fate has already been decided and is not being replaced ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxman8180 Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 I think the 'use it or lose it' quote was attributed to the additonal sailing programme offered to Ireland this year. They are required to operate a seasonal service, but they have put quite a few extra sailings in this year, utilising Snaefell. So if the additional sailings aren't a rip roaring success they will revert to the twice a week or whatever it was previously. Anyway, it's a moot point as the Snaefell will be sold at the back end of this year anyway. Seems a waste repairing it really. The P&O Express and Stena Caledonia are lined up for next TT alongside the Ben and Manannan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alph3 Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 I haven't used the boats to Belfast or Dublin in ages, due to the stupid stupid times that they sail at. Well actually it's not the departing times but the arrival times that are stupid. I travel to Donegal which is approx 2.5 hours from Belfast and approx 4.5 - 5 hours from Dublin. I do not want to be travelling overnight, nor do I want the added expense of staying in a hotel for 6 hours before continuing my onward journey. How's about the IOMSP trial some decent times to Ireland and then guage the interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 Many thanks for messages. TBH I don't mind if they sail twice a week as long as they sail. And if they use something a bit better than the Snaefell that would be great too. It is still unclear to me whether IOMSPC have done any promotion in Ireland this year - they say 'use it or lose it' but maybe it is also 'advertise it or lose it' when they are in so much competition (and price competition) with P&O, Stena and Irish Ferries. Alph - As far as possible I have been using Sunday sailings that get into Belfast at about 10.00 am which gives me ample time to drive down to Cork. If you are going to Donegal would you be better using Belfast rather than Dublin? I find it much easier and relaxing via Belfast than trying to fight the traffic on the Quays in Dublin which can add almost as much time on onto my journey as doing the extra miles from Belfast to Dublin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monasqueen Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 the Snaefell will be sold at the back end of this year Really? Who'd buy it? Would you buy a car knowing it had been an insurance write-off? They haven't been able to sell the other one - Viking, though apparently that's now going to go down to the Azores doing what Lady of Mann used to do in the summer (hope the wind doesn't blow!) They'll use Manannan for Irish services, and if there continues to be no advertising she'll run empty at a massive loss. They'll then go crying to the government that they cannot run the services, which will then mean that either the govt goes soft and gives them a subsidy, or the service gets dumped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 They'll use Manannan for Irish services, and if there continues to be no advertising she'll run empty at a massive loss. They'll then go crying to the government that they cannot run the services, which will then mean that either the govt goes soft and gives them a subsidy, or the service gets dumped. or perish the thought...they will lose the monopoly to the Linkspan if they are in breach of the User Agreement that they signed up to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxman8180 Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Really? Who'd buy it? Would you buy a car knowing it had been an insurance write-off? If the price was right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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