Steam Packet To Operate Seact Through To December

[crumlin]

We used the Superseacat to day as we cant trust EuroManx anymore and what a bad sailing we had, got help those that use it in December

[Rhumsaa]

I went on that bridge in Denmark in April - there is a train track that runs under the road

 

brilliant

[Snaipyr]

Great idea but can you really be arsed to drive the whole way and then drive back down again through Scotland? Especially with fuel prices..

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Great bridge - avoids having to go to England at all

[Tempus Fugit]

Nice idea - maybe oneday....

 

 

 

See how it dips under the sea at points:

 

 

http://osb.oeresundsbron.dk/frontpage/?lang=1

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Wow, what a fanastic job, there was only a ferry when I crossed there in 1974, I had heard they had built a bridge but hadn't really seen any detail on it.

 

It's typical of the things they do up there though, in Norway they will sling bridges across to Islands which only seem to have a scattering of houses on them, I think they are using the oil money to do it whilst they can. A lot of them are toll bridges though, but they collect the money on the way back, if you knew how much it was going to cost you would think twice about crossing !

 

Some of the tunnels they are digging are pretty long too, I think we went through one about 20k long, it's almost to the stage that you check your fuel guage before you go in to make sure you can get to the other end !

 

There was always the story about the channel tunnel, if the contractors missed joining up in the middle you got two tunnels for the price of one

 

 

Got some more info on the seacat,

one return trip daily from 11 october through to 6th nov,

then fri/sat/sun until 8th jan

+ daily fri 16th - sat 24th dec, tue 27th wed 28th, fri-sat-sun30/31/1st

and mon 2nd jan

[Amadeus]

No more Lady of Mann?

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Nope - it seems they have finally managed to sell the one proper boat that always saved their a** when the SeaCat or any of their other vessels couldn't operate - and that was more than once..(get a copy of that little "Lady of Mann" book by Jim Sheppard - well worth reading..)

 

Big mistake me thinks, and I've worked on a few of them (SeaCat Isle of Man, Ben, Lady) - no boat was as good as the Lady, as she was built for the Irish sea and proudly sailed through the worst of storms - I will certainly miss her and all the good memories of life onboard...

 

If Lady + Liverpool + "Rubber Duck" rings a bell, then you know what I mean

[Tempus Fugit]

It's been about a while but some on here may not have come across this wonderful little ditty by Tom Glassey

 

 

 

 

"LAMENT FOR THE BEN-MY-CHREE"

 

I'm lying here in Douglas, once again I did not sail,

The island has no papers and Marksies bread's gone stale,

I'm a brand new ship from Holland and Ben-My-Chree's my name.

I'm the slowest ship they ever built and I've other claims to fame.

 

I watch my little sister, The Lady pass me by.

She's on her way to Liverpool, so why the hell can't I?

She's 25 years my senior and only half my size,

But I mustn't go out there today, for fear I might capsize.

 

I see the yachts out in the bay, with their sails unfurled,

My chairman's told my passengers I can sail throughout the world.

To Tokyo or to Sydney or even Santa Fe,

But Liverpool or Heysham are just too far away.

 

I lie here in the harbour, feeling so uneasy,

My sailing's have been cancelled because it is too breezy.

I'm storm bound here in Douglas and on my berth I lie,

It really is embarrassing as a canoe goes paddling by.

 

I've got another sister, she's called a SuperCat,

She takes day-trippers to Liverpool, but does not bring them back.

The Lady comes to the rescue, she always is on call,

I avoid these situations by not leaving port at all!

 

Now we've got a little system, it really is unique,

It protects us from the elements when the weather is too bleak,

My captain lights a cancel and hangs it from my railings,

And if the wind doth blow it out he cancels all my sailings!

[Lonan3]

An excellent poem - and a perfect commentary on the 'Ben' at the time. Nowadays, of course, it does tend to plough it's way across in most weather - albeit with none of the panache and grace of the 'Lady.'

Like many people, I'll miss the 'Lady of Man,' she seemed to be the last link between the Steam Packet's great days as a local, passenger-based service and the modern commercially-driven need for institution profit.

[Perplexed]

Am I being paranoid or does £127!! for 2 foot passengers leaving liverpool on saturday morning (24th @7:00) and returning sunday (25th @6:00pm) seem like extortion to anybody else. I know I only booked it 4 days in advance instead of the usual 3 years but still... I'd fly but that's equally expensive and don't trust euromanx to be on time anyway, and can't on this occasion anyway.

 

 

They even have the audacity to ask if I want to pay more for a seat and a lousy cup of coffee, which might be a good idea considering that the last time I was on that thing I couldn't get a seat and had to sit on a pile of timetables on the outer deck, and couldnt use the toilets because of the 1" deep pool of urine swirling round the floor, it stank, If i'd have had kids I wouldn't have let them use those toilets.

 

As far as I'm concerned there should be a flat rate passenger fee whatever crossing like Calmac.

 

I know there's a boat in the morning etc, but I was born here and been here 30 years and i feel I have birthright to complain. and besides I doubt I could afford the boat again anyway.

 

I wish one/all of the MHK's or company directors would have the balls to come on one of these sites and discuss openly the things that really annoy people. Couldn't we try and set that up?

[Tempus Fugit]

Am I being paranoid or does £127!! for 2 foot passengers leaving liverpool on saturday morning (24th @7:00) and returning sunday (25th @6:00pm) seem like extortion to anybody else. I know I only booked it 4 days in advance instead of the usual 3 years but still... I'd fly but that's equally expensive and don't trust euromanx to be on time anyway, and can't on this occasion anyway.

 

 

They even have the audacity to ask if I want to pay more for a seat and a  lousy cup of coffee, which might be a good idea considering that the last time I was on that thing I couldn't get a seat and had to sit on a pile of timetables on the outer deck, and couldnt use the toilets because of the 1" deep pool of urine swirling round the floor, it stank, If i'd have had kids I wouldn't have let them use those toilets.

 

As far as I'm concerned there should be a flat rate passenger fee whatever crossing like Calmac.

 

I know there's a boat in the morning etc, but I was born  here and been here 30 years and i feel I have birthright to complain. and besides I doubt I could afford the boat again anyway.

 

I wish one/all of the MHK's or company directors would have the balls to come on one of these sites and discuss openly the things that really annoy people. Couldn't we try and set that up?

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from the schedule, the outgoing 7.00am to l/pool on 24/9 is £31 and the return on 25/9 is £32 per adult foot passenger standard fare

 

The 5-day fare would be £28 + £29

 

+ have they added a fuel surcharge ????

 

 

[Perplexed]

I thought that, as it also showed that it was £116 on the website, which is bad enough. I just got told that the only seats remaining were at that price. Although that did include £3 credit card charge, which I find seperatley extortionate, but unfortunatly couldnt avoid.

 

Do they just make it up on the spot depending on height and eye colour or soemthing?

[Tempus Fugit]

I thought that, as it also showed that it was £116 on the website, which is bad enough. I just got told that  the only seats remaining were at that price. Although that did include £3 credit card charge, which I find seperatley extortionate, but unfortunatly couldnt avoid.

 

Do they just make it up on the spot depending on height and eye colour or soemthing?

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+ fuel surcharge £2 per person per crossing (from the website)

(on two 5-day returns would be £125)

 

seems like it's right, but still it's an expensive bit of water

[Perplexed]

Your right.

 

£116 2 x return

+£8 total fuel charge

+£3 credit fee

= too much

 

Maybe a bit off topic I know but is it possible for another operator to service the Island , presuming there is enough trade (which there probably isnt anyway) or did I read that the steampacket has some sort of control via the government over the use of Douglas harbour. If that is the case wouldn't that sort of behaviour be deemed monopolistic or at least as government favouritism anyway?

[rallybug]

Maybe a bit off topic I know but is it possible for another operator to service the Island , presuming there is enough trade (which there probably isnt anyway) or did I read that the steampacket has some sort of control via the government over the use of Douglas harbour.  If that is the case wouldn't that sort of behaviour be deemed monopolistic or at least as government favouritism anyway?

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The Steam Packet have a solus agreement with the Govt over the linkspan for another 8 years or so, I think - wouldn't stop anyone else coming over with a side-loader like the Lady though, I'd assume.

[Knoxville]

What the hell has happened to the Steam Packet?

 

I can remember when it was cheap, £30 return when ever you booked it!!!

 

Now its just gone stupid and if you add in the fact that you may not even be able to get to Liverpool due to bad weather and the Sea Cat not sailing makes it even worse and an added journey time.

 

I've never ever had any complaints about the SP but now there taking mick!!!!!!!!

 

I go across to see the girl friend most weekends or she comes here, but with this new cost and fact of getting a boat from bloody Hayshem.

 

Euromanx want £8,000,000 for a trip to Liverpool ( with no guarnatee that it will go ) and now the Steam Packet are doing the same.

 

I think I'll be flying to Manchester ( my sister works for BA - Family discount ) onto Liverpool via train ( cost works out cheaper if these fares keep going up ).

 

Someone from the SP care to explain whats going on there please?

[manxman8180]

Am I being paranoid or does £127!! for 2 foot passengers leaving liverpool on saturday morning (24th @7:00) and returning sunday (25th @6:00pm) seem like extortion to anybody else. I know I only booked it 4 days in advance instead of the usual 3 years but still... I'd fly but that's equally expensive and don't trust euromanx to be on time anyway, and can't on this occasion anyway.

With respect what do you expect booking for a Saturday morning a few days before travel. It's not just the SPCo that adopt pricing policy like this, it is the travel industry as a whole. Try booking a cheap EasyJet seat 3 days in advance........

As far as I'm concerned there should be a flat rate passenger fee whatever crossing like Calmac.

Which, of course, has the luxury of being, basically, funded and wholly supported by the Scottish parliament. The IOM Govt sold their stake in the ferry company many moons ago....

 

I wish one/all of the MHK's or company directors would have the balls to come on one of these sites and discuss openly the things that really annoy people. Couldn't we try and set that up?

I am assuming then that you have already addressed your concerns to the Company and are un satisfied with their explanation? Nah, didn't think so.