Afternoon departures

[Gill W]

We had an email today from our travel agent, regarding our upcoming Black Sea cruise on Azura, about revised port departure times.

Lisbon and Athens are now afternoon departures.

I put this email with the rest of my paperwork and noted the following

We have 9 ports, and five of those are now afternoon departures. We are in Istanbul for a day and a half, but will have an early afternoon departure on the second day. So, out of the nine ports, only three are evening departures. This is a 24 night cruise. When I first started with P&O a similar cruise was 18 nights, extending to 20 nights, and now its 24 nights.

For a 24 night cruise, that's not much port time at all. I don't mind too much, as I tend to spend the morning out and come back around lunch time, but I predict unrest onboard about this!

Incidentally, we have booked the Sebastopol and Balaclava tour for the Yalta stop, which I'm fairly sure is a full day tour. Yalta is supposed to be one of the places we are leaving in the afternoon, so that could be interesting

[david63]

I wonder if part of the reasoning for early departures is to "encourage" passengers to go on P&O tours in the knowledge that the ship will not sail without them, whereas going DIY becomes a more risky business.

[Ray Scully]

Gill
It would appear the short stay in port would be very much to the advantage of P&O on three counts at least
1) Lower port charges
2) Lower fuel costs as presumably they can reduce speed to the next port
3) Increased on board spends with a captured clientèle for additional half days.

Or am I just being cynical ?

Ray

[david63]

Ray - how could anyone ever accuse you of being cynical?

[Dancing Queen]

I wonder if part of the reasoning for early departures is to "encourage" passengers to go on P&O tours in the knowledge that the ship will not sail without them, whereas going DIY becomes a more risky business.

Funny you should say that David because as I was reading Gill's post the same thought was going through my mind.

P&O may have ridden the storm over the Getaway/Vantage fares for now but it's looking as if a new storm is brewing I've been reading many similar posts on other forums.

[Quizzical Bob]

If this carries on we shall be jumping ship, and I shall make sure I let the big nobs down at Head Office know all about it. Honestly, some people don't deserve to have a job if they can't make sensible decisions :facepalm:

[Kendhni]

The shorter time in ports is not helping the cruising experience. Given the short hops of many of the ports I can't see a need for it apart from reasons highlighted by Ray

[sunseeker16]

I will make sure I check the departure times as closely as I can before any future bookings. (Whatsinport has cruise calendars for every port, with dates and times)

The attraction of cruising is, err, cruising to different places and having sufficient time to at least get a feel of them. Sea days are nice but constant time at sea can start to feel like a particularly restricted all-inclusive hotel.

[david63]

I would hazard a guess that Whatsinport will only have the information as to the time that the berth is booked for and as berths are booked two or more years in advance this may end up not being very helpful.

[Dark Knight]

As we prefer port days to sea days, this could well start to be a deal breaker as far as cruising with Pando is concerned
looking at our next cruise the shortest stop is 10 hours , the longest is 15 hours
so why if others can do this can't Pando, looks like another cost cutting measure

[Gill W]

Just a follow up to my posting last night.

My husband printed up 'Your holiday information' while he was at work. I was saying that we only had three evening departures. Well, it turns out that Kusadasi and Mytilene have also been changed to afternoon departures.

So, out of nine ports, we have ONE early evening departure. The rest are afternoons, or early afternoons.

I don't mind some afternoon departures, as everybody is out and about and it's a good atmosphere.

BUT, this level of afternoon departures is excessive, I feel.

I will admit to feeling disgruntled about this!

[Meg 50]

I think it's time to go into crusade mode....


Come Monday (no point over the weekend,) I intend to start demanding answers online.
If everyone does that, they'll have to notice at least one or 2 of us!








I daren't post the next bit on FB for fear of tempting fate - apart from the website missing out a port entirely, my personaliser still has all ports and as originally sold to us!
But it won't stop me crusading for everyone else!

[Not so ancient mariner]

Today there were 3 cruise ships in Stavanger. Two German ones which left at 6pm & 7pm local time, and Arcadia; - which was scheduled to depart at 4pm, but when I had a look at the webcam at quarter to, she had already left!

[JenniC]

I think it's time to go into crusade mode....


Come Monday (no point over the weekend,) I intend to start demanding answers online.
If everyone does that, they'll have to notice at least one or 2 of us!


I daren't post the next bit on FB for fear of tempting fate - apart from the website missing out a port entirely, my personaliser still has all ports and as originally sold to us!
But it won't stop me crusading for everyone else!

Meg - I asked the question on FB as it was a bit worrying, although as yet it has not affected me. First time I have been on FB for 6 months, but I was the recipient of another nasty post from Suzanne Santacruz - who was so rude to me last time that I stopped posting and whom I do not know but seemed to know I had just been on a cruise and booked a getaway, which I have only posted on here, so that worries me too - how did she know? Does someone on here have an altered ego! I should have stuck to my guns and not posted on FB.. Let me know though if you get an answer from P&O.

[Manoverboard]

... First time I have been on FB for 6 months, but I was the recipient of another nasty post from Suzanne Santacruz - who was so rude to me last time that I stopped posting and whom I do not know but seemed to know I had just been on a cruise and booked a getaway, which I have only posted on here, so that worries me too - how did she know? Does someone on here have an altered ego! I should have stuck to my guns and not posted on FB.. Let me know though if you get an answer from P&O.

Jenni ...

It's standard rules to use a different userid on various sites albeit some do it in an attempt to disguise their better known identity.

In any event anybody can read the postings on this site be they a Member or not but it is easier when they are. You would have been spotted, your recent postings checked out and then you have been targetted.

Either do not use FB else change your name on there ... you may also wish to report the offensive post(s).

Regards MobiMod ( aka Moby )

[Manoverboard]

Just a follow up to my posting last night.

My husband printed up 'Your holiday information' while he was at work. I was saying that we only had three evening departures. Well, it turns out that Kusadasi and Mytilene have also been changed to afternoon departures ...

In this instance two thirds of a day in Mytilene is sufficient ... but a whole day would have been our expectation too.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We have been told by a senior source on board it is to save fuel costs, which have doubled over the last 7 years. I have noticed that another much hyped cruise line is saving port time and hence increasing sea time and travelling more slowly by maintaining the time in most ports but omitting others from the schedule altogether. Two different ways to crack the same problem. The third alternative would, of course, be to increase prices. The cost has to be met somehow.

[Manoverboard]

No such problems on Riverboat Cruising ...

[Not so ancient mariner]

No such problems on Riverboat Cruising ...

....But do you get more port time/pay less if you choose to travel downstream?

[Lollie]

Don't like the 'afternoon' departure when doing diy... a 4pm departure, especially if a tender port means you start getting anxious about returning to the ship almost after lunch. I can understand that it reduces port charges and therefore keeps cost down but there really are some ports that deserve longer stays eg Dubrovnik, we would be quite happy to pay a little more for a longer stay in these ports.

[Meg 50]

We have been told by a senior source on board it is to save fuel costs, which have doubled over the last 7 years. I have noticed that another much hyped cruise line is saving port time and hence increasing sea time and travelling more slowly by maintaining the time in most ports but omitting others from the schedule altogether. Two different ways to crack the same problem. The third alternative would, of course, be to increase prices. The cost has to be met somehow.

I spose, given those options cutting out a port completely would be our least preferred option

[ChesterfieldJohn]

If they cut out Vigo or Ponta Delgada I wouldnt mind

John

[Quizzical Bob]

If they cut out Vigo or Ponta Delgada I wouldnt mind

John

I would dearly love to have seen Ponta Delgada and the Azores but Aurora was diverted on the way back from the Caribbean.

[Kendhni]

I wonder if it is possible that some of the shortening of time in ports is down to new 'green' or environmental regulaitons not allowing ships to do any more than a certain speed in some waters ... while I think that is probably a long shot, if it has any basis then it is spoiling the cruise experience.

[davecttr]

It is all down to saving money. The cruise lines costs are increasing and they can't put the price up significantly. Any cruise line that did would be committing financial suicide. There will come a point where further reducing costs will bring reduced revenues. That is when the s*** hits the f**.

P&O's problem is made worse as there are only so many destinations you can get to from southampton without large time penalties. Even their Baltic cruises have further to sail than those cruise lines using east coast ports. Southampton is about 140 nautical miles further away from Norway than Harwich. That translates up to an additional sea day on those cruises.

Thinks - when are eurostar introducing their St Pancras - Marseille direct services?