fruitmachine

We're on a Spain intensive that starts in Bordeaux in two days. The Azamazing evening for us is in Gibraltar.

We've visited Oban many times, passing through to catch a ferry and often staying overnight. The hotels used to be poor, but since the Premier Inn opened a few years ago, that's probably the only place I'd stay. It's by no means a luxury hotel, but has been spotless, convenient, and we always get a good night's sleep. My general opinion of Oban is that it's a 'gateway' town for the ferries; charming on the surface but little to do. As well as those places already mentioned, ff you're interested in engineering, you could visit Cruachan (https://www.visitcruachan.co.uk/visit-us/) which would also take you into the hills behind the town. Have you considered the train to get there (after getting a taxi or bus into the train station in Glasgow)? I've never taken it, but know that it's part of the famous West Highland Line, and the train station in Oban is literally next door to the Premier Inn. https://www.scotrail.co.uk/inspiration-hub/great-scenic-rail-journeys/west-highland-line-glasgow-oban-and-fort-williammallaig

That's because there is no App!

A check on MarineTraffic.com of Silver Ray shows that it docked at this point on Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oaCtA4jCvr1nNndB8

There is an (imperfect) work around: Go to the summary page on Seaware, and change the word "summary" in the URL to "invoice".

Sorry, I don't know if there is anything specific. I just got the invitation, I assume, as part of their general marketing to past customers.

Typically Newhaven has more cancelled calls than South Queensferry. South Queensferry is more sheltered and the distance between anchorage and landing is less.

That may well be the case in many places, but in this instance it was happening in the harbour where there was no current. They just couldn't cope with a bit of wind.

I suspect that this could be a wider issue than just QM2. When I watched Queen Victoria tendering to Newhaven, Edinburgh in May 2023, it stood out just how poor the tender drivers were at docking in the harbour in a breeze. When the local boat that was also being used as a tender arrived, the difference in ability was glaring.

They are! It's the price that's "shoulder" not the numbers.

Accommodation supply is mostly inelastic, so (typically, but not universally) the price will reduce in order to increase demand to match that supply. The net effect is that occupancy rates stay high - it's the price per night that slopes off from the peak, hence the term 'shoulder'.

Today we had another email, again inviting us to bid for an upgrade for this same cruise that starts in 10 days. Nothing has changed including the minimum bid amounts.

You should check out the "behind the scenes" tour. I think this year was the first time it's been run, and I heard some fantastic feedback from an Australian couple. They said that it wasn't cheap, but worth every penny. I don't know if they went with a ship excursion or independently.

One word of caution ... I've just looked at the tide times for Leith for 15, 16 & 17 August 2025. They are repeated below, but for reference the full set can be found via a PDF link at the bottom of this page (https://www.royalforth.org/information/tide-information) They are published as GMT, so adding an hour for summer time gives: As you can see, high tide is around three hours before you're due to leave. Cruise ships seem to only use the lock for a maximum of an hour to ninety minutes either side of high tide, and I assume that the size of this window will depend on just how high the tide is. In June this year, Azamara Onward knew that it would miss the tide on arrival and instead tendered to nearby Newhaven, moving to Leith at the early afternoon high tide. This was known and communicated well in advance of the cruise to passengers, so no surprises! I could be wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised to see an earlier departure than is currently advertised. A reversal of Onward's June experience seems unworkable with the time available. The new "outer berth" may also be in the mix. All this is somewhat speculative, and will depend, in particular, on how large the high-tide window is. I just want you to be aware of the possibilities. Finally, having re-read your original post, I'd have no concerns buying tickets now. My recommendation is for a Band B (~£81) ticket. If you want a quick exit, the two seats next to each aisle are slightly more expensive, but could save you 15-20 minutes!

Though with an 11:45pm departure, you could be docked in Dundee and still make it back in time on public transport from the early Saturday show!