fruitmachine

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!

You will have no issue. The show lasts 90 minutes, it might take up to 35 minutes to get out of the venue and walk to the tram stop. The tram takes 20 minutes to get to Leith, and the ship is three or four minutes walk from the tram stop.

There are cheaper and more expensive seats than the ones we were in, but I think the sort of area we sat in was probably at the peak of the value-for-money curve. You may be interested in the 'behind the scenes' tour, which I think was run this year for the first time. I met an Australian couple that were here on an Azamara ship who had been to it and the Tattoo the night before. They couldn't have more highly recommended the tour. They said that it was expensive, but worth every penny, giving them access to the bands rehearsing, the control gallery, and much more. https://tickets.edintattoo.co.uk/selection/timeslotpass?productId=10228703068913

There is one thing that is certain, and that's that an actuary will have looked at this in detail and they will know exactly what 'normal' is. They reprice on an ongoing basis, and with almost all policies being no more than a year before renewal, they have already had ample opportunity to react to any change in experience. If they were losing money on this, you'd have seen prices rise years ago until they didn't!

I agree - sometimes they are all sold out, but it's not a given. I had that direct experience where the shorex company contracted by the cruiseline and sending multiple coachloads from the ship to the castle still had 40-50 seats that were not taken up by passengers.

Any of the yellow blocks. We were in Block 4, row Z, middle of the row. The further back you are, the higher, so still get a very good view. The two seats at the aisle in each row are more expensive, but their only advantage is that you can get out quicker! It's worth noting that the very best tickets in the house are at the same level as the top row of these side blocks (row FF) There is no such thing as a bad seat.

A correction... Although Ireland is in the EU, it's not in the Schengen Zone. Instead it's in the Common Travel Area, which is shared with the UK. So (if you choose to go 'landside') you will clear Irish/CTA immigration in Dublin, and Italian/Schengen immigration in Rome. In both locations, customs is just a case of walking through the Green lane (assuming you have nothing to declare). As I understand it, there is no choice in this. The whole plane-full of passengers exits into the domestic area in the US, so everyone needs to pre-clear in Dublin.

That seems to be a bit variable. I got some complimentary tickets from one of the Shorex companies as they didn't shift their full allocation that night, and there were 40-50 seats in front of us unoccupied. But other days are sold-out. Interestingly I also checked the Tattoo's own website for subsequent dates (we were there fairly near the start of August) and there were still multiple dates with some ticket availability (and not just expensive tickets). I believe tickets are released in phases, plus resellers can probably return unsold tickets up to a certain point, so "nothing available" can change nearer the date.

In the UK (and across the EU) we have much greater consumer protection. Significant changes (even up to the day of departure) allow you to cancel and receive a full refund, including for any other travel element such as flights, hotel, car hire, etc booked as a 'package' together. That protection costs, which is a main reason why we pay more. But a change from Leith to Rosyth would never meet the 'significant' hurdle. Your beef seems to be with not being told the reason for the change. Have you formally requested that reason from Oceania?

Tendering does not preclude an on-land Azamazing Evening. We did just that in April 2023 in Dubrovnik.

You're off! Goodbye from Edinburgh. Haste Ye back!

High tide is not until 19:45, so they have a decent window to fix it. But I'd guess there will be a point where it's too late to get out and you have to wait for the tide to come back in again.

No. Just the nation that issued it.

As does 'B' 😉 As one is more early to arrive in advance of sailing and leave quickly after the cruise ends, 'B' would likely give the OP more time to see a little more of Edinburgh.