Port Change on Cruise Next Week

[tring]

We are on a one week Arcadia cruise from next Tuesday and had notification about 6pm today that the last port of Guernsey will be replaced by La Corina.  I know these things happen, but it does seem very short notice, so felt it worth mentioning here.  They apologised for the change, but no reason given.  Not even a mention of "Operational Reasons".  It does make me wonder if P&O are just reducing what variety of ports the still have even further and can only assume they have decided they can make more money at less outlay from themselves by removing ports and putting in ones that are more regular stops.  The weather was looking potentially very good as well, so should have been able to tender into Guernsey without issue on the day we were due.

 

Must say we are also extremely miffed about it and hope they do not pull a similar trick with the following Canada/US cruise, which we are also doing.

 

I would be interested if molecrochip has any comment to make about this.

 

[tring]

24 minutes ago, tring said:

We are on a one week Arcadia cruise from next Tuesday and had notification about 6pm today that the last port of Guernsey will be replaced by La Corina.  I know these things happen, but it does seem very short notice, so felt it worth mentioning here.  They apologised for the change, but no reason given.  Not even a mention of "Operational Reasons".  It does make me wonder if P&O are just reducing what variety of ports the still have even further and can only assume they have decided they can make more money at less outlay from themselves by removing ports and putting in ones that are more regular stops.  The weather was looking potentially very good as well, so should have been able to tender into Guernsey without issue on the day we were due.

 

Must say we are also extremely miffed about it and hope they do not pull a similar trick with the following Canada/US cruise, which we are also doing.

 

I would be interested if molecrochip has any comment to make about this.

 

 

Just to add the main annoyance about this is that it is at a time when cancellation of dining or other things can only be done once on the ship.  It is a formal day and a Sunday  when the new port call will take place as well.

 

[Eglesbrech]

Changes of port are a real annoyance, particularly when no reasonable explanation is given. Cruise contracts for all lines are very much one sided in their favour when it comes to things like this.

 

I know it’s a pain if Guernsey was somewhere you particularly wanted to go but it is a problematic port to get in to. Perhaps the change is due to the number of times this port has been missed?

 

Hopefully the rest of your trip remains the same. Bon voyage.

[showingdiva]

I agree about Guernsey.   It's lovely in good weather, but is difficult to tender into for a number of reasons.   We have the same problem here in my Scottish home port, which results in a few changes every year, this one included (although we now have a shiny new berth being trialed this year  🤩). 

 

I'm just about to go out and help with the disembarkation of a smaller ship than Arcadia belonging to Oceania, which has unfortunately missed 4 of her 7 ports due to weather this week without substitution.  Just a lot of Irish Sea / North Sea floating about.

 

I, too, hope the rest of the cruise goes well.

[molecrochip]

Believe it’s due to forecast winds.

[tring]

3 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Believe it’s due to forecast winds.

 

Thanks a lot for the reply, which is much appreciated.  If this is the case then have P&O ever considered telling people information like that, which would make a massive difference into how it is received?

 

 Must admit though, the BBC weather website is showing the 2nd September (and the days to either side) as sunny with a 6 knot breeze from the East, which does not look at all bad to non-mariners and forecasts do frequently change.  We are wondering though if tides and wind direction may have an influence on the ability to tender.

 

Will be interesting to see if P&O charge a fee to change bookings for dining, spa etc. due to this port change.

 

Anyway must get on with final packing as heading south tomorrow to split the journey due to it being bank hol Monday the day before the cruise.

 

Edited August 24 by tring

[yorkshirephil]

1 minute ago, tring said:

 

 

 

 Must admit though, the BBC weather website is showing the 2nd December (and the days to either side) as sunny with a 6 knot breeze from the East, which does not look at all bad to non-mariners and forecasts do frequently change.  We are wondering though if tides and wind direction may have an influence on the ability to tender.

 

 

You would be lucky to get an accurate forecast for next week never mind December. 

Have a great cruise, I don't know if we cross paths with you on Sky Princess in Canada/US

[tring]

1 minute ago, yorkshirephil said:

You would be lucky to get an accurate forecast for next week never mind December. 

Have a great cruise, I don't know if we cross paths with you on Sky Princess in Canada/US

 

Oops, just in time to edit that, thanks 🙂

 

Do not think Sky is in port with us at any call, but will look out for her.  Are you on a round trip from the UK, or is she translocating there for the season.  We leave UK on 3rd and head to St. John's, includes 18/19/20th in New York amongst other ports and eventually end in Sydney on 27th.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

[yorkshirephil]

1 minute ago, tring said:

 

Oops, just in time to edit that, thanks 🙂

 

Do not think Sky is in port with us at any call, but will look out for her.  Are you on a round trip from the UK, or is she translocating there for the season.  We leave UK on 3rd and head to St. John's, includes 18/19/20th in New York amongst other ports and eventually end in Sydney on 27th.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

We are on a round trip from Southampton, we are a couple of weeks behind you so probably won't overlap, we are in Sydney on the 29th on our way down to NY.

[tring]

6 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We are on a round trip from Southampton, we are a couple of weeks behind you so probably won't overlap, we are in Sydney on the 29th on our way down to NY.

 

Perhaps cross on our way back over then, hopefully in decent seas.

 

 

[P&O SUE]

We were on Britannia in June when we had a port changed. The captain announced it as we were sailing out of Southampton, again no reason given. They changed Santander to Vigo so I was rather miffed - we did end up having a good day in Vigo but it was disappointing as I’d booked an excursion in Santander to visit an early Gaudi building that looked interesting. The only one outside of Barcelona I think.

[Mollag]

4 hours ago, tring said:

 

Thanks a lot for the reply, which is much appreciated.  If this is the case then have P&O ever considered telling people information like that, which would make a massive difference into how it is received?

 

 Must admit though, the BBC weather website is showing the 2nd September (and the days to either side) as sunny with a 6 knot breeze from the East, which does not look at all bad to non-mariners and forecasts do frequently change.  We are wondering though if tides and wind direction may have an influence on the ability to tender.

 

Will be interesting to see if P&O charge a fee to change bookings for dining, spa etc. due to this port change.

 

Anyway must get on with final packing as heading south tomorrow to split the journey due to it being bank hol Monday the day before the cruise.

 

I don’t know what forecasts they’re looking at either Tring all the synoptic charts look the same to me light easterly wind 🤷‍♂️

[tring]

It was good of molecrochip to reply, but probably limited info., even within P&O and forecasts can change.  We have done many cruises, have spent well overall year in total on ships, so no surprise of a change to Guernsey.  It is the timing which threw me tbh.  Yes, often can be a port that is missed because of weather and can get changed more ahead of the cruise, but seemed strange when it came.  It is what it is and probably better than Cherbourg or another sea day.  

 

Just seems a bit as though P&O are getting more and more cautious, so the same old ports are becoming even less.  Need to accept though that they are now a cruise line for newbies or people who want to spend time on the ship, rather than travelling.  That is what was in my mind when I chose to mention this.  We will see if the ports do become more limited as time goes by.

 

 

[nosapphire]

I think I've missed Guernsey more times than we've actually been able to get in (this is with Saga, not P&O). I think it is one of those ports where even a comparatively slight wind in the wrong direction can cause major problems.

ALL cruise lines hate tender ports anyway...

 

 

[showingdiva]

14 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

I think I've missed Guernsey more times than we've actually been able to get in (this is with Saga, not P&O). I think it is one of those ports where even a comparatively slight wind in the wrong direction can cause major problems.

ALL cruise lines hate tender ports anyway...

 

 

 

I'm sure I was once told the "problem" with Guernsey as a cruise destination is that it has a combination of issues generated by the wind.   The one time I was there (lovely island), on the way back, Adonia's tenders were slamming against the ship.

 

The only cruise line I know that actively enjoys tendering is Hapag Lloyd.   They express disappointment when we offer them a port berth.

 

[jeanlyon]

They also have massive tides.   Between Alderney and Guernsey, the tide runs at 9 knots, so if you have wind as well!!   Not sure why cruise ships bother, as they cancel 2/3rds of the stops.

[P&O SUE]

I’ve said before, I visited Guernsey in 2022, going by SeaCat. Everyday we saw ships coming in. On the Friday Ventura was due and I was going to take a photo and send to my friend because I went with her on a cruise on Ventura and we didn’t make it to Guernsey.

Guess what, she didn’t make it that day either so I can see why people get frustrated because it seemed quite warm and sunny most of the day! My own record on cruises is tried to get in 3 times, never made it!

[yorkshirephil]

Reading some of the messages on facecloth it looks like tendering has been suspended earlier today on Aurora in Guernsey. 

We must have been lucky having tendered all three times on our Guernsey visits

[sogne]

8 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

I’ve said before, I visited Guernsey in 2022, going by SeaCat. Everyday we saw ships coming in. On the Friday Ventura was due and I was going to take a photo and send to my friend because I went with her on a cruise on Ventura and we didn’t make it to Guernsey.

Guess what, she didn’t make it that day either so I can see why people get frustrated because it seemed quite warm and sunny most of the day! My own record on cruises is tried to get in 3 times, never made it!

Warm and sunny doesn't mean no wind and swell.

[jeanlyon]

Just now, sogne said:

Warm and sunny doesn't mean no wind and swell.

Exactly!!

[sogne]

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

Exactly!!

If as synoptic charts suggest HP becomes established  over UK then that might generate east to north east winds down the Channel resulting in a long fetch and build of swell with a wind squeeze through the gap between the Cherbourg Peninsula and the south coast. On the other hand PO could go and then cancel spending a day slowly meandering round the channel.

[Ardennais]

10 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Reading some of the messages on facecloth it looks like tendering has been suspended earlier today on Aurora in Guernsey. 

We must have been lucky having tendered all three times on our Guernsey visits

Same here - 3/3 successful visits. 

[Son of Anarchy]

50% success rate for us getting in to Guernsey.  Doesn't put us off Guernsey as an itinery.  Most ports are at the mercy of nature to varying degrees.

[bee-ess]

On 8/25/2024 at 1:51 PM, yorkshirephil said:

Reading some of the messages on facecloth it looks like tendering has been suspended earlier today on Aurora in Guernsey. 

We must have been lucky having tendered all three times on our Guernsey visits

We have also been lucky - 4 out of 4.

[Francisdrake]

Unlucky for me,   had it on the itinerary twice and missed both times.