Porttime site shutting down

[Susan-M]

This news was posted in another thread on this forum (thanks Jimboc) but since many people will miss seeing the post there, I thought I would post this:

 

From Porttime.com's website:

 

 

Attention PortTime.com Users ****

I regret to inform you that this site will be shutting down in a few days. I have some other opportunities to work on and unfortunately this site never generated the ad revenue I expected. I appreciate all the kind comments I have received, but I can't dedicate the time required to keep the site current. Thanks for using porttime.com.

[agabbymama]

This news was posted in another thread on this forum (thanks Jimboc) but since many people will miss seeing the post there, I thought I would post this:

 

From Porttime.com's website:

 

 

Attention PortTime.com Users ****

I regret to inform you that this site will be shutting down in a few days. I have some other opportunities to work on and unfortunately this site never generated the ad revenue I expected. I appreciate all the kind comments I have received, but I can't dedicate the time required to keep the site current. Thanks for using porttime.com.

 

Sorry to hear that, it was a staple for my upcoming Med cruise. Thanks for keeping it going as long as you did. Good luck in your future endeavors.

[mom&me_cruising]

So sorry to hear that. :( It's a wonderful site. I use it both when I am cruising and when I will be visiting a city that is a cruise port. It is unfortunate that it did not generate enough revenue to keep going.

[crjj]

That's too bad. Great site and information. Good luck.

 

Thanks,

chester

[Travel to Ports]

Dear Readers,

Sent a note to Cruise Critic hoping that they would be interested in integrating this great service into their web site. Received a reply (they are responsive) that this product is a "high maintenance" operation. Considering that the volume IS with Cruse Critic, seems that the cruise lines would be supportive as this information is very valuable in selecting specific cruises and planning tours. We can only hope for the best! (Considering that today is 9/11, and I live in a Houston suburb, we now wait tomorrow for Hurricane Ike to arrive (something even more important to be hopeful about).

All my best to other Gulf Coast residents and Gulf itinerary passengers!

David

[crjj]

Dear Readers,

Sent a note to Cruise Critic hoping that they would be interested in integrating this great service into their web site. Received a reply (they are responsive) that this product is a "high maintenance" operation. Considering that the volume IS with Cruse Critic, seems that the cruise lines would be supportive as this information is very valuable in selecting specific cruises and planning tours. We can only hope for the best! (Considering that today is 9/11, and I live in a Houston suburb, we now wait tomorrow for Hurricane Ike to arrive (something even more important to be hopeful about).

All my best to other Gulf Coast residents and Gulf itinerary passengers!

David

 

David

Our thoughts and prayers are with those in south east texas. We lived in Beaumont (through Katrina and Rita) for a number of years and have family that still live in the area. They have evacuated again.

[Globaliser]

Received a reply (they are responsive) that this product is a "high maintenance" operation. Considering that the volume IS with Cruse Critic, seems that the cruise lines would be supportive as this information is very valuable in selecting specific cruises and planning tours.

Both this site and (for most of us) its predecessor cruisecal.com have proved to be intensely high maintenance, which is not surprising given what needs to be done to get the information into the database. So unless there is someone with deep pockets full of spare cash, I personally wouldn't now hold my breath waiting for a replacement.

 

I can't imagine any cruise lines having any interest in supporting a project like this. It delivers information about the cruise line that is no different from what you would get from the cruise line's own website. The additional information that it delivers is either all about competitors, or giving you reasons not to book a specific cruise, or both.

[Kevbirch]

Can anyone let me know what porttime.com and cruisecal.com did?

 

Thanks

[Susan-M]

Can anyone let me know what porttime.com and cruisecal.com did?

 

Thanks

 

Cruisecal is still in existence, but as a pay site. It provides details on which ships are in port on whichever date(s) you search for. It helps in planning a cruise, esp. if you don't want to be in a port such as Santorini with 4 other ships. It also shows arrival and departure times of each ship which is helpful in planning your day in port. Cruisecal apparently has webcams for ships, but I haven't seen them.

 

Porttime provided similar information, with the addition of a map showing the route of your cruise, and total passengers in port on each day ... but didn't show arrival and departure time of each ship.

 

Someone posted the link to this site on another forum, as an alternative to cruisecal and porttime, : http://cruisereport.com/Default.aspx

On the left index, scroll down to "1000's of Ports", then choose your port, and the link to "Ships in Port", and the date. It shows some ships in ports, but not Costa, which can be a huge omission if you are concerned about passenger load in a port.