Mezeron & Steam Packet Master Thread

[jimbms]

One thing some have said is it will be good to see what happens when the bad weather sets in and the freight can't sail but the Ben does, I think you have that the wrong way round, I seem to remember last year several occasions where the Ben did not sail due to the weather one one occasion for a few days but the smaller Ben Vorrey and Maye cargo ships did sail, I would say there is more chance of Mezeron sailing than the SP in bad weather.

[Lost Login]

5. We are back to a monopoly situation (even more so as the Racket and Mezeron will be one) - just a different monopolist.

 

Yes. But minus the need to service a massive debt from profits.

 

Mezeron are not the only people who have been looking at competing on the freight side - and there is now a precedence for freight competition.

 

Another monopolist would always face the potential of competition.

 

They may not need to service a massive debt but all that means is rather than any massive profit they can make going to service the debt it would go to shareholders. Companies are there to maximise profits, just because they have less costs does not mean they will reduce prices as some seem to imply.

 

The main advantage of no debt is that it gives the company greater flexibility with regard to prices etc if competition appears on the horizon to blow em out of the water. Presently the user agreement and the high debt restricts the SP ability to do that.

 

My opinion is that if we have a free market we will end up with a monoploly situation who will use that to maximise profits. Every now and agian a competitor will appear and there will be a short lived price war before one or other disappears and prices etc revert. That is based on there not being enough business to support two competing companies. If there is I am sure it will basically be a cartell although by law I believe such arrangements are illegal.

[Lost Login]

Will government ignore or cave in? Well there is an election next year and MHK's get lots of moans about level of service going down and price of fair going up I would not be surprised if Government bow.

 

Defending the useless agreement and opposing free enterprise could, just as likely, turn out to be an unpopular stance which would speak of political stasis and support for vested interests.

 

Not that the election makes much difference because the same continuity govt will be returned no matter what policy decisions are taken.

 

It could go either way but I am guessing the majority who complain to their MHK will be those affected by price rises or reduced services. They are probably the people who ring up their MHK if they have a problem with the bins

 

Therefore when Gladys from No. 10 starts moaning that she can not get off the Isalnd anymore because the prices have gone up or their are fewer boats and wants to know want her MHK is going to do about it, I have not much faith many will say nothing just before an election

[Andy730]

it will be interesting to see which service arrives on monday morning, considering the current weather forecast

 

I'd guess that if anyone didn't sail, it would be the Steam Packet, purely due to their requirement for passenger safety.

 

Sadly, Health & Safety has cut the balls off the packet, the days of sailing no matter what have sadly gone.

 

I'm quite sure many on here remember the days where the steamers backed out of Douglas in to a gale, the waves breaking over the stern, then off it would head for Liverpool and perhaps taking many hours trying to make it. Happy Days (That assumes you're a good sailor )

[ian rush]

Fair dues Lost Login, you're putting up a great defence for Mr Woodward. He must be pleased with you. If he's so pissed off with the crane system and the uneven playing field, could you ask him why he doesn't even up the game and let them use the linkspans so they're both even?

 

The whole point about the UA was that it got a commitment to a certain no. of RoPax and fastcraft services throughout the year traded off against linkspan exclusivity.

 

Or is your view that SP also has to keep up its commitments and the current service levels as well?

 

The current 'competition' makes Mezeron a few quid, will do nothing for Islanders in terms of freight savings being passed on in lower prices and will likely cause reduced sailings to UA minimum, job losses and reduction/removal of special offers, laeving fares at UA 'standard' rates.

[Lost Login]

I'd guess that if anyone didn't sail, it would be the Steam Packet, purely due to their requirement for passenger safety.

 

Sadly, Health & Safety has cut the balls off the packet, the days of sailing no matter what have sadly gone.

 

 

Is it health and safety or are the restrictions partly based on what conditions the SP have insured or registered to sale in. Presumably it might be cheaper if you restrict sailings to force 8 or below rather than force 10?

[manxman8180]

One thing some have said is it will be good to see what happens when the bad weather sets in and the freight can't sail but the Ben does, I think you have that the wrong way round, I seem to remember last year several occasions where the Ben did not sail due to the weather one one occasion for a few days but the smaller Ben Vorrey and Maye cargo ships did sail, I would say there is more chance of Mezeron sailing than the SP in bad weather.

I guess only time will tell, but you would have to be doing pretty well to match the reliability (weather and mechanical) of the BMC.

 

The main difference is that if the container ships did not sail, then it is very easy for that containerised cargo to be placed on flats and shipped with the SP. The freight due to be shipped with the SP would already be on dropped units, or other forms of self propelled, therefore, it is highly unlikely that this would be unloaded into containers (which the companies would not have just lying around) to be shipped on the other service.

 

It would just wait until the next sailing.

 

I think that the view of Manx Indies explains the difference between the two operations quite well.

 

This could actually be a massive opportunity for the SP, if the local management have the ability and desire to actually turn their company around. Perhaps, they will be allowed to make some changes, which otherwise would have been blocked by the 'Board' as they will no longer be printing money as before.

 

And while the majority on here claim high prices due to the servicing of the loan, I would remind them that people have moaned for ever about the prices on the Steam Packet, both passenger and freight. This was pre-loan, pre User Agreement etc

 

I would bet that prices (for passengers at least) are lower, in real terms, than they were in the 1990's.

 

Anyone got an old brochure?

[Evil Goblin]

it will be interesting to see which service arrives on monday morning, considering the current weather forecast

 

I'd guess that if anyone didn't sail, it would be the Steam Packet, purely due to their requirement for passenger safety.

 

Sadly, Health & Safety has cut the balls off the packet, the days of sailing no matter what have sadly gone.

 

I'm quite sure many on here remember the days where the steamers backed out of Douglas in to a gale, the waves breaking over the stern, then off it would head for Liverpool and perhaps taking many hours trying to make it. Happy Days (That assumes you're a good sailor )

They certainly were the days! I can remember taking 10 hrs from Liverpool to Douglas in a Force 10/11 on the old Ben side-loader.

[Tugger]

They certainly were the days! I can remember taking 10 hrs from Liverpool to Douglas in a Force 10/11 on the old Ben side-loader.

 

Did that happen frequently? I remember being on a voyage on the old Ben precisely like that (perhaps the same one?), where we sailed to Peel (because it could not get into Douglas at the time) then back again. Mid seventies, not sure what year exactly

[gilf_uk]

Quote of the day: http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/10m_lost_revenue_at_steam_packet_1_2737393

 

Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward says the launch of competition by Mezeron was ‘unexpected’.

 

The threat has come not from another roll-on, roll-off operator but from a lift-on, lift-off service where containers are craned onto the vessel.

 

‘It’s old technology – nobody would have guessed it was going to make a comeback,’ says Mr Woodward.

 

All I have to say is - LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE. How can he say the launch if competition was unexpected?

 

"The Committee also seemed to imply that the Company does not face freight competition. In fact, we compete with both Mezeron and Ramsey Steamship Company for freight shipments. In 1995, the Steam Packet Company had around 70 per cent of market share by weight, and our competitors had 30 per cent of the market. If we were not competitive on price, our market share would be decreasing: in reality, our market share has increased to 80 per cent and our competitors have also chosen to ship some of their business, using our services."

 

Mark Woodward, Steam Packet Chief Executive

Tynwald Select Committee on the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

Douglas, Monday 3rd March 2008

[ThankU]

The IOMSP were warned many years ago that if they continued to use Heysham as their preferred port for freight it would end up biting them on the Ass.

Mezeron have seen the chance and taken it, Liverpool have been crying out for more shipping and very competitive landing rates have been available for new business.

If the IOMSP were to use Liverpool for freight and passengers they would do very well, remember the Friday night football sailings they were nearly always full.

 

Is it possible to have a poll to see if passengers would use the Liverpool sailings more than the Liverpool, the same for freight

Edited November 5, 2010 by ThankU

[ITV Granada IOM]

Steampacket unions explain the case against freight competition

 

http://www.manxtube.com/video/2391/Unions-unite

[Friartuck]

Why not impose a levy on all freight coming to the island, and use the money to subsidize passenger fares?

[pongo]

Why not impose a levy on all freight coming to the island, and use the money to subsidize passenger fares?

 

Because this is not the Soviet Union.

 

Nah. That was an idiotic answer, on second thoughts.

[Blade Runner]

Just a quick question, do the posters on here use the IOMSP that often? I for one use it about once or maybe twice a year as I find it far more convenient to fly.

 

Even when I do use it, I could just as easily fly and hire a car, just that I like driving my own.

 

What is every one else's usage?