woolley Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Maybe the Steampacket are trying it on?... Never! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 WTF, in the days of mass tourism people did not want to arrive at 4 am. Imagine arriving and walking along the prom, or to the bus station or train station and catching the first bus or train to wherever, and not being able to get into your place to stay. Boarding House keepers threw people out after breakfast and only checked them in before tea or supper. fair enough, but i remember a bit of a union stink not as far back as tourists, what are they? about paying dockers for early morning starts. can't remember any of the major details but it must 20 odd years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I did say it was a combination of both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 In Manxline days, there was a very leisurely night crossing leaving Heysham at 1am and arriving in Douglas at 7am. Used to head out up the channel and all but cut the engines. I was aboard one night in the early 80's on deck (SNCF's SS Villandry), beautiful dawn with flat calm sea, and at about 4am there was a medical emergency with calls going out as to whether there was a doctor on the ship. They wound the engines up immediately and we arrived about 5.45am. There are night trains on UK main lines that make similarly slow progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 (edited) In Manxline days, there was a very leisurely night crossing leaving Heysham at 1am and arriving in Douglas at 7am. Used to head out up the channel and all but cut the engines. I was aboard one night in the early 80's on deck (SNCF's SS Villandry), beautiful dawn with flat calm sea, and at about 4am there was a medical emergency with calls going out as to whether there was a doctor on the ship. They wound the engines up immediately and we arrived about 5.45am. There are night trains on UK main lines that make similarly slow progress! The sleeper from London to Scotland being one of them, was working on that recently. Edited August 11, 2014 by Lxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monasqueen Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I recall that there was a café at Greensills corner that opened very early for breakfast. There wasn't much else that a tourist could do when the ship got in. Some of the guesthouses were friendly enough to take luggage in quite early - depended who you booked with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 In the good days some of the guesthouse proprietors sneeringly took the tourists for granted and it was their way or the highway. Not all of them believed in "Customer is King" for sure. Like it or lump it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 In the good days some of the guesthouse proprietors sneeringly took the tourists for granted and it was their way or the highway. Not all of them believed in "Customer is King" for sure. Like it or lump it. The remnants of that are still around today. I look forward to the days when the old school brigade pop their clogs so a new breed, who don't remember the old days when it was a licence to print money, can come in and offer genuine customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 oh dear, poor Manannan stuck in Liverpool, yet more engine trouble to fix I wonder if they'll get home tonight tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alibaba Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 They're staying the night in Liverpool by the look of things. Means I get an unexpected day off tomorrow though. Wonder if I can claim some money for loss of earnings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 My daughter travelled to Liverpool on Saturday to meet up with us for the weekend before we all returned last night. She sent me a text to say the boat had left Douglas but may have to return. I phoned the steammie mid morning to check on arrival and was told it would arrive at 12.25. We drove to Liverpool to await the arrival but it was about 30 mins late. No big deal. On the return last night, it left st 8.40 and arrived at 11.50 as promised. Again no big deal. What was a big deal was the service on the boat. Rather rude woman in the shop who tersely said the internet wasn't available when I asked to buy an access code, the cafeteria ran out of trays expecting people to carry hot food on flimsy plastic plates and the serving staff did not know how to change the coke when it was dispensing gnat's pee! I am sure the crew were under some stress but, when added to the delays, just seemed pretty shoddy and the boat was rammed with MGP visitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alibaba Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 They don't seem to be very good at keeping people informed about what is happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jericho Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Sailing Cancelled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positive Thinker Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Can anyone shed more light on what is happening on the Liverpool Douglas sailing, as the packet's sailing information line is not much use. I am meant to be picking up some bedraggled festival goers with flat mobile batteries, so am completely clueless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alibaba Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Just to show how dedicated they are on their fb page rather than providing updates on their broken ship and telling people what is happening they have instead been deleting peoples comments calling them shite. Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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