Shuttle buses in port

[Sheep Flavour]

I’ve booked the select price which includes shuttles. Do you get a timetable of return shuttles back to the ship? 

[emam]

No. You just go to where the buses are and board the first available one.

[Rupert2251]

The shuttle buses run continuously back and forth throughout the day from where they drop you off. They tell you the departure time for the last bus so don't miss that one otherwise you are in big trouble lol 😀

[Tablelamp]

A shame P and O do not offer them in more ports.   People who have paid the Select price get free shuttle busses but on my last 19 day cruise, they were only offered in two ports.

[majortom10]

Some ports you do not need shuttle buses, some ar provided by port authority either free or at cost whatever fare you have booked and P&O provide others and if you have booked Select then they are free.

[P-L-B]

Tablelamp.

That's interesting, they usually offer a shuttle bus service if not a walkable distance to the town. E.g. Barcelona but not if the ship docks close to town. E.g. Oslo.

Which ports did not offer you a shuttle bus service.?

 

Edited August 8, 2019 by P-L-B

[AchileLauro]

46 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

A shame P and O do not offer them in more ports.   People who have paid the Select price get free shuttle busses but on my last 19 day cruise, they were only offered in two ports.

 

Why a shame? 

Shuttle buses are only usually provided where necessary.

[anthonywebb8]

we have just came back we paid the full price and we had to pay for shuttle buses to town 4 euros each and at Gibraltar we had to pay 12 euros.

[AchileLauro]

6 hours ago, anthonywebb8 said:

we have just came back we paid the full price and we had to pay for shuttle buses to town 4 euros each and at Gibraltar we had to pay 12 euros.

 

By "full price" I take it that you mean select fare?

Admittedly it's been a few years since we were last on a P&O cruise that stopped in Gibraltar and things may have changed but on the last three occasions there were no shuttle buses provided by P&O other than for disabled passengers. Shuttle services were available but these had nothing to do with P&O.

In fact the only occasion that we can remember P&O providing shuttle buses for all passengers when in Gibraltar was a very long time ago when we berthed in the admiralty dockyard. 

Edited August 12, 2019 by AchileLauro

[Rupert2251]

6 hours ago, anthonywebb8 said:

we have just came back we paid the full price and we had to pay for shuttle buses to town 4 euros each and at Gibraltar we had to pay 12 euros.

Gibraltar is deemed to be a walkable distance to the town so no shuttle buses would be provided.

[davecttr]

cruise berths to Casement Square just less than a flat mile so deemed walkable, plenty of local transport outside the port gate

[Rupert2251]

It does tell you in The Horizon magazine the night before if there will be a P&O/ port shuttle bus laid on. Anything else is private and therefore chargeable.

[P-L-B]

2 hours ago, Rupert2251 said:

Gibraltar is deemed to be a walkable distance to the town so no shuttle buses would be provided.

That's correct, we have been to Gibraltar several times with P&O and a shuttle bus is not provided because as you say it's walkable. (Casement Square)

Edited August 12, 2019 by P-L-B

[majortom10]

Select fares only give free shuttle buses at ports where there are P&O organised shuttle buses, if shuttle buses are provided by private companies these are chargeable whatever fare you have booked. Gibraltar shuttle buses are organised by private taxi firms so therefore a charge is made for those that dont want to walk.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Select fares only give free shuttle buses at ports where there are P&O organised shuttle buses, if shuttle buses are provided by private companies these are chargeable whatever fare you have booked. Gibraltar shuttle buses are organised by private taxi firms so therefore a charge is made for those that dont want to walk.

Not entirely correct, if the shuttle is arranged by the the port, because there is no easy footpath to the port gates or it is a considerable distance, then this will be free to everyone, and also free to all other cruise lines, e.g. Tenerife, La Palma.

[majortom10]

40 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Not entirely correct, if the shuttle is arranged by the the port, because there is no easy footpath to the port gates or it is a considerable distance, then this will be free to everyone, and also free to all other cruise lines, e.g. Tenerife, La Palma.

My response was to do with complaint of  having to pay for shuttle buses i.e. Gibraltar. There have been many ports over the years that have provided by either port authorities or local authorities where they have charged irrespective of what cruise fare booked Livorno/Helsinki/Dublin & Belfast but these might have changed in recent times. Where port shuttle buses are provided free due to commercial safety i.e Civitavecchia I do not think anyone will complain and is not what this thread is referring too. There are some who think because they have booked a Select fare that shuttle buses are free wherever they are or whoever provides them and this is incorrect. P&O clearly state in their brochure that with Select fares shuttle buses will be offered free of charge in ports if provided by P&O.

Edited August 12, 2019 by majortom10

[Broadside]

On 8/8/2019 at 1:02 PM, majortom10 said:

Some ports you do not need shuttle buses, some ar provided by port authority either free or at cost whatever fare you have booked and P&O provide others and if you have booked Select then they are free.

 

 P and O know what the situation is before the cruise and even on cruises where they are not providing any buses still "sell" this as a benefit to a Select fare. 

[majortom10]

2 minutes ago, Broadside said:

 

 P and O know what the situation is before the cruise and even on cruises where they are not providing any buses still "sell" this as a benefit to a Select fare. 

But they state in their brochure that they are only free for Select fares if the shuttle bus is provided by P&O and if not by a private company or taxi then there is a charge. In many ports P&O do provide shuttle buses and they are free for Select but obviously some ports do not need shuttle buses or are provided either free or at cost by other means.

Edited August 12, 2019 by majortom10

[Broadside]

Just now, majortom10 said:

But they state in their brochure that they are only free for Select fares if the shuttle bus is provided by P&O and if not by a private company or taxi then there is a charge.

 

But there will always be a variety of providers?

 

Or do you mean transport that will only get you outside the port gates? 

[majortom10]

People are getting totally confused with shuttle buses. Some are provided by P&O from ship side/terminal and are free if Select some ports provide free shuttle buses either to port gates or to city centre for H&S safety reasons and are free Civitavecchia and some they are not provided by P&O or port authorities because they deem to not need shuttles i.e. Gibraltar. Local taxi firms have provided a service to take those into town who dont want to or cannot walk which of course they charge. It has never been that P&O provide free shuttle buses at every port they visit and that they are free when booking Select and only when shuttle bus is actually provided and organised by P&O.

Edited August 12, 2019 by majortom10

[Broadside]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

People are getting totally confused with shuttle buses. Some are provided by P&O from ship side/terminal and are free if Select some ports provide free shuttle buses either to port gates or to city centre for H&S safety reasons and are free Civitavecchia and some they are not provided by P&O or port authorities because they deem to not need shuttles i.e. Gibraltar. Local taxi firms have provided a service to take those into town who dont want to or cannot walk which of course they charge. It has never been that P&O provide free shuttle buses at every port they visit and that they are free when booking Select and only when shuttle bus is actually provided and organised by P&O.

 

Ground control to Major Tom - No confusion here! ☺

 

If P and O are not providing any of the Shuttle buses on a certain cruise , then this is not a benefit, as I said.

 

 

[majortom10]

Just now, Broadside said:

 

Ground control to Major Tom - No confusion here! ☺

 

If P and O are not providing any of the Shuttle buses on a certain cruise , then this is not a benefit, as I said.

 

 

Obviously is because P&O have never said that by booking a Select booking that you would get a free shuttle bus in every port. Over and out.

[bee-ess]

7 minutes ago, Broadside said:

 

Ground control to Major Tom - No confusion here! ☺

 

If P and O are not providing any of the Shuttle buses on a certain cruise , then this is not a benefit, as I said.

 

 

 

People book Select fares for different reasons, but I don't think that free shuttles would be one of them - can't remember when we last had a free shuttle bus that was not free for everyone.

Edited August 12, 2019 by bee-ess

[Broadside]

Just now, bee-ess said:

 

People book Select fares for different reasons, but I don't think that free shuttles would be one of them - can't remember when we last had a free shuttle bus

 

It is advertised as one of the main Select benefits by P and O. New passengers would not have your knowledge.

[bee-ess]

8 minutes ago, Broadside said:

 

It is advertised as one of the main Select benefits by P and O. New passengers would not have your knowledge.

 

I agree, but they are overestimated as a benefit. Most choose Select for cabin and dining choice, some for free coach travel or carparking and some for OBC which often makes a Select fare cheaper than Saver  when taken into account. There are not really that many shuttle ports where they are free for select and pay for saver. Sometimes shuttles are free for all if the main town is a long way from the port such as Bilbao for example.

Edited August 12, 2019 by bee-ess