Ventura N924 30 August (ijmuiden, Bruges, St Peter Port) - feedback?

[grapau27]

50 minutes ago, the english lady said:

Very nearly. Age and health.

However more and more places are realising that welcoming 1000's of people for 6 hours is a double edged sword and some places have decided that the money that may be spent is far out weighed by what it is actually costing them. 

Barcelona and Venice and Dubrovnik, the locals do not appear to want the cruise ships visiting in such great numbers. I am sure the places will increase. As the ships increase in size the places they can visit (and be welcome) will reduce.

The cruiselines have to pay a docking fee.

Sometimes they take on fuel and supplies at these ports too.

The locals like the locals in all our city's would be reluctant to have all these visitors but businesses in all our city's need the money brought in to the community and Venice, Barcelona Dubrovnik to name a few would struggle without tourists money.

Edited September 8, 2019 by grapau27

[Harry Peterson]

35 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

The cruiselines have to pay a docking fee.

Sometimes they take on fuel and supplies at these ports too.

The locals like the locals in all our city's would be reluctant to have all these visitors but businesses in all our city's need the money brought in to the community and Venice, Barcelona Dubrovnik to name a few would struggle without tourists money.

The point is, though, that cities suffering from too many tourists certainly don’t need cruise tourists, who are notorious for low spending for obvious reasons.

 

They can afford to be choosy and just concentrate on the ones who stay overnight, support the hotels and restaurants, and spend money. They’d lose very little, and gain a great deal, if they lost all the cruise passengers.

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

The point is, though, that cities suffering from too many tourists certainly don’t need cruise tourists, who are notorious for low spending for obvious reasons.

 

They can afford to be choosy and just concentrate on the ones who stay overnight, support the hotels and restaurants, and spend money. They’d lose very little, and gain a great deal, if they lost all the cruise passengers.

We have stayed 1 or 2 nights pre cruise in Venice and Barcelona as do many cruisers.

[brian1]

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Not true I’m afraid. Compared with tourists who stay overnight, cruise passengers spend very little in the city. 

 

Amsterdam is grossly overvisited now, and it can well afford to pick and choose. It’s an affluent city that can manage quite well without tourism, and most of the locals would happily see an end to it. The 8 Euros charge is perfectly fair and reasonable as a compromise.

 

I’m assuming your dogend comment is just a joke.

No,there were dogends everywhere,completly the opposite from Singapore.I think the tax is aimed at stag,drug and sex tourists and we are caught in the flak.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

The point is, though, that cities suffering from too many tourists certainly don’t need cruise tourists, who are notorious for low spending for obvious reasons.

 

They can afford to be choosy and just concentrate on the ones who stay overnight, support the hotels and restaurants, and spend money. They’d lose very little, and gain a great deal, if they lost all the cruise passengers.

Most of the major cruise ports have been only too keen to attract cruise lines to use them as turnaround ports or destination ports, and have actively extended and improved their facilities to provide extra capacity.

I accept that some citizens won't enjoy having their towns full of daytime cruise passengers, who spend very little, but the overall benefit their economies receive is very beneficial to most of them.

For us, since my wife needed a wheelchair, we find that cruising from the UK is the best way for us to holiday, but if others feel they can longer cruise because they worry about the turmoil they inflict on visiting ports, then I fully understand their decision. If however they continue cruising then that would be hypocritical in the extreme.

Edited September 8, 2019 by terrierjohn

[Eglesbrech]

On 9/6/2019 at 12:47 PM, the english lady said:

Interesting discussion on there on should they still include it. Obviously if they do include it they can do duty free.

There are only so many places you can go to close by, again why they include it. Some seem to get in every time they cruise and some don't.

 

We have missed it the last twice in 2 years and then several times before that so I now try to avoid it like the plague. Once (if / when) the situation re duty free changes it may well be dropped.

 

I would like to see some of the ports in the  South of England or Wales, they would not be too far from Soton and offer a change and perhaps the chance to avoid additional unscheduled sea days when the tenders can’t get in yet again to Guernsey.

[grapau27]

16 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

We have missed it the last twice in 2 years and then several times before that so I now try to avoid it like the plague. Once (if / when) the situation re duty free changes it may well be dropped.

 

I would like to see some of the ports in the  South of England or Wales, they would not be too far from Soton and offer a change and perhaps the chance to avoid additional unscheduled sea days when the tenders can’t get in yet again to Guernsey.

We got into Guernsey on Ventura on 29th August and tendered a long way out.

There was a Cruise& Maritime ship anchored much closer.

[Eglesbrech]

5 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We got into Guernsey on Ventura on 29th August and tendered a long way out.

There was a Cruise& Maritime ship anchored much closer.

Glad that you did and yes I know from previous threads that I just seem to have been particularly unfortunate.

 

I would however still prefer that P&O ring the changes a bit with ports as we have actually been in several times and there is not a lot left to see and do. I am sure there must be some fascinating places in the South that could be used as an alternative.

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, Eglesbrech said:

Glad that you did and yes I know from previous threads that I just seem to have been particularly unfortunate.

 

I would however still prefer that P&O ring the changes a bit with ports as we have actually been in several times and there is not a lot left to see and do. I am sure there must be some fascinating places in the South that could be used as an alternative.

I believe they use Guernsey because of its duty free status.

When we sailed on Oceana in December and RCI Independence in May there was tax added to everything.

 

[daiB]

4 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Glad that you did and yes I know from previous threads that I just seem to have been particularly unfortunate.

 

I would however still prefer that P&O ring the changes a bit with ports as we have actually been in several times and there is not a lot left to see and do. I am sure there must be some fascinating places in the South that could be used as an alternative.

A large % of the reason for going there is for duty free status. Same as Gib.

[daiB]

2 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I believe they use Guernsey because of its duty free status.

When we sailed on Oceana in December and RCI Independence in May there was tax added to everything.

 

Snap

[Eglesbrech]

Yes the duty free situation at present makes it attractive but will most European ports not be in the same situation in due course?

[sogne]

7 hours ago, grapau27 said:

We got into Guernsey on Ventura on 29th August and tendered a long way out.

There was a Cruise& Maritime ship anchored much closer.

cmv vessel  smaller so presumably could go nearer shore: back to original question re Amsterdam paying £8 would not bother us but unless the weather is extreme and Ijmuiden is closed you will dock there more times than not and will get to Amsterdam

[the english lady]

Totally agree about ports of call in the UK. Not all of us can do driving. We looked at round UK tours . Pando just did a couple that went up and down the west coast. Princess and Cunard seemed to go all the way around. They were very expensive  due to being American and having lots of Americans wanting to do them. We did a lovely one on Fred 300 years ago...really enjoyed it.

[mercury7289]

the english lady

 

Were you on the oars or on the drum!

Edited September 9, 2019 by mercury7289
typing