One day cruise to St Peter's Port, Guernsey on a Sunday!

[Bazrat]

My biggest argument is if a new cruiser looks at this site and the few state in there opinion and are backed up by fellow posters it’s 50/50 chance on not getting ashore,and if you do it can be a fairground ride of a tender is that an accurate representation of the facts,do you believe they would think of booking there first cruise after that advice.

Les_Idh sorry you could not get there but on our next visit we hope to keep our 100% record.

[D C]

5 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Do you have a link to that please? I can’t seem to find what they say about tenders.

This is the link to all cruise ships in 2017. Best I can find on short order whilst on my phone. 

http://www.harbours.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=105643&p=0

[Harry Peterson]

26 minutes ago, D C said:

This is the link to all cruise ships in 2017. Best I can find on short order whilst on my phone. 

http://www.harbours.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=105643&p=0

That’s useful information - thanks.

[Bazrat]

30 minutes ago, D C said:

This is the link to all cruise ships in 2017. Best I can find on short order whilst on my phone. 

http://www.harbours.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=105643&p=0

Thank you D C that hopefully puts the bed the 50/50 debate and it comes down to just personal opinion but not based on any facts.

[Harry Peterson]

Just now, Bazrat said:

Thank you D C that hopefully puts the bed the 50/50 debate and it comes down to just personal opinion but not based on any facts.

I think that conclusion might involve a little analysis of the data.

[Bazrat]

25 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I think that conclusion might involve a little analysis of the data.

Harry the facts are there no way close to 50/50 

[Harry Peterson]

6 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Harry the facts are there no way close to 50/50 

Haven’t had the time to do the analysis yet, I’m afraid. What’s the percentage?

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Haven’t had the time to do the analysis yet, I’m afraid. What’s the percentage?

Harry don’t bother about 10% but feel free to check but that was 2017 unless it has got dramatically worse I think that answers the question 

[Harry Peterson]

23 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Harry don’t bother about 10% but feel free to check but that was 2017 unless it has got dramatically worse I think that answers the question 

I think the jury’s out on that still. The database includes a lot of small ships, and I see this comment on the website below. Not sure how you’d define ‘often’ but its probably a lot closer to 50% than 10%.

 

Cruise ships will tender you to the center of town at the Albert Pier. Tenders are often not able to land passengers due to adverse weather conditions. 

 

 

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/Saint-Peter-Port-Guernsey.htm

[Bazrat]

23 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I think the jury’s out on that still. The database includes a lot of small ships, and I see this comment on the website below. Not sure how you’d define ‘often’ but its probably a lot closer to 50% than 10%.

 

Cruise ships will tender you to the center of town at the Albert Pier. Tenders are often not able to land passengers due to adverse weather conditions. 

 

 

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/Saint-Peter-Port-Guernsey.htm

Nice try Harry I only used P&O ships because this is not a general discussion on all cruise lines

[Eglesbrech]

5 hours ago, Bazrat said:

My biggest argument is if a new cruiser looks at this site and the few state in there opinion and are backed up by fellow posters it’s 50/50 chance on not getting ashore,and if you do it can be a fairground ride of a tender is that an accurate representation of the facts,do you believe they would think of booking there first cruise after that advice.

Les_Idh sorry you could not get there but on our next visit we hope to keep our 100% record. 

I did not provide an opinion, I stated my experience and did not represent its as fact in any way, see below. It is however fact as it applied to me and my cruises.

 

You have had 100% success and Les 0% that’s also a fact as it applies to you both.

 

 

I think new cruisers will have the sense to read a variety of posts and make up their own mind. The helpful link above to the port statistics will also assist with this.
 

What is worse, knowing that you may or may not get in or being sorely disappointed that you do not and you had no idea that it was even a possibility?
 

“1. You may not actually get in, it’s about 50/50 in my experience. Other views are available😀”

 

[Bazrat]

21 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I did not provide an opinion, I stated my experience and did not represent its as fact in any way, see below. It is however fact as it applied to me and my cruises.

 

You have had 100% success and Les 0% that’s also a fact as it applies to you both.

 

 

I think new cruisers will have the sense to read a variety of posts and make up their own mind. The helpful link above to the port statistics will also assist with this.
 

What is worse, knowing that you may or may not get in or being sorely disappointed that you do not and you had no idea that it was even a possibility?
 

“1. You may not actually get in, it’s about 50/50 in my experience. Other views are available😀”

 

Yes tell them there might be a chance of missing the port but to put a figure on there is wrong,yes it’s your experience and yours alone others have not missed but to put the seeds of doubt in there in my view is wrong.

other views are available 😀

[Eglesbrech]

1 minute ago, Bazrat said:

Yes tell them there might be a chance of missing the port but to put a figure on there is wrong,yes it’s your experience and yours alone others have not missed but to put the seeds of doubt in there in my view is wrong.

other views are available 😀

Between us we have given a bit of balance😀

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

Between us we have given a bit of balance😀

👍

[majortom10]

Give it more balance we have visited Guernsey on Princess cruises and have only been unsuccessful on one occasion in tendering there.

[Stokie33]

We are also on this weekend trip celebrating my step daughters 21st, we were already undecided about staying on the ship but if we can't tender from anyone's experience will they try to get into a different port or will it just be 2 days at sea

[Bazrat]

29 minutes ago, Stokie33 said:

We are also on this weekend trip celebrating my step daughters 21st, we were already undecided about staying on the ship but if we can't tender from anyone's experience will they try to get into a different port or will it just be 2 days at sea

More than likely two days at sea,on our trip they swapped it from a Sunday to a Saturday because of incoming weather,the Sunday was horizontal rain and the ship hardly moved.(Arcadia)

[Book bug]

We have a 100% record (4/4 )also of getting into Guernsey by tender , we are going again late may so hoping it continues!  The bus 91/92 round the island trip is now £5 if you stay on the whole round trip, but if you get off or any single trip on other buses is £1. Sometimes the shops do open for a short time when the cruise ships are in , there is also castle cornet within a short walk as someone else mentioned as well as other attractions. 

[D C]

4 hours ago, Book bug said:

We have a 100% record (4/4 )also of getting into Guernsey by tender , we are going again late may so hoping it continues!  The bus 91/92 round the island trip is now £5 if you stay on the whole round trip, but if you get off or any single trip on other buses is £1. Sometimes the shops do open for a short time when the cruise ships are in , there is also castle cornet within a short walk as someone else mentioned as well as other attractions. 

Hiring a taxi is a more often recommended way of covering the most ground in a short time, but the bus system works well.

The 91/92 buses seem to be popular with cruise visitors, and once you get off, you may watch a few of them drive by before one stops to let you back on because of the cruise crowds. 

 

Hint: There are other buses that are less crowded 😉

buses.gg is the site for the Guernsey bus system.  You can plot out where it is you want to go, and most places have more than one option for going by bus.

 

Hint #2:  Tell the driver where you're going.  You don't have to get off at a listed bus stop.  There are bus stops all over the island, as marked by the word "BUS"  on the road (clever, eh?).  For example, if you want to see the observation post at Pleinmont, the driver will drop you off somewhere along the road leading between the airport and Portelet.  You may have a bit of a walk, but it beats walking uphill from Portelet. 

[D C]

If anyone wants to do something in St Peter Port that I can just about guarantee nobody else on your ship will know about... especially easy if you visit Candie Gardens ... you can climb to the top of Victoria Tower for a birds-eye view of town and the port.    The tower is towards the North side of town, or to the right as you face shore from the ship.  It's adjacent to Candie Gardens, and the key to the tower is available from the desk in the museum.  Here's the link to get there from near the pier:  https://goo.gl/maps/exFDyk6NtB8zavrm7

[Book bug]

Yes the view from candie gardens and Victoria tower is great; only thing is if someone has the key you have to wait for them to return before you can go up as it is signed out and there is only one key- this happened to us last August 

[zap99]

On 1/29/2020 at 8:04 PM, brian1 said:

We had those odds for the Falklands a few years ago,almost the other side of the world.We were lucky and saw thousands of penguins on the best golden beach I've seen,but the coldest and windiest even in their summer,lo

We didn't get in to Guernsey either, but although you may spot puffins, Penguins are not often seen in the channel Islands roaming wild.😁

Edited February 4, 2020 by zap99
Spelling

[brian1]

15 hours ago, zap99 said:

We didn't get in to Guernsey either, but although you may spot puffins, Penguins are not often seen in the channel Islands roaming wild.😁

With this global warming,you never know.Guernsey would be a few grand cheaper than the Falklands,lol.

[s&gsjollies]

OP here - thank you so much for the helpful input above especially DC. And will have my eyes open for puffins! We usually like to be independent but after reading the various potential issues, and as it was meant to be a relaxing weekend, I reckon we're going to have to opt for one of the ships trips to guarantee getting ashore in reasonable time if the weather's OK - just the cheapest one probably - a town walk at about £30 a head. 

 

I had no idea there had been any replies here besides the first couple (got an email notification once) but nothing since . Can anyone tell me what I'm going wrong please - there must be something I'm not doing. And, so I'm sorry I stirred the hornets nest re the tender issue. I got my info from reading various reviews (maybe happy people didn't write reviews?) However my Mum's now also told me on her UK cruise they diverted to France because of bad weather and didn't even try the Channel Islands!

My view is that it's not the brightest idea for P&O to do an over-nighter to somewhere with a "questionable" landing record (and then on a Sunday) - my fault for not checking things more carefully - but didn't think I could go too wrong on a one-night trip. I also agree there should be transparency about the potential conditions at the port - I saw a senior man fall flat on his face being helped onto a tender in very mild conditions and customers have a right to be informed.

 

Bazral - do I understand right that P&O changed the actual days of your trip near the travel date because of the weather? If so, thanks for the warning and we'd better keep that time clear. 

 

 

[D C]

Don't discount Guernsey on a Sunday just yet.  There are "Seafront Sundays" throughout the summer months where the road is closed for some sort of special event.  I believe they're scheduled for when ships are in port, but not necessarily every Sunday for every ship. 

https://www.visitguernsey.com/see-and-do/events-festivals/seafront-sundays/