Already operators of small cruise ships susch as Arion, Funchal and Van Gogh have found that there is a market for cruises going from and returning to such ports as Belfast, Dundee and Falmouth

All of this means that British passengers are getting fed up with the preliminaries to so many cruises from Mediterranean and U.Sports. In particular the early hour of departure of connecting flights are off-putting to many. I recently inquired from MSC about going on a week's cruise on the Armonia only to be told that I would have to be at Stansted at some ungodly hour in the morning. I hate having to get up in the middle of the night to get to the airport. The alternative, a costly one, is to spend the night at an airport hotel. Even this sometimes isn't satisafactory as the shuttle buses are not always 100% reliable.

With cruise companies' 'packages' cruises from U.S. ports there is an additional minus--the need to overnight in a hotel near the port; I have been put in allegedly top-quality hotels in Miami and Fort Lauderdale only to find that they are located 'in the middle of nowhere' thus requiring dinner and breakfast (never included!) to be taken in their costly fancy restaurants or from room service (seldom do any of them have coffee shops).

There could be a solution to the problems of early departures from UK airports and the need to overnight at hotels in the U.S. if cruise companies would schedule the departure of their ships at 11 pm instead of the habitual 5 pm. Thus flights could leave UK airports at a reasonable hour such as 11 am and arrive in Florida in ample time an to make the transfer to the ship. Cruise companies will cite a million one reasons why this can't be done! But surely they are not incapable of devising a way to make the preliminaries to a cruise less stressful.

I look forward to reading your comments.

I did Silversea's, Cairns to Auckland about three years ago and although the trip was perfect, the 26 hour slog back from New Zealand was vile.

On the other hand, give me a jetlag free, port free transatlantic on either Queen (how nice it is to be able to say that) and I am very happy.

Regards

I took the Caronia Southampton-Southampton last month and left home at 06.00 in the morning to catch a flight at 09.40 , plenty of time to have a last chat with some collegues (who were working and I was not , yipeeeee) , arrived at Southampton airport around 10.15 (1 hour time difference of course) and boarded around 15.00 , there's only 1 thing I hate , you can't leave your luggage somewhere to kill some time in the city before boarding the ship , next time (QE2 end of October 2004) I will not have that problem as there are no flights from Brussels to Southampton on Saturdays I will stay the night before in the Star Hotel and leave my luggage there before boarding QE2.

But I just as well love the flights as the taxi drive and boarding the ship.

He , I 'm a real traveller , that's why I work at the airport.

Consider, for example, a pax living in Manchester going on an ex-Southampton cruise. That will also involve an early start on embarkation day, or a prior overnight stay. But if the cruise is going to the Med, it's probably not feasible to start the voyage in a northern port, because at a guess that would add a minimum of 2 days to any voyage when compared to an ex-Southampton departure. It's not that much better than hauling yourself off to your local airport for an "oh-dark-thirty" departure.

One of the things that we could do in the UK to improve this is to move to European time. The fact that we are an hour behind the Med ports means that we have to get to the UK airport an hour earlier than we would otherwise have to do. But that, unfortunately, is something beyond the simple matter of travel.

For cruises ex-US ports, particularly Miami and Fort Lauderdale, there are other considerations at work. First, the UK pax will usually be a small contingent amongst a predominantly North American crowd. The ship's times have to be geared to them, not us. The ships must arrive into port early in the morning on turnaround day, because North American pax have to get off, get to the airport and fly home to arrive on the same day.

If you delay the ship's departure until late in the evening, the North American pax will be asking why. They can't shop or gamble until the ship has set sail, and they will be frustrated if on the first day of their cruise they are essentially confined on board a ship that's going nowhere for 10+ hours after they get on.

A same day sailing is not much good for pax flying in from the UK, either, whatever time the flight is scheduled to arrive. An 1100 flight ex-London will not arrive in Miami until 1600 Miami time. For safety, you really have to allow 3 hours to clear the airport, get onto transport and get taken to the pier, which will make it 1900.

This is not very good for the pax even when things go right. Even then, the pax will arrive at the pier with a body clock set at midnight, and then have to deal with cruise check-in, finding their way to the cabin, looking for something to eat (this sort of timetable will screw up the dining room schedule), etc. By the time they've done that, their bodies will be screaming for sleep, and they will miss out on the whole of the first evening's entertainment. This would actually be a much more stressful way of doing it than an overnight stay the day before.

Even little problems would put the entire thing at risk. If, for example, the flight takes a 2 hour tech delay, you are suddenly cutting everything very fine, and you might have to delay the ship's departure. The North American pax won't be very amused if the ship's departure is further delayed (along with some of their entertainment) merely because a flight from dangerous foreign lands carrying dangerous foreigners is late - they'd be kicking up merry hell.

Also, bags will sometimes get mishandled - an overnight stop gives the airlines a fighting chance of getting the bag to you by the time the ship sails.

I do an ex-UK cruise package once a year with a group, and I'm basically tied to buying the package because of the group thing. The organising TA and I talk frequently about issues like this whenever we are brainstorming ideas about where, when and how to do it next time.

But they were also able to go on the longer cruises, sometimes a month, whereas those not retired may only have a week or 10 days, which is pushing it for anything decent ex UK for warmer climes. A week south gets you to the same Vigo/Lisbon/La Rochelle/St Peter Port itinerary that P&O continually seem to favour and who wants to keep repeating that?

Globaliser re the body clock, yes one may be at midnight, but I am always 'hyped' up on finally arriving. Many a time arriving in the US around 5/6pm I have then driven for maybe 4 hours to my destination. Not tired either, and make it up on time the next morning. But yes, I don't think the Americans passengers would look kindly on not being able to sail, drink, gamble etc just because they are a awaiting arrival of a bunch of Europeans. Afterall they have paid for the first night at sea and all that entails, not to be berthed in Miami.

The morning after does give one a few hours to get a couple of bits and pieces from the local shops too, that weren't worth the hassle of carrying on the flight [those who want their beer/wine etc , or the forgotten toothpaste, evening clothes [yes, I have left behind all my long skirts before now! don't ask me how, were still hanging on the back of the bedroom door on our return].

But many of the group that I'm with already look like death warmed up as we gather at the exit from Customs at about 6 pm local time in Miami. Often they've had to get up at 5 or 6 am to get themselves off to the nearest London airport for the long check-in times now specified by airlines, or to their local airport for the domestic connecting sector. (Frequent flyer status perks including shorter check-in times become more valuable every year.)

The other thing about being there in the morning is that one can ignore the cruise line's transfer from hotel to pier, which is always arranged to arrive at about the time of maximum queues at the check-in desk. Instead, a few of us go very early in a taxi, so that we are through the check-in process and onto the ship quickly, giving us more precious time in the bar - sorry, gym.

[ 06-11-2004: Message edited by: Globaliser ]

[ 06-11-2004: Message edited by: Globaliser ]

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Just curious Cunardcoll, is your QE2 end of October the 3 day short cruise. If so I'm going on that too!.

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Yes it is , This will be my second cruise , first time on QE2 , send me an email to see what you look like so we can meet on QE2 , you can see my photo on www.JG-adventure.cjb.net

As for boarding in the UK being non-stressful: If you read my QM2 review (Ship Reviews – Menu left) I had an ‘embarkation from hell’ to board the QM2 at Southampton. My friend was also on that cruise, who is well travelled (but this was his first cruise) said it was far worse than any airport delay that he had ever experienced!

It is important to note that UK cruising does appeal to an older crowd than much of the cruising in America. It does seem that some of this group are reluctant to fly – hence the increasing number of UK departures.

It is also important to note that although some cruises from American ports are great bargains, the transatlantic flights doubles the total cast per person. In contrast American internal flights are often very reasonable, so the cruise is still a ‘bargain’ for Americans.

That does not sound like a restricted menu to me, Malcom. I would love to do any of them. My wife and I did the Norwegian Coastal Express in 1960, and always wanted to do it again. The Baltic has more variety than the Caribbean. And the Med! Compare that with Carib. straw markets and tourist traps infested with thousands of disembarking tourists. You do not need to fly that far to get a Banana Daquiri!

Yes, in the USA, there are Alaska sailings. But Seattle is not exactly next door to NYC. And Ft. Lauderdale is near....er Miami. A bit of flying is required. No, the NAmericans generally have to cover fairly extensive pieces of geography before they can weigh anchor! My last cruise was from Baltimore (60+mi [thats 96 km chums]). My next one is from SanDiego...122 miles to IAD, 3144 mi to the Pier.

Cambodge, I take your point; I was being a little complacent!

Nevertheless, I would like to see some more creative itineraries. For example, Iceland and Greenland are not very often visited by ships. I'd like to more see land tours and city breaks (Europe) combined with mini-cruises. In fact I'd like to see more European mimi-cruises - there are few under 7 days, many are 10-14.

Given the heavy focus on Alaska Cruises, I am surprised that there are not more Norway Cruises, from the UK, of course. I have "done" Norway on the Express Ships, and Alaska on the State Ferry Ships.

You posted "Norway" at Flam recently. It was our impression that for really spectacular scenery, Norway has it all over Alaska. Glaciers, sure but no Geraingerfjiord, or Lofotens. And passengers going ashore will not be the mainstay of the local economy.

In those days, the Express ships were a mite spartan, and we would have loved to have traveled on a big, comfortable liner.

I think the weather is part of it as well. People want to sprawl by pools and lollygag in deck chairs. Cold weather and frequent rain would put a "damper" on Iceland and Greenland trips.

But they do go to Antarctica.

Aurora is going to Greenland, Iceland and Norway in 2005, as well as Zakinthos, Cephalonia, Korcula, and Split which are not normally included in cruises from the UK, so at least P&O are trying to introduce some different ports of call.

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
Given the heavy focus on Alaska Cruises, I am surprised that there are not more Norway Cruises, from the UK, of course.

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All the major cruise lines operating from UK ports (P&O, Cunard, Frd.Olsen, NCL etc.) do go to Norway, every summer. There are one week and two week cruises on offer.

I think Norway tends to attract the 'oldest' age group. The Carib appeals more to younger Brits than Norway and the Baltic do. The funny thing is, Norway and the Baltic get ther fair share of hot and sunny weather each year, too.

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Originally posted by Scottylass:
Aurora is going to Greenland, Iceland and Norway in 2005, as well as Zakinthos, Cephalonia, Korcula, and Split which are not normally included in cruises from the UK, so at least P&O are trying to introduce some different ports of call.
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