david Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 is there not a bigger berth nearer the entrance of aberdeen harbour anyway. You go past it when going to the upper dock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breeksy Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 How straightofrward would it be to get a biggr berth at Aberdeen? I would have though they would be in fairly high demand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 I see what you are saying folks but I was actually thinking of Shetland end of the journey. Aberdeen would be ok as long as they can get over the bar at the harbour mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollydodo Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Sorry for digressing somewhat from the thread. But I feel I must say something very positive about Northlink staff. On Tuesday I got on the Hjaltland just after 6. Settled down in my sleeper seat in the lounge. Had a wander around. Went back to my seat. At around quarter to seven thought I would send a text to hubby. Could I find my phone in my rucksack. No!! Oh sh**!! I had left it in my car, which was, thankfully, parked in Northlink car park. I then bravely proceeded down to reception where I told my sorry tale to a couple o guyz there. What do you think there response was to my plea, ten minutes before ferry was due to sail?? At first, not good. By then I was practically down on my knees begging for mercy Security doors closed . . . ready to sail . . . etc, etc. I eventually said (almost in tears) that I could not travel without my phone (how sad we have become!!!), so one o the guyz said he would ask the fellow on security at the exit, which he did. Then, the guy said that if I hurried I could go and get my phone. He accompanied me along the walkway to the terminal building, and running faster than I have ever done for years, I got to my car, got my phone, ran back (totally exhausted and still recovering!!!), met him at top o the stairs and he escorted me back on the boat. It would have been so easy for them to have refused and I realise how fortunate I was. Just goes to show there are still some decent folk around. Don't really know what there policy is on this. Whether "they can bend the rules" a little or not?? But to the Northlink personnel involved A BIG THANK U from the bottom of my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Sorry for digressing somewhat from the thread. But I feel I must say something very positive about Northlink staff. On Tuesday I got on the Hjaltland just after 6. Settled down in my sleeper seat in the lounge. Had a wander around. Went back to my seat. At around quarter to seven thought I would send a text to hubby. Could I find my phone in my rucksack. No!! Oh sh**!! I had left it in my car, which was, thankfully, parked in Northlink car park. I then bravely proceeded down to reception where I told my sorry tale to a couple o guyz there. What do you think there response was to my plea, ten minutes before ferry was due to sail?? At first, not good. By then I was practically down on my knees begging for mercy Security doors closed . . . ready to sail . . . etc, etc. I eventually said (almost in tears) that I could not travel without my phone (how sad we have become!!!), so one o the guyz said he would ask the fellow on security at the exit, which he did. Then, the guy said that if I hurried I could go and get my phone. He accompanied me along the walkway to the terminal building, and running faster than I have ever done for years, I got to my car, got my phone, ran back (totally exhausted and still recovering!!!), met him at top o the stairs and he escorted me back on the boat. It would have been so easy for them to have refused and I realise how fortunate I was. Just goes to show there are still some decent folk around. Don't really know what there policy is on this. Whether "they can bend the rules" a little or not?? But to the Northlink personnel involved A BIG THANK U from the bottom of my heart. thats a great story - in the most the guys on the boat are good, although i have heard a difrence in the 2 boats diffrent staff though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirvaluk Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 It has been suggested by "experts "that the Norrona is far to big for Aberdeen,and that the present Northlink ships are as big as Aberdeen can manage. I would think this would limit either the size of ferry, and the port.Also on the subject of cabins, a Calmac spokesman said on Radio Shetland when they won the contract, that they would replace the cinemas with more bunks.This would probabley have to wait till they get their major refits.p.s. I love the food on Northlink, 100% improvement on P&O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriesooky Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 personally, i loved da food on da old clair - tho admittedly. dis wisna tae dae wi da quality and mair tae dae wi da fact dat maist o da crew kent my grandad, him being lang associated wi da fishing/whaling, and so we often got free grub (tho me fave bonus wis still getting da christmas selection pack fae da purser even tho i wis well past da child mark) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 p.s. I love the food on Northlink, 100% improvement on P&O. Even the 'tinned mushroom, watery scrambled egg etc' breakfast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 I've just had a look at Aberdeen Harbours website. If I'm reading it right then they earn over £2 million a year from Northlink in Harbour dues, not including freight and passenger dues. (cant help thinking i've got something wrong as their charges seem to be 3 times higher than Lerwick!) If that is the case, then surely it's not expecting too much for them to stick their hand in their pockets and do a bit of dredging at the entrance! As i've said before in here, i'm sure the Harbour itself can handle bigger vessels, but the present berth may not be able to, and the worst problems seem to be with silting at the harbour entrance. How straightofrward would it be to get a biggr berth at Aberdeen? I would have though they would be in fairly high demand? Not many customers pay them £2 million a year, so I would think pretty straightforward! I see what you are saying folks but I was actually thinking of Shetland end of the journey. Aberdeen would be ok as long as they can get over the bar at the harbour mouth. I dont agree there. Not aware that there is any problem with water depth at the berth at Lerwick. I believe the local purser fleet are far deeper than the Norrona so there should be plenty scope for deeper boats at Holmsgarth. Also on the subject of cabins, a Calmac spokesman said on Radio Shetland when they won the contract, that they would replace the cinemas with more bunks.This would probabley have to wait till they get their major refits. I think what he said was more along the lines of if they won the contract they would look into providing more cabins, but lets see what they do. Smyril did put some of the blame on their losses down to the fact that potential passengers were being lost because they couldn't get a berth on the Northlink boats. p.s. I love the food on Northlink, 100% improvement on P&O. I agree with that one! I never got my head round the fact that the P&O chefs had all day to prepare food, yet they only ever learnt how to open a tin of carrots! Gee i've covered a whole load of recent posts there, hope i've no confused you too much!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wavydavie Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 thats a great story - in the most the guys on the boat are good, although i have heard a difrence in the 2 boats diffrent staff thoughI worked them both, and the clair, guess which is the good boat love the food on Northlink, 100% improvement on P&O. yet they only ever learnt how to open a tin of carrots! never seen tinned carrots on the clair must have been the sunniva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breeksy Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 never seen tinned carrots on the clair must have been the sunniva I certainly saw carrots on the Sunniva - not sure where they came from as I was sure I hadn't eaten any.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 anyone ever heard how the new operators going to tackle the lack of beds- like they said they would if they got the contract?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 The thing is, I don't mind sleeping on the benches in the front bar if it saves me 20 or 30 quid. I'm a poor student, and so long as there's a bed waiting for me in Lerwick, I can get by on the handful of hours' sleep for the crossing. More cabins is fine if there's demand, but I don't want to be forced to pay the large extra sums of money for it. More reclining seats might not be a bad idea... I might be willing to pay a fiver for one. They seem to work well on the Isle of Man Hoverspeed ferry, though that's a much shorter journey (and isn't overnight). Also, regarding switching ports, if people are getting the emergency airlift to the hospital Aberdeen, their families will no doubt want to follow them down - and if they don't have the money for the flight, they'll need a ferry to Aberdeen! And as noted, Aberdeen really does have quite good transport links. There's no Easyjet in Peterhead and Aberdeen's train links are excellent. Other ports like Peterhead or Rosyth may be all well and good for those with cars, but for people on foot, I can't imagine they'd come close to the functionality of Aberdeen. Maybe Northlink/CalMac could consider getting smaller boats rather than bigger ones... Instead of big Norrona-sized boats, get double the number of zippy little Hoverspeed ones - - then there could be double the trips - one leaving at 7am and one leaving at 7pm! (ok, ok, I'm sure this would be less economical, but it would make the Shetland connection much easier) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted October 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2006 (**Mod edit**)Taken from another thread.... Northlink or No-think! Aaaaaagh! Well today their computer booking system has been down for 24 hours now. It has taken them that long to put something on their webpage. They have no back-up system, not even the back of a cigarette packet, nothing. One good bit is that if you are booked on the ferry, they have nothing to prove that you are not in the Presidential Suite or sharing with the captain! So go for it! And even best, is that if you phone up some of them to book freight and reservations and tell them they are beginning to cost you money as you cannot then book onward flights (which go up in price every day, thank you British Airways), they are not slightly aplogetic, they are downright RUDE, monosyllabic and sulky. Some life line service this is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marjolein Posted October 25, 2006 Report Share Posted October 25, 2006 I just can't get over the fact water is the same price as fuel on the boat. At least nowadays you can get a glass for free from the bar. I was charged 50p for a glass on the Sunniva, but maybe he was just joking because he ended up giving it to me for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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