Serco Nothlink - price rises

[MuckleJoannie]

Looks like Shetland is in the hands of a "trickster"

 

 

I think he is more a very astute businessman who has got his lawyers amd accountants to go through the contract with a fine tooth comb to shave off every penny of the costs that can be shaved off and to add every charge that can be allowed. Sharper than the people who drew up the contract.

[piggywiggie]

my in laws have just come up on the boat and they have said although it may have been a little more expensive than last time it was much better.

[sheltie53]

Looks like Shetland is in the hands of a "trickster"

 

 

I think he is more a very astute businessman who has got his lawyers amd accountants to go through the contract with a fine tooth comb to shave off every penny of the costs that can be shaved off and to add every charge that can be allowed. Sharper than the people who drew up the contract.

 

MuckleJoannie, I reckon you hit the nail the head.

[ll]

Interesting to note that an islander going from Aberdeen to Orkney or Shetland pays up to 2.5 times higher price for the same cabin as on the Hamnavoe. If the cabin is let from Aberdeen to Orkney, it can be re-let from Orkney to Shetland, thus generating nearly 5X the revenue as a cabin on the Pentland Firth route.

 

A kennel though, will cost the same regardless of what ferry or leg is taken (until they start with deluxe kennels).

[greenman]

i have said all along serco were only in it for the money. we were going to take the boat sooth on wed, but we are flying as flybe are cheaper

[JustMe]

i have said all along serco were only in it for the money. we were going to take the boat sooth on wed, but we are flying as flybe are cheaper

Of course they are in it for the money. Question has to be if they are in it for the long term or if they want to take their profit from a single contract?. At a guess looking at other Serco contracts they are more interested in long term profits that a single burst. And of course who can blame them. Big Government has decided to allow companies to make a profit from contracts. Do we blame government or the companies?.

[~The_Car_In_Front~]

I know this is a little off topic but I think people need to know how rigid Serco Northlink are being with their rules.

 

A friend of mine works away from the island through the week, he was coming back to Shetland to his family for the weekend. He gets caught up in the disruption at Heathrow and his flight ends up being delayed. He arrives at the Northlink Ferry Terminal in Aberdeen 5 mins after the deadline of 30 minutes before departure, the gang plank is still in place but they refuse him travel "Because he knows that he has to be there 30 minutes prior to departure" He looses a day with his family and he is back on the boat to Aberdeen tonight.

Surely Serco Northlink can be more flexible. In the past with the previous company when I got delayed they allowed me to board 10 minutes prior to sailing, even with a car!

[unlinkedstudent]

I know this is a little off topic but I think people need to know how rigid Serco Northlink are being with their rules.

 

A friend of mine works away from the island through the week, he was coming back to Shetland to his family for the weekend. He gets caught up in the disruption at Heathrow and his flight ends up being delayed. He arrives at the Northlink Ferry Terminal in Aberdeen 5 mins after the deadline of 30 minutes before departure, the gang plank is still in place but they refuse him travel "Because he knows that he has to be there 30 minutes prior to departure" He looses a day with his family and he is back on the boat to Aberdeen tonight.

Surely Serco Northlink can be more flexible. In the past with the previous company when I got delayed they allowed me to board 10 minutes prior to sailing, even with a car!

 

It would have probably helped if he had telephoned them to say he was being delayed. You sometimes get away with it, even with a car, if the boat is practically empty. But even when it wasn't Serco, you were chancing it.

 

And no, they can't be more flexible. Perhaps I'm biased given that the ex works on the boat so I know a degree as to what they have to do behind the scenes ... can you imagine if several people turned up 5-10 minutes prior to departure? You think they ain't flexible with the passengers? You any idea what procedures the crew have to go through? It ain't just a case of 'here's ya ticket half, get onboard'.

[shetlandpeat]

I have seen them replace the gang plank on P&O before to get folk on. #themwerethedays

[Biglad]

Yip, shocking that the ODD person turns up a few minutes after the allotted time they can't be a bit more flexible......truly pisspoor! You're right SP P&O would often put the gangplank back up. We live in a different world now and its not a better one!

[Muppet]

The big difference between the P&O days and now is that under the terms of the contract Northlink and now Serco Northlink get fined for a late sailing which wasn't the case with P&O. As unlinkedstudent pointed out there are a lot of procedures to go through to secure and prepare the ship for sea.

 

This was publicised during the Hamnavoe's breakdown when they were fined for every day until the ship was back in service.

 

Maybe there is some room for flexibility, I don't know, but they are going to have to have a cut off point and stick to it or risk being fined.

[unlinkedstudent]

The big difference between the P&O days and now is that under the terms of the contract Northlink and now Serco Northlink get fined for a late sailing which wasn't the case with P&O. As unlinkedstudent pointed out there are a lot of procedures to go through to secure and prepare the ship for sea.

 

This was publicised during the Hamnavoe's breakdown when they were fined for every day until the ship was back in service.

 

Maybe there is some room for flexibility, I don't know, but they are going to have to have a cut off point and stick to it or risk being fined.

 

I don't think it's just that though, Muppet. I think it's more to do with Maritime Regulations, including those imposed by the EU. Might help if they had a hand-held scanner for all the tickets though, not only would that speed things up but whether or not computer sez no and they still all have to be counted by hand, I don't know.

[Guest tiodylb17]

They have a really poor booking system on the website

 

Whats the difference between a premium and exectutive cabin ?

[JMc]

Yip, living in a different world now. P&O didn't have to worry about Scottish Government watching their every move with a big stick in hand and the maritime rules were much slacker back then. Events like the Costa Concordia have driven up the procedures and rules they have to comply with. Plus, if Serco started to not apply the check in limits how long before 5 minutes turned to 10 and more. People would inevitably start to take the p#ss before long. Sorry for your mate, but maybe he should have called ahead - they might have been able to do more.

[sheltie53]

The internet booking system is indeed a mess, I gave up

.

Surely if one person arrives a few minutes after the cut-off time but could be allowed on board without inconveniencing anyone common sense should prevail.

I travelled last week and thought the mid-ships bar was a huge improvement and quite busy.

Staff were excellent, food was “motorway†but adequate,.

Overall travel costs are significantly increased to the point where unless I need to take a car, flying and hiring would be better.

 

The new exclusive lounge was empty which tells us something.

 

There are new dividers in the gent’s toilet which are as sharp as a razor and down-right dangerous in a heavy sea, part of the edge was loosely covered by pipe insulation suggesting someone has recognised the danger.

 

Dividers in the bar seating area are clearly meant to prevent anyone stretching out and have sharp steel upright supports with wooden tops surely designed to bruise in a heavy sea but worst of all is the sharp edge behind the seating area in the newly designed bar, heaven help anyone bumping into this on a bad night.

Whoever allowed this does not understand that this is a north sea crossing and a lifeline service not just a cruise down the river!