Good afternoon all.
It’s hard to believe we are nearing the end of 2008. This year the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has been part of some very exciting changes and initiatives but has also faced some challenges.
In February we launched our new look. Traditional Manx designs and a modern passenger focused service are now the way forward for us. Part of our rebrand involved our vessels being renamed and rebranded with a new logo, inspired by some designs used over the last 178 years.
We also reintroduced the words ‘Isle of Man’ into our branding, which brings us back to our Manx roots and reinforces the vital lifeline relationship between the Company and the Island.
The summer saw a new £20 million recruit join our fleet. Last month we announced her name as Manannan, suggested by one of our passengers, Alison McNeilly, following a naming competition announced on this blog.
For the Company the winning suggestion epitomises the status of the new vessel within our fleet and reflects our desire to focus on our Manx heritage and share in the mystique of Manannan, the Celtic God of the Sea and protector of the Isle of Man.
Manannan, while not a traditional Steam Packet name, is nevertheless clearly identifiable with the Isle of Man. This is a major step forward for us and a significant investment for the future. Everyone at the Company is looking forward to seeing Manannan when she finally arrives in Manx waters in her new livery.
Manannan, a 96-metre catamaran, was purchased in Tasmania and undertook a month-long 11,868 mile trip to Britain in July. I met up with her in Suez and stayed with her until she arrived in Malta. It was a fantastic feeling being part of the delivery voyage. My thanks and admiration goes to the crew who brought her home safely through, it’s fair to say, some tricky weather conditions.
The journey also gave primary school children from Andreas and Bride, Kirk Michael, St Mary’s and Ballasalla the opportunity to ask the crew questions, ranging from what exciting sea creatures they’d seen to whether they had been catching their own food! It was great to see schools take an interest in such a project and it was wonderful to award the winning school Michael with £1,000 worth of geography equipment.
Next year the excitement and interest in Manannan is set to continue as she is scheduled to make her debut voyage in May. She will replace Viking on the Liverpool/Douglas route and will be the largest vessel of her type in the Irish Sea, significantly enhancing the service we will provide due to a faster cruising speed, greater vehicle, passenger and freight back-up capacity and increased levels of passenger comfort.
As part of the launch we are planning to organise events to showcase the vessel when she arrives in the Island. It is also the Company’s intention to re-register the ship from her current registry in the Bahamas to the Isle of Man Ship Registry in Douglas.
However, while Manannan ferried holiday-makers and soldiers down under, Viking has completed 3,000 sailings and carried more than 1 million passengers to and from the Island in her seven years service with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.
Built by Fincantieri in Italy, Viking covered more than 200,000 miles sailing back and forth across the Irish Sea. Before we say a final goodbye to Viking (she will briefly cover for a dry-docking of the Ben-my-Chree in the New Year) I would just like to say what a fantastic servant she has been to both the travelling public and the Company. Despite having the lowest wave height tolerance of our vessels she has still averaged over 97% reliability over recent years.
Many passengers will also be aware of the challenges this year has presented us, not least the Tynwald Select Committee Report into various aspects of the Steam Packet. We welcome the report and listened with interest to the debate it generated. The Company is looking closely at the report and will work with the Department of Transport to consider its recommendations and how, if appropriate, they should be implemented.
The Report concluded that the Company is ‘very competitive’ with regards to passenger fares, and it identified that we are fully compliant with all, and exceed many, of our requirements under the User Agreement. For us, it is disappointing that these very positive findings were barely touched upon during the Tynwald debate or in our national press. Much was made of very selective gross profit figures provided by the committee. When allowing for financing costs and depreciation (necessary to build funds for a future fleet investment of around £85 million), as well as the economic reality of providing a frequency and capacity of service greatly in excess of that actually utilised – the true picture of profitability is quite different.
The report highlighted perceived ‘high’ freight charges too – we have been very open about this. These charges help subsidise ‘very competitive’ passenger fares and reflect the very low volumes of freight demand relative to capacity offered. Without them, fares would have to rise or services would have to be reduced. The alternative of course is a direct taxpayer subsidy as is necessary in some other small Island communities. We believe the current arrangement is by far the best alternative for the Isle of Man, and do not accept that these charges materially add to the cost of goods in our shops.
The harsh reality in these turbulent economic times is that many, much larger ferry companies than the Steam Packet are reducing services and cutting unprofitable routes. Because of the User Agreement with the IoM government we are obliged to provide many loss making services that simply would not be provided on any commercial basis. For example, Irish services do not cover even the variable costs of operation. Nor too do many winter midweek sailings cover their costs if the contribution from freight were not taken into account. Freight prices also subsidise extended season fast craft sailings.
Notwithstanding all this, with 2009 just around the corner we are looking forward to the opportunities and challenge it will undoubtedly bring.
Finally, I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, or in Manx Gaelic Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa.
See you in 2009.
Mark
9 December 2008
Good morning,
Christmas is approaching fast, and with it the end of another year. It does not seem very long ago that we were trialling Incat 050 in Tasmania to determine if she would be suitable as the replacement for Viking. Now some 9 or 10 months later, and renamed Manannan, she is not only in UK waters but is almost unrecognisable from her former self.
Conversion work has been slowed a little because of poor weather conditions in Portsmouth but we remain confident that she will be ready to take up her scheduled summer sailing duties next year. I have included some new photographs showing further progress on the construction of new passenger areas on Manannan. You can see the work beginning now to take shape on the much bigger ‘skylounge’ on the Upper Deck. This area will be taken up by the Executive Club, the Premium Lounge and also some Reserved Seating. It will be served by an internal passenger lift from the main deck level.
You will see too in another of the photos that the framework is now in place for supporting the new main deck passenger accommodation. Now that the foundations are almost complete it is a relatively quick process to erect bulkheads and lay the deck. We anticipate that internal fit out will commence early in the new year on these areas.
As well as a new Bar area, there will be two entertainment lounges with large TV screens for adults, older children and teens, as well as a bespoke play area for the very young conveniently located in the central lounge area where parents can relax or eat while keeping an eye on their children. The main galley area will provide a range of food comaparable to that found on Ben-my-Chree. Many seats will be arranged around tables in groups of four or eight for added convenience. To further enhance service, the remaining seats will have a seat back tray, and in certain areas will recline for added comfort. There will also be a centrally located shop. All of these facilities will be created from scratch and the interior will be entirely new, bright, modern and themed with corporate colours.
The forward lounge on main deck level will offer a wonderful 180 degree panoramic view with forward facing seating. We expect this area to be very popular with our passengers.
We are now planning for the entry of Manannan into service and expect her to leave Portsmouth towards the end of March or early April 2009. She will then visit our Irish Sea ports for further trials and promotional events before officially entering service.
Best wishes,
Mark
Good afternoon all.
I am pleased to announce the refurbishment of Manannan is progressing well and she is on schedule to provide a first class service for passengers when introduced next year.
On a separate note, this week has seen much debate both in Tynwald and by the media, about the Select Committee’s report into the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.
We welcome the report and listened with interest to the debate in Tynwald. The Company will be looking closely at the report and its recommendations, as well as comments made by Members of Tynwald during the debate.
The Report found that our passenger fares are very competitive, although a majority of Tynwald members chose to ignore this key finding. These fares are a real plus for the tourism industry in the Isle of Man. In fact using the Committee’s own rates it is clear that our passenger fares are up to 30% cheaper than other Irish Sea routes!
The Report did acknowledge that freight charges are 20% lower than those in the Channel Islands. However, when making comparisons against other routes, it chose to compare our freight charges with other large volume carriers. Some of these comparisons were misleading, in that those companies operate freight sailings that are typically 95% of capacity – our freight carryings are typically only 25% of Ben-my-Chree capacity. Despite this our freight rates are 60% cheaper in real terms than in the era of Manx Line competition. In fact, we have doubled freight and passenger services in the past decade, and halved passenger fares in real terms. How many other large businesses in the Island are able to claim that?
Large Island retailers already have common UK national pricing policies and the Manx consumer pays no more than their UK counterpart. Reducing freight rates for these companies will simply increase profits for off Island businesses - consumers would not see a reduction in retail prices due to these common pricing policies. The exceptions are locally produced meat and milk where again prices are higher because of a lack of economies of scale.
We have not applied price increases to many passenger fares, nor have we applied full rate increases to supplies such as fertiliser, animal feed and coal, among others. Some haulage operators and others do sometimes apply extra increases and blame it on the cost of shipping. For example, this week a report has quoted an increase of £1.50 per cwt for coal, attributed to shipping costs. Our price increase to the haulier equates to only 7p!
A point also ignored by many is that the charge for the use of port facilities here in Douglas is many times those of other ports to which we operate. This is of course because of a lack of economies of scale in Douglas and reflects the same situation we face elsewhere in our business.
The Report also acknowledged that the Company has invested more than £80 million in its vessels and port infrastructure in the past decade. The profit figures quoted by the Committee were misleading and do not take into account the substantial amount of interest payable on that fleet investment or annual depreciation costs. In fact, on a like for like and inflation adjusted basis, the net profit today is not dissimilar to the profit levels pre-1995, when the Company was a PLC.
The fuel surcharge debate did not acknowledge that we are only now recouping some of the money that we spent on higher fuel charges earlier this year. The amount that is being recouped this year is only a quarter of that which we incurred – fuel costs rose by £4.4 million in 2008, whereas surcharge income rose by £1.1 million.
Notwithstanding all this, we will now work with the Department of Transport to consider the recommendations put forward by the Select Committee.
In the coming weeks I hope to be able to share with you more exciting photos of Manannan as the new superstructure is erected.
For now, best wishes
Mark
11 November 2008
Good afternoon all.
I am pleased to announce that we have now located the winner of our naming competition.
As you may have read in my blog last week, our new vessel has been named Manannan: Alison McNeilly sent in the suggestion by email after reading of the competition on my Blog.
We will shortly be presenting Alison, who is from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, with her prize of £1,000 worth of Steam Packet Company travel. Congratulations Alison!
On a separate note the Tynwald Select Committee Report into various aspects of service provided by the Steam Packet Company has now been released.
The report confirms that the User Agreement, approved by Tynwald, has proved highly successful for the Isle of Man and the stability it has provided has enabled the Company to invest with confidence, leading to enormous improvements in services since its introduction. At a time when many communities are facing uncertainty about the costs and availability of transport links, the User Agreement provided much needed certainty of travel options for Island residents and visitors alike.
The Select Committee has confirmed we are 100% compliant with the User Agreement and that passenger fares are very competitive, indeed, significantly cheaper than comparable routes.
In addition, the report confirms service quality also is comparable to alternative routes, and includes details on the huge service improvements seen since 1995 – passenger services to Heysham have doubled and Liverpool services have trebled.
The UK economy has grown strongly over that period, but over the past 13 years most UK ferry operators’ traffic has declined, typically by 30%. The Steam Packet Company’s investment in craft, services and competitive fares has, in contrast, helped stimulate growth of around 50%.
We have always acknowledged that our freight charges may be higher than some high volume carriers. This is due to a combination of small market size, low vessel utilisation, high port dues and crew costs, and the obligation under the User Agreement to provide many loss-making services. Without these, Island residents and visitors would have far less choice and frequency in both summer and winter.
Crucially however, Isle of Man rates are less than those to other comparable Island communities, which we believe is a more objective comparison. UK supermarkets and other chain stores operating on the Island generally observe standard pricing criteria so the Manx consumer is not paying more than in the UK for food and other essentials. The exception of course is for locally produced goods where market size and not shipping costs dictates generally higher prices.
On another note I am pleased to report that work on Manannan continues to progress well. Almost all structural supports for the new passenger accommodation are in place and the new upper deck structure is progressing. Some of the paintwork has been completed too. I have attached a couple of photos to show progress.
Best wishes
Mark
4 November 2008
Good afternoon all.
I am pleased to announce that, following a naming competition launched on this blog, our new vessel will be named Manannan.
The name reflects our desire to focus on our Manx heritage and share in the mystique of Manannan, God of the Sea and protector of the Isle of Man.
We have been trying to contact the winner of the naming competition without success, and would be delighted if “Alison” could get in touch with us so that we can present her with the winner’s prize of £1,000 worth of Steam Packet Company travel. Alison emailed her nomination to us and we have tried to contact her but have been unsuccessful to date.
Many thanks to all of you who entered the competition. This is an exciting time for us and it’s been great to involve our passengers and local schools in the project.
Manannan, our 96-metre catamaran, which is set to enter service next year, was purchased in Tasmania and undertook a month-long 11,868 mile trip to Britain in July. She is now in Portsmouth undergoing a substantial refit. As well as additional structural work, including a bespoke vehicle ramp, she will have an entirely new internal passenger layout.
Manannan, which will replace the Viking on the Liverpool/Douglas sailings, will be the largest vessel of its type in the Irish Sea, significantly enhancing our service due to a faster cruising speed, greater vehicle, passenger and freight back-up capacity and increased levels of passenger comfort.
This is a major step forward for us and a significant investment for the future. Everyone at the Company is looking forward to seeing Manannan when she finally arrives in Manx waters in her new livery.
Captain Wood, one of the first Masters to serve on Manannan when she traded across the Cook Strait, has contacted me via this blog. As her former Master says, Manannan “was a very happy ship during those exciting days…..and many crew members were in tears when the service ended”. Thank you to Captain Wood for those comments and for the best wishes for her future success.
As we look forward to Manannan’s arrival in Manx waters, Viking has now retired from scheduled Isle of Man service. She has been a fantastic servant to both the travelling public and the company. Despite having the lowest operating wave height of our vessels she has still averaged over 97% reliability over recent years.
Best wishes,
Mark
Good afternoon all.
The weather this week so far has been very unsettled. The forecast for this weekend is not good, and some sailings have been cancelled. As usual, we will endeavour to contact everyone affected by the changes to our timetable, and I hope any inconvenience to our customers is kept to a minimum. It just goes to show that, as a ferry company, we are always at the mercy of the weather to some extent. In such circumstances, it is incumbent too on passengers to check with the Company about the status of their departure, or indeed arrival.
We already do far more than most travel companies in order to predict and communicate changes or alterations to our schedules as a result of weather forecasts. It is disappointing to note that on those occasions where for whatever reasons we are unable to contact passengers, we are then subjected to inaccurate and misleading comments in the press who make no effort to first substantiate the comments. Recent claims by some passengers in the press, that they did not receive a warning regarding a cancellation, fail to mention that they did not leave any travelling contact details with us. As a result it is not surprising that, despite our best efforts, we were unable to warn them.
In August I launched a competition to help decide the name of our new vessel. This is an exciting time for us and it’s been great to involve our passengers and local schools in the project. I am pleased to say that we have had a large number of responses and we have now closed the competition. Thank you to all of those who took the trouble to submit a suggestion. We will be deciding very shortly and I will announce the new vessel name on this Blog. So keep reading!
With this vessel we will be able to provide an enhanced service to our passengers. This is a major step forward for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and a significant investment for the future. We at the Steam Packet are all looking forward to introducing her into service.
On a final note, I have included some recent photos of Incat 050 in dry dock for those who are interested.
Best wishes,
Mark
14 October 2008
Good morning all.
The weather seems very unsettled at the moment. Gale force winds caused some disruption to our fast craft services on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday’s passengers experienced smooth and calm journeys. As usual, we endeavoured to contact everyone affected by the changes to our timetable and I hope any inconvenience to our passengers was kept to a minimum.
Last week there were a number of postings in response to my blog.
One contributor has enquired as to when details of our 2009 sailings will be available. I am pleased to say that passengers can now book their sailings for January and February and details of our Spring sailings will be launched in November. Online advance bookings for 2009 TT and Manx Grand Prix are also available. We still have space available for both these events.
We try to enable passengers to book their trips as far in advance as possible in order to get the best price. This is coupled with more than 900,000 special offers a year, available to passengers travelling with us who choose to book early.
The special offers and discounted rates, from which more than 80 per cent of our passengers benefit, are available throughout the year. Please remember that we do not charge extra for debit card payments and that there are also no charges for luggage.
Most passenger fares are around 50 per cent cheaper in real terms than those available 12 years ago. Foot passenger single fares start from £17.50 throughout the year, whereas in 1996 the cheapest brochure price was £23 in the winter only. A car and two passengers return fare now starts from only £108; however in 1996 the cheapest brochure price was £138 for a small car.
Another contributor to the blog has asked if we will be reducing our surcharges due to the recent reduction in the price of crude oil. Because the system works in arrears, we will be reviewing our fuel surcharges in March in line with the actual costs incurred over the prior 6 month period.
I have had many questions about progress on Incat 050 and I am pleased to be able to say that things are now really starting to come together. What was an open space with wiring and bulkhead frames missing is now starting to become a ship once again. The new accommodation support frames are now in place and you can begin to see the size of the new passenger space. She is currently ‘dry’ and will be having the first application of her new livery applied to underwater sections of the hull.
Best wishes,
Mark
6 October 2008
Good afternoon all.
The short Indian summer we were enjoying came to an abrupt halt last week, with weather conditions causing some disruption to our fast craft services for a couple of days. As usual, we endeavoured to contact everyone affected by the changes to our timetable and I hope any inconvenience to our customers was kept to a minimum. It is always disappointing to have to reschedule any services although it is a relatively rare occurrence- so far this year we have operated with 98.1% weather/technical reliability.
This week I’d like to welcome a new member to our team. David Findlay joins us as Director of Marketing and Communications, replacing Rupert Trevelyan, who left the company earlier this year.
David moved to the Island in the mid-1990s, where he met and married a Manx girl, and he joins us from Hansard International, where he headed up marketing operations.
I am delighted David has joined us. He is a highly motivated and experienced individual and I am sure his contribution to the business will be invaluable going forward.
Posting in response to last week’s blog, it was noted that we will soon be re-launching the Isle of Man Steam Packet Times newsletter, to be distributed with the Isle of Man Courier, and the question was asked if the newsletter would be available on the website for electronic download for people living off-Island.
It’s a great idea, and one I had already asked our marketing team to implement.
Incat 050 work continues and I intend to post some more photos in due course. Much of what is happening at present is of course structural ‘behind the scenes’ work. Once we begin construction on the actual lounges and the ship profile begins to change it will be much more interesting. At the weekend we also hope to move Incat 050 to a dry dock for a couple of weeks. During this time we will be fitting T-Foils as part of the ride control system as well as carrying out other work associated with the conversion.
I have had many suggestions for naming the new vessel, some predictable, some traditional and even some quite unusual! No firm decision has been taken yet but we are close to deciding as things will have to be put in place in good time for her entry into service next year. Watch this space!
That’s all for now.
Best wishes,
Mark
September 2008
30 September 2008
Afternoon all. Hope you enjoyed the weekend and once again the wonderful weather. It seems the sunshine has come later this year and we are experiencing a bit of a belated summer.
Congratulations and thanks to all our passengers who helped us raise £10,000 for medical and rescue equipment used around the TT course. The donation to the Rob Vine Fund was raised through collection buckets on board our vessels during the TT period. The money raised will be used to update much of the medical and rescue equipment used around the TT course, including the two helicopters and two front line ambulances.
We are delighted to be able to show our support for such a worthwhile charity. The work they do is vital and without their good work these events would not be able to take place.
As a reminder, from next month (November 8) the Liverpool winter services will have to use the Birkenhead 12 Quays berth instead of the Landing Stage berth. However, sailings, departure times, service frequencies and passage times are unaffected. While we prefer to use the Landing Stage berth throughout the year, the 12 Quays berth is popular with many motorists due to its close proximity with the motorway network and a service for freight and coach vehicles can also be provided. Coaches will provide courtesy transfers for foot passengers between Birkenhead and Liverpool. Work will continue through the winter on improved facilities on the Landing Stage for our passengers in preparation for the resumption of fast craft services from the Landing Stage in March 2009.
For now, I hope you enjoy the week ahead and I’ll catch up with you all next week.
Best wishes,
Mark
22 September 2008
Good afternoon to you all. I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and the wonderful weather.
There has been much coverage in the news recently regarding the UK Government’s decision to grant consent to the development of the West of Duddon Sands (WODS) wind farm site in Morecambe Bay.
We have emphasised that this wind farm will increase passage times and the costs of operation, both in terms of fuel and crew, and that it will also reduce port turnaround times. However, and more importantly, we believe this consent raises navigational safety issues on a key international route for us between the Island and England.
We are continuing to explore every avenue in order to prevent this happening. However, the UK government seem intent on pushing this wind farm through in order to meet their green energy commitments.
I understand that Travelwatch Isle of Man have asked that we conduct any negotiations with passengers’ interests in mind. It goes without saying that this will be the case, and had they had the courtesy to contact us beforehand we would have been able to allay their concerns in this regard.
I will, of course, endeavour to keep you up-to-date on developments regarding the wind farm plans.
On this note it has always been our policy to keep the public as informed as possible and this will be further strengthened by the re-launch of our newsletter, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Times.
Work is underway and it will soon be distributed with the Isle of Man Courier. Please keep a look out for it in the next month or two.
On a separate note we are always looking to improve the facilities we offer to our passengers.
We use quality Manx produce wherever possible in food served on the Ben-my-Chree, Viking and Snaefell. This includes bread and baguettes from Ramsey Bakery, meat from local butcher Fenton Campbell and cheese and milk from Isle of Man Creameries.
Fair trade coffee is also sold on board and during the winter we are looking at introducing a triple certified coffee, which is Fairtrade certified, Rainforest Alliance approved and organically grown.
We are proud to be supporting local food producers. This is a great way for us to showcase what the Isle of Man has to offer.
Viking is now back from dry-dock in Belfast where we were able to re-instate the Trim Tab damaged recently when she ingested fishing gear. She is now back to full health. The Trim Tab is important as it optimises the comfort of the ride, and allows the vessel to plane optimally thus maximising speed. Without it, she sits by the stern in the water and is both slower and uses more fuel.
Work on Incat 050 is progressing well. The interior is now completely stripped out and work has begun on structural supports for the new passenger lounges. As we have said previously, the interior of the vessel will be entirely new and we now have a blank ‘canvas’ upon which to paint.
Construction has also begun on a new vehicle ramp which must be fitted before she enters service. For those of you who are interested there are some photos this week of Incat 050 as she is at the moment!
That’s all for now - I hope you enjoy the week ahead and I’ll catch up with you all again next week.
Best wishes,
Mark
15 September 2008
Afternoon all. It’s good to be back in the saddle again after a break, and many thanks to my colleague, John Watt, for filling in for me while I was away.
It’s been a great weekend, with good weather (for a change!) for what proved to be a spectacular end to the 2008 Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboat race series.
The dramatic racing over the two-day event was well worth a trip to Douglas Bay to watch. Congratulations to the crews of drainstore.com, which won the 150hp class championship, and Negotiator, which won the 225hp title.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet once again sponsored the shipment of the powerboats from the UK and we’re delighted that so many Island residents and visitors enjoy the spectacle each year.
On a separate note, it was fantastic to see the Island and the Isle of Man Steam Packet receive some great coverage in the first programme of Charley Boorman’s six-part BBC programme, ‘By Any Means’, for which he and his team took to their motorbikes to travel from Wicklow in Ireland to Australia.
The show highlighted some of the Island’s most beautiful landmarks and tourist spots and showed what a fantastic place we have here. It also included an interview with one of our captains and some filming in Douglas Quay and it was very positive coverage all round.
On a less pleasing note, there has been much coverage in the news recently regarding the UK Government’s decision to grant consent to the development of the West of Duddon Sands (WODS) Wind Farm site in Morecambe Bay.
We are disappointed about this as we feel the decision was made without properly taking into account either the navigational concerns or the environmental costs of forcing ships to detour around the site. It would appear that potential safety issues and shipping concerns have been overridden, despite strenuous representations against the siting of the proposed wind farm in a long-established shipping lane. In short, we do not feel as if proper consideration has been given to what is a vital lifeline route for the Island.
We emphasised that the WODS Wind Farm will increase passage times and the costs of operation, both in terms of fuel and crew, and reduce port turnaround times. All of this will, of course, have an adverse impact on our schedules, not to mention on the environment with the extra CO2 emissions from vessels forced to spend longer at sea. There is also the fact that it would provide an additional navigational hazard to ships in the east Morecambe Bay area.
In terms of costs to our customers, the consent for the development – which is still a long way off even if it does go ahead – requires the developer to negotiate compensation with shipping companies, and so we have no plans to pass on any increased charges to customers.
I will, of course, endeavour to keep you up-to-date on developments regarding the wind farm plans. For now, I hope you enjoy the week ahead and I’ll catch up with you all next week.
Best wishes,
Mark
02 September 2008
Good afternoon all.
The summer holiday season is drawing to a close and many Manx families are returning home. A busy time for all transport operators and the Steam Packet Company is no exception.
This years Manx Grand Prix was a great success in spite of poor weather. Passenger numbers for the event were up on 2007 which enjoyed a spin-off effect from the Centenary TT. Our scheme to provide subsidised travel for those visitors who had also marshalled at this years TT races was well received, and many returning visitors from this years TT took advantage of these special rates. Of course the Steam Packet Company was happy to once again sponsor the Senior Race.
In my absence our Commercial Director has explained some of the facts behind the need to increase fuel surcharges. Of course we regret the need for this action but I do believe the majority of people understand why it is happening. One only has to pick up a local newspaper, either on Island or across to see that fuel price increases are a factor everywhere and we are not immune.
I see too that some people have questioned the accuracy of Steam Packet Company claims that a round trip to Liverpool on Viking costs as much as £15,000. In fact, the costs at times this year has been more than £17,000 due to the record high prices for Marine Gas Oil. As I write this, Marine Gas Oil costs around £614 per tonne and a typical Viking crossing consumes around 12.5 tonnes each way. By way of comparison, Marine Gas Oil cost only £280 per tonne at the beginning of 2007.
Work is well underway on the conversion of Incat 050. It is a slow process because of the need to submit proposed design drawings and details to the relevent authorities. Until this is done and work approved, we cannot begin. In many ways it is similar to the planning consents needed to build a new property. However, once started, the work is expected to be completed by early 2009. There will then follow a period of operational testing, sea trials, berth fit and ‘Open Days’ at each of our Ports to properly introduce her to the travelling public. We also hope to have a renaming ceremony, although the new name is still under consideration and has not yet been decided.
Until next week.
Mark
August 200829 August 2008
Good evening all.
Mark’s not back until next week so it’s John Watt here again.
There have been a few erroneous comments about fuel surcharges and hopefully I can assist with these. Mark warned on a number of occasions on this blog and elsewhere that an increase in this surcharge was inevitable and the increase is genuinely modest by comparison to the extra costs we have incurred.
Fuel is by far our largest operational cost, and no-one within the transport industry is immune from the effects of world oil prices. Some airlines have gone bust and some UK ferry routes are closing. Most transport operators increased their rates long ago, whereas we have held ours for the past 6 months.
Over the past decade Manx prices have increased by around 40% overall but marine fuel costs have increased by around 1200%, and they have virtually doubled in the last year alone. Despite this massive fuel cost increase, despite investing over £80million, and despite doubling passenger service frequencies, we have actually lowered our fares in real terms over this same period. For instance 1996 brochured fares started at £23 per passenger off-peak whereas today passenger single fares start at only £17.50 (including fuel surcharges) throughout the year. Car+2 return fares in 1996 started at £138 return whereas this Autumn they will start at only £108. 80% of our customers now benefit from our range of special offer fares. Our standard fares have also decreased in real terms every year for the past 13 years.
We have consulted with the Department of Transport who monitor our fuel costs, to confirm that these surcharges are fair and less than the actual extra costs incurred. We have also discussed options such as drastically cutting back the number of services or reducing speeds significantly, but these would have a negative effect on service quality. In an effort to reduce the cost impact we are, wherever practical, utilising the smaller Snaefell instead of Viking at off peak periods, but more substantial re-scheduling of vessels would reduce service convenience, reduce carryings and in effect be counter productive for us and the public. In addition rescheduling or slowing services would also not suit some onward transport connections and schedule amendments are often not possible due to port berth slot restrictions.
The Steam Packet Company has this year absorbed several millions of pounds in extra fuel costs which will certainly not be recovered by these fuel surcharges. Residents and visitors will be aware that many airline fares have increased and other companies increased their charges many months ago. Ferry passenger surcharges elsewhere have reached as much as £105 car+2 whereas our surcharges have been held for many months. Freight surcharges elsewhere have previously added 17% to rates.
Fuel alone now costs as much as £15,000 for a return trip to Liverpool! As this cost has virtually doubled this year it means that a typical load of perhaps 300 passengers each way should effectively be paying an extra £10 each per single leg to recover the extra fuel costs incurred. The Company is absorbing much of the cost impact and the passenger surcharge is actually only going up by £2.50. In addition our Footloose fare is being pegged at the old rate, which will still start at only £17.50 all inclusive.
When making a booking with us the cost of the fare and the fuel surcharge could not be more transparent. The booking process details exactly how much our customers are paying for their fare and for the fuel surcharge. Outlining the fare and surcharge costs in this way allows us to be upfront and enables our customers to know there are no hidden costs. All of our newspaper and radio advertising always states the ‘all inclusive’ fare including surcharges, and don’t forget we still don’t apply extra debit card fees or luggage fees that many airlines now apply, and we don’t charge punitive £50 per person amendment fees that can apply elsewhere.
Surcharges will be reduced at the next Department review should our fuel costs decrease. In the meantime we have absorbed millions of pounds of extra costs incurred.
Hope you have a good weekend.
John
21 August 2008
Afternoon all. As Mark is away for a couple of weeks it’s John Watt here, filling in for him as best I can.
There’s been much coverage about world fuel prices reaching record levels in recent months, and in the marine transport sector the scale of the increase this year has been quite exceptional. Fuel is by far our largest cost and no-one within the transport industry is immune from the effects of the world prices. Mark has warned on a number of occasions on this blog and elsewhere that increases in fares would eventually be inevitable, but we have absorbed all the increased costs incurred over the past six months even though marine fuel costs have doubled since 2007. Fuel alone now costs as much as £15,000 for a return trip to Liverpool!
All increases in rates are regrettable but over the last few years the Steam Packet Company has absorbed much of the increased cost of fuel and rates have declined very substantially in real terms over the past decade. Since March this year and throughout the busy Summer period we have already absorbed several million pounds in extra fuel costs, which it looks like we will never recover.
Following this we regret that we must now pass on a proportion of the additional costs incurred, just as other transport operators have already done many months ago. Some other operators charge as much as £105 surcharges for Car+2 return and some freight surcharges elsewhere are equivalent to a 17% increase in rates. Many airlines have been forced to increase their rates also and sadly some airlines have ceased trading altogether as a result of the high cost of fuel.
Although there is no surcharge applied on private vehicles the passenger surcharge will increase from £2.50 to £5.00 per single journey with effect from September 1st, but we have decided to keep our Footloose fare pegged at the old rate, which will still be available from only £17.50 including surcharges. The freight fuel surcharge will increase to £8.00 per metre – or £40.00 per trade/unaccompanied car and low van.
Our Fuel surcharges are monitored and assessed by the Department of Transport to ensure that they are applied in a fair and equitable basis on the basis of the variations in costs incurred. Although we are entitled to increase rates we have chosen not to apply increases in some cases. Any decreases in costs incurred will lead to lower fuel surcharges in the future.
We have now been advised by the Mersey Dock Harbour Company (MDHC) that from November 8th the Ben-my-Chree winter Liverpool services will have to use the Birkenhead 12 Quays berth instead of the Landing Stage berth. Mark also referred to this possibility in a previous blog and the change will allow MDHC to develop the Landing Stage to accommodate our new Incat fast craft Spring 2009.
Departure times to/from the Mersey are unaffected, passage times and the number of services are also unaltered, so it’s just the berth that is changing for the quieter winter period only. Currently we have only a handful of bookings per sailing in November/December affected by the change of berth and we are now in the process of contacting all passengers affected.
While we prefer to use the Landing Stage berth throughout the year the 12 Quays berth is popular with many motorists due to its close proximity with the motorway network and a service for freight and coach vehicles can also be provided. Coaches will provide courtesy transfers for foot passengers between Birkenhead and Liverpool.
Lastly, I am sure you know there is a special event being held in the Isle of Man over the next week or so – the Manx Grand Prix, which we are pleased to be sponsoring again. Best wishes to all organisers and competitors. It could well be a record event in terms of the number of visiting motorbikes. Good news for spectators and participants wishing to attend next year’s event is we have this week launched online advance bookings for Manx Grand Prix 2009.
By visiting steam-packet.com/SteamPacket/Timetables/Manx-Grand-prix.htm
passengers can now get information and book space for sailings for next year’s Manx Grand Prix, which runs from Saturday 22nd August to Friday 4th September, 2009.
Meanwhile, with some excellent sailing weather and at last some sunshine, it’s good to see so many passengers taking short break leisure trips both to and from the Island.
Hope you all have a good Bank Holiday weekend.
John
15 August 2008
Good morning all
Given some of the weather conditions we’ve had to endure this summer, I’ll be glad to see the back of it, in the hope that autumn might be a bit nicer!
Severe weather last Saturday left us with no alternative but to reschedule the Viking’s Liverpool services for that day, and I hope the earlier morning start and later evening sailings didn’t cause too much disruption to any of our passengers.
Viking was, of course, out of action the previous weekend and I’d like to place on record my sincere thanks to everyone within the Company for their prompt action in dealing with the changes forced upon us by the incident in Liverpool, when the vessel was damaged after being forced back against the pontoon as it prepared to leave the port.
I’d also like to thank our customers for their forbearance and understanding during the various rescheduled sailings.
Wednesday saw the Snaefell undertake a special day trip from Belfast to Peel, on the Island’s west coast. Details of the trip were released in early June and there was a fantastic response from the people of Northern Ireland which saw the 480 tickets sell out quickly. Some passengers opted to join an organised tour of the Island, whilst others enjoyed the sights and sounds of Peel, including Peel Castle and the House of Manannan, and we’re indebted to Manx National Heritage for agreeing to open the House of Manannan later than usual to give day-trippers more time to enjoy the attraction. The weather, for once, was good to us and hopefully everyone enjoyed their short stay on our beautiful Island.
I will be on leave for the next couple of weeks, so I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my colleague, John Watt, who will be taking over blogging duties.
Until next time,
All the best,
Mark
6 August 2008
Good morning all
It’s been a difficult few days for both Isle of Man Steam Packet Company staff and passengers. Friday morning’s incident in Liverpool, when a squall of wind forced Viking back against the pontoon as it prepared to leave the port, meant we had to hastily rearrange our schedules.
Viking had to be taken out of service to be repaired and unfortunately, as often happens under such circumstances, we were left with no choice but to cancel some sailings and look to provide alternative services for passengers. The affected services at the weekend were Saturday’s Belfast sailings and Sunday’s Dublin sailings. These sailings were chosen as they had far fewer passengers booked than those to and from Liverpool.
In all such situations, one of our top priorities is to try and contact all passengers affected by the change to our schedule and look to offer them the best alternative travel arrangements. Because of the different options for different groups of passengers, it was not possible to put out one global message to all. While we are confident that the majority of passengers are satisfied with the options we put forward, and the level of service we provide, it’s a fact of life that not everyone is going to be happy. At such times it is impossible to please all of the people all of the time.
Friday’s incident with Viking was beyond our control and decisions had to be made quickly. That said, it is disappointing to hear that some passengers had concerns over the alternative travel that we offered, and the level of service they received, and we can only apologise to these passengers for any inconvenience caused. I believe that we did everything we could and did indeed go the extra mile in some particularly needy cases. Many other travel companies simply would not do this and would limit their exposure to a refund of any fare paid leaving the passenger to make their own alternative arrangements. We will, of course, evaluate the events of the weekend and endeavour to improve where possible.
Despite our strong recommendation both in our sailing information and on-line on our website, it is disappointing to see how few passengers bother with travel insurance. These policies are widely available for individuals and family groups on a limited or annual basis. I would never travel without a valid policy and events such as those over the last couple of weekends serve to illustrate the benefits of ensuring that all passengers have a suitable insurance policy.
On a more positive note, I was delighted with the response from passengers to our initiative with the Manx Food Producers for the Fleetwood-Isle of Man day trip last week. With the cooperation of the Department of Transport, local farmers and producers set up stalls in the Sea Terminal to enable visitors from Fleetwood the opportunity to sample the best of what the Island has to offer.
The event was very well received and we’re looking forward to repeating it again in the future.
All the best
Mark
Good Morning all
Well I hope everyone enjoyed what turned out to be a reasonably nice weekend even if a little misty in places. It seems that while we often complain about a breeze it does at least keep the mist away!
On Friday afternoon we suffered a problem with one of the propeller systems on Ben-my-Chree while en route to the Island. That evening we were forced to cancel her trip to Heysham as a result. The Ben has a controllable propeller pitch system to regulate the amount and direction of thrust. Divers inspecting the propeller found a whole mass of rope/fishing gear tangled around both propellers. This had clearly prevented the system from functioning properly and the resultant forces led to serious damage to the mechanical components. Overnight temporary repairs allowed the day sailing on Saturday but with the propeller system situation needing to be properly addressed, the decision was taken to remove her from service on Saturday night in order to effect a permanent repair. The Ben has operated as normal since Sunday morning.
The need to cancel the Ben on Saturday night meant we had to hastily arrange an additional round trip to Heysham using Viking so as not to disappoint those passengers booked. It was extremely disappointing for us that Viking, on her way back from Liverpool on Saturday evening, ingested fishing marks in two of her four jet ducts. Passengers on board noticed severe vibration and the vessel had to stop and go astern in an attempt to free these. Unfortunately at the same time due to the vibration one of the trim tabs was also damaged. Longer term damage can also be caused by these ingestions. The whole power train from engine through gearbox to water jets suffer enormous shocks to equipment with very fine tolerances as a result of a semi-solid object going through the jet ducts. Divers were again brought in to clear these obstructions and check for other damage while she was moored overnight on Saturday. Thankfully there is no immediately apparent damage other than to one of the trim tabs and Viking is again sailing normally.
Due to the forced cancellation of the additional Viking sailings, we had absolutely no option but to try and make alternative arrangements for those passengers to whom, through no fault of our own, we were no longer able to offer a sailing on Saturday evening. Passengers affected were given the choice of a full refund, or rebooking on an alternative sailing on Sunday. Where necessary we did try and provide accommodation for those needing it. However, finding accommodation at both Heysham and Douglas at 10pm on a Saturday evening was not easy and I am aware that some had to make other arrangements. Some passengers opted to take a refund for their fare in lieu of accommodation and chose instead to stay in the terminal or their own vehicle in Heysham. They were given free ferry travel the next day. On behalf of the company I offer my sincere apologies to all those passengers affected by the disruption to our service and assure you that our staff did everything they could on the night.
We have witnessed a much higher frequency of fishing marks being placed in or near the track of our vessels to and from the Island. We will work closely with our own Island authorities to try and address the situation as these occurrences inconvenience everyone. However, part of the problem is occurring outside our territorial waters and it is very difficult to identify those responsible. I would also ask that any fisherman reading this Blog who may have been guilty of doing something similar think carefully next time about the inconvenience and cost caused by such thoughtless actions.
All the best
Mark
17 July 2008
Good afternoon all.
Twenty-seven days after setting sail from Hobart, Incat 050 sailed into Portsmouth Harbour yesterday, showing no ill signs from her 11,868-mile voyage.
It was a fantastic feeling for all those onboard as they completed the trip and my thanks and admiration goes to the crew who brought her home safely through, it’s fair to say, some very nasty weather conditions at times.
The crew were kept busy throughout the journey, not least by the many and varied questions emailed to the ship by the schoolchildren who followed our progress. Youngsters from Andreas and Bride Infants, Kirk Michael, St Mary’s and Ballasalla posed some very interesting – and tricky! – questions for the crew, ranging from what exciting sea creatures they’d seen to whether they had been catching their own food! It’s great to see schools take an interest in such a project.
There has been strong media interest surrounding the arrival of Incat 050 in Portsmouth, with much of the attention no doubt inspired by her previous role with the US Military. But now it’s time to prepare for her conversion and refit ahead of entering service with us in 2009, and our focus is on ensuring the project – which will cost an estimated £20 million – runs smoothly over the next five to six months.
Finally for today, a quick note about the Ben-my-Chree. She first sailed into Manx waters on Tynwald Day 1998 and has completed a decade of service to the Company. She has proved to be the most reliable vessel in our 178-year history, which is some feat. So a word of thanks to everyone, past and present, who has been involved with the Ben over the last ten years.
Best wishes
Mark
14 July 2008
Good Morning everyone,
It was an interesting stop in Malta on Friday. The crew were allowed an evening ashore and had a good time at one of the restaurants along the shore of Valletta Harbour. We were allocated a berth alongside the yacht ‘Tatoosh’. She is a 92m private yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. She set sail shortly after we arrived and is a magnificent ship, complete with helicopter, sailing boat and motor cruiser. Our crew changeover complete, Incat 050 was ready for sailing the following morning after taking on its final load of fuel for the journey back to Portsmouth. Saturday morning saw the arrival of the cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2. A fine sight she made too. She is now on of her last voyages before retirement.
Some consumables that we had ordered to be ready for Malta were not available. As a result we will now have to make an unscheduled stop in the port of Gibraltar to pick these up. As I write this the ship is arriving in Gibraltar and will be in the area only for a short while. Everyone now is looking forward to getting back home after being away since the 13th June. Ahead of us is of course the Bay of Biscay which is famed for its unpredictable weather. All are hoping for a smooth transit on this last leg to Portsmouth.
Once in Portsmouth the ship will go to a lay-by berth while it waits for work on the conversion and refit to begin. We expect that the conversion work will take between 5 and 6 months to complete. It is the biggest refit project that we have undertaken in my time with the Steam Packet, even including the work to build additional passenger accommodation on the Ben-my-Chree some years ago. On this point, the Ben has just completed 10 years in service. How time flies!
All the best for now.
Mark
11 July 2008
Good afternoon everyone,
After dropping off our pilot, we finally left the Suez Canal at about 14.30 Egyptian time on Wednesday and set course for Valletta, Malta. We were surprised to see a porpoise in the latter section of the canal, clearly oblivious to what appeared to be a heightened state of alert by the military along the canal. Every 500 metres or so an Egyptian Army guard was stationed, facing with his back to the canal and gun at the ready! I understand that it is a requirement whenever US military vessels are also transiting the canal.
After a prolonged period of very slow running through the Suez Canal we picked up speed once clear of the entrance channel and into the Mediterranean in an effort to improve our ETA into Malta. We are relieving some of our crew in Malta with new ones flying in to replace them. Flights for both directions were pre-arranged and missing these would have created more problems following on from those we experienced in Jeddah. Given the uncomfortable enforced layover for the crew in Jeddah it is hoped that there we will be able to allow them a night off ashore before continuing on to Portsmouth. Now that we are closer to home we are able to predict with more accuracy our remaining journey time. At present we are expecting Incat 050 to arrive in Portsmouth early on Wednesday 16th July.
I was asked in a radio interview yesterday about facilities on board. This theme has also been picked up by some of the primary school children from Andreas, St. Mary’s Ballasalla and Kirk Michael schools. These are some of the Islands primary schools which have taken part in our competition to write a story about the adventures of the captain and ship on its long journey home. Some of the crew have been speaking to children from these schools via satellite phone links and answering questions they have asked. Other schools have sent in questions by email. It seems to have proved an interesting opportunity for the children involved and they and their teachers have risen to the challenge. We are looking forward to judging and deciding on the best of the stories submitted.
In terms of facilities on board, I have now discovered that the crew have actually had use of a ‘swimming pool’ during their long journey home. On closer inspection this is in fact a large children’s paddling pool placed on the open section of the car deck. Judging from the photographs, this has provided hours of amusement for off duty crew during the hot tropical days. Sheets of aluminium stored on board and brought with us from Australia for the vessels refit have provided makeshift sunbathing decks. No doubt all will be arriving home with a healthy suntan!
I will post again next week.
Mark
10 July 2008
Good afternoon everyone,
Well we finally managed to get Incat 050 away from Jeddah. She was delayed by a couple of days while we waited for appropriate quantities of fuel to be delivered. I joined the ship last evening (Wednesday) in the Egyptian port of Suez, located at the top of the Red Sea and at the southernmost point of the Suez Canal. We were transferred from shore out to Incat 050 via a small fishing type vessel with an immaculately preserved and fully functional Rolls Royce engine! It was quite a sight as Incat 050 appeared out of the darkness to take up her allotted anchorage spot overnight in readiness for the morning convoy northwards.
First impressions were of a very large ship indeed, heightened by the viewpoint afforded from our small vessel as we approached. While in Jeddah she encountered a heavy sandstorm and the ship is liberally covered with a fine coating of sand. A good clean down will be needed! Once on board it was good to sit down with the crew and catch up on their experiences and observations. What is very clear already is the degree of pride and satisfaction in the vessel and all are eagerly awaiting the transformation when the ship is refitted in Portsmouth. Crew morale is very high and the experience of an ‘epic’ trip back from Australia will be a source of conversation for many years to come as well as an experience of a lifetime.
The journey through the Suez Canal began at 04.30 this morning (Thursday) and is expected to take around 10 hours. We were allotted position number 3 in a 42 ship convoy. Ahead of us in position 1 is a US Naval vessel, and in position 2, a Royal Navy ship, HMS Edinburgh (a Type 42 Destroyer). Good company indeed. As I write this we have nearly completed our transit of the Canal and are only 4 miles from Port Said and beyond that the Mediterranean Sea. Next stop Malta.
I will try and post another update later this week – as ever, communications systems permitting.
Mark
8 July 2008
Hello to everyone reading,
As many of you will know, we did manage to get the gearbox from Viking repaired and reinstalled very quickly prior to the busy Tynwald Day weekend. She is now restored to full health and running on all four engines. She did however ‘ingest’ some debris over the weekend into one of her water jets. Luckily prompt action by the crew and a quick manoeuvre astern managed to clear this.
The day trips so far operated by Snaefell have proved popular - those from Fleetwood particularly so, despite the poor shore facilities there. None of these day trips are operated as profit making enterprises - indeed with the cost of fuel and crews they represent a significant cost to the company but we realise how popular they can be, and that they do allow us to showcase the Isle of Man. Hopefully this will in turn lead to greater visitor numbers to the Island. I hope that the day trip Belfast to Peel will prove an attractive proposition. It is the first time in many years that we have done this.
Incat 050 arrived in Jeddah at the weekend from Colombo in Sri Lanka but has been delayed there by some bureaucratic niceties! The area off the Horn of Africa is noted for piracy attacks and we did have to take steps to ensure that we minimised the risks to the ship and crew. As well as making contact with the Royal Naval Task Force commander in that area who monitored our transit, we also increased speed to around 36 knots – enough to deter even the most determined pirates.
All being well Incat 050 should be ready to leave Jeddah later today and will then head for Suez to await her place in the convoy up through the canal. Once in the Mediterranean she will begin the final legs of her 11,500 mile journey home! Along with a journalist I hope to join her in Suez and sail with her at least as far as Malta. We have some radio interviews planned with Manx and UK radio stations along the way so keep an ear open for those.
I will try and post an update later this week - communications systems permitting.
Mark
2 July 2008
Good morning all.
Another weekend has passed and we are still waiting for summer to really arrive!
Vikings gearbox repair is now almost complete and it is currently being re-assembled. In order to replace the gearbox in time for the Tynwald Day weekend, and to return to full service speed, Viking’s 17.45 Isle of Man-Liverpool and 21.15 Liverpool-Isle of Man sailings on Thursday have been rescheduled. Both services will be undertaken by Snaefell, with the 17.45 now sailing to Heysham at 18.45, and the return leaving Heysham at 22.00. Coach transfers for affected foot passengers will be arranged.
I have had quite a few interesting comments this last week regarding matters as diverse as special excursion day trips, Steam Packet Holidays and future winter services. On the latter point we are dependant on Mersey Docks and Harbour Company completing the necessary works to allow Ben-my-Chree to use the Liverpool Landing Stage berth. If they are not able to complete this in time, weekend services to Liverpool through the winter will once again be to the 12 Quays berth in Birkenhead.
Incat 050 has made very good progress and as I write this has left Colombo, Sri Lanka on her way to the next stop on her journey at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In Jeddah she will take on fuel once again for her transit through the Suez Canal and on to Valletta in Malta. She has encountered some heavy weather en-route, particularly off the southern and western coast of Australia, and even at present is heading towards Africa in a heavy westerly swell.
Reports from the Captain and crew about her comfort level in seas much higher than those in which she will operate here are very encouraging. She will be a significantly more comfortable vessel to travel on at speed than either of our existing fast craft. We will be fitting an advanced ride control system to the ship when she arrives in the UK which will further benefit passenger comfort.
We are in regular contact with our team on board and we have added a map to our website, with which you can chart the vessel’s progress on her journey. A number of the Islands primary schools have also been involved in the adventure and will be speaking to the vessel’s captain and crew, satellite technology permitting!
I will be joining the Incat in the next week in Suez along with a journalist and we have a schedule of radio links and interviews lined up. I hope to do a more regular Blog update too on what’s happening and will stay with her until she arrives in Malta.
This remains a very exciting time for the Company and I am looking forward to her arrival in Portsmouth where we can begin the conversion and refurbishment project. Suggested vessel names are still flying in – you can be sure that whatever is eventually chosen will reflect the importance of the new vessel to the Company and the Island.
For now, best wishes to all.
Mark
Good afternoon all.
In last week’s Blog I mentioned that for the previous week we’d had the weather on our side – remind me not to tempt fate again! Last weekend’s severe weather in the Irish Sea unfortunately led to fast craft sailings being cancelled on Sunday, with alternative arrangements made for passengers to travel on the Ben-my-Chree. We do apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers-it is most unusual to have winds of such force so late in the season and many other Irish Sea operators also had difficulties with their services. It goes to show that, as a ferry company, we are always at the mercy of the weather, even in the middle of a Manx summer.
Our spirits were lifted over the gloomy weekend weather by the news that our new vessel, Incat 050, embarked on her month-long voyage from Tasmania to Portsmouth, where she will be refitted in time for entering service in 2009, replacing Viking.
She arrived in Fremantle on Australia’s West Coast on Monday, before setting off on the 3,413-mile second leg to Colombo in Sri Lanka. She is now well into the second leg and in international waters heading for the equator. We are in regular contact with our team on board and we have added a map to our website, with which you can chart the vessel’s progress on her journey.
The logistics involved in such a voyage has meant an awful lot of time and effort has gone into organising the delivery of Incat 050 to the UK. It’s an exciting time for the Company and we are keen to see the ship in Portsmouth, and, of course, when it sails into Douglas next year resplendent in its new livery.
I’m scheduled to meet up with Incat 050 for one of the legs and will stay with her until she arrives in Malta. Whilst on board, I’ll be keeping you regularly updated on our progress, on a daily basis whenever possible via this Blog. There will also be a series of live radio broadcasts from the ship on both Manx Radio and BBC Radio Merseyside - technology permitting!
For now, best wishes to all.
Mark
16 June 2008
Good afternoon all.
I hope you had a good weekend - the weather was certainly on our side. Unfortunately, mechanical issues were not. Liverpool sailings were slightly delayed due to a failure on one of the Viking’s four gearboxes.
We know about similar issues on other such craft, and indeed have experienced failures in two of our own before this third one. It is a problem with all vessels of this class. Last winter, we did a thorough inspection of the gearbox and found it to be in good condition so this latest failure is disappointing.
An estimate for repair is three weeks, in which time we will remove the gearbox, strip it down, rebuild and refit it to the Viking. During this period, the vessel will be operating at reduced speed, which means the sailings will take approximately three hours. We’re keeping the departure times as published for now - we'll try and get away early when we can and do everything possible to speed up turnaround times. If we find we still need to tweak the schedule we’ll let everyone know about any unforeseen changes as quickly as we can.
I do regret the inconvenience this may cause, and we are working as quickly as we can to restore normal service so please bear with us.
On a more positive note, we hope to begin the journey of Incat 050 home later this week. Our crew are already in Hobart, Tasmania and final preparations are underway. Its a surprisingly complicated business to get her back here. The trip home will be closely monitored and I hope to bring you lots of interesting information from the journey via this blog over the following weeks.
Until next week,
Mark
9 June 2008
Good afternoon to you all. Well here we are with TT2008 very nearly behind us!
Some people miss the TT when it’s over and others are glad to see that life gets back to normal, but I’m sure everyone can agree that it was a hugely successful fortnight. The weather was great for the most part and summer showers only seemed to happen outside race days, which is ideal for the bikes and our gardens!
From our point of view also, TT went very well: all sailings ran pretty much to schedule and passenger figures are up from 2006 (the last “normal” TT festival).
2006 Figures
30791 passengers, 4359 vehicles, 9625 bikes. Total vehicles = 13984
2008 Figures
31038 passengers, 4556 vehicles, 9555 bikes. Total vehicles = 14111
This year was the first year that TT races extended into the Saturday after Senior Race Day. Steam Packet Races have been held for many years now. We had a fantastic day on Saturday on the Billown Circuit with races for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight Classes. Once again the weather was perfect and the crowds the biggest I have ever seen. We were lucky to have the inimitable ‘Hairy Bikers’ who did a cooking demonstration and some speaking for our guests before the races started. The hilarious food lovers had everyone laughing and really got us in the mood for some good food and excellent racing.
I hope everyone’s experience of TT 2008, whether on the Island or viewing from afar, was equally pleasant.
Mark
Hello everyone.
Well, we’re staring Practice Week in the face and I can’t believe it’s come around so quickly. As you know, we’ve been preparing for the TT for many months now, having chartered the Stena Caledonia, P&O Express and the Merchant Brilliant freight vessel, so we can cater for even more passengers and vehicles than usual over this hugely busy time. Because of this additional capacity, there is still space available for travel during the fortnight, so do please go to ‘Book Now’ on our site and check out available dates and times. There is still plenty of accommodation available at hotels, campsites and Homestay. Call 01624 686802 for Homestay or 686801 for the Welcome Centre.
Following on from my blog last Monday, we are now beginning the preparation work for introducing our new fast craft into service next year. There has been much positive feedback from the illustrative drawings indicating what the new ship will look like. I know too that there is a lot of interest in the name of the new ship. If you have suggestions do email them to me. We will keep track of all suggestions and those who suggest the eventual name chosen will be entered into a draw for a substantial prize! We’d like to stay with the traditional Manx heritage theme, but I’m open to ideas!
I know everyone’s going to be very busy over the next two weeks, so in case I don’t get a chance to post another blog entry before the end of the fortnight, I wish you all a really enjoyable festival here on the beautiful Isle of Man.
And don’t forget the racing on the Billown circuit on 7 June for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight classes!
Have a wonderful TT and please stay safe.
Mark
19 May 2008
Good afternoon all.
Today is an exciting day for Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, as we’re announcing the purchase of a new vessel. Some of you may have seen the speculation in the local press surrounding this. I can now confirm that it is true; we are buying the ’Incat 050’ This vessel will replace the Viking on the Liverpool/Douglas routes starting next year. Journey times to Liverpool will be reduced to around 2 ¼ hours.
The Incat 050 (as it will be known for now, though we’re planning to rename it, perhaps with some input from the public) holds more passengers and cars than the Viking. It can also carry coaches and freight. It’s faster and has a higher wave limit so will be more comfortable in Irish Sea weather conditions. Also, it’s bigger so there’ll be more room for more varied and spacious passenger facilities on-board.
Built in 1998, Incat 050 has a proven track record: it was first used for passenger and freight sailings between Australia and Tasmania and the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Then it was chartered by the US Military for evaluation purposes in 2001 - and praised for its performance. Because of its most recent use, it has significantly fewer hours of service than a vessel of comparable age.
She will undergo a major refit including extended passenger accommodation and new livery so she can begin her service at the start of the 2009 season. So from next year I’m pleased to say that we will be able to provide an even better service to the Island, its residents and visitors.
It’s a major step forward for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and a significant investment for the future.
Mark
14 May 2008
Good afternoon all. What a beautiful weekend we had – let’s hope it continues through TT. And the weekend had an exciting start for IOM Steam Packet Company, with our Viking crew rescuing a young man from the River Mersey on Friday evening!
Reports came through that a man had jumped into the River Mersey in the vicinity of the terminal building while our crew was loading the Viking ready for its return to the Island. They immediately informed the Liverpool Coastguard and Mersey Radio VTS, and two of the crew launched the port side rescue boat. The two quick thinking men recovered the casualty and transferred him to the landing stage where the local emergency services were waiting. The rescue boat was recovered and loading operations resumed.
I’m very proud of our crew and the two rescuers in particular, who had tricky sea conditions to contend with when they lowered the boat. They showed true calm under pressure.
I’m sure everyone has now heard about EuroManx ceasing operations. I know that other airlines are helping to transport passengers holding EuroManx tickets, but if anyone is having difficulty finding an alternative flight, please note that we have excess capacity on our twice daily Liverpool and Heysham sailings. It’s good to see the Island’s carriers pulling together to help out at this tricky time for travellers.
The Snaefell returned to service Monday with her first Liverpool sailing since she had her new livery, so the entire fleet is on the go and looking good.
TT is edging ever closer and bookings are flooding in for the fortnight. We still have capacity though, so if you want to visit the Island or indeed escape the festival madness get your tickets booked online.
All the best and may this great weather continue!
Mark
8 May 2008
Hello all. It’s good to be back – especially now the summer weather is really kicking in. I hope everyone had a good time in the glorious Bank Holiday sun on Monday.
It’s great to return to see the Ben-My-Chree, Viking and Snaefell all in Douglas harbour last week, with Snaefell completing various trials and training requirements prior to commencement of her service, which is likely to be 12 May. We’ve received many positive comments on the website and specific thanks go to Nigel, Colin and Fraser, some of whom seem to be regularly checking webcam shots.
Andy asked why the marshals discount was 50% for returning visiting Manx Grand Prix marshals and not 10% for TT marshals. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is a major sponsor of these events already and the generous 50% discount for those marshals who visit both events is specifically targeted to boost numbers for the MGP whereas a 10% discount would be less likely to do this. We also offer MGP competitors a discount and the total support package is substantial. It would be great if other organisations were also able to consider marshals discounts, so we achieve a high level of support for that event.
Paul asked if return fares could be used for Ireland/England trips with a 'stopover' in the Isle of Man (rather than buying two single fares). Although our website will automatically offer a return trip back to any port in the country of origin if you do wish to book stopover trips, our Reservations team will be pleased to assist and, yes, cheaper return offer fares are still available for these type of trips where two legs are still involved.
June suggested we cordon off lounges for the sole use of motorists, as sometimes foot passengers are loaded first for operational necessity and therefore get first choice of seating location. All sailings have excess seating and in fact most sailings are not loaded to full capacity so there is rarely an issue with this but we do appreciate the comment. Cordoning off areas would, on the whole, unnecessarily restrict customer choice of seating, but we do offer a seat reservation facility for only £2.50 per seat and this facility is also available on line.
Other feedback has been both positive and negative about the choice of food available onboard. Our food menu is reviewed regularly to try to meet changes in demand and we are always happy to receive comments. We ensure that prices of food onboard compare well with similar travel operations.
Thanks again to everyone for the many comments posted – keep them coming.
All the best
Mark
Afternoon all. As Mark said, he’s away for a couple of weeks so it’s John Watt here, filling in for him as best I can.
We’ve received so much positive feedback about the new look Ben-My-Chree; it’s really encouraging. Thank you to everyone who has posted their compliments and to Alex Brindley of Manx Radio for passing on "lots of good comments from listeners".
We were also pleased to see that the Ben completed a Heysham to Douglas sailing in around three hours this week, albeit with favourable tides etc. Maybe her new paintwork is having a beneficial effect in more ways than one – and we didn’t even give her “go-faster stripes”!
The Snaefell arrived back yesterday as well, so the whole fleet is looking great in its new colours. Having two fast craft in the fleet this summer is a significant investment for us and helps improve services to both Liverpool and Ireland.
With days lengthening, some excellent sailing weather and spring in the air (well blossom on the trees) it’s good to see so many passengers taking short break leisure trips both to and from the Island. I’m always amazed by the variety of reasons for travel: short breaks in the Isle of Man, Manx residents visiting friends and relatives throughout the UK, touring holidays in the Peak District or the continent… For those of you thinking about a summer trip to the continent we do still offer attractive Landbridge fares via Dover (call Steam Packet Holidays 01624 645777 for further details). We'd love to hear from you if your recent trip away has been "out of the ordinary" and maybe we can mention them in future blogs.
Lastly, there are lots of special events coming up in the Isle of Man over the next few weeks. The Island has lots of special events for many visitors throughout the year - best wishes to all organisers and attendees. Events coming up include Bushy's Big Wheel Blues Festival in Laxey (2 - 3 May), Round Island Yacht Race (4 May), RBS International Rally (9 - 10 May), and Ramsey Angling Festival (15 - 18 May). Further details of these and other events are at www.visitisleofman.com.
Hope you all have a good weekend.
John
15 April 2008
Hello all
Ben-my-Chree sailed back into Manx waters this week, resplendent in her new livery, and passengers will discover that she’s looking just as good inside as she is outside.
Her biennial overhaul includes the complete refurbishment of all carpets, flooring and some seating in line with our new corporate look. The new Niarbyl Reserved Lounge now features all reserved seating, with 89 seats which can be pre-booked, compared with 56 previously. Also, all her main cabin and bar Tub chairs will have flexible snap link fixings, which makes access much easier for wheelchair users.
The children’s play area has been redesigned, and now has a TV viewing area with two additional screens, and two of the Ben’s cabins have been refurbished to the highest standard, with sofa/beds, flat screen TV and DVD, integrated fridge and hot drinks unit and upgraded toilet/shower room.
I think they look superb - I’d happily move the family in and live on board, although my wife might have something to say about that…!
With Ben-my-Chree now back in service, we now eagerly anticipate Snaefell‘s return, and with it our fleet back to full strength.
Snaefell is scheduled to return to Manx waters next weekend, with a planned return to service towards the end of the month once sea trials have been successfully completed.
Her refurbishment also covers all carpets, flooring and seats to new corporate standards, whilst her Niarbyl lounge now has 68 seats which can be reserved.
Many thanks again for all your continued posts and comments – they are what make this blog so worthwhile and I will continue to endeavour to reply to them.
Those of you travelling through Liverpool recently will no doubt have noticed that there are even more building works going on than has recently been the case. Work has now stepped up to complete several projects for ‘Capital of Culture’ year as well refurbishing our landing stage. I apologise in advance to those of you who may be inconvenienced over the course of this summer as a result. Work is scheduled for completion before the end of the year and will mean much better car check-in and new passenger terminal facilities. I would ask that you bear with us while this work is completed – our staff will do their utmost to make the experience as pleasant as possible but it will be some time before we can begin to improve the situation.
Finally, those readers with eagle eyes might notice a slight change come over the blog for the next couple of weeks – I’m out of the office for a while, so our Commercial Director John Watt will be stepping in as a ‘guest blogger’.
You’ll be in good hands with John, although I have warned him not to do too good a job!
Take care,
Mark
7 April 2008
Good morning all. Another weekend of blustery weather! I hope your travels weren’t affected too badly by the elements. Things are looking a little more settled now but the weather has been nothing if not unpredictable of late.
We’re really gearing up for the 2008 TT period now: bookings are 7% up from this time in 2006 (the last ‘normal’ TT year), so it looks like we’re in for a busy summer on the Island. As you may know, we have engaged the services of the Stena Caledonia during TT to allow us to cater for even more travellers, so we do have some capacity still available. If you’re planning on travelling during this period please do get your tickets booked now to avoid “missing the boat”!
The Ben-My-Chree went into dry dock on Tuesday evening for her biennial overhaul. While there we will be doing a significant amount of work on refurbishing her interior and of course externally she will enjoy something of a ‘make over’ with our new branding prominent on her return to service.
As some of you will be aware, we have introduced different lounges this year, on fast craft vessels, in which seating can be reserved. We have had some difficulties in the web interface regarding seating maps and online reservations.
Carolyn commented that “I understand that the reserved seating area on the Viking has been moved to the upper deck, in the area that was the first class lounge last year, which is better. However, when booking a reserved seat, the website does not reflect the new location and seat numbers but continues to show the lower deck area used last year. Thus, one has no idea what seat is actually being booked. I also understand that the wholly inadequate method of marking the booked seat with a loose piece of A4 paper is still in operation”.
I assure you that we are aware of this and working hard to resolve it. I am hopeful it will be only a short while until this facility is back on line.
Thank you for all your posts over the last couple of weeks and sorry if I haven’t got back to you on some of them. I am encouraged that we do seem to be getting more positive feedback, and that our efforts to focus on passenger service have been welcomed.
Mark
I hope everyone had a great Easter. Apparently the next time Easter will fall as early as it did this year will be in 130 years or so!
I’m pleased to see that while I was away the Office of Fair Trading mentioned the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company favourably in a report they’ve published. They recently conducted a survey on the cost of using credit and debit cards while booking travel online to and from the Island. The survey included eight airlines and ourselves; all but one of which charge more than we do. You can see the results on their website:
Office of Fair Trading - Comparing the cost of booking travel tickets on-line
I know it’s a frustration for many people that while you think you’re getting a good deal by booking tickets online, through some companies, you end up agreeing to all sorts of extra charges or having to start again! Unlike most airlines, we don’t charge for using a debit card to book your tickets online and we only charge £3 for using a credit card – that’s per booking, not per person, regardless of the number of people in your party and whether it’s a single or return booking. Simple.
The weather has been quite poor over the last week and some people have been inconvenienced by cancelled or delayed sailings, but I understand from the majority of your posts that our passenger service staff have dealt with the problems well. And on 20th March we saw the first Irish sailing of the year, which marks the start of the spring/summer season for us.
If only someone would tell the weather!
Many of you will know that the Ben-my-Chree will be going for its biennial service at the beginning of April and will be out of service for a fortnight. Viking will provide services to Liverpool, Heysham and Belfast during this time. The freight ship Triumph is in Douglas Bay at present ready to assume freight duties during this period. The Ben will emerge with both the new external colour scheme and designs as well as a significantly refurbished interior. I hope it will meet with your approval!
We look forward now to the rest of the summer and the TT Festival. Plans are well in hand for this and its looking like it will be a very busy fortnight.
Mark
17 March 2008
Good afternoon,
You may have heard this week that the Ben-my-Chree’s bi-ennial overhaul has been scheduled for the first two weeks of April. As you will have seen from my post of 12 February, we had to postpone the dates originally scheduled because we couldn’t source a suitable vessel to cover the Ben during this time. We have now chartered a freight vessel that can cover all of the Ben-my-Chree’s freight duties and the Viking will undertake all passenger sailings. I know that this will cause some inconvenience but this maintenance work is absolutely essential. It’s important that we get it done before the busy summer season though, for obvious reasons.
I’ve had plenty of comments with positive feedback this week from your posts. Thanks to all those of you that have sent in comments, whether positive or negative.
One which particularly caught my eye was from Jeremy who said:
‘Seldom am I moved to write, either in praise or protest, but my experience on my recent travels to and from the IOM with your company deserve a line or two. We went out on the Ben, with cabin, and came back on the Viking, with reserved seating. I was impressed with both. The vessels were clean and tidy and your staff, without exception, were very welcoming and professional. So, praise where it is due! Many thanks’.
Andrew agreed too and commented:
‘Hello Mark, Just thought I'd give you my view on the sailing this evening that I've just undertaken. First all off all, the terminal procedures at Liverpool for foot passengers seem a lot better and everything was controlled well although I found it difficult to find the foot passenger entrance without walking round through the vehicle check in. Onboard the vessel seems much improved since the new scheme has come into place and everything seems a lot more professional. One thing I do have a problem with as I have done in the past when travelling is that there is no actual markings as to where the reserved seating area is.’ Points noted Andrew and will be acted on!
As many of you will know, the end of school term approaches, and I will be taking a weeks leave, so next week’s blog will be a little later than usual!
Mark
10 March 2008
Hello everyone,
It was great to see the first fast craft sailings of the season last weekend. Thanks to Adrian who points out that the first sailing this year of ‘Viking’ was only one day removed from the same date as the launch of the original ‘Viking’ on March 7th 1905.
Now that the fast craft season has started, I want to remind everyone that we are getting very busy with bookings for TT 2008. If you haven’t booked your tickets, check on our web site this week as we have made some more tickets available.
Some more good news for TT travellers: we have now chartered the Stena Caledonia to provide extra sailings during this peak period. She is a large multi purpose conventional vessel and will mean we can provide extra services, primarily between Heysham and the Isle of Man . She will also provide an extra Isle of Man to Belfast service, and will give us useful extra capacity and back-up capability. Tickets for these extra sailings are available from today.
You may have seen in the press last week that some airlines are likely to introduce self-service check in machines, and a charge for using the check in desks. Will the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company be doing this? The answer is a resounding “no”. We know that face-to-face customer service is important to our customers; travelling can be hectic enough without having to contend with check in machines. And, you might disagree, but I think travellers prefer to see a reassuring face when they arrive to check in. So we won’t be charging for this personal service.
In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for new day trip schedules to some great locations. I think these will be very popular and may be booked up quickly, so do check the website regularly.
I’ll leave you now, but thanks again for all the positive comments we’ve received about the new livery. It’s appreciated.
Mark
3 March 2008
Good morning – hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.
We’ve certainly had some excitement over the past week, with the official launch of the new brand. At an event on Wednesday 27 February in the impressive Atrium at the Sefton Hotel we introduced the new look to the world in style. We had the new uniforms, logos and pictures of the re-branded vessels on display and I’m pleased to say that everyone seemed to meet the changes with enthusiasm, echoing comments that have been posted on the site recently – thank you for those.
The Lhon Dhoo Male Voice Choir performed and we had the hugely talented Gina Williams playing harp. They both lent a Celtic charm to the evening, which was so appropriate for the new focus on the Isle of Man in our re-brand.
We also saw the return home of the newly painted Viking on Thursday, formerly the Superseacat Two. I hope you agree that the vessel now looks very stylish in its new colours. Thanks to Andrew for this comment:
“I think the Steam Packet is to be congratulated on the revised livery for all their vessels and the reintroduction of some old names. Don’t you think the website address on the side of the vessel looks a bit tacky though?”
Sorry you feel the web address is tacky. It’s a great way of telling people about our online service, which we do take pride in – and I think it looks smart.
Also on Thursday, we used the first of our new style advertisements in the Courier. In each ad we’ll have a different “Did you know?” fact about the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, services and vessels. This week’s is: Did you know, we’re the oldest continuously operating passenger ferry company in the world?” A fact that makes me feel proud to be CEO. I suppose that the Island with the oldest uncontested government deserves the longest running ferry company!
I’ll leave you with that. Have a good week and I look forward to your posts.
Mark
Good morning – I hope you are well.
I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to post. I’ve received many positive comments about our new branding which is encouraging to hear as we continue to roll out the changes.
We have a new TV advertising campaign starting 3 March with a mixture of 30 second and 10 second adverts. This will be the first Isle of Man Steam Packet Company TV campaign in the North West of England since 2001. The TV campaign is a joint initiative between us and the Department of Tourism and Leisure - this will appear on Border TV, GMTV, Granada TV and Channel 4. There will also be a TV advertising campaign in Northern Ireland and Eire. The TV advert showcases the beauty of our Island and I’m confident many tourists will find it hard to resist.
Work will start shortly on refurbishment of our Ferry Travel Shop in the Sea Terminal which will include a new ticket sales counter. During the refurbishment our ticket sales will temporally be relocated to the check in desks in the departure lounge. This work will also include the relocation of our Belfast call centre to the Sea Terminal in Douglas. Our total investment in the Ferry Travel Shop and Call Centre with a new telephone system will be in excess of £100,000. I hope these improvements will cause the minimum amount of inconvenience as every effort is being made to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Last time I posted I mentioned that the Ben my Chree will be postponing her bi-ennial overhaul. Originally the services on 1st/2nd March to Liverpool were going to be provided by the Viking, however they will now be completed by additional Ben-my-Chree sailings to Liverpool Birkenhead. We have had to make these changes as contractors employed by Mersey Docks and Harbour Company are unable to complete important safety work to the Landing Stage berth at the Pier Head in Liverpool on schedule. Work is now scheduled to be completed before the weekend of 8th and 9th March. We will contact all those customers who may be affected by post and by phone and I’ll continue to keep you updated via this blog.
That’s it for now.
Mark
12 February 2008
Good morning – I thought I’d touch base with you on this lovely sunny morning.
We had planned to take the Ben-my-Chree out of service for a couple of weeks for her bi-ennial overhaul in late February/early March. However, we have had difficulty in finding a replacement vessel. As a result we have postponed the overhaul for now while we continue to search for a suitable vessel. We will keep all our customers advised and confirm arrangements as soon as we are able. We will contact all those customers who may be affected. Sailing times/port will be unchanged, but the journey will now be on Ben-my-Chree not Viking (except those booked on 1st/2nd March to Liverpool where the service will still be provided by Viking).
Those of you with children may have travelled off the Island for the half term break. If you travelled with us on Sunday I hope the fog on the Mersey didn’t interfere with your onward journey too much. The weather inevitably resulted in delays to the service - but I hope you managed to reach your respective destinations.
I’ve had a few comments about the new look and feel website – I hope you’ll check it out to see the differences we’ve made. The site now features the company’s new retro style ‘logo’ and the words ‘Isle of Man’ have been reintroduced into the design. It also includes our new corporate colours of red, black and gold.
A gentleman called John posted to say
‘Well done Mark. The new look site and the vessel rebranding is excellent. Good to see the Steam Packet moving forward.’
We’ve also made changes to the seat upgrades section of the site, 1st has been renamed the ‘Manannan Premium Lounge’ and the Blue Riband club the ‘Manannan Executive Club’. Thanks to Dick also for his comments and feedback which will allow us to improve the service we give to our customers particularly where delays are involved. It appears that while we have improved, we still can do more and I have asked those responsible to take on board these comments and ensure we do better.
As part of my drive to continually improve our service the payment details of the booking section are now clearly explained with a more transparent breakdown of costs. I hope that you will note and approve of the changes and look forward to receiving more feedback.
If you haven’t managed to get away this time there’s plenty of special offers for the Easter school break in our latest Steam Packet Holidays day trips and special excursions brochures.
If you and the family haven’t tried skiing before you can take advantage of the new ‘Chill Factore’ ski centre at the Trafford Centre in Manchester. From March we’re offering a great short break package with ferry and accommodation included.
With Liverpool being City of Culture 2008 you might like to take in some of the planned events. If so there’s some great (and inexpensive) accommodation featured in the brochure. If you want a brochure call Steam Packet Holidays on 645777 or call in to our office at the Sea Terminal.
Well that’s it for now – I hope you enjoy your half term break.
Mark
4th February 2008
Good afternoon – I just thought I’d keep you in touch with current events and say hello.
As you probably are aware we had some very high winds last week and cancelled two round trips of the Ben-my-Chree as a result – this is a very rare occurrence. I do apologise to all those customers who suffered inconvenience but assure you that this was a decision made purely on safety grounds.
Our thoughts are with the crew and passengers of the Ro-Ro ferry Riverdance which we have used as a cover vessel for our freight service in the past.
The vessel ran aground off Blackpool last Thursday evening with 19 crew and 4 passengers being flown to safety after it was hit by a freak wave. Thankfully no casualties were sustained and the RAF, Royal Navy and the Coastguard did an excellent rescue job. I commend them in these conditions – it must have been a frightening experience for everyone involved.
Many thanks for all your comments this week – I’ve had a lot come in about various subjects.
Thanks to David who has posted about our new look brochure for 2008. David says ‘It was good to look through the brochure for 2008 and see that you made some changes that myself and others had suggested. Thank you for listening to your customers’. We are trying to listen to our customers David – and I’m glad you’ve noticed this. With the forthcoming rebranding of customer facilities, ships, and staff uniforms this is going to be an exciting couple of months.
Another customer has asked about the timing of the bi-ennial overhaul of the
Ben–my-Chree. She is scheduled to go to dry-dock at the end of February subject to us being able to secure a suitable charter vessel.
Although weather in late February/early March can still be unpredictable, the numbers of passengers travelling at this time is only around one third of those in April, and this is why we chose this period to take the Ben-my-Chree out of service. Any fastcraft weather disruption during this period will therefore inconvenience fewer passengers on average, than would be the case with weather disruptions in April. If we are unable to secure a suitable charter in the next few weeks we will have to reschedule the dry-docking until April instead.
We will keep our customers informed as soon as firm decisions can be made.
Goodbye for now
Mark
My apologies for the late posting this week but I have been off Island, and have been trying to catch up since.
It is a busy week ahead for the company. On Wednesday my commercial director and I are to appear before the Select Committee of Tynwald to give oral evidence. The Committee is tasked with looking at both standards of service and fare structures. I believe that the company does give a standard of service which is beneficial to the well being of the Island and its residents. The provision of a second fast ferry during the summer period is a clear indication of this commitment.
Of course, we like all businesses are always open to the accusation that our fares are too expensive. When did you last hear complaints of a service being too cheap? Our lead foot passenger fares have decreased since 1995 by more than 30%, while inflation has increased by 38%! By comparison, Manx weekly earnings over the same period have increased by 68%.
We will shortly be publishing details on our website of some market research carried out over the peak summer months of last year. Involving over 5,300 customer responses, this research indicates that the majority of our customers do not have an issue with the value of fares (only 15% rating value for money as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’), as well as giving opinions on a wide range of other service issues.
Many of you will have read in the local press that we have decided to close the Belfast based call centre. Historically there were about 25 permanent staff in the Belfast call centre in the days when Sea Containers operated Seacat Scotland routes, Argyll and Antrim routes, Liverpool Dublin routes and of course Steam Packet routes.
At the time of the Sea Containers acquisition of the company, the decision was taken to relocate Island call centre jobs to Belfast. Many customers have registered their preference to speak to someone based on the Isle of Man, and it is for this reason as well as the decline of telephone bookings that we have decided to relocate the call function to the Island. This is good news for our customers and means more local employment. In the longer term it is consistent with our aim of reinforcing our links with the Manx community.
Thanks to Gordon who enquired whether the Whitehaven day trips would be repeated this year. We are certainly planning a range of daytrips this summer using Snaefell, to include Whitehaven and other destinations so keep looking at the website!
That’s it for now – I will post again soon.
Mark
22 January 2008
Good afternoon – I hope you are all well.
I’m busy with our plans to rebrand at the moment but thought I’d take a moment to send you an update.
Thanks firstly to Arthur who posted about the 1970’s Crows Nest Restaurant photograph I put up a while ago.
Arthur said: “The bloke in the centre of the picture with the glasses is me. The girl on my right is my late wife Elsie and the person sat opposite to her is my late sister Marjorie who was on holiday. Regards Arthur
That’s great - thanks again. If anyone else has any nostalgia photographs they’d like to send in I will post them up on the site.
It is pleasing to see that our decision to sail to Liverpool Birkenhead at winter weekends has been met with such success. Despite the small number of passengers who claimed that this was not the right thing to do, the much greater service reliability and number of passengers using the service has proved otherwise. Not only were Liverpool sea passengers up by almost 30% in December, but overall numbers by sea to both Heysham and Liverpool were up by 3% too.
You might have heard now that we’re closing our Belfast contact centre in March and eight permanent staff there will be offered redundancy packages.
I’d like to thank our staff in Belfast for their dedicated service over many years. It is with sadness this decision has been made but the scale of the operation has made this closure and consolidation inevitable.
In recent years the number of customers booking online has risen to 65% which resulted in the decrease of permanent employees in Belfast. Call levels have fallen from 736,000 in 2003 to 223,000 in 2007.
As a result the company is relocating the call centre to the Sea Terminal in Douglas where staff will combine contact centre and check in duties. Not only will this mean increased employment opportunities on the Island, but also that the service is more Manx focused - I am aware that this has been an issue with some customers in the past.
There’s been some feedback about my ‘use it or lose it’ phrase in connection with the use of a second fast craft (Snaefell) for our Irish services. In response to Katherine who posted some comments, the statement wasn’t intended to cause alarm - just a realistic assessment that the provision of a second fast craft for only 3% of our passengers who used Irish services last year, is not a viable situation that can be sustained long term. We are obliged of course to provide Irish services under the User Agreement. We would simply have to do this as we have in years prior to 2007 using Viking. Unfortunately this means more operationally driven, less customer friendly sailing times.
To avoid this we would very much like to see significant growth within this market. That is why we have decided to continue with a loss-making service using Snaefell for a second year, and also to invest (in conjunction with our Department of Tourism and Leisure) in an extensive TV-based advertising campaign.
Finally, thanks to Simon who echoes a concern that I share. Cleanliness on board ships, (and planes and trains for that matter) is very important. It is one of the basic aspects of good customer service. That is why I have asked our new Passenger Manager to concentrate on routines and procedures for cleaning and hygiene onboard in his first few months. If we don’t get it right, please let him know!
That's it for now - Mark
14 January 2008
Good afternoon - I hope you all had a good weekend despite the weather!
Looking at the passengers figures, the Ben-my-Chree service to Liverpool Birkenhead has proved a resounding success. Not only have we had 100% reliability but also the service has been well used.
I know some passengers were unsure of the benefits but 29% more people used the service in December 2007 compared with the same month in the previous year.
Comments on my blog, on our onboard survey and feedback to our terminal staff also show that people have welcomed the reliability it has provided.
As the weather has occasionally disrupted the Heysham service I’m pleased to say our weekend sailings to Birkenhead haven’t suffered any problems. It will continue until 24 February after which we revert back to the Liverpool landing stage when Ben-my-Chree is away for her biennial overhaul.
Thanks to Mr Leece who posted regarding his experience of queuing to board with his vehicle. It highlights a point that we are trying to address:
“It seems really pointless being early to board as there seems to be no system of ensuring that first come are boarded early. The vehicles are lined up at Heysham in order and then re-lined again in any random pattern. Most frustrating if you have taken the trouble to be early!”
I agree with your comments and assure you we are trying to achieve a reliable system for this in all ports. I’ve spoken to our new Passenger Manager who will ensure that this matter is given proper attention.
A big thanks to Jonathan who posted about his recent experience of service improvements. Watch this space as there’s more to come.
“Just joined the Blue Riband Club. It was all a rush as I needed a quick trip home. (I will be needing a lot more as well in the next few months!) Lisa Broadbent (Blue Riband secretary) was brilliant in getting my membership sorted. Nice to see the "new" branding is on its way. Just back in to Birkenhead today 13/1 the onboard staff did well in a choppy first couple of hours. Keep the improvements going they are appreciated.
On a final note, TT fans have been able to book in advance for their ferry tickets to next year’s event. Bookings can be made on our website for TT 2008 – well ahead of previous years. There will be 233 sailings over the TT period with four confirmed vessels in service – and 115 extra sailings compared to normal schedules.
The main difference from last year is that the fleet is already in place and your booking will be confirmed not provisional – so if you haven’t booked already you still can!.
Bye for now
Mark
7 January 2008
May I wish all our customers a happy and healthy new year!
It’s been a fairly stormy start to 2008 with Storm Force 11 winds causing even the Ben-my-Chree to cancel a round trip sailing to Heysham. However, there are lots of positives as we look forward to the remainder of 2008.
Forward bookings for the TT 2008 period are well up on recent years (Centenary TT aside), and more importantly we already have the fleet in place to meet this demand. That means that all TT 2008 bookings are confirmed, not provisional.
The winter Ben-my-Chree service to Liverpool Birkenhead has provided 100% reliability to date as well as increased carryings, with overall passenger numbers in the November and December period up by almost 3% on the same period in 2006. In December alone, passenger numbers using the Liverpool Birkenhead service were up by more than 27%. Forward bookings for the first two months of 2008 are also up on last year.
We have decided to continue last year's initiative with a second fast craft dedicated once again to Irish summer services. Last year’s Irish passenger numbers were increased a little by a much improved timetable and an effective marketing campaign in conjunction with the Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure. However, the service was not used nearly as much as was suggested would be the case by those asking for improved Irish services. This is a loss making service and we hope that numbers will improve further this year to the point where the service can at least become break even. The long term provision of this service does depend on use - ‘use it or lose it’ is the key message!
We are in the process of re-branding the company in line with our Manx heritage and traditions. The words ‘Isle of Man’ will once again feature prominently on our ships and our advertising. These changes will be reflected, in time, both ashore and afloat with new ship liveries and traditional Steam Packet names. Superseacat Two becomes ‘Viking’; Sea Express 1 becomes ‘Snaefell’. Lounges and facilities on board will also be improved and renamed using Manx names. To satisfy customer demand, the provision of reserved seating will be expanded and available on all ships, without compromising seating availability for those who prefer not to pre-book.
The appointment of a new Passenger Manager is an important step in making clear to all, the emphasis we place on the service we provide. His name is Jim Sheppard and his role is to ensure that we provide a service which is both good quality and consistent. Please do not hesitate to contact him if you wish to express an opinion on the service you receive, or would just like to make a general comment.
I assure you that we are committed to making the passenger experience as pleasant as we are able - I do ask your patience in that those measures described above and others on which we are working will take time to achieve. We may not always get it right, but we are determined to listen and learn when we get it wrong.
Mark