Oceana flight from Malta

We have just returned from Oceana re-positioning cruise, everything great until we hit Malta airport, the airport can not cope with the sheer number of passengers, we almost missed our flight due to such a slow passport control at the Gate,

So anybody travelling via Malta as soon as your gate is posted go to the gate don't wait and you might just make it, what a nightmare:(

We have just returned from the last week of this cruise and agree. Departing from Malta was a nightmare. We did go straight to the gate and queued to get to the "mass" at passport control. It seemed that as each flight missed its slot they went around shouting for people to follow them to the front of the queue.

All the flights left late and did appear to be waiting until people could get through. Airport staff were handing out water which was nice.

20 minute queue for the toilet (handy tip ladies....don't drink too much of the water handed out!), and over half an hour for security too so I suspect it was sheer number of people.

Arrival was slow too at Malta. Due to very limited space at the port check in, only one coach load of passengers was able to queue to check in at a time meaning coaches were held at the airport and then on the road at the port. It took us three hours from landing to embarkation. The airport wasn't far from the port. The coach we were on was air conditioned and comfortable and we were on holiday so not all bad!!!!!!!

We have never done a fly cruise before so the experience either end really puts us off doing another. Perhaps this is normal and I've turned into a moaner but watching the time tick on by after your flight was due to depart isn't overly relaxing! Southampton and waiting about people watching for a late check in time a whole lot more fun!

The cruise itself was great though! We had a limited time in Malta and airport aside would love to return as the bit we did explore was lovely.

Certainly not a slick as Barbados. Or even Venice. It is to be hoped that Malta airport can cope with this extra traffic. If there are going to be holdups then it going to be the first few change overs. There are quite a few posts on FB as well

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Yes I have read about your experiences - it certainly seems to have been a very stressful time for you all. I have read an apology from P&O on their Facebook page and a promise to work to get it sorted out.We are doing this trip in October - our first Fly Cruise - and I do hope it has been sorted by then.

We have done a lot of fly cruises and have experienced a few problems over the years - one where successive coach loads were delivered at the airport but none flew out because flights couldn't land due to storms. Eventually everyone was transfered to a hotel overnight and flew back next day. The airport as you would imagine was heaving.

But the debacle at Malta on Thursday was of a different magnitude. There was no visible management around to take control of the situation, the organisation was non existent for passengers queuing and they were clearly completely overwhelmed. They simply couldn't handle the volume of passengers needing processed in the time frame required.

Three flights had departure times within half an hour of each other and 6 immigration booths to handle all those passengers - and it wasn't quick when to you got to the desk either. There were literally hundreds of people milling towards these booths in a crowd about 20 abreast and as far back as we could see - no queues just a scrum!

As already mentioned people were given last minute priority calls for flights (which should have left some considerable time before) and had to push through this melee. To the great credit of the crowds they remained pretty good natured in what was a frustrating, annoying and uncomfortable experience. It was hot, (the air con or some doors were opened at one point which helped), there were families with young children, babies and buggies in the mass and a lot of elderly people some of whom must have found standing for an hour and a half quite a problem. I was surprised no one passed out and the potential for real H&S issues was apparent. We were very lucky that nothing untoward happened.

This wasn't P&O's fault but I feel sure they will want to try to improve the situation. Base porting in Malta has so far caused them some considerable problems. From booking their Malta stay as the turn around port they have issues with the airport plus the fact that the Maltese Government has changed the law since P&O made that commitment so that they are unable to sell goods on board duty free. Everything is subject to a 18% Maltese Vat charge. The applied to the week between 6-13th April. I'm not sure whether they will escape it on other itineraries if they have non EU ports of call - not sure how it works but there is a problem re duty free and Malta too.

However that apart it was a great cruise which we enjoyed very much.

Certainly not a slick as Barbados. Or even Venice. It is to be hoped that Malta airport can cope with this extra traffic. If there are going to be holdups then it going to be the first few change overs. There are quite a few posts on FB as well

 

 

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Barbados was awful on our recent Transatlantic departure with Britannia. Arrived on Saturday afternoon along with another four planes and waited outside the terminal building in small bus for 30 mins, then another 45 until we boarded in a very hot building. Chaos on the ship, nobody directing to cabins, luckily it got better but a bad start.

Barbados was awful on our recent Transatlantic departure with Britannia. Arrived on Saturday afternoon along with another four planes and waited outside the terminal building in small bus for 30 mins, then another 45 until we boarded in a very hot building. Chaos on the ship, nobody directing to cabins, luckily it got better but a bad start.

That's unusual. We have done it twice an many others report how good it is. But there are always going to be exceptions.

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We did Barbados last year flying in and out and it was a very slick operation unlike Malta, we were on the East Midlands flight and as said before we have to badger the staff at the passport ques to get us through with less than 10 minutes to go before our flight was due to depart, both myself and my wife managed to get to the gate only to have a further wait as there was no bus to transport us to the plane, at last we made it to the plane and into our seats, few what a relief. Within a couple of minutes the captain come over the speakers and said all were on board and we could now depart, she started the engines and we thought here we go, only for her to shut them down again, She then announced that the ground staff had waved that she should have shut the engines down but that she couldn't see any problems, a further few minutes waited with very worried passengers on board she announced that there was in fact nothing wrong with our plane but the ground staff had stopped talking to her, next she said we couldn't now move as there was a bus parked along side the aircraft with 7 passengers on which should have been on our flight.

There was a lot of talk it would seem between the pilot, ground staff and Jet2's office in Leeds, the pilot announced that we were to allow the 7 passengers on board as there luggage was already on board but we had to wait for a set of steps. Finally the door was opened and more conversation between pilot and ground crew and at last 7 extra passengers were allowed on to the flight, within minutes we taxied out and at last over 1 hour late we were airborne. While all this was happening my wife said look out of the window, we couldn't believe what we were witnessing 2 members of staff climbed into a 757 engine and took photo's of each other. ( I only wish I had thought about taking a short video and sending it to Thomson Or Thomas Cook (can't remember which).

At last we landed in East Midlands and had to wait again as there was no steps to depart the plane, steps came but had to wait further for the bus to take us to the terminal.

All in All it was possibly the most stressful flight we have had, although it's not P&O's fault but my contract is with them.

If this is Malta airport we would think again about returning.

Oh dear, hope they get their act together soon. Doing same cruise in June. Although you may say it's not P&Os fault Kruzseeka, I would say they must take a big share in the blame. Did they do their homework before selecting Malta as a turnaround Port? Surely this could have been foreseen

Wow! We are doing this trip but not until a year September so hopefully by then something will have been sorted out. Maybe Malta is going to have to decide if it wants all this extra traffic which, I assume is good for the economy of the island, or not. Who knows maybe P&O will have to rethink but one would assume that all the ground work would have shown them that there was a potential problem with the airport - but then again, maybe not! I expect there's a lot of conversation at head office as to what they are going to do because it's certainly not going to be good for P&O PR if they have this problem every week.

The air crew on our Thomas Cook flight were very apologetic - they had arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule so we anticipating a prompt departure!

We missed our connection at Gatwick and arrived home 2.5 hours later than expected. A lady I was talking too in the scrum had a connecting flight to Edinburgh. Hope she made it! On the plus side it couldn't have been easier or quicker at Gatwick - from touch down, fairly long walk to immigration (very quick), baggage reclaim, customs to exiting the airport was less than 45 minutes! (Though it's not always so slick.)

You make a good point Mr Piano - perhaps there should have been a more rigorous assessment of the airport's ability to cope with the additional numbers generated by being a cruise base port. P&O certainly have a problem now not least of all because they are committed through to 2019 for Malta arrivals/departures. And they must be furious about the VAT issue too - no drinks or cigarette sales income either!

I do hope the Maltese officials are not deliberately slowing the process down as was the case at Palma the other day, because of the dreaded "Brexit".

I wouldn't want to start bringing politics into the issue, but lets not forget this is one consequence of coming out of the EU.

For the record, my experiences with fly cruise and P&O has been exemplary, particularly long haul. The only issue I had was in Barbados once when exiting the outdoor waiting area to alight the aircraft, one lady was still drawing on her cig as we were about to pass the refuelling tankers.

I do hope the Maltese officials are not deliberately slowing the process down as was the case at Palma the other day, because of the dreaded "Brexit".

I wouldn't want to start bringing politics into the issue, but lets not forget this is one consequence of coming out of the EU.

For the record, my experiences with fly cruise and P&O has been exemplary, particularly long haul. The only issue I had was in Barbados once when exiting the outdoor waiting area to alight the aircraft, one lady was still drawing on her cig as we were about to pass the refuelling tankers.

Interesting, your source for this is?

Interesting, your source for this is?

With regards my mention of Palma, it was in a couple of newspapers yesterday.

With regards my mention of Palma, it was in a couple of newspapers yesterday.

Perhaps we should put it down to inexperience or incompetence rather than a deliberate act on behalf of the Maltese airport staff. This could be a big earner for the island, bit daft to spoil it in the first few weeks.

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With regards my mention of Palma, it was in a couple of newspapers yesterday.

Mail and Express per chance?

Regardless of newspaper habits of making stuff up, Malta sounds very similar to Leeds Bradford when more than one flight arrives!

With regards my mention of Palma, it was in a couple of newspapers yesterday.

OK, I googled it and the only references I could find to flight delays at Palma were about long delays due to a strike by coach drivers in the Balaeric Islands as part of a wage dispute. The airport at Palma was restricting incoming flights to 10 per hour to help reduce congestion at the airport, caused by them only having taxis to move people.. The strike was due to end this evening.

So I guess it was just another euromyth :rolleyes:

edit - easter weekend is one of the busiest times of the year at Palma. so I guess they were just overwhelmed.

OK, I googled it and the only references I could find to flight delays at Palma were about long delays due to a strike by coach drivers in the Balaeric Islands as part of a wage dispute. The airport at Palma was restricting incoming flights to 10 per hour to help reduce congestion at the airport, caused by them only having taxis to move people.. The strike was due to end this evening.

 

So I guess it was just another euromyth :rolleyes:

 

edit - easter weekend is one of the busiest times of the year at Palma. so I guess they were just overwhelmed.

That's it then, the coach drivers went on strike because of Brexit.😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😨

OK, I googled it and the only references I could find to flight delays at Palma were about long delays due to a strike by coach drivers in the Balaeric Islands as part of a wage dispute. The airport at Palma was restricting incoming flights to 10 per hour to help reduce congestion at the airport, caused by them only having taxis to move people.. The strike was due to end this evening.

 

So I guess it was just another euromyth :rolleyes:

 

edit - easter weekend is one of the busiest times of the year at Palma. so I guess they were just overwhelmed.

That's it then, the coach drivers went on strike because of Brexit,😨😨😨😨😨😨😨

Has anyone got back from Oceana from this week's turn around i.e. 20th April? I'd be very interested to hear what their experiences are of Malta Airport and especially if things have improved since last week. It was a great cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed it and Malta too but I'd be wary of booking again and doing a fly/cruise from Malta Airport unless things are much better organised in future. Let's hope so!

Looking at a flight tracker app the East Midlands flight was 35 minutes late taking off, can only guess why

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Has anyone got back from Oceana from this week's turn around i.e. 20th April? I'd be very interested to hear what their experiences are of Malta Airport and especially if things have improved since last week. It was a great cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed it and Malta too but I'd be wary of booking again and doing a fly/cruise from Malta Airport unless things are much better organised in future. Let's hope so!

I read on one of the Facebook forums that things were much improved. At the airport, there were more organised queues along with separate passport controls for each flight which seemed to reduce the length of the queues. Passengers were called to the gate 45 minutes before departure. The main delays were caused by the late arrivals of the aircraft from the UK rather than any issues at the airport

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I read on one of the Facebook forums that things were much improved. At the airport, there were more organised queues along with separate passport controls for each flight which seemed to reduce the length of the queues. Passengers were called to the gate 45 minutes before departure. The main delays were caused by the late arrivals of the aircraft from the UK rather than any issues at the airport

 

 

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Thank you for that feedback. Very pleased to hear there was an improvement - tbh it would be hard to see how it could have been less organised last week! But that's better news for future travellers.

Thank you for that feedback. Very pleased to hear there was an improvement - tbh it would be hard to see how it could have been less organised last week! But that's better news for future travellers.

Yep, the forum said that the airport have changed their procedures for busy times and the majority of flights left on time

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Gatwick flight arrived on time today, but left 45 minutes late.

Explanation from the pilot was congestion as all the planes arrive/leave at the same time, and the ground crew were delayed dealing with the plane.

Organisation in the terminal was fine, with airport staff going around and handing out free iced drinks and biscuits.

Loads of empty seats as it seemed the British habit of 'see a queue, must stand in it' was well in force. Do they think they will get home quicker?