Holyhead Busy Bus

We will be docked at Holyhead for one day.

Has anyone taken a Busy Bus 8 hour mid sized (16 to 25) group tour?

Wondering just how long the 120 miles over highways and byways might take to drive and how much of the 8 hours is actually spent at the various locations?

Baynanno1-

We used Busy Bus in 2012 and were part of a private tour of 20 people, I think, on the mid size bus. The tour was excellent. We had plenty of time at the various locations and were never rushed. Here's a link to our photos and you can see what we saw on the tour: https://picasaweb.google.com/gkappesser/BritishIslesCruiseMay2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNyG_4OT786O8wE&feat=directlink

<<<Karen>>>

Baynanno1-

 

We used Busy Bus in 2012 and were part of a private tour of 20 people, I think, on the mid size bus. The tour was excellent. We had plenty of time at the various locations and were never rushed. Here's a link to our photos and you can see what we saw on the tour: https://picasaweb.google.com/gkappesser/BritishIslesCruiseMay2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNyG_4OT786O8wE&feat=directlink

 

<<<Karen>>>

Thanks for the information Karen.

We have booked and communication from Fred (Busy Bus) has been excellent, even emailing to tell me we have passed the minimum number of eight.

Trish

Thanks for the information Karen.

 

We have booked and communication from Fred (Busy Bus) has been excellent, even emailing to tell me we have passed the minimum number of eight.

Trish

We did a RT Southampton 12-night with Princess and used Busy Bus from Liverpool. Excellent experience (I also can identify many details in pictures, however from Le Havre we visited Rouen and Honfleur as we spent a week in Paris before a Baltic cruise out of Amsterdam the summer before!

Wouldn't it be great if locating all of the best port experiences did not require such effort both here and on Trip Advisor -- but, as they say, most of the fun is in the planning?

DJ:)

We were in Dublin and were supposed to depart for Holy Head, Wales on May 31. We had booked a BusyBus tour of Wales for June 1, 2015. We found out on May 30 that the ship would not be attempting to dock in either Holyhead or the Guernsey Islands because of high winds and rough seas. Members of our group notified Peter Rosenfeld, the owner of Busy Bus, of the situation. He promptly replied that he was sorry for our disastrous situation, but that he was only refunding 50% of the fee we had paid. He quoted various paragraphs in a contract we had never seen. My emails to him were unanswered and as yet we have not received any refund. STAY AWAY FROM BUSYBUS!! Other ground suppliers at Holyhead credited the full amount of their fees since the we had nothing to do with the problem. :mad:

We were in Dublin and were supposed to depart for Holy Head, Wales on May 31. We had booked a BusyBus tour of Wales for June 1, 2015. We found out on May 30 that the ship would not be attempting to dock in either Holyhead or the Guernsey Islands because of high winds and rough seas. Members of our group notified Peter Rosenfeld, the owner of Busy Bus, of the situation. He promptly replied that he was sorry for our disastrous situation, but that he was only refunding 50% of the fee we had paid. He quoted various paragraphs in a contract we had never seen. My emails to him were unanswered and as yet we have not received any refund. STAY AWAY FROM BUSYBUS!! Other ground suppliers at Holyhead credited the full amount of their fees since the we had nothing to do with the problem. :mad:

We were scheduled to be on Busy Bus on the same day, and maybe the same tour, as Red Raider. We figure that we saved so much money on tours in other ports that the loss of half of our Busy Bus excursion fee was just a minor blip. (The major blip was the fact that we probably wouldn't have taken the cruise if we had known that we would miss our last two ports, and have two other ports on Monday holidays when most things were closed). Therefore, I don't say that one should necessarily avoid Busy Bus; but one should be aware of the risk of having no tour and losing half your money.

I hope that Mr. Rosenfeld is reading these posts, and will refund the entire amount, not just the 50% that we apparently have not yet received.

We've just checked our credit card bill. Busy Bus refunded 50% of what we paid, and they did it promptly - June 2. We're not happy about losing the other 50%; but c'est la vie!

In all of our cruises (including British Isles, Mediterranean, Baltic, Norway, Alaska, Caribbean, etc.) we have never missed a scheduled port (even had an unscheduled port visit due to a medical emergency, though). Can't say that additional planning/research would be of help (the cruise after ours, RT Southampton, missed three of its ports!).

As for this tour provider (Busybus), we took their North Wales experience from Liverpool and had a grand time (Conway castle and its village was wonderful). I guess you have to balance price, size of group, and quality of experience with this possibility? We plan on taking some family with us on a repeat of this cruise (including grandsons ages 15 and 9) and intend to use Busybus next summer! (Hopefully if we can recruit an entire van load we could customize the day to reach another of Edward's castles described as the largest and in the best of condition? Apparently water conditions and tides are an issue at several of these ports, not just Gurnsey (which is of little merit, and substitution of Holyhead or another Irish port would be a great improvement!). Do we say climate change or just some random misfortune?

At any rate, through Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor one gains information to be prepared: Mediterranean is best in spring/early summer or fall, British Isles, Baltic, Norway being mild or decidedly cool (like Alaska) through the summer. British Isles has the value for the English speaker of language simplicity and genuine friendliness of natives (the British and Irish take their history quite seriously) although I can only wonder if the reception from Russia has deteriorated over the last two years (they are big on commercial competition and education, but aren't big on hospitality (people don't smile in Saint Petersberg -- a real contrast to ethnic Russians who run stores in Tallinn!).

DJ:)

We just returned from a British Isles cruise on Celebrity Silhouette which was scheduled to dock in Holyhead on June 17th. On the 15th the captain announced that the Harbor Master was refusing to allow the Silhouette to call in Holyhead, and it was necessary to cancel the port.

We had prepaid an excursion with Busy Bus. We emailed them about the cancellation on the 16th. They replied that we would receive a 50% refund. Two other tour companies refunded their guests 90% and 100%. Just something to be aware of in case you miss the port.

Can you tell us the name of the tour companies in Holyhead that refunded most of the money?

We just returned from a British Isles cruise on Celebrity Silhouette which was scheduled to dock in Holyhead on June 17th. On the 15th the captain announced that the Harbor Master was refusing to allow the Silhouette to call in Holyhead, and it was necessary to cancel the port.

 

We had prepaid an excursion with Busy Bus. We emailed them about the cancellation on the 16th. They replied that we would receive a 50% refund. Two other tour companies refunded their guests 90% and 100%. Just something to be aware of in case you miss the port.

I was also on the Silhouette. Here is a link to the news article that appeared in the local paper in Holyhead.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/giant-cruise-ship-cant-dock-9465813

BusyBus, so far is not budging on their refund policy, even after much persuasion from many who booked with them for the day.

I was also on the Silhouette. Here is a link to the news article that appeared in the local paper in Holyhead.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/giant-cruise-ship-cant-dock-9465813

BusyBus, so far is not budging on their refund policy, even after much persuasion from many who booked with them for the day.

Let me second the importance of a response to identify the tour companies with a better refund policy!

In addition, what is the history of failed arrivals for this Welsh port? Unfortunately, when I signed in to the DailY Post, I first had to answer a survey question -- but no, that was not enough. I was then to sign up for daily postings (just too, too much). Perhaps you can figure another way to post this article: maybe just copy and paste into a CC window?

Much thanks,

DJ:)

Here is the text of the newspaper article. We really weren't concerned about this port, since it was not listed as a tender. However, this is the first year for Silhouette porting there. In previous years, Connie had this itinerary. Other ships on the port schedule are smaller in size.

Giant cruise ship can't dock in Holyhead over jetty concerns

• 15:47, 16 June 2015
  
• By Owen Hughes
  

A giant cruise ship due to arrive in Holyhead tomorrow with 2,500 passengers will now not dock over concerns about its size and the predicted weather conditions. The Celebrity Silhouette was the largest vessel due at the Anglesey port this summer - one of more than 20 cruise ships coming to the island.

It was to dock at Holyhead on Wednesday morning as part of a round Britain tour and would have helped pump thousands of pounds into the local economy.

But now the trip has been cancelled due to concerns its 317metre length, combined with predictions for wet and windy weather, was a potential safety risk for the port jetty.

Celebrity Cruises said they were "disappointed" with the decision.

Holyhead port does not have a specialised cruise ship docking facility and liners have been using the former Anglesey Aluminium jetty since 2009.

Port bosses offered alternative arrangements to the captain, with the cruise liner anchored offshore and passengers brought to the port on tender boats.

But this was declined and the ship will now make alternative arrangements.

A port spokesman told the Daily Post: “The combination of the restrictions of the jetty and the poor weather that has been forecast saw us raise concerns with the ship over docking at the jetty.

“It was agreed that for safety reasons we did not think it was right to bring the ship to berth at the jetty, which has wind restrictions.

“We made alternative arrangements to anchor the ship offshore and run tenders to bring passengers ashore.

“This was offered to the ship but it was declined and alternative arrangements have now been made.”

This will renew calls for investment in a specialised cruise ship dock at Holyhead which had previously been looked at by the Welsh Government, which asked consultants to draw up proposals.

A port spokesman added: “A specialised jetty is under discussion and maybe this will focus minds on this.

“This existing jetty has restrictions.”

Anglesey Walking tweeted: “Disappointed that the cruise ship’s visit to Holyhead on Wednesday is cancelled. 2,800 passengers on board.

“What a blow to local businesses."

A Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman said: "Celebrity Silhouette was scheduled to call to Holyhead, Wales, on Wednesday 17 June.

"Two days before, the Captain was advised by the Harbour Master that Celebrity Silhouettewould be unable to call to Holyhead. We were very disappointed to receive this late information from the port, and tried to have them reverse this decision, to no avail.

"Regrettably, it was necessary to cancel Celebrity Silhouette's port call to Holyhead.

"Celebrity Silhouette will now spend Wednesday at sea, and arrive to Paris (Le Havre), France, on Thursday 18 June, at 8am and stay overnight till 9pm Friday 19 June.

"We apologise for this modification to our guests’ itinerary, and thank them for their understanding and cooperation. We hope our guests enjoy the additional time to explore Paris and Normandy."

The same ship is also due to return to the port in August and the port said this visit was still due to go ahead.

It was very useful to read about the situation for Holyhead Wales -- great information for folks considering an itinerary with this port! I'd expect people can now conduct "Holyhead" research on CC and find this informative posting. Considering the economy in Wales and the tourism opportunities, perhaps some decisions will be made to support the cruise ship industry. For use, certainly consider the possibility of a failed port visit. I guess nice for passengers that they have an overnight at LeHavre: does this mean the option of an overnight in Paris? (Pack a bag!)

It still would be nice if the tour companies that provide 90-100% rebate for a failed port visit would be listed here. My personal experience with Busybus from Liverpool was that they provided an excellent North Wales experience -- but then, perhaps Liverpool is more able to accomodate a large passenger ship in comparison to Holyhead?

DJ:)

It still would be nice if the tour companies that provide 90-100% rebate for a failed port visit would be listed here. My personal experience with Busybus from Liverpool was that they provided an excellent North Wales experience -- but then, perhaps Liverpool is more able to accomodate a large passenger ship in comparison to Holyhead?

DJ:)

We also stopped in Liverpool - no problem for the Silhouette there or any of the other British Isle ports on our cruise.

Would your trip insurance cover the 50% not refunded? We have booked with Busybus for this same port in August, and have trip insurance. We had to pay a premium based on all costs for the trip that were nonrefundable...so I will review my policy to see if it is covered. It would be interesting to know if anyone has made a claim.

I do have to say, however, that when I booked, I did note on the Busybus site that the refund policy was 50%. A risk for the customer, of course, but the company has planned resources for the day much more than two days in advance. Not that I want to lose half my money, but I can appreciate their view.

I think it would be great to identify those specific tour companies that do not hold participants responsible for the acts of governments or nature? One possibility would be for such companies to hold an insurance policy to cover these situations: perhaps a couple of dollars more per participant, but a way to avoid this?

In addition, it is great to be able to understand the issues associated with each port, whether transportation, safety, tides, etc. (not only tour resources and tour opportunities). Now that I know that Holyhead is not designed to receive a modern passenger ship, I'd discount such an opportunity (too bad!).

Have had great experiences from Liverpool and maybe I need to explore possibilities from Southampton as well?

DJ:)

We were in Dublin and were supposed to depart for Holy Head, Wales on May 31. We had booked a BusyBus tour of Wales for June 1, 2015. We found out on May 30 that the ship would not be attempting to dock in either Holyhead or the Guernsey Islands because of high winds and rough seas. Members of our group notified Peter Rosenfeld, the owner of Busy Bus, of the situation. He promptly replied that he was sorry for our disastrous situation, but that he was only refunding 50% of the fee we had paid. He quoted various paragraphs in a contract we had never seen. My emails to him were unanswered and as yet we have not received any refund. STAY AWAY FROM BUSYBUS!! Other ground suppliers at Holyhead credited the full amount of their fees since the we had nothing to do with the problem. :mad:

I think this is pretty unfair as Busybus acted promptly in accordance with their terms and conditions. All the people I spoke with received their refunds really quickly and Mr Rosenfeld certainly answered my e-mails quickly and courteously.

I also think it's unreasonable to expect a small, independant excursion provider to foot the full costs of a last-minute cancellation. Don't you think they suffer with the inability to re-sell their staff, assets and services elsewhere? 50% was reasonable to me. If you go independant there's always an element of risk but that's the price for escaping the ships herded excursions for often twice the price!

The ship refunded the other 50% anyway ($38) so it appears there are certain individuals who actually wanted to profit from others misfortune!

Yes! Definitely a very unfair and unforgiving "attack" on small independents like Busybus who clearly try their best but will never "win" against such unfair odds.

I think this is pretty unfair as Busybus acted promptly in accordance with their terms and conditions. All the people I spoke with received their refunds really quickly and Mr Rosenfeld certainly answered my e-mails quickly and courteously.

 

I also think it's unreasonable to expect a small, independant excursion provider to foot the full costs of a last-minute cancellation. Don't you think they suffer with the inability to re-sell their staff, assets and services elsewhere? 50% was reasonable to me. If you go independant there's always an element of risk but that's the price for escaping the ships herded excursions for often twice the price!

 

The ship refunded the other 50% anyway ($38) so it appears there are certain individuals who actually wanted to profit from others misfortune!

 

Yes! Definitely a very unfair and unforgiving "attack" on small independents like Busybus who clearly try their best but will never "win" against such unfair odds.

We have cruised over 40 times, never had an independent tour only give you 50% refund. I am not arguing with you just stating a fact, we book with people who may retain 10%. The British Isle private tours are the only ones we have dealt with who want all of the money up front. Usually the guides want 10% up front and then they want the balance paid by US Dollars cash on day of tour.

The British Isle private tours are the only ones we have dealt with who want all of the money up front.

We did lots research as well, and were very surprised when all the BI tour guides wanted payment in advance. Certainly, not we are are used to in other countries/area.

City Pete,

We were also booked on Busy Bus for the Holyhead, Wales tour. I never had experienced losing 50% of the tour fee due to circumstances beyond the control of the guest. Not very pleased with the Busy Bus policy. While still aboard the ship, I spoke to the assistant manager, Jon, at guest relations who steadfastly denied that Celebrity would refund the difference ($38) lost to the port cancellation. I'm an Elite Plus Captain Club member and very familiar with Celebrity's policies. If a guest had booked a ship excursion they received a 100% refund; per Celebrity policy they do not provide any compensation for independent tours not booked with the ship. So Pete, how were you able to be compensated by Celebrity for the cancelled port with Busy Bus when other valued passengers were not? I'm very curious.

City Pete,

 

We were also booked on Busy Bus for the Holyhead, Wales tour. I never had experienced losing 50% of the tour fee due to circumstances beyond the control of the guest. Not very pleased with the Busy Bus policy. While still aboard the ship, I spoke to the assistant manager, Jon, at guest relations who steadfastly denied that Celebrity would refund the difference ($38) lost to the port cancellation. I'm an Elite Plus Captain Club member and very familiar with Celebrity's policies. If a guest had booked a ship excursion they received a 100% refund; per Celebrity policy they do not provide any compensation for independent tours not booked with the ship. So Pete, how were you able to be compensated by Celebrity for the cancelled port with Busy Bus when other valued passengers were not? I'm very curious.

Celebrity did refund the port charges when Holyhead was cancelled. That was about $30 or so - I don't remember the exact figure. Could he be referring to that?

Celebrity did refund the port charges when Holyhead was cancelled. That was about $30 or so - I don't remember the exact figure. Could he be referring to that?

Are you talking about the Port Taxes? Yes, I would think that those would be refunded because the ship did not dock there, so Celebrity did not have to pay those fees. I never thought of that!

Quote: City Pete

I think this is pretty unfair as Busybus acted promptly in accordance with their terms and conditions. All the people I spoke with received their refunds really quickly and Mr Rosenfeld certainly answered my e-mails quickly and courteously.

I also think it's unreasonable to expect a small, independant excursion provider to foot the full costs of a last-minute cancellation. Don't you think they suffer with the inability to re-sell their staff, assets and services elsewhere? 50% was reasonable to me. If you go independant there's always an element of risk but that's the price for escaping the ships herded excursions for often twice the price!

The ship refunded the other 50% anyway ($38) so it appears there are certain individuals who actually wanted to profit from others misfortune!

Yes! Definitely a very unfair and unforgiving "attack" on small independents like Busy Bus." City Pete's commentary seems more than a little biased. Celebrity did not refund the other 50% of the tour per his quote. Yes, port taxes of $13 per person were refunded by Celebrity, but not a dime for the missed tour. Then he adds insult to injury by labeling disgruntled customers as "wanting to profit from others misfortunes." His statement couldn't be further from the truth. I find it interesting that the exact verbiage was in the email I received from Peter Rosenfeld/manager at Busy Bus. Read some of the reviews for Busy Bus on Trip Advisor and see for yourself the defensive and snarky comments/responses made by Peter R. regarding customers who had issues with his tours. Only wish I had read them prior to booking with Busy Bus.

An excellent discussion, and I don't think that anyone here is getting distracted into some kind of negative interaction?

(1) I wonder if we are not hearing about tour companies that have the better refund policies because there aren't any? (Last attempt to request this information to be posted.) I've dealt with several companies and have been fortunate in that those with websites and direct credit card payment have been met and not missed. My thought is that ports with a history of problems (Guernsey, Holyhead, Queensferry, etc.) may not be good locations to make such formal plans?

(2) Indeed, Great Britain is a founder of the insurance trade and I wonder if companies like Busybus could charge a couple of dollars extra/person and thereby cover insurance for the instances in which the ship either fails to make port or lands without sufficient time to conduct the tour? My hope for summer 2016 is that we will have the opportunity to have such a discussion this coming winter! I can only say that I am a previous Busybus customer and have nothing but good memories of an excellent tour experience!

DJ:)