Cruise ports / Berths

I asked in another thread for advice about the berth we have been allocated in Hamburg as for the first time we are not close enough to walk in. The new berths are all much further away from the city centre and require a shuttle.

It got me to thinking that more and more of the cruise berths are getting further out than they ever used to be and the port cruise facilities more sophisticated. I used to love Bergen for example as the ships berthed just along from the Bryggen. Now most are further out in ugly industrial ports.

When we started cruising a lot of the "berths" were ships literally just tied up next to the dock. Madeira for example now has walkways and a big glass building, when we went at first all it had 3 wooden huts next to the dock selling Madeira wine, woodwork and tourist tat. Caretgena was the same, a dirt strip walk to the town, now fancy pathing and security queues!

The change is not for the better IMO, cruising has become such big business and shuttles a much more frequent requirement (annoyance IMO) as bigger ships get pushed further and further out of town centres.

Does anyone else remember ports that have changed out of all recognition from their first visit?

I know what you mean. I think it’s probably a combination of the massive increase in the number of people cruising, the resultant increase in numbers of cruise ships, the fact that ships are getting significantly bigger (so need bigger facilities), the need for better accessibility access, the World we now live in and the resultant need for better security etc etc etc.

I have also noticed in recent years that shuttle buses are increasing provided when they are not needed, which I guess is as a result of passenger expectations (laziness!). There have been several ports we have visited this year where it has been just as quick to walk - and I’m pushing a wheelchair!

Anyone who has been to Zeebrugge this year may have noticed the development by the port entrance.

Its the new cruise passenger terminal and port offices etc. Once finished passengers may be able to walk out of the port, rather than use transport.

Two I can think of are Lisbon and Lanzarote. And in both cases the berths are nearer the city/town. Both still have shuttle buses but are easily walkable. Or in my case scooterable. I may have invented that word.

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Anyone who has been to Zeebrugge this year may have noticed the development by the port entrance.

 

Its the new cruise passenger terminal and port offices etc. Once finished passengers may be able to walk out of the port, rather than use transport.

Can’t say I noticed it when we visited in February and, sadly, we never even made landfall on our recent cruise to Zeebrugge on Aurora due to high winds! However, having got the port shuttle to the main gates last time (in order to get a pre-arranged taxi) it looked as though it was a pretty barren road in the middle of nowhere, so perhaps that won’t be as much of an advantage as it is in some other places?

When I cruised out of Venice in 1970 (school cruise on Nevasa), the ship was docked just along from St Mark's Square in a very convenient position. Must have been about where the ferries from Punta Sabbioni come in, I think. They must have built the Marittima cruise terminals some time since then.

Two I can think of are Lisbon and Lanzarote. And in both cases the berths are nearer the city/town. Both still have shuttle buses but are easily walkable. Or in my case scooterable. I may have invented that word.

 

 

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Yes we have always walked in from Lanzarote, the new pathway is nice but the old way was also perfectly adequate and walkable (or scooter-able).

I just don't like faffing about waiting in shuttle queues. unfortunately while you have given examples of closer many, many more are further out and a lot less convenient because of it.

Some shuttle are unavoidable but even then the drop offs are futher out because the ships are bigger so too many buses. As an example did you go into La Rochelle on Brittania in July Dai? They moved the shuttle drop off from where is has always been outside the tourist information next to the river to much further out of town. The queues were in the full heat of the day, we waited 45 minutes to get a shuttle (aka cattle truck as they pushed so many people into it) back but I understand from speaking to people at dinner that those who tried to get back after about 1pm waited even longer. No fun and a lot of wasted time.

I try to avoid shuttle ports but then they sneak in a new one, like Hamburg.

While I am having a winge my other pet hate is cruise companies describing a stop as "Paris" when they mean Le Harve or "Rome" when they mean Civitavecchia (sic) which is an hour away or Edinburgh when they mean South Queensferry or Rosyth etc.

Yes we have always walked in from Lanzarote, the new pathway is nice but the old way was also perfectly adequate and walkable (or scooter-able).

 

 

 

I just don't like faffing about waiting in shuttle queues. unfortunately while you have given examples of closer many, many more are further out and a lot less convenient because of it.

 

 

 

Some shuttle are unavoidable but even then the drop offs are futher out because the ships are bigger so too many buses. As an example did you go into La Rochelle on Brittania in July Dai? They moved the shuttle drop off from where is has always been outside the tourist information next to the river to much further out of town. The queues were in the full heat of the day, we waited 45 minutes to get a shuttle (aka cattle truck as they pushed so many people into it) back but I understand from speaking to people at dinner that those who tried to get back after about 1pm waited even longer. No fun and a lot of wasted time.

 

 

 

I try to avoid shuttle ports but then they sneak in a new one, like Hamburg.

 

 

 

While I am having a winge my other pet hate is cruise companies describing a stop as "Paris" when they mean Le Harve or "Rome" when they mean Civitavecchia (sic) which is an hour away or Edinburgh when they mean South Queensferry or Rosyth etc.

We shuttled into the the place we have been before by the TI Office. Not far from the Ferris wheel.

The old berth in Lanzarote is a long way fro the town, going on fro 2 mile. The new one is less than a mile and you walk by a marina with shops and bars.

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The joy of a smaller ship. So enjoyed being on Adonia all the way up the river and berthed in the centre of Seville, then up the river to Bordeaux and another overnight there. We were booked to do it again in March, but as she is going by then, we will have to resort to Fred's Braemar.

I know what you mean about calling the ports the wrong name. A couple of years ago on RCI, they described one port as 'Seville'. Now I knew it would be Cadiz as the ship was far too big to actually get up to Seville, but I did at least expect to be able to get an excursion to Seville. But no, they didn't offer any as we were in port for too short a time!

We shuttled into the the place we have been before by the TI Office. Not far from the Ferris wheel.

 

The old berth in Lanzarote is a long way fro the town, going on fro 2 mile. The new one is less than a mile and you walk by a marina with shops and bars.

 

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They still use the old berths when there is more than one ship in port, and the new one is still quite a long walk for anyone with walking difficulties, and still quite a trek from the marina area and through the car park, even though it is all on the level.

We shuttled into the the place we have been before by the TI Office. Not far from the Ferris wheel.

 

The old berth in Lanzarote is a long way fro the town, going on fro 2 mile. The new one is less than a mile and you walk by a marina with shops and bars.

 

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Sorry but that was not the normal shuttle stop at La Rochelle. It was much further out. We have been there many, many times before and never

A. Been that far out of the main town

B. had to wait so long for a return shuttle

If you were at the tourist information was it perhaps a special shuttle for scooters etc?

The joy of a smaller ship. So enjoyed being on Adonia all the way up the river and berthed in the centre of Seville, then up the river to Bordeaux and another overnight there. We were booked to do it again in March, but as she is going by then, we will have to resort to Fred's Braemar.

Agree entirely. We are booked on a Fred ship next year and one of the stops is Bergen and guess what, we are just along from the Bryggen. No annoying shuttles, just a quick walk into town.

It is a real pity that P&O ships are all so big now, we loved the little Artemis.

Sorry but that was not the normal shuttle stop at La Rochelle. It was much further out. We have been there many, many times before before and that never

 

 

 

 

 

A. Been that far out of the main town

 

B. had to wait so long for a return shuttle

 

 

 

 

 

If you were at the tourist information was it perhaps a special shuttle for scooters etc?

No everyone was there. It was in the Avenue Charles de Gaulle about 150 meters fro the TI. There was a massive queue to get back but it moved quite quickly. This was in July on Britannia.

It has been used since as someone on a later cruise in September was also there as they posted a complaint about the long wait.

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No everyone was there. It was in the Avenue Charles de Gaulle about 150 meters fro the TI. There was a massive queue to get back but it moved quite quickly. This was in July on Britannia.

 

It has been used since as someone on a later cruise in September was also there as they posted a complaint about the long wait.

 

 

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The distance and ridiculously long wait in the heat would put me off La Rochelle as a port of call in the future which is a shame as it is a pretty place.

We avoided the equally long wait at Bilboa in July as we did not go into the city (again, been many times before) we just walked in to the local town where we had a really lovely day and near perfect tapas at a local restaurant.

Agree entirely. We are booked on a Fred ship next year and one of the stops is Bergen and guess what, we are just along from the Bryggen. No annoying shuttles, just a quick walk into town.

 

 

 

It is a real pity that P&O ships are all so big now, we loved the little Artemis.

Well we were in that berth by the castle on Britannia. So the big ships can get in there. We have also been there on Azura.

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Here is a shot of the fish market with Britannia in the background.

A much better berth.

They seem to have improved it as 3 ships can get in now,

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Well we were in that berth by the castle on Britannia. So the big ships can get in there. We have also been there on Azura.

 

 

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That's interesting Dai. It's a pity then that P&O (and other cruise companies) don't choose to share the berthing information at the point of booking. For people like me who have no patience for waiting for shuttles it would make a real difference.

I have never seen a big ship at the castle berth so it is reassuring to know that it does sometimes happen. Our last few Bergen stops with P&O have been at the industrial port where you must take a shuttle as walking is not permissible.

That's interesting Dai. It's a pity then that P&O (and other cruise companies) don't choose to share the berthing information at the point of booking. For people like me who have no patience for waiting for shuttles it would make a real difference.

 

 

 

I have never seen a big ship at the castle berth so it is reassuring to know that it does sometimes happen. Our last few Bergen stops with P&O have been at the industrial port where you must take a shuttle as walking is not permissible.

We have been to the shuttle berth twice and the better one All the other times.

Not sure there is any way they could say where they were going to berth two years away from the Cruise. We were only told about the berth on Britannia when we were on the ship.

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We have been to the shuttle berth twice and the better one All the other times.

 

Not sure there is any way they could say where they were going to berth two years away from the Cruise. We were only told about the berth on Britannia when we were on the ship.

 

 

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But surely they need to know that they have a berth before they sell a cruise?

Could it be that advertising one of the hideous out of town industrial ports with a long shuttle would reduce bookings 😀?

But surely they need to know that they have a berth before they sell a cruise?

 

 

 

Could it be that advertising one of the hideous out of town industrial ports with a long shuttle would reduce bookings [emoji3]?

Berths are not booked that far out.

Well allocated by the port two years out.

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Berths are not booked that far out.

 

Well allocated by the port two years out.

 

 

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Really? So how do ships know they actually have a berth in the advertised port?

Dai, you are a joy. I really enjoy our chats.

Really? So how do ships know they actually have a berth in the advertised port?

 

 

 

Dai, you are a joy. I really enjoy our chats.

The port will accept the booking and then fix the exact berth at a later date. It’s not rocket science.

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The port will accept the booking and then fix the exact berth at a later date. It’s not rocket science.

 

 

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Sorry, there is real added value in the better berths in terms of customer satisfaction and less cost for shuttles etc so I don't believe that there is not an element of cruise companies paying up more for better berths. As you say it's not rocket science.

Sorry, there is real added value in the better berths in terms of customer satisfaction and less cost for shuttles etc so I don't believe that there is not an element of cruise companies paying up more for better berths. As you say it's not rocket science.

On the other hand can you imagine the uproar when a berth had to be changed because the port needed to change it. No way is that happening.

In this case of course the port puts on the shuttles and therefore it is in their interest not to have a ship out there.

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