Anyone on Azura A116 ?

[bee-ess]

To anyone on Azura A116 visiting Cobh for Cork.

I have been told by a local coach company that we are not docking in Cobh but in another berth called Ringaskiddy that is a about 45mins by road away from Cobh and has no transport links with Cork.

I was trying to book an all day tour that they run from Cobh to Kinsale, Blarney and Cork that costs 20 Euro each. They are not running one for our ship because of the change of berth and because they had no interest from Azura when it was advertised. If anyone else would be willing to join this tour and call Butlers they are would be willing to run a tour if there was enough support from Azura. This seems to be a very popular tour that is currently waitlisted for most days.

The tour is here

http://www.ecoach.ie/blarney_bus_tour.php?rid=butlers

Their email is

ian@butlers-buses.com

 

For 20 Euros this looks a good tour and a good way to get out of Ringaskiddy which has little or no transport links.

[LEESRE]

We have done this tour with Butlers and must say that they are an excellant outfit and the tour is well worth the price.

Hope you get enough to fill the coach.

[palmaport]

I am bumping this back up because there is still a " waiting list " that needs more people to book in order to support this good value for money tour. The date is 19th July 2011.

 

Please click on the link below and join the waiting list.

 

Thanks.

 

http://www.ecoach.ie/blarney_bus_tour.php?rid=butlers

[smileon]

We are on this cruise and probably going to arrange to take the tour - have made contact with the bus company!

 

I also rang P and O this morning and they told me we were still due to dock at Cobh and not Ringaskiddy and that we would be informed if there was a change of docking port. Not sure what to make of this but know Pand O aren't always terribly reliable with their information. Any idea where the bus company have got their information?

 

Do we know how many people they will require to run the tour?

 

Thank you!

[bee-ess]

I had an email from P&O confirmimg Ringaskiddy and the Port of Cobh website also confirms it.

 

Donlt know how many we will need for them to run a trip but hoping they do.

[bee-ess]

the Port of Cork website also confirms it.

 

 

http://www.portofcork.ie/index.cfm/page/cruiseschedule2010

[palmaport]

Well done bee-ess for the link and confirmation of the correct port.

 

Now lets book Butlers tour folks and help make it a success ;)

 

 

http://www.ecoach.ie/blarney_bus_tour.php?rid=butlers

[smileon]

Contacted P and O again and they are quite determined that we are still docking at Corb - despite mentioning the info on the port website. They really got quite irrate with me.

 

Anyway - have e-mailed Butlers and asked them to add 2 of us to the list. Hopefully we can get enough people to get them to run the tour. Seems like the ideal way to cover all the main sites in this area.

[seb530]

Never experienced this before...

Surely p&o need to contact everyone to let them know of any change in port at this early statge.

 

Also, wouldnt it be their responsibility to get you to the originsl port by coach?

Assume there is something in the t&cs but would this be regarded as a change in the holsiday contract and possibly lead to valid cancellations?..

 

 

Its a bit off it the ship is actually dock somewhere else and the intinery isnt up to date and people are being slightly misled?

[bee-ess]

Never experienced this before...

Surely p&o need to contact everyone to let them know of any change in port at this early statge.

 

Also, wouldnt it be their responsibility to get you to the originsl port by coach?

Assume there is something in the t&cs but would this be regarded as a change in the holsiday contract and possibly lead to valid cancellations?..

 

 

Its a bit off if the ship is actually dock somewhere else and the intinery isnt up to date and people are being slightly misled?

 

P&O have an obligation to either shuttle or tender us to Cobh where you can take a train to Cork. They will not shuttle us to Cork. The issue is that it is over 30 mins by road to Cobh and then a train journey on top to get to Cork. It is however a fairly short tender to Cobh but at this time P&O will not confirm to me how they intend to get us to Cobh.

I just see this tour as an oppotunity to get a tour of the local area with the minimum of fuss. This is the email dialogue that I had with P&O.

 

Please can you confirm our berth for the Cobh day - I have read that it is Ringaskiddy not Cobh. Assuming it is Ringaskiddy please can you confirm what shuttle/tender arrangements are being provided.

 

Good afternoon

 

Thank you for your email.

 

The ship is due to berth at Ringaskiddy and transport to Cobh will be provided. Full details of this will be supplied once you are on board.

 

There will be a number of shore excursions available which will include Cork. These will be available to view and reserve on the Cruise Personaliser around 12 weeks prior to your cruise.

Thank You very much for your reply - what transport will be provided, will it be tender or Coach.

I would like to know before I get on board as I am trying to arrange independant excursion sightseeing



Good afternoon

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Our Operations team have not yet finalised the transport arrangements in the port. They are hoping to have this information shortly; please email us in a month or so when we should be able to advise you further.

 

[smileon]

Thanks bee-ess for the info.

 

I guess at the end of the day if we go for the tour it makes little difference where we dock - lets just hope we get enough for them to run it!

 

On second thoughts if they tendered to Cobh might that be a problem for us getting to meet the tour? I supposed we would just need to ensure we were all ready to get in the queue for one of the first tenders.

 

I notice the excursions are now on the cruise personaliser - with costs - which makes this trip look particularly good value for money.

[charabanc]

Hello,

Just had an email back from Butlers Buses.

They are running the tour on 19th July, at 24-99 Euro's, and they say they pick up from Ringaskiddy.

I am still not sure where we will set foot in Ireland, will the coach company have inside knowledge of this information?

Regards.

[palmaport]

Hello,

Just had an email back from Butlers Buses.

They are running the tour on 19th July, at 24-99 Euro's, and they say they pick up from Ringaskiddy.

I am still not sure where we will set foot in Ireland, will the coach company have inside knowledge of this information?

Regards.

 

 

Hi charabanca,

 

I have just successfully booked 2 seats for my son and myself. The cost is much lower than what P&O are offering for the same type of excursions.

 

Here is the link to Butlers Coaches: http://www.ecoach.ie/index.php

 

See you there folks and hope you have a great cruise!

 

D.

[Somerset Cruiser]

Hi charabanca,

 

I have just successfully booked 2 seats for my son and myself. The cost is much lower than what P&O are offering for the same type of excursions.

 

Here is the link to Butlers Coaches: http://www.ecoach.ie/index.php

 

See you there folks and hope you have a great cruise!

 

D.

 

We have booked 2 seats also, filling up fast!

[bee-ess]

Yes, I ordered ours from Butlers yesterday as well for us 4 - should be a good trip. Saves having to worry about where we dock or if will shuttle or coach passengers to Cobh. I asked P&O last week and they still don't know - My guess it that they will tender from Ringaskiddy to Cobh but it doesn't bother me now.

 

Thanks to everyone who helped to get this trip going by registering.

[bee-ess]

Hello,

Just had an email back from Butlers Buses.

They are running the tour on 19th July, at 24-99 Euro's, and they say they pick up from Ringaskiddy.

I am still not sure where we will set foot in Ireland, will the coach company have inside knowledge of this information?

Regards.

 

My understanding from Butlers is that they know where we are docking and will pick us up accordingly. (They are the ones that told me originally that we were docking in Ringaskiddy)

 

Port of Cork site still shows Ringaskiddy

http://www.portofcork.ie/index.cfm/p...seschedule2010

[lexus man]

Yes, we're on it too.Look forward to meeting you all. Alan & Mary (Devon)

[smileon]

My daughter and I have also booked our seats - so another 2.

 

I had begun looking at the pand O excursions but none of them seems to cover as much and are much more expensive so really hoping there are enough of us to make the trip viable for them to run.

 

Look forward to meeting everyone!

 

Anne

[charabanc]

Hello,

yes I have booked my two tickets, lets hope for good weather and a good day.

 

All we need now is for someone to find good tours in the other ports for us all to mull over. . . . . . . . .

 

See you all on 15th July.

 

Regards,

 

Ann

[grush240]

Hi all just sort of lurking around and saw this thread. I've booked on this cruise,so signed up to the site and booked the tour. Excellent stuff from you all.

 

Kev

[bliuenose]

to anyone on azura a116 visiting cobh for cork.

I have been told by a local coach company that we are not docking in cobh but in another berth called ringaskiddy that is a about 45mins by road away from cobh and has no transport links with cork.

I was trying to book an all day tour that they run from cobh to kinsale, blarney and cork that costs 20 euro each. They are not running one for our ship because of the change of berth and because they had no interest from azura when it was advertised. If anyone else would be willing to join this tour and call butlers they are would be willing to run a tour if there was enough support from azura. This seems to be a very popular tour that is currently waitlisted for most days.

The tour is here

http://www.ecoach.ie/blarney_bus_tour.php?rid=butlers

their email is

ian@butlers-buses.com

 

for 20 euros this looks a good tour and a good way to get out of ringaskiddy which has little or no transport links.

having recently visited cobh we can totally recommend their services

[seb530]

Does anyone know what service p&o provide?

sailed princess twice and they have a tendency to open the gangway and then your either on your own or pay for shuttle buses!

 

On this cruise, Brest and Bilbao seem to be "off the ship and walking" ports...

just not sure about the others and whether P&O offer free shuttle buses to centre of towns?

[bee-ess]

Does anyone know what service p&o provide?

sailed princess twice and they have a tendency to open the gangway and then your either on your own or pay for shuttle buses!

 

On this cruise, Brest and Bilbao seem to be "off the ship and walking" ports...

just not sure about the others and whether P&O offer free shuttle buses to centre of towns?

 

All shuttles on P&O are free.

Bilbao is a long away from where we berth - about 30 mins by coach.

Dublin is about 20 mins out by coach to the City Centre drop-off.

Brest is walkable

Possiblt tender from Ringaskiddy to Cobh (not confirmed).

[seb530]

thanks.. so are you saying that P&O will provide shuttle buses to the centre of these towns for free (albeit they may be a distance away)?

[bee-ess]

Yes, all P&O shuttles are free. I am expecting to use the shuttles for Bilbao and Dublin.

 

Please someone else confirm, but I am sure that they are free.