Constellation out of Harwich?

[beachgirl007]

We are departing on the Constellation's next sailing (3 June 2006), and we expected to depart out of Dover, as scheduled. We just read somewhere, due to bad weather, the May 20th sailing was moved to Harwich! Being that (if this is so!) such a decision could only be made at the last minute by the cruise line, how were independent travelers who flew to London a few days earlier, notified of the embarkation change? Also, if the ship left from Harwich, will it return to Dover, or must it return to the port of embarkation? Finally, (again, if this info is correct), what provisions were made for passengers who showed up at Dover to board the ship? We will be arriving in London a few days early, and planned to take a train to Dover Priory station. Is there a telephone number that we can call in London, before we board the train, to confirm the port of departure?

[excitedofharpenden]

Yes beachgirl, it did depart from Harwich on the 20th. It has been unusually windy here in the South of the UK for a few days and I'm guessing that the exposed nature of the cruise ship terminal at Dover made it safer to dock in the more sheltered Harwich harbour.

 

I'm sure there were a few nasty stories about travel. Harwich isn't too far from Dover as the crow flies, but it's a good two and a half hours by road.

 

There's no reason that she won't dock back at Dover, but if you want to take a 'phone number with you to make sure, I'd be inclined to have the one for the Port of Dover as they should know what is going on. The number is +44 (0) 1304 240400 (when dialling from the UK, just omit the +44). Hopefully the weather will cheer up by the time you are here

 

Phil

[tom_uk]

.... as a very anglo-centric headline in the first half of the 20th century famously said.

 

Seriously, the weather in the channel has been very bad in the last few days - more like February than May. Here are a few untoward events:-

 

a) Amsterdam cancelled her call at Dover and went to, err, Amsterdam;

b) Both Constellation and Costa Magica skipped Dover and went to Harwich;

c) Oriana was at Guernsey, but probably didn't bother even trying to tender passengers ashore - they just spent the day going green and looking at it;

d) and Pont Aven, a big Brittany Ferries ship, lost some windows in high seas & winds early on a voyage from Plymouth to Santander (Spain) and has diverted to a French port.

 

I understand that Connie passengers landing at Harwich (instead of Dover) were bussed to Dover. Must have been a real drag for those pax who actually lived near Harwich....

 

What happening is the english weather is responding in its own inimitable manner to the first drought restrictions that were introduced about 10 days or so ago in S England, after an extremely dry 18 months. It hasn't stopped raining and blowing since.

[excitedofharpenden]

I set the barbecue up in the garden a couple of weeks ago. Kiss of death, that one:rolleyes::D

 

Phil

[norbert]

Hi, I was on the cruise that endt the 20th at Harwich.

Celebrity has told us from the change of port on Friday evening 5:00pm.

For those who needed to reach Dover, bus shuttles were arranged. The distance to the airports Gatwick and Heathrow is the same. The arrival time was the same. For those who needed to make a phone call to change their own arranged transfers, they met in the conference rooms and a ticket with a number was handeled. The whole priority of the satelittes phone lines were deviated to the meeting rooms, so that 4 phones were working. The phones in the cabins didn't work, no mobile phone worked and the Internet connections were down. So you waited until they called your number, than you could made all your necessary phone calls for free.

For thos who were in Dover to board the ship, they were transferred with buses to Garwich. I heard that the cruise starting on may 20th had a delay of 4 hours.