Island is preferred British Isle destination for cruise liners
Friday 13th August 2010, 2:29PM BST.
CRUISE passengers contribute around £1m. per year to the local visitor economy, according to Visit Guernsey.
And Jersey is highly unlikely ever to attract that level of benefit from visiting liners, it says.
Marketing and tourism director Chris Elliott made this claim yesterday and said Guernsey remains the busiest day port of call for cruise ships in the British Isles, with about 60 ships visiting per year.
This comes a week after Cruisecritic.com editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer Brown said Guernsey should do more to cash-in on this form of tourism, and knowing that Jersey is talking about building a bespoke terminal for liners.
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Martino! Fantastic news! Brillant!! Hey Martino, have you read it? Out of all the islands, Guernsey is the most popular destination for cruise ships! Terrific. It must be due to Guernsey being different! Whoopee!! Vive le difference!!
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That should have been….’Vive le difference,eh”
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Fantastic…..seems the cruise ships are coming regardless of whether or not the shops are not open on a Sunday like everywhere else…….
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No, it should have been Vive LA difference!
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Martino. Don’t forget the ‘eh’, eh?
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Of course it is good news that cruise passengers seem to enjoy Guernsey, including our old fashioned shopping opportunities. But I would hardly have thought ‘£1m a year contribution to the local economy’ would make much of a case for Jersey to fork out lord knows how many millions for a liner terminal. What does ‘contribution’ mean anyway – turnover, gross profit, net profit? Even if Jersey were to prove as popular as Guernsey (obviously unlikely!) and that is net profit, it could surely never justify the spending involved. It seems to me this Carolyn Spencer Brown is a bit of a mixer who likes the sound of her own voice.
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Well, if we’re being pedantic, it’s ‘vive la différence’.
And as we are officially in the British Islands according to the Interpretation (Guernsey) Law, 1948 but not in the British Isles, perhaps the headline should have said ‘British Island’?
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Beanjar:
Or perhaps she is an astute business woman who thinks we could bring more trade in to the island with some new ideas?
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Like what, Truth Man? In the space of a week she has told us that Guernsey is unpopular with cruise passengers because the High Street closes on Sunday. Then a few days later she tells us we are their favourite destination er … because the shops are closed on Sunday?!?! This sounds to me like a confused old bat who can’t make her mind up and loves seeing her name in the paper.
I still don’t know how much additional money cruise passengers bring to the island. Not that I care much, so long as they behave themselves and don’t try to turn our island into a third rate shopping mall like they’ve got at home. If they don’t want to take us as we are, they have a boat out at about 6 o’clock!
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I am reminded that there are “lies, damned lies, and statistics”.
Every time there is a gleaming gin palace anchored in the Little Russell that MUST be good for some part of the Guernsey visitor economy,eh?
Bloney moi… the primary reason for the visits of these marine engineering monoliths is not simply customer demand for Guernsey’s charm but actually massive corporate TAX BREAKS.
The cruise companies can offset some eye-watering savings against UK and EU tax by anchoring in Bailiwick waters on either the first or last legs of UK originated cruises.
On a recent Scandinavian Odyssey cruise the final port of call before Southampton was Guernsey? Now when I was a school Guernsey was not even close to Scandinavia. Now that is a real Odd-essy.
So my ‘ickle brayeing donkey friends it would appear that the unique charm of Guernsey and it’s quirky Sunday trading laws are not the only attraction of this fair isle for P&O and their ocean going chums?
Sacre bleu, mon vieux!
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Beanjar
Perhaps the confused old bat might noot be so confused as you might think.
Cruise passengers see Guernsey as a place they would like to visit.
What passsengers don’t like is to arrive and come ashore by ship tender, or even be unable to anchor because of bad weather. You can understand why those who do manage to get ashore on a Sunday, feel upset when they find a lovely town like St Peter Port, but with shops shut.
I don’t think for one moment they want to turn Guernsey into a third rate shopping mall, but would like to see a nice town.
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I wonder if the local taxi drivers take the trouble to look for an extra bit of business when the liners are in?
I remember once coming back from St Malo on Condor and along with another dozen potential customers waited in vain for a taxi to show up
In the end I had to leave the family and cadge a lift from a total stranger ( thanks again mate )to the Weighbridge taxi rank where seven or eight drivers were sitting around waiting for business
There was an almost pitiful look of surprise when I told them where they could find an eager fare
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Beanjar:
You’re not reading the report properly. The claim re favourite destination came from Chris Elliott, our very own director of marketing and tourism!
Perhaps you’re the confused old bat, and perhaps you would do well to listen to those who are more informed rather than making rushed ill informed judgements?
Just playing devils advocate of course, I’m sure you normally make perfect sense.
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Ray:
You have hit the nail on the head and I have asked similar questions in the past…
Why don’t outlying restaurants and attractions get together and run free minibuses: – get off ferry, free bus to museum, then on to restaurant, quick tour of South Coast where you can grab coffee at Icart Tearooms, then free bus back to North Beach.
Or… themed days out for example Second World War tours.
Or walking tours where you are dropped off at point A and collected at point B. You get the idea.
The lack of this kind of joined up thinking is what holds us back – not just in tourism, but generally in terms of the whole infrastructure of the island. There are loads of opportunities, it’s just that no one ever takes the initiative.
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Hundreds of cruise ship passengers in town in the drizzle at lunchtime today, but next to nothing was open. I counted one jewellers shop open, plus Christies and Pelican cafe. A huge missed opportunity as the tourists mooched around looking for something to spend their money on. Do we want tourists or not ?
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I have just heard the Harbourmaster on the radio say we need new cranes and before they arrive we need to repair the jetty, while we are at it lets put in a cruise liner berth, then we will see the tourists and the shops in town will think it worthwhile to open on a Sunday.Its what I think some States members call blue sky thinking!
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Yes, I made a mistake in attributing the comment about Guernsey being favourite cruise destination to the wrong person – apologies for that. But it doesn’t change the apparent contradiction with the original complaint that people are not happy with Guernsey purely because of restricted Sunday shopping.
I note that a few cruise passengers were spotted in town yesterday strolling around in the drizzle. Fair enough, but you must be aware that most passengers from the ship would have been out on excursions spending money. The few you see in harbour are the ones who DON’T want to spend much, it happens on every cruise. I agree more could be done to offer these people alternative tours or taxi hire but surely that is up to suppliers to be a bit keener not a reason to spoil our ‘quiet Sundays’.
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Before too many people jump on the bandwagon for a new liner berth may I suggest that we look very carefully at the cost/benefits. And I do mean the true cost, not one of these dodgy estimates that goes up 500% by completion. Certainly, cruise lines and their passengers are not too keen on using tenders and a berth would increase passenger landings. But can we make absolutely sure the island will benefit from increased numbers, perhaps via landing tax, to pay for it. As mentioned elsewhere the big money from cruise passengers is made by the cruise operator from excursions, not directly by Guernsey.
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It does not surprise me that Guernsey is preferred British Isle for cruises – what else do they have to choose from?! It does not change the fact that their experience, once here, is poor. We are at the top of the bottom of the proverbial barrel.
Whilst we’re simply pitching ourselves against Scilly Isles, Jersey and Alderney we’re selling ourselves short. We should look at maximising the opportunity, not just at providing an experience marginally better than our peers.
Let’s face it, on a cruise of any kind, Guernsey is hardly going to be the highlight. For cruises we’re just a stop-over whilst the liner is en-route to where the passengers really want to go to. We’re like a truck stop on the M1 – great to stretch your legs and have a wee but there’s no way you’d go there unless it was on the way to somewhere better. We could change that, but will be unable to unless we’re prepared to accept we don’t currently do enough.
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I think you are being a little harsh on Guernsey Truth Man, I have been on many cruises around the world and I think if I had landed in Guernsey I would have thought it quite fascinating and quaint, granted the weather is not like the med but we cannot do anything about that, but I do think people are still taken with this little island and the fact there is not much to do (your words not mine) is half the attraction.A lot of people on cruises are very interested in the history of the place and of course we have plenty of that.The cruise lines will shoot themselves in foot because over the years of cruising we have noticed a considerable rise in the price of the tours which are on offer and that certainly puts the price of the cruise up,so passengers are going to be looking to go and explore on their own.I think if you had a cruise liner berth it would pay for itself,and instead of calling into Gibraltar they will call in here.
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You’re right, I probably am being a bit harsh. I do however think we could make much, much more of our island than we do. To take your example of people liking the quaintness, why aren’t tours arranged (as suggested in my previous post) so we show people the best of our quaintness?
I’d be really interested to see some stats from passengers so we know how they see our island. Do they care that our shops are closed on Sunday? Is their stop over here valued, or is it a truck stop style whistle stop? Personally, I think it is the latter. But I do realise this is just my view.
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Despite paying a fortune for cruises many visitors make a beeline for charity shops.
They are nor really big spenders.
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@Truth Man
Tours are done. When the cruise ships are in I see a load of coaches at the pier usually with a crowd of tourists waiting to board them. Usually with them all milling about in the road oblivious to my car too.
I suspect that the reason why Guernsey is on the itinerary is for duty free/tax reasons being out of the EU and all. Jersey’s harbour is also tidal, therefore Guernsey is the preferable choice.
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Dave
ever been on a cruise?
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Truth Man,
When will you ever learn?
the folks on cruise ships do NOT come here for shopping! A souvenier maybe but they are not going to buy clothes,televisions,hi fi systems e.t.c. If I was coming to Guernsey on a cruise I would want to see the island and it’s culture not the inside of a retail outlet. Anyone who can afford to come here on a cruise has doubtless seen the inside of a shopping mall. And yes Truth Man Guernsey is small but well worth a visit on a cruise.
You could visit Herm ,Castle Cornet,Grap a cream tea at Cobo all in one day. Hardly a truck stop on the M1. For someone who is always spouting on about Guernsey being held back you do a great job on that score yourself.
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Kevin:
Oh dear Kevin, you do speak without thinking don’t you, you poor thing.
Read my posts again. You will see I have made no mention whatsoever of ‘folks on cruise ships’ coming here for shopping.
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Sure have, went round the med a couple of years ago. There were excursions at every port.
You really do only have one drum that you keep beating dont you. Surely that thing has been pounded to just the frame by now!
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Truth Man
your post of August 17th 8.43 a.m.
“Do they care that our shops are closed on Sunday.” Why ask the question? It is you who should re-read your posts.
stop being so negative about Guernsey it’s becoming boring.
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Kevin:
You need to re-read my post. I was asking the question whether or not they care. I was not implying that they do care. What I want is to know whether they actually do care, or not. I want to know whether they like coming here, or whether they find it dull.
And about negativity – should we do what you seem to want to do and pretend everything is fine the way it is because that’s how you like it? That way, you can continue living in your little bubble worrying what you want most and you’ll never actually have to care about what’s best for the island.
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Kevin:
I think I need to provide some clarification as you and I seem to be talking about different issues here:
I am talking about the benefits of us finding out what cruise passengers think of our island when they come here and see a snap-shot. If they like it – they may come back for a proper holiday and this will bring more trade to our island. This is good for us.
You seem to be talking about WHY cruise passengers come here. Don’t forget, cruise passengers come here because this is where the ferry stopped and dropped them off for a while.
Therefore, we need to maximise the opportunities provided by this chance meeting. By doing this we make the most of tourists during that initial visit and increase the chances of them returning.
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We are the preferred British Isle destination, imagine how great it’d be then if the States actually started putting a bit of effort back into tourism!!
Cruise tourists are great because they can get an insight into the island and if they like what the see, they’ll come back. Guernsey is a beautiful island, shops or no shops, we need to be putting more effort into attracting them back after the inital taster from the cruise
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