Topic: Liverpool Cruise Terminal Finally Gets Turnaround Approval

Nice video Tuggy. Did that time include time at the Bar before proceeding along the river?

Nice opportunity for the Captain, officers and crew on the tugs to illustrate their seamanship skills.

QUOTE:

Hi Tuggy.
I was there that day,,,were you?
When i got to the Pier Head in my car,she was just passed the Bar lightship,coming level with New Brighton.
By the time i parked the car 100 yds away and walked to the river (15 mins) she was turning in mid river opposite the landing stage,,17 mins later she was docked.
All according to the time on my photos.
Turning in the river...09:55hrs.

Docked...10:12hrs.

Passengers getting off...10:23hrs.


I watched her from turning in the river to passengers disembarking,and i wasn't there 45 mins.
JC

Yes i was onboard & if my memory serves me right we docked at 11.45 & it was raining a bit it seemed like ages to dock, Then we had the local hob nobs come aboard along with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, My only regret was that i did not go to the Cathedral event tickets for that where in very short supply onboard, Then of course the fireworks on departing a good day really.

QUOTE:

Yes i was onboard & if my memory serves me right we docked at 11.45 & it was raining a bit it seemed like ages to dock, Then we had the local hob nobs come aboard along with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, My only regret was that i did not go to the Cathedral event tickets for that where in very short supply onboard, Then of course the fireworks on departing a good day really.

Hi Tuggy
I think our wires are crossed.
Your video says 2009 and my photo's are from that visit.

I didn't go to last years visit in Sept,,,is that the one you where on?
If it was you are correct it may have docked at 11:45hrs.

From Liverpool-live.info
"One of the largest ocean liner’s in the world sailed into Liverpool’s Cruise Liner Terminal today (Thurs 15 Sept) marking the finale of the hugely successful River Festival On the Waterfront event. The Queen Mary 2 (QM2) arrived in the Mersey at 11:30am and is set to depart at 10pm this evening"

If she arrived in the river at 11:30 and docked at 11:45,,thats not bad eh!!

Maybe you meant 2 hrs from passing the Isle of Man to docking.

JC

QM2 is a big ship even by modern day standards but didn't take that long to come alongside,Liverpool's Cruise terminal is a piece of cake compared to some other destinations.I was on The Voyager of the Seas in Barcelona a couple of years ago and the Independence of the Seas came in and had to do the equivilant of a 3 point turn(it was way more than 3 though!) and Barcelona is just about the most popular (and modern) Mediterranean port.
It's only the fact that Liverpool only has 1 tide a day (rather than Southampton's 2 a day) that makes it lesser port than Southampton, getting alongside is just as easy, in fact the Mersey is wider to manoeuvre in than the docks at Southampton,turning round there can take some time,I have witnessed that first hand..

QUOTE:

The road argument may be stretching a point but it's clear there are benefits and the improvments to the end of the M62 in Liverpool have in part been borne by local money not DFT.What about the rail link though, straight into the docks no benefit for anyone else and much more costly than the cruise terminal at Liverpool.Prudent spending of public money?
I too am happy for both ports to host cruises(I'm cruising from Southampton this year and did so last year!), Liverpool will never rival Southampton, it can't for lots of reasons, but I do think their objections were a little precious given that public money has been spent in the Southampton docks area maybe not on the terminals themselves but the rail link was not cheap..

Hi Philhar,

You have the advantage over me re the rail link straight into the docks. I know nothing about this. I would have thought that is nothing to do with the cruse terminals at all, more likely it is a rail link that transports containers from the container port in in Southampton all over the country. More to do with this countrys infrastructure and nothing at all to do with the cruse terminals.
I also note that you have mentioned later on in this thread that Southampton has 2 tides which is an advantage to cruse liners arrivals etc. This is not an issue, the liners come in early morning whatever the state of the tide. They nearly all depart between 16.30 and 17.30, once again tide not being a factor!
You say you are crusing from Southampton this year, if it's on the Oriana on 3rd July or Oceana 29th December, let my know and i'll willingly buy you a pint!
Alan

QUOTE:

Hi Philhar,

You have the advantage over me re the rail link straight into the docks. I know nothing about this. I would have thought that is nothing to do with the cruse terminals at all, more likely it is a rail link that transports containers from the container port in in Southampton all over the country. More to do with this countrys infrastructure and nothing at all to do with the cruse terminals.
I also note that you have mentioned later on in this thread that Southampton has 2 tides which is an advantage to cruse liners arrivals etc. This is not an issue, the liners come in early morning whatever the state of the tide. They nearly all depart between 16.30 and 17.30, once again tide not being a factor!
You say you are crusing from Southampton this year, if it's on the Oriana on 3rd July or Oceana 29th December, let my know and i'll willingly buy you a pint!
Alan

Hi Alan,the railfreight is largely to do with container operations ,but it is also used by the cruise companies to a lesser extent.All of the operations however contribute to ABP's profitability.My main point I guess is that Southampton and Liverpool both have received public money to support commercial activity including the land being more or less handed over.
Also,Southampton really has very little to fear from Liverpool.Whilst the double tide isn't really factored in ,it does mean that delays can be coped with much better.
I honestly believe that only small to medium ships will come to Liverpool in the short term and with increasing traffic there is room,I've been to Southampton with 3 ships in on one day and it's a bit chaotic ,God knows what it's like with more.There is a law of diminishing returns here for Southampton too.I think really crowded days will put people off.
I'm sure once the rhetoric has died down Southampton won't worry too much about it's small (not very near)neighbour.
Hope you enjoy your 2 cruises this year you lucky so and so, I've only got a 4 nighter on Ventura in July to look forward to...

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At last!

I think I'd rather cruise from Liverpool than Southampton. The view is a bit better from your cabin window for a start.


you haven't been to Liverpool lately have you.

Liverpool: Metropolitan Cathedral wins top tourism award
ECHO Arena Liverpool wins top tourism award
Hope St Hotel: •Best Value Urban UK Hotel - The Sunday Times Travel Magazine VFM Awards 2011
ACC Liverpool has won a prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award
base2stay Liverpool scoops three 2012 TripAdvisor Awards
Tripadvisor Awards 2011 Britain’s best nightlife destinations:
1. Liverpool
2. Manchester
3. London
European Capital of Culture 2008
and finally:
Liverpool is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The city won the status in 2004 because of its impressive waterfront which, according to UNESCO, represents a ‘supreme example of a commercial port at the time of Britain’s greatest global significance’.

So to answer your question...yes I have been lately and it was much-improved!

Sorry to take you to task Cliff, but it was actually the Anglican Cathedral which won the tourism award, as a volunteer there, I get to polish it twice a week. !!!

[QUOTE=parthianlad, birkenhead;375517]Sorry to take you to task Cliff, but it was actually the Anglican Cathedral which won the tourism award, as a volunteer there, I get to polish it twice a week. !!![/QUOTE]

Wot............the whole Cathedral??!

What I want to know, is Cliff Marsden any relation to Gerry Marsden, of Gerry and the Pacemakers, that well know group from Liverpool.