Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
On 14 March the first cruise ship of the 2011 season arrives in Dover. It's the German cruise ship, Aidacara. This company is sending over 20 cruises to Dover this year on three different ships. The passengers will be predmoninantly German.
So here's an idea for any local businesses - shops, cafes, restuarants and tourist attractions. Put a sign up in your window in German welcoming visitors from the cruise ships. Use your creative talents and perhaps put a German-themed display in the window. Let's give these visitors a warm welcome to Dover and show what can be done if we put our minds to it.
Yes, some of them will go to London and Canterbury on organised tours, but many will stay in the town to see what we have to offer.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
been saying that for ages, we get stacks of tourists from the cruise ships increasing every year.
i never see the words of welcome outside shops or the offer of accepting euros or dollars, a good idea would be for a cafe to offer basic german snacks on the days that they arrive. the dates are available months in advance. the passengers would have been eating posh international cuisine, i bet they would fancy something basic to eat.
Guest 658- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 660
Howard i must disagree with you on one small point,the German tourists will not want German snacks but rather traditional English snacks. My suggestion would be a traditional English tea.
beer the food of the gods
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
you're more up to date than me tom, you travel europe a lot.
i was basing my premise from the days of mediterranean holidays where there was always a german registered van parked at night in the grim part of the resort selling bratwurst and other snacks to long queues of homesick germans.
Accepting euros is a good idea, many Welsh shops do and it encourages the Irish and other foreigners passing through!!
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
German tourists would be interested in seeing the Castle, the museum, and eating traditional English food while here. It would be helpful to have Saint Mary in the Town open to visitors, as tourists actually like to visit a characteristic church in the town-centre.
Welcome signs in Geman in front of dining places when the cruis-liner comes are a good idea, and also some indications on where the museum is, Pencester Gardens and how to walk to the Castle.
Castle-walk indications at important pavement junctions would be helpful.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Paul, for example, one could walk towards East Cliff, ascend the cliffs, assuming to be on the way to the Castle, and then have to turn all the way back!
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
Alas I am going to be away buying MORE dresses for the shop , these dont start arriving til Oktoberfest though :(
I will put a pretty sign up, and hmm.. what to colour to have the window whilst I am away , its going to be nearly 2 whole weeks of the same colour..
uhohhhh...!!
ohhhh.. and most germans speak better english than you or i! Everytime i tried to practice my german in Berlin they kept speaking in english!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
alex
things are very well signposted now, also st mary's is usually open during the summer months staffed by a team of excellent volunteers.
jenni
went past your shop today, looked an eye catching display to me.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
You are all to be congratulated for making no mention of Basil Fawltey.
Alas, in the search for the correct thing to do, best not to enquire of Enjoy England dot com.
Looking through their listings for points of interest in Dover it was not the 'Adults from £14' admission charge for the castle that caught my eye but the Roman Painted House (adults from £3)[ From?]. The ad for which boasts 'foreign tapes', I hope this is explained more carefully locally. Why not tapes in Latin? [for the visitors from South America?]
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
there are a few shops in dover that have signs up in the window ststeing that they euros/dollers.so thats a start then.
I agree that most tourists want to experience local produce. This would be much better than poorly produced German food. Can we really do a good Sauerkraut?
I have been asked by tourists in local shops about local produce, but unfortunately we do not have much that can be immediately identified as Dovorian or even Kentish. I do have a recipe for Dover Biscuits, which might be an idea for cafes and could be produced quite cheaply, wrapped in plastic with a pretty ribbon.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
I did Google 'Kentish Fare' and learned via Canterbury's Euro Fair site that one Mo Joslin has authored a cook-book of that very name.
The fair has a deal of advertising from Sea France, so Dover does get a mention...
http://www.canterburyeurofair.co.uk/main.cfmIgnorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 679- Registered: 7 Sep 2008
- Posts: 162
Can anyone give me a link to a complete timetable of the cruise ships arrivals please?
The Port of Dover's website says that the first ship is due in on the 28th March so I must be looking in the wrong place mustn't I?
I know a million ways to always pick the wrong thing to say
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,316
Dover Town centre management used to do that so that traders would know when the ships were in. Pity no other local organisation has taken on that rôle.
Perhaps Jez should take note.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 679- Registered: 7 Sep 2008
- Posts: 162
Thanks for that Paul....looks like it was only the top two missing off The Port's list.
The timetable was a godsend last year, forewarned is forearmed & all that!
I know a million ways to always pick the wrong thing to say
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the list of cruise arrivals is on the notice board to the left of the seafront shelter that plays host to tombstoning.
the list usually goes up before christmas so must be subject to change.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
Jeanette - there is an official list of the cruise calls at the following link (http://www.doverport.co.uk/?page=Cruises) on the Port of Dover website. Click on the 2011 Dover Port cruise schedule.
Other nationalities which feature prominently this year include Italians (on Costa ships) and Spaniards (on Ibercruceros ships), and of course, lots of Americans on lines such as Holland America, Princess, etc. One interesting visitor is the Nippon Maru, a Japanese cruise ship due on 29 May.
