howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the "costa fortune" berthed here today. many passengers decided to take a slow walk onto town via our lovely new seafront.
sadly they then see the following as they head through the underpass into town.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
They seemed to be Germans and Dutch in the shop not that they spent much, one kids book at 20p and directions to De Bradelei Wharf.
What an awful impression that must give to our visitors.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
I know I keep saying it and people must be getting fed-up, but there is no one being paid to work on making the Town a cleaner, smarter, more welcoming Town - for visitors and residents alike.
Until the major stakeholders in Dover accept that such a person needs to be employed and paid, the Town will stay the same, no matter how many millions are spent on regeneration.
Roger
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
Joking aside, Howard, Costa do actually have a ship called "Costa Fortuna"! Agree with everyone's comments on the need to do more to promote this trade. Admitedly it's seasonal but cruising is the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry, and more and more UK ports are trying to get in on the act. Boris Johnson has just approved plans for a new cruise terminal in London, and Southampton is booming. Dover is, of course, by far the most attractive port with the castle, White Cliffs, etc. but more must be done to make the town attractive and appealling.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
here she is the Costa Packeta ( really Costa Magica) nestling against the pier later in the day from Howards picture, taken as the storm flitters about. Lightning flashing here and there...was hoping to get a lightning flash above the ship but it didnt work out. See how dead calm the sea is despite the turbulent sky.
Oh dear! if they build a new cruise terminal in London Kevin it might hit us hard. Would be a cataclysmic shame if these ships were not to come here any more.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
Following on from Roger's point about cleaning Dover.
The other day I watched the small white drive-along road sweeping thing, I have no idea what it is technically called. It drove up the road and the down the other side missing the gutter where all the rubbish collects because of all the parked cars, what a waste of our money and the operator's time.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i hadn't heard that about a cruise terminal in london, would have to be a long time in the future though.
i cannot see anyone splashing out in the present economic climate.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
Good to see other cruise liners coming into Dover. Our last cruise from Barcelona, was with Costa, on Costa Serena, and most enjoyable.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Roger
This is just the type of attraction that could do well in Dover. Not too big for the narrow roads,nostalgic and quirky enough to attract cruise passengers who have a couple of hours to kill. It would also help if it provided the service from the Terminal so as not making them trudge into town.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
We have lived here for more than a dozen years and love Dover. But it is still the same thing: a fab town let down by the people tasked with promoting it. It can't be that difficult to see where a bit of a tidy up and some joined up promotional thinking would work? Other towns manage it.........
Guest 717- Registered: 16 Jun 2011
- Posts: 468
I did hear that London Cruise Terminal may be ready to accept cruise liners in for the Olympics. Not too great for Dover but I'm sure we'll still get the business as long as the rates don't go up AGAIN. Hopefully we will see the Disney cruise liner back next year, that was defiantly a popular attraction.
A 'Hop on Hop off' open top bus would be great, dropping you off at different places such as cruise terminals, seafront, grand shaft, western heights, castle, White cliffs. I also love the idea on another thread of a little train on the seafront. Not sure it would get the business though to keep afloat. Dover's problem is that at the moment it is treated as a 'transit town'. The convenience of large shopping precincts are too close by like Canterbury, Westwood cross, ashford. Canterbury is also a BIG pull for tourists.Dover has just as much to offer in the way of history it is just not a pleasure to visit the bits in between like the town centre. Maybe a 'lanes' layout of the old bus station would be ideal but the locals will have to throw their support at the new independent businesses.
Keeps politics to myself
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the open top bus we have does the town centre, the castle, the sea front and i thought the cruise terminal too.
maybe someone can confirm this?
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
The London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury has been operating for several years. We went on a cruise to Iceland from there last year, easy to get to once across the Thames (easier to get to than Dover if you're setting from anywhere apart from Kent) , very pleasant and efficient operation with loads of parking and they've even got a historic fort next door. Only downside for the cruise operators is the limited capacity for berths (as at last year) and the long time taken to get up the Thames to the berth due top speed limits, but that was an experience in itself.
http://www.londoncruiseterminal.com/Guest 717- Registered: 16 Jun 2011
- Posts: 468
Yes but it is more of a 'Get to those' places than a tourist bus. Would be nice to have it as a 'Tour Bus'. Prices are a bit on the steep side if you ask me but then so are the taxis making the most of tourists from the East and West docks.
Keeps politics to myself
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
The buses that run on cruise days (Port of calls) collects passengers from the cruise terminal, brings them into the Market Square, then goes up to the Castle.
Last year the owner of the buses had the franchise to sell tickets for Dover Castle which was great for him and EH, but not much help for the Town.
Richard Mahony of White Cliffs Boat and Bus Tours has two buses and could offer a tour round to all our sites in and around Dover; Richard does offer a tourism service but not to places like Dover Transport Museum or Crabble Corn Mill, which are good places to visit and both desperately need visitors.
It does need a couple of buses to offer this service, but finding someone to sponsor/fund it, is nigh-on impossible.
I know what needs to be done, I'm sure many other people do as well, but funding their salary is also nigh-on impossible too.
Roger
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Roger you are wrong there,Richard will take them there if there is a call for it.,or asked to.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
As Ray mentions, there is an existing cruise terminal at Tilbury. However, I was refering to a new cruise terminal to be built at Enderby Wharf in Greenwich, much closer to central London and with the ability to berth ships up to 240m in length. I think this will be of much more concern to the port of call trade which Dover attracts. As we know, many passengers bypass the town on coaches to London. Even more reason for a concerted effort to make the town more attractive.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
I wrote to the Harbour Board about part-funding or sponsorship, for the salary of the Dover Business Support Manager, but didn't even get the courtesy of a reply, in fact I wrote twice.
I agree with Kevin that losing cruise ships would cost DHB a lot of money, it would also be very bad for Dover, but who gives a .... ? at least enough to support the Town ?
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
try again roger, we have a born again harbour board.
they seem committed to the welfare of the town nowadays.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
I wonder how true that is Howard, it could just be lip service.
Some kind of regular transport from Pencester to Eastern Docks then to the Terminal as well as ideal for visitors would be a boon for those of us who can not walk far but would like to see the sea more often.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Marek
