Hi there I absolutely and totally disagree Bruce. The North Isles ferries are nearing the end of their working lives here. There were designed in the 1980s by engineers, not ship architects and apart from the very steep and narrow stairs, total lack of access for the disabled, infirm, or even those carrying babies, their passenger accommodation is uncomfortable, old fashioned and very stuffy. This is no criticism of the ships themselves, the service (although the timetables are complex), the shipping co., etc. The Hamnavoe is a very solid, new ship designed to last and to offer agood service to its passengers. It is very very rarely cancelled, and is a comfortable ship in which to travel. I frequently travel early or late and appreciate the good food, nice coffee and the occasional drink. Aslso at 5 years old it still looks new inside and out. And likely so will the the Banks' new catamaran when it comes into service. The point is many people are apprehensive of ferries, get seasick etc. A quality service experience is thus very important. Of course the OIC is now discussing new ferries for the North Isles. They will have to meet different regulations than the previous ones, and will hopefully be designed from the deck up for passenger comfort. Of course there is the utilitarian need for cheap transport, but to design a ship from the point of view of its cargo should not be more expensive. Finally as chairman of Orkney Tourism Group I am very committed to improving and maintaining the overall experience our visitors get whilst in Orkney. These include people on holiday from outside Orkney and those visiting other parts of the islands. The future wellbeing of Orkney depends fundamentally on having a successful and thriving tourist industry. Whether you like it or not the North Isles are part of that. You are never going to have a huge influx of visitors, but instead of a few hardy and interested souls who make it to your island you may get a few more, who in turn will spend some money on the island. However the ferry experinece is not the only thing the isles need to look at. Subtle things can make a big difference, such as rod signs, parking places, opening times to suit ferry times, and maybe above all information. I do not propose excessively fancy ships or services, but i do feel that you are taking quite the wrong approach when you suggest "any old thing will do". In fact the further out you get the MORE important is assurance of quality. Sorry but I feel strongly about this.

I do agree that all customers deserve a quality service in all respects, and something that, to use the latest current phrase "is fit for purpose". However as a tourist travelling around on various ferries worldwide over the years - I require a reliable timetable on vessels with comfortable seats and decent coffee, but I would rather pay a little less and forgoe all the chrome and plushness. Unless I chose to go on a cruise then I would expect the vessel to be a floating 5 star hotel! I do disagree about the Hamnavoe being rarely cancelled. I can see the Hamnavoe n Stromness harbour from any window at the rear of my house, and in the winter I often note that it is cancelled for part of the day at least. And the shelves in the Co-op stand empty on several days in the winter. Maybe this year I'll keep a diary out of interest to see whether my perception is correct or not. As to information - I was at the Inter Isles Ferry Consultative meeting at the OIC on Monday and a question was raised about the electronic information boards on display in all the island waiting rooms. Most have been blank except for one red light for a couple of years. These boards were provided by HiTrans as is the software, which is now also many years old. Unbelievably although Orkney Ferries are now about to get these working, the most the boards will say is that ferries are running to schedule or are delayed! It is just not possible for them to actually display the timetable or time of next ferry!! OR to say that the ferry is full and if you are not booked don't bother waiting! Incredible!! Considering that several of the north isles ferries have timetables that vary on different days of the week one would think that this sort of information would be invaluable and at least a minimum requirement! The Islands brochure is often out of date by the time summer arrives too. The Graemsay information has been out of date for over two years, despite us going through the community council, the liaison officer to get this rectified. This year I'll just email Morag at the Council direct and see if she can get her red pen out! I heartily agree that joined-up information is essential to aid tourists and locals alike. Sian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Tait" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; "Samantha Hill" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 11:24 AM Subject: [ORCADIA] Ferries and quality > Hi there > > I absolutely and totally disagree Bruce. The North Isles ferries are > nearing the end of their working lives here. There were designed in the > 1980s by engineers, not ship architects and apart from the very steep > and narrow stairs, total lack of access for the disabled, infirm, or > even those carrying babies, their passenger accommodation is > uncomfortable, old fashioned and very stuffy. > > This is no criticism of the ships themselves, the service (although the > timetables are complex), the shipping co., etc. > > The Hamnavoe is a very solid, new ship designed to last and to offer > agood service to its passengers. It is very very rarely cancelled, and > is a comfortable ship in which to travel. I frequently travel early or > late and appreciate the good food, nice coffee and the occasional drink. > > Aslso at 5 years old it still looks new inside and out. And likely so > will the the Banks' new catamaran when it comes into service. The point > is many people are apprehensive of ferries, get seasick etc. A quality > service experience is thus very important. > > Of course the OIC is now discussing new ferries for the North Isles. > They will have to meet different regulations than the previous ones, and > will hopefully be designed from the deck up for passenger comfort. Of > course there is the utilitarian need for cheap transport, but to design > a ship from the point of view of its cargo should not be more expensive. > > Finally as chairman of Orkney Tourism Group I am very committed to > improving and maintaining the overall experience our visitors get whilst > in Orkney. These include people on holiday from outside Orkney and > those visiting other parts of the islands. > > The future wellbeing of Orkney depends fundamentally on having a > successful and thriving tourist industry. Whether you like it or not > the North Isles are part of that. You are never going to have a huge > influx of visitors, but instead of a few hardy and interested souls who > make it to your island you may get a few more, who in turn will spend > some money on the island. > > However the ferry experinece is not the only thing the isles need to > look at. Subtle things can make a big difference, such as rod signs, > parking places, opening times to suit ferry times, and maybe above all > information. > > I do not propose excessively fancy ships or services, but i do feel that > you are taking quite the wrong approach when you suggest "any old thing > will do". In fact the further out you get the MORE important is > assurance of quality. > > Sorry but I feel strongly about this. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >