Business
Overnight Passenger Sailings Cancelled
All passengers on affected sailings will be contacted by the reservations team and offered transfers or full refunds
Arrow will be carrying out all overnight sailings for the next two weeks, with the Manxman only carrying out one return sailing a day.
The Steam Packet Company is deploying its reserve vessel Arrow due to a rostered officer having to unexpectedly take leave for personal reasons.
As a result, Manxman will be undermanned for the next two weeks and unable to sail at night.
Due to the ongoing ‘industrial action short of a strike,’ no fellow officers will swap shifts or cover the absence via paid overtime.
Therefore, starting from tomorrow (Wednesday January 3) Manxman will only be able to operate a single daily sailing.
The Company has therefore been forced to implement the following timetable:
8am Douglas to Heysham – Manxman
2.15pm Heysgam to Douglas – Manxman
5pm Douglas to Heysham – Arrow
1.30am Heysham to Douglas – Arrow
A spokesperson said: ‘While this will affect a relatively large number of sailings, from a customer perspective, the Company has tried to minimise disruption by maintaining the more popular daytime sailings for passengers travelling to and from the Isle of Man.
‘All passengers on affected sailings will be contacted by the reservations team and offered transfers or full refunds. Freight service will be maintained by Arrow for the period of the disruption.
‘The Company will provide updates as and when it is able.’
The Ben-my-Chree is only crewed for maintenance at this time and as the industrial action includes all normal vessels, the company has said it is not able to provide nighttime cover.
