Orkney Ferry

[ArDachaidh]

Travelled to Orkney via Northlink, but night before we were due to return just happened to tune in to local radio and heard the boat had been taken off the route to rescue stranded folk in Norway. Tried their customer help line - closed! No message about the situation. Got a voicemail next morning. By that time I had managed to book with Pentland Ferries, who stayed open late into the evening to accommodate passengers such as ourselves who had been left high and dry.

Pentland is an independent operator, a family business which receives no subsidy. The journey is quicker, the boat comfortable and more environmentally friendly, the ticket is cheaper and their customer care seems light years ahead of Northlink. If you're thinking of travelling to Orkney then give them a go. (reversing on isn't a problem as they are very patient.)

 

[tony]

we travelled with pentland ferries last year. we found them excellant.
it is a lovely trip to st margarets hope, you pass by a number of islands.
we would use them again.
tony

 

[Boxerman]

We've travelled with both, although it was (just) before Pentland got the new ferry. Personally I wouldn't back one against the other.

You say that Pentland stayed open to accommodate passengers left "high and dry" don't you think that this would have been an arrangement between the two companies? Pentland obviously knew about Northlink's arrangement.

Northlink works out about £13 more than Pentland (for us in our van) per crossing which includes a 10% discount for being wrinklies but it's a longer voyage, if you like sailing (Dorothy does and prefers to go the long way round). If you are in he northern end of Orkney then part of this is offset by the fuel it costs to get to St Margaret's Hope. By the same token, if you are in the south, then it makes Northlink even more expensive.

I found the staff of both companies friendly and courteous, neither more so than the other, the Northlink ferry was much more "upmarket" but that was before Pentland got their new one - which is probably just as "upmarket" now.

I don't know what Pentlands terminal offices are like now, but when we used them they were rather down at heel creaky portacabins compared to Northink's large spacious waiting room. Not that I would let that cloud my judgement of the companies themselves - Northlink obviously have more money to spend on such things while Pentland are, as you say, a small family run business.

The reason I'm responding to your post is to try and show a balanced view to anyone who has not used either of these companies, I would not wish anyone to think that either company is to be avoided.

I am interested in your comment that the Penland ferry is more environmentally friendly, please tell me more about this, it may alter my choice.

Rgds
Frank

 

[ArDachaidh]

I'm backing Pentland because of the appalling customer service of Northlink. They couldn't even put an appropriate recorded message on their answer machine and I've only just got an email reply to my complaint saying they will respond in 21 days. I don't think that's good enough. Pentland is a small business, which has struggled against official disinterest, if not actual obstruction and no government or LA support. There's an article/book by an Orkney councillor explaining all.

The Hamnovoe is certainly comfortable, probably a bit over the top for such a short crossing; the Pentalina is perfectly adequate, maybe a bit more like a bus.

If you look at Pentland's website you'll see the refs to the environmental aspect, which seems to be independently verified.

 

[gairn]

Hi
I remember going to Orkney once as a youngster - crossed the Pentland Firth on P&O's St "Rollin" Ola - really scary - and that was after the stabilisers were fitted. Sounds like things have moved on a bit since then!
Gairn

 

[bill2b]

I'm backing Pentland because of the appalling customer service of Northlink. They couldn't even put an appropriate recorded message on their answer machine and I've only just got an email reply to my complaint saying they will respond in 21 days. I don't think that's good enough. Pentland is a small business, which has struggled against official disinterest, if not actual obstruction and no government or LA support. There's an article/book by an Orkney councillor explaining all.

The Hamnovoe is certainly comfortable, probably a bit over the top for such a short crossing; the Pentalina is perfectly adequate, maybe a bit more like a bus.

If you look at Pentland's website you'll see the refs to the environmental aspect, which seems to be independently verified.

We crossed in March using Northlink and could not fault it. ALL the people we met right from the check in staff at Scrabster were really friendly and helpful.
Its a shame to try and tarnish their name just because you were not happy!

By all means go the other route then at least if we crossing on the same date I wont have to listen to your moaning

The views of the Old Man of Hoy in the mist were fabulous!

 

[ArDachaidh]

Just to clarify, I didn't say I wasn't happy with the service on the ferry. The ferry is very comfortable, luxurious even, and everyone was as helpful as you would want.

I wasn't happy with the way they cancelled sailings and didn't provide a help line or recorded message. It was only by chance that I heard on the radio the night before our sailing was due that it had been cancelled. I immediately phoned their booking line and the recorded message only said the office was closed. It was not until the morning that I got a voicemail suggesting I book 2 days later. If I hadn't had the radio turned on I would have turned up at Stromness to find no ferry and then there would have been a struggle to get on Pentland Ferries, as by then they were virtually full.

If anyone thinks that's an acceptable level of service, then I'm sorry but I don't. In Britain we put up with awful service and don't complain, or if it's cheap enough we'll put up with anything. Just look at the numbers who fly Ryan Air and look at their customer service record, yet people still use them because they're cheap (though not as cheap as they seem once all the extras are added on). As I get older I get less tolerant of bad service.

 

[Boxerman]

I wasn't happy with the way they cancelled sailings and didn't provide a help line or recorded message. It was only by chance that I heard on the radio the night before our sailing was due that it had been cancelled. I immediately phoned their booking line and the recorded message only said the office was closed. It was not until the morning that I got a voicemail suggesting I book 2 days later. If I hadn't had the radio turned on I would have turned up at Stromness to find no ferry and then there would have been a struggle to get on Pentland Ferries, as by then they were virtually full.

Let's be fair - I knew about that ferry being diverted - it was on the TV news and I'm talking Preston Lancs here, I'm not even in Scotland, so it wasn't a secret.
I realise that you would wouldn't be interested in the news when on holiday, I'm not, but that's hardly Northlink's fault.

You hadn't pre-booked so you cannot claim to be a customer, I have recently booked with Northlink to go to Shetland, when I booked I was asked for my telephone No and my Mobile No "in case we need to get in touch with you for any reason" if you had a pre booked passage, I'm sure they would have let you know, and had you have tried to pre-book earlier in the week you would have been told that the ferry had been diverted.

These island ferries, and not just Orkney ones, are very often full, we've been knocked back by CalMac and Pentland when we've tried to go on spec and have had to book for the following day, in fact, crossing from Uig to the Hebrides, we had to wait two days before we could get a booking as the ferry was so full (waggons mainly). So there is no guarantee that you would have got on that morning's sailing anyway, even if it had been sailing, unless you had pre booked to reserve a place. I was advised, by a gentleman on this forum, that the Shetland ferry get very full at times and if I didn't book well in advance, I would't get on, this is why I've booked over two months in advance.

If you had booked on that sailing and they hadn't notified you then I agree you would have a genuine grudge but as you hadn't then I'm afraid that I cannot see your cause for complaint.

Rgds
Frank

 

[ArDachaidh]

I had pre-booked, that's why I got a voicemail to my mobile the next morning. If I hadn't I wouldn't have come on here to tell of my experience. Whether it's on TV is irrelevant, I don't even have one in my house, never mind the van. My complaint is that they didn't keep their customer care line open or pre-record a message to inform those of us who had bookings and didn't phone the mobile in good time. All I had to go on was a radio broadcast that I heard just by good luck. If you think that's adequate fair enough. I don't.

To go back to my original post, all I said was, why not try Pentland as they are a small operator with no public funding and did their best to accommodate passengers let down by Northlink by staying open late.

PS I would no sooner try turning up on spec than fly by Ryan Air.

 

[Boxerman]

I had pre-booked, that's why I got a voicemail to my mobile the next morning. If I hadn't I wouldn't have come on here to tell of my experience. Whether it's on TV is irrelevant, I don't even have one in my house, never mind the van. My complaint is that they didn't keep their customer care line open or pre-record a message to inform those of us who had bookings and didn't phone the mobile in good time. All I had to go on was a radio broadcast that I heard just by good luck. If you think that's adequate fair enough. I don't.

To go back to my original post, all I said was, why not try Pentland as they are a small operator with no public funding and did their best to accommodate passengers let down by Northlink by staying open late.

PS I would no sooner try turning up on spec than fly by Ryan Air.

Fair enough - I agree you have a genuine complaint with Northlink - but you didn't make it clear that you had a pre-booked reservation, your post read (to me at any rate) that you just were going to turn up on spec to find the ferry had been cancelled.

My apologies for misunderstanding you.

Rgds
Frank

 

[ArDachaidh]

Cheers, Frank. You're right it wasn't clear.

 

[bill2b]

PS I would no sooner try turning up on spec than fly by Ryan Air.

Have you ever flown Ryan Air?