Updated: Rough end to the holidays

Joe Fenech

Apr 15th 2009, 22:41

Gozo Channel needs to have the same rates from everyone. They should have a system with singles, return, monthly and yearly tickets. If the Gozitans want to keep coming back and forth, all they need to do is buy a yearly ticket. But a cheaper fare just for the Gozitans, that's NO SIR!

Mark Galea

Apr 15th 2009, 21:07

@martin Spiteri
You (and all maltese) are free to come/not to come to gozo.
I (and all Gozitans) have to come to Malta whether we like it or not.

So why complain all the time?

P.S. I am not saying Maltese are not welcome, mind you. Should they not come to Gozo, Gozo will lose a lot (economically).

martin Spiteri

Apr 15th 2009, 20:03

@james vella Clark prosit you can say that again!!!

@all those maltese who love to be discriminated. What bugs me most is that we maltese, we are lesser citizens. Gozo Channel discriminates us. Gozitans who ever they may be pay a lesser fare even if they just visit Malta once a year, with the excuse that most Gozitans travel more to Malta. If a maltese who happen to be quite a number travel to Gozo they do not get such treatment. DISGUSTING why are we in the EU and all this discrimination?

James Vella Clark

Apr 15th 2009, 14:36

Mr Hermsee. Next time you think of coming to Malta, email me and let me know when you plan to come so I can give you a few tips on how to enjoy our country even if the weather is not very good. I will not be able to tell you what the weather will be like. However asking the locals before travelling to their country can help you get a better idea. I know that the weather in easter is very unreliable - we can have amazing weather or we can have crappy weather. Your best bet would be coming to Malta in May / June or October / November. I did get bad weather when I was in Holland but since I was on holiday, i still had fun. When you are relaxed, you don't really mind the weather. I still went round Amsterdam on a bike and had a great time taking a cruise on the ferry round the canals! I'd do it again and again! You're most welcome to visit us again! The Dutch are amongst the nicest tourists we can get here in Malta. Guys let's take care of them when they come here.

Vince DeBono

Apr 15th 2009, 08:29

@ A. Dalli.
and how about the bridge between Denmark and Scandinavia.....? was recently on the travel channel. Cost 5bn Euros. Who can fund such projects? Govt - meaning taxpayer? Private initiative - meaning people like you with surplus cash (count me out) to invest in a company?

What about maintenance which we are notoriously lacking at? What about fees payable (to the people who run it - or invested in it?

If anyone dreams of EU cash, even if much less than the sum above, I'd rather vote for the money to be spent on existing roads infrastructure as I find the everyday bumpy ride uncomfortable, unavoidable and expensive.

Jeremy Lanfranco

Apr 15th 2009, 04:10

Gozo Channel Line still enjoy a monopoly to sustain the extra workers' wages. If another competitor enters the scene, not only will Gozo Channel have to drop prices to compete, they will benefit from the loss of workers to the new competitor. When are they going to face the music and have their monopoly ended?

S Muscat

Apr 14th 2009, 22:39

@ Anton Zammit

How do they count the people boarding the ships at Gozo? Some are in cars and some on foot. It's not idle curiosity, the boats should board no more than they have life saving equipment for.

a.dalli

Apr 14th 2009, 19:30

@j.Debono
and how about the bridge between Denmark and Scandinavia...............

Melanie Wilberforce

Apr 14th 2009, 19:26

You know what I find amusing? They always thank you for travelling with Gozo Channel, as if you had a choice ;oP

I'm not saying they do a bad job but like Matthew Borg ardona I also feel it could be interesting to see some competition there.

John Borg

Apr 14th 2009, 18:25

Typically Maltese reaction - no sense of humour whatsoever.

D.Farrugia

Apr 14th 2009, 17:18

Dear Mr.Hermsee I'm Maltese and was also in Gozo on holiday.Like you I feel very disappointed with the weather and had to pass more time than usual in the hotel instead of hiking in those marvellous green gozitan valleys,we spent the time going around Gozo by car going on country roads around the coast and still enjoying wonderful views.At least the roads are in a much better state we have in the south of Malta.You should do it next time you visit Gozo.Hope next year the weather would much better for I would be there again being the only holiday I could afford.

Philip Sultana

Apr 14th 2009, 17:12

Please stop making a fuss about it all ... judging by the attitude I personally experienced with the Gozitan authorities, I get the distinct feeling that Gozo is not too keen on tourism anyway.

J. Debono

Apr 14th 2009, 16:57

Maybe its time that malta and Gozo looked to the future and started the construction of a bridge and we finally stop all this nonsense about going on a ferry.
There are no more excuses about deep and turbulant waters, not in this day and age.
Italy will constuct one of the longest bridges from its shores to Sicily.
So whats the big deal? Surely the bridge will eventualy pay for itself and it will create jobs.
This would be better than picking on inocent tourists in these blogs.

Richard Attard

Apr 14th 2009, 12:07

Welcome to Gozo jfm Hermsee. Thanks for promoting our island. In a time where spending money is decreasing and competition is increasing we should respect every single tourist that decides to visit us. I really feel sorry for those walkers and swimmers who would obviously hope for nice weather during their stay, but at the same time we need some rain. What most people hate mostly is the wind.

J Brincat

Apr 14th 2009, 10:34

Some of the comments here are appalling and I am actually embarrassed!!! The comments coming from our tourist friends are fair and are NOT pointing the finger at anyone but you lot have decided to get all uptight and as Hermsee mentioned "hot under the collar". Maltese go on about the weather all the time so just because there is a little criticism about that there is no need to pass ignorant and generalised comments about tourists. No one is blaming you so maybe you should take a walk in the rain to cool down.

@ Marion Abela I think you should maybe try and generalise about whole nationalities less and maybe do some research about how much money British tourists actually bring to Malta....
I am in the UK at the moment and it is lovely and sunny so there!!! :P

Godfrey Camilleri

Apr 14th 2009, 09:23

The photo showing the ferry in rough seas is a mild one indeed since the sea line is well below the yellow line. At around 5pm as the ferry was approaching Mgarr harbour, the waves were about 20ft (6.5M) high and there were instances when the waves were over the front of the ship plus the ship tilted towards the right hand side so that the waves were also in line with the passenger deck floor. The ferry was being tossed like a matchbox! This would have been an ideal photo to show the conditions of the sea at that time. Actually after this trip the captain decided to stop the ferry between 6pm and 10pm. Our son was on the previous ferry and he too went through two terrible waves. It was really frightening and praise is due to the able captains that pilot these ferries and the workmanship of the drydocks for having manufactured such seaworthy ferries.

Sandro Zahra

Apr 13th 2009, 22:15

@ Mr. Hermsee

The only guerantee regarding good weather we Maltese can give you is to come in August. In fact we offer a refund if the weather turns to be rainy.
Anyway, I am sure that you enjoyed your stay here regardless of the weather conditions, because we had rain only on Sunday and Monday.

Edmund Azzopardi

Apr 13th 2009, 19:53

To Mr / Ms J. Hermsee I would also like to apologize for some of the comments made here as regards your message. However, probably, some of those commenting were angry as they also had a bad journey back to Malta !!!!! Having worked in the hotel industry all my life, I would like to thank you for choosing Malta for your holiday and I am sure you have met many friendly and hospitable Maltese people as likewise I have met many nice Dutch guests in the hotels I have worked in. If you are staying on this week, the weather will be sunny as from next Wednesday and we all wish you a pleasant and safe journey home. Above all, we hope that you will visit us again. Thank you once again.

Andrew Borg-Cardona

Apr 13th 2009, 19:43

I crossed from Malta to Gozo at about 445pm, and I echo David Bugeja's thoughts. Gozo Channel's crews and equipment are excellent and the overall service reflects this.

jfm Hermsee

Apr 13th 2009, 19:37

Hello Guys back again, actually i would like to thank all you guys who didn't take offence and jump to conclusion as i mentioned earlier, however the next time if there is a next time will make a point of booking into a Gozitian Hotel with the intentions of spending more time in lovely Gozo and meeting its people, it sounds as if some people on the main island are getting bit hot under the collar however yes i do feel for the Gozitan University students and the young Gozitans who i beleive travel to Malta on a daily bases for their work, i can understand their point, we on the other hand since my wife works for a travel agency will do her best to get people from the Netherlands to come to Gozo and spend more time as its a nice little island that shouldn't be missed and ofcourse its good for the economy of the Calypso island. Good Luck my friends.

C. Attard

Apr 13th 2009, 19:01

If you check the first post that's what I said earlier... You have to live it to know what it really takes to cross in that weather... But no one talks about it.. A FEW Gozitans crossing everyday in this weather don't make the news, but some Maltese holiday people make the news...

Roseanne Zammit

Apr 13th 2009, 18:49

Well said Mr. Frankie Cutajar...I guess certain people do not have a clue anymore on what to comment about!

F.Bartolo

Apr 13th 2009, 18:41

@James.A.Tyrrell you speak for yourself , i would rather have the sunshine and you can keep your stormy weather back in the UK thank you very much F.Bartolo

Rose Attard

Apr 13th 2009, 18:39

Some people really do not know on what to comment anymore.

Marion Abela

Apr 13th 2009, 16:41

Yes right Margaret Richards you hit it just right we agree, the trouble with most Britains they think they know it all,we prefer to have the Germans and the French, the Dutch and ofcourse our great neighbours the italians , these are all euro members who can afford to come to Malta without moaning about our roads, the bus drivers and whatever take their fancy.

Anthony Grech

Apr 13th 2009, 16:24

I would like to bring to attention of the Gozo Chanel authorities the fact that many of the doors, (especially those leading to the decks) are in urgent need to be checked. These doors are supposed to close automatically behind you in a slow manner but they close with a great force and bang. This is very dangerous to children and elderly people. When last week I brought this fact to the attention to one of the crew the answer was ‘Yes I know and they all know about them’.Who are 'THEY' one can only guss.

Christian Zammit

Apr 13th 2009, 16:20

The lack of accessibility to Gozo is one of the problems afflicting the Gozitan economy. I have been emphasizing the need of a re-haul of the Cirkewwa terminal and the lack of basic utilities in this terminal, even before my candidacy for the European Parliament. Another problem, is that this government, has shelved any projects dealing with an air link to Gozo. Apart from this, one must emphaze that many Gozitans face rough seas frequently, not to enjoy a weekend break, but to face the routinely working week.

Frankie Cutajar

Apr 13th 2009, 16:13

Dear readers, why all this panic? The Gozitan workers that work in Malta EVERYDAY, expirence these situations every winter. Sometimes are very dangerous, but thank god till now we didn't heard with a serious accident.

Michael Pace

Apr 13th 2009, 15:55

Poor Mr. Hermsee (or Ms.?)! He's right to complain, as we all do, about the weather. We Maltese gemgem should give everybody else the right to complain. After joining the EU it seems we Maltese are getting too xenophobic and, while complaining, usually unreasonably, about everyone and everything (cf. comments about ANY subject in these columns) we cannot bear anyone to let off steam. Mr.(Ms.) Hermsee, feel free to complain about anything you like. (Incidentally s/he complains because, I quote, "since we have been coming over for the Easter church processions we have never ever seen it like this not in Mid. April anyhow." And you probably won't see it any more in the future.)

Margaret Richards

Apr 13th 2009, 14:41

Certain comments are better left unsaid. Such as Nice Picture. Do you think that's funny. I had the opportunity to have such a crossing myself 4 years back also in April. It was horrible and only the Good sense of the Gozo Channel captain brought us safely to port. Also to the mediocre english gentleman, you could have searched the 5 day forecast, or the 3 months forecast and you would not have been in rainy Malta. What is it? What do pretend? That a fair weather forecast will be included in the price of your ticket?

JJ.Fabri

Apr 13th 2009, 14:36

I agree with B.Bonnici the Dutch are very nice people and the once i met loved Malta and Gozo,thats more then i can say when i visited Britian they didn't seem as nice and don't come on as friendly as the Dutch, the British we met in London which i must say is one of the most expensive places i have ever had the misfortune to stay for a week,never mindthe sales they are just a gimmick!!!! every time we went out shopping were warned about pick pockets, knives attacks and not to trust anyone. You know what, funny really we visted a zoo and there was a man taken pictures with him he had a small animal and for the life of me i am still waitng for the pictures he took of myself and the family after paying for them and that was 18 months ago, so there you go.Malta is still the safest place in the world and wouldn't change it for anything thank God.

Dean Adam Mifsud

Apr 13th 2009, 13:59

A terrifying photo and a terrifying experience for those people onboard!!!

B.Bonici

Apr 13th 2009, 13:52

Mr.Hermse i am Maltese and would also like to apologise on behalf of my countrymen for misunderstanding your comment i am sure you meant it in a nice way, but unfortunately there are people who tend to twist or misunderstand the whole concept and jump the guns which is very childish and not a good image reflecting on the people like yourself, i understand that the Netherlands is also in a very deep recession and yet you choose Malta for your vacation which in turns help our declining tourist industry, so please no hear feelings and pass on my regards to all the nice Dutch people we certainly treated me and my family very well last summer and are grateful for their friendship. Dank u wel Hr.Hermse.

M. Borg

Apr 13th 2009, 13:39

@Jill Fraser is that comment suppose to make us jealous about having lovely weather and the flowers out in full in Britain, you know comments like that tend to make some of us Maltese rather jealous,i wondered how long it would have taken for someone to back fire, this goes also to our Dutch friend Mr.Hermsee i presumed he meant it in a friendly way, ah well some people can't take honest and friendly comments, i'm Maltese by silly funny ha! ha remarks are below my intelligence and i don't need to comment cause i have lived overseas for many years and true we don't share the same mentality, there is no heart feeling in any of the comments so why lower ourselves? But its also true that the weather pattern is changing and who knows we might have the opposite effect to what they have in the northern part of the world.. Hot over there and cold over here i dread to think what its going to happen in time. We will end up as their tourists i guess LOL......

david bugeja

Apr 13th 2009, 13:23

Storm in a tea cup eh!
Our ferry service works wonderfully and does a fine job .What's the big deal !.Gozo ferry has the crews and technology to run a safe service in all circumstances thank god .Would the moaners in life prefer they only work on sunny balmy days .
man .. ! some people are getting soft and very spoilt .

James A. Tyrrell

Apr 13th 2009, 13:18

Can I just take this opportunity to apologise for my fellow tourist J Hermsee? I can understand how you folks feel at hearing such silly remarks. As for myself I usually come out for a few weeks in October and yes I get my fair share of rain, but do I moan about it? Of course not as the odd bit of bad weather at that time of the year is to be expected anyway. To be honest I enjoy the storms as much as the sun anyway and I always come home feeling refreshed.

jfmhermse

Apr 13th 2009, 13:15

Thank you guys for all your nice comments we will certainly keep them i mind next time. Thank you thank you, didn't mean to upset our friends but then then again we don't share your mentality, it was suppose to be a friendly gesture that's all, ah well once bitten twice shy. Its funny one wrong move which was meant to be in hindsight then the true colours will start to show.

Matthew Borg ardona

Apr 13th 2009, 13:11

@Gozo Channel Management : How about investing in some ropes, cushioning and hooks that will allow us to tie down our motorbikes when using your vessels in this kind of weather? I asked for this service and was given the "Le hi" reply. Spending the whole trip down in the ferry's garage holding onto one's motorbike is neither pleasant nor safe. Have a look at how Virtu Ferries do it - you can learn a lot from them about this.

@Department of Healthy and Safety (or whoever): Do you know about this state of affairs?

Meanwhile, I look forward to Gozo Channel's monopoly being taken away asap.

F Spiteri

Apr 13th 2009, 12:25

J Hermsee - oh so sorry ! Didnt you get the memo saying that there might be rough weather ?? Tell me where in the world can you and get guaranteed perfect weather, especially at this time of the year. If you want guaranteed sunshine come in August !!

J Buhagiar

Apr 13th 2009, 12:25

@ Mr. Hermsee

Sorry that you feel your money was wasted on a holiday to Malta... but if the sun was so important to you, maybe you should have booked at the final minute after checking the weather forecast, duh!!!

how could anyone expect the weather to accommodate tourist, or locals alike?? Some people.... LOL!!!

Anton Zammit

Apr 13th 2009, 12:24

@ I Gatt

With regards to your comments regards queing and facilities at Cirkewwa, I agree. However with regards to head counts the officers and crew onboard are obliged to carry out a head count of all passengers onboard by law and by the companies Safety Management system. This I can assure you is always carried out, as the ship's officers must always know the quantity of passengers they have onboard. With regards to the higher Centre of Gravity of Malita, you are mistaken. All three vessels were built with ballasting arrangements in preparation for the tween deck which was then only built on Malita. Thus the centre of gravity does not move whether the tween decks are both loaded, single one loaded or none loaded at all. These points are very carefully planned and then tested after the building of any vessel is completed.

Mary Fisher

Apr 13th 2009, 11:53

Re Mr. Hermsee
It's just bad luck for everybody that the weather turned like this. He is writing as if we Maltese can help it !!!!!! We at least got away with terrible gusts of wind - what about our Italian neighbours being killed in their own bed? We cannot help 'Acts of God or Nature' can we???

M. Buhagiar

Apr 13th 2009, 11:41

@ J.Hermsee ... Who are you addressing your comment to please? The Maltese Government? The Maltese People? Sorry dear Sir/Madam, but none has control over the weather. You may wish to ask God next time you plan a trip, so maybe He can save you the money and keep you at home.

Jill Fraser

Apr 13th 2009, 11:30

It seems that the weather lately has gone haywire, nice sunny weather in the north just like in Britain we are having fantastic weather good for us to go shopping and grab all the latest bargains as nearly everything is less then half price, what we call panic selling,and ofcourse the daffodiles are out in bloom,unfortunitly the southern countries seems to be getting the rough end of it all but my guess is that the summer will be bit later then normal this year. I know what its like for the poor guys working on the oil rigs in the north sea..Hell or as in the film : The Perfect Storm:

C Buttigieg

Apr 13th 2009, 11:26

@ J Hermsee
I am sure that I speak on behalf of all Maltese citizens when I apologise about the rough weather that you had to endure. I suppose that the miracle did not work according to plan this time but we promise to do better next time you come to Malta. Please send us a note in advance and book the type of weather you would wish for in the period that you are staying on our islands. We aim to please.

J.Camilleri

Apr 13th 2009, 11:07

@Mr.Hemsee
Don't you know, Sir, that on the weather nobody has control. When I went to Holland some years ago it was August and the whole week it was raining. Waste of time and money but who is to blame?

J.Hermsee

Apr 13th 2009, 10:48

Had we known before we booked with AirMalta and paid well over 180€ plus extras from the Schipool to Luqa we would have saved our money and stayed home as our weather now is sunny-20-24 degrees and that's much higher for this time of the year then Malta., some will will probably reply and say well you don't only come to Malta for the weather.. my answer would be YES we do* who wants to go out to music shows or visit the heritage in bad windy weather just look the picture above. Its a pity sight for the poor young people of Gozo who have no choice. Ah well hopefully it will improve but since we have been coming over for the Easter church processions we have never ever seen it like this not in Mid. April anyhow.

I Gatt

Apr 13th 2009, 10:16

The crossing was very rough indeed and quite terrifying for many of the passengers. The vessels are however sturdy and both the crossings we were on were at full capacity. I am curious to know how head counts are carried out, especially when departing from Gozo? The 'Malita' was yesterday carrying a full load of vehicles, the lifting platform was also at full capacity giving the vessel a high centre of gravity, this made it roll much more than its sister ships. The crossing over to Gozo was pretty much chaotic - with no organisation whatsoever, I witnessed the Hon PS Dr. Mario DeMarco explain to the ticketing clerk that they should issue an instruction to the confused tourists who were trying to figure out how to reach the ferries - I admired his patience because he got absolutely nowhere with the clerk. Again the Hotel side (South Quay) offers no protection from the elements to waiting passengers and all had to rush towards the tunnel, to seek shelter from the rain. Management please take note.

Steven Brockwell

Apr 13th 2009, 10:11

nice photo

C. Attard

Apr 13th 2009, 10:02

At least they chose to travel between the two islands. For Gozitans who work in Malta this is a familiar picture cos they live it, and its not our choice.