Wightlink have had to cancel a total of 6 sailings on their Fastcat service due to short notice absence of an essential member of crew.
The 16:40, 17:40 and 18:45 sailings from Portsmouth Harbour and the 17:10, 18:10 and 19:15 sailings from Ryde Pier Head have all been cancelled today (Thursday).
It is unclear if there will be any disruption to services moving forward.
For help with your booking, call Wightlink on 0333 999 7333 (Mon-Fri 08:00-20:00).
‘Essential Member of crew’….????
Er, aren’t they all essential though or do Wightlink normally employ extra people to lounge around? Maybe the cross-Solent entertainment clown, or the lady who teaches cake-baking for the 20-min ride duration, or the mime explaining the history of Ryde through interpretive dance perhaps???
All staff are essential when you routinely run on minimum staffing levels!!!!
wheres the managers who are to suppose to cover
If they are essential members of staff then they will be specialist that a pen pusher can’t cover.
Nothing what so ever to do with the fact 20 or so people are travelling each trip.
With the virus making people work from home now, those cancellations are usually for the work force going home.
Money saving measures I think you’ll find.
No small wonder people panic buy on the Isle, for they know that when CV hits the crews of all ferries, our shops shelves will resemble Looted London stores.
I’m afraid to say the virus will leap up on the island now all the Londoners are coming back to their holiday homes.
So even more food shortages as they have the money to buy up most the stock, and don’t say they can’t as the staff of Tesco can not police these 3 items per person.
I feel for them as they are getting abuse from scum bags, who let’s be honest are probably going straight back in after loading their car up from the first shop.
In reply to comment about shops/island not getting stock to shops due to lack of ferries. This is what the whole country should/could do: All the supermarkets should be closed to public apart from the vulnerable/elderly. This will reduce masses of people (mass gatherings) spreading the virus so quickly. Keeping supermarket staff and the vulnerable safe. Will mean they can stop bulk buying, enforce people only being allowed 2 of everything (online restriction). Employ all the poor taxi drivers who are not getting a proper income. Providing more delivery drivers. If I was a taxi driver I would rather deliver shopping than risk having people possibly caring Coronavirus in my car. All of the people congregating in shops is not helping slow the spread. Leaving people without things they need. Shop staff could keep shelves stocked and pick customers shopping safely. Also stops the abuse they have been getting from some people.