Ryde Hoverport Through Ticket - Advance

[trainJam]

Hello, I have some questions regarding advance singles which include travel on hovertravel.
I am interested to know if there is a right to not be stranded here.
I would also like to know how delay repay works in this case.

1. Does the Hovertravel leg have a mandatory reservation coupon?
2. From the mainland to the Isle of Wight Ryde Hoverport, what happens if the train into Portsmouth and Southsea is delayed such that I miss the bus and hovercraft?
3. From the Isle of Wight Ryde Hoverport to the mainland, what happens if the hovercraft and bus is delayed such that I miss my train from Portsmouth and Southsea?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hello, I have some questions regarding advance singles which include travel on hovertravel.
I am interested to know if there is a right to not be stranded here.
I would also like to know how delay repay works in this case.

1. Does the Hovertravel leg have a mandatory reservation coupon?
2. From the mainland to the Isle of Wight Ryde Hoverport, what happens if the train into Portsmouth and Southsea is delayed such that I miss the bus and hovercraft?
3. From the Isle of Wight Ryde Hoverport to the mainland, what happens if the hovercraft and bus is delayed such that I miss my train from Portsmouth and Southsea?

1. No, if you want a reservation to guarantee* travel on a given flight you need to contact them separately to book. It says how to do so on their website.

2. You take the next one and Delay Repay is applicable because the delay was of a train**. Obviously a rail replacement taxi isn't physically possible, so if not missing the last crossing is critical you should travel earlier.

3. Delay Repay is not applicable to the hovercraft or bus. You could travel on the next train of the booked TOC as relevant, but wouldn't be able to claim anything.

* Hovertravel is very easily affected by poor weather conditions, so if the journey is time critical you would be very much best advised to use the catamaran instead.
** I'm not sure if this would be on arrival into Portsmouth and Southsea or onto the IoW, though.

 

[trainJam]

Thank you for explaining the Delay Repay system in this case.

For the Q3 scenario:

I travel on the next available train of the booked TOC from PMS with the original ticket, as if it were a missed rail to rail connection.

The rail journey home requires a change at a station - suppose that the last train of the day has departed from there and I would now be stranded.

Would I still be provided with alternative transport from here?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm not sure on that one, sorry, will have to defer to others.

 

[paul1609]

1. No, if you want a reservation to guarantee* travel on a given flight you need to contact them separately to book. It says how to do so on their website.

2. You take the next one and Delay Repay is applicable because the delay was of a train**. Obviously a rail replacement taxi isn't physically possible, so if not missing the last crossing is critical you should travel earlier.

3. Delay Repay is not applicable to the hovercraft or bus. You could travel on the next train of the booked TOC as relevant, but wouldn't be able to claim anything.

* Hovertravel is very easily affected by poor weather conditions, so if the journey is time critical you would be very much best advised to use the catamaran instead.
** I'm not sure if this would be on arrival into Portsmouth and Southsea or onto the IoW, though.

Hovertravels 12 month rolling average is that 93.16% of their services operated and 85.15% were on time. if your arriving by Avanti I wouldnt be too concerned about Hovertravels reliabilty to be honest. if the weathers bad when you get to about Havant/ Farheam you can check their service status on their website or listen to announcements by the Guard. if their service is down stay on the train to Portsmouth Harbour you will be able to use your ticket on the Fastcat. If the fastcat is down as well they will tell you how to get to the car ferry terminal. Sometimes the car ferry will call additionally at Ryde Pier head.

Hover Performance | Hovertravel Isle of Wight Ferry

Find out about the performance of Hovertravel including an insight into our reliability, on-time performance, customer surveys and customer relations.

www.hovertravel.co.uk

 

[sprunt]

if their service is down stay on the train to Portsmouth Harbour you will be able to use your ticket on the Fastcat.

Is this new? When I did a train + hovercraft trip a few years ago and the hovercraft wasn't running, they just said "No, that's a hovercraft ticket, nothing to do with us." and I had to buy a ticket for the boat, which I later claimed back from SWT.

 

[Gloster]

Hovertravels 12 month rolling average is that 93.16% of their services operated and 85.15% were on time. if your arriving by Avanti I wouldnt be too concerned about Hovertravels reliabilty to be honest. if the weathers bad when you get to about Havant/ Farheam you can check their service status on their website or listen to announcements by the Guard. if their service is down stay on the train to Portsmouth Harbour you will be able to use your ticket on the Fastcat. If the fastcat is down as well they will tell you how to get to the car ferry terminal. Sometimes the car ferry will call additionally at Ryde Pier head.

Hover Performance | Hovertravel Isle of Wight Ferry

Find out about the performance of Hovertravel including an insight into our reliability, on-time performance, customer surveys and customer relations.

www.hovertravel.co.uk

Oh, no, it doesn’t.

In theory they will try to get a bus down to the Fishbourne car ferry terminal for FastCat passengers, but I understand that this is a bit hit and miss. The only time I did this (fifteen or so years ago) they went straight to Ryde Esplanade station: anybody going towards Newport had to double back, costing them an extra half-hour, while those with cars at the Pier Head had to make their way along the pier. Luckily this was due to mechanical problems, not bad weather.

I believe that they should permit through Train+Hovercraft tickets on the FastCat, but not Hovercraft only. But I never use the hovercraft…and what they do in practice is another matter.

 

[cav1975]

I often use the Hovertravel hovercraft.

If you have a through rail/hover ticket then it is certainly worth getting a free hovercraft reservation. If you don't you risk being in the standby queue and not getting the hovercraft at the time you prefer. Even at times which are not obviously peak times this can be worth it as school and other groups can use a lot of space.

The diversion arrangements via the Wightlink catamaran ferry work well these days when the Hovertravel hovercraft is cancelled for bad weather or technical reasons.

When I am travelling to the Island I check the Hovertravel website (or better their WhatsApp messaging group) when I'm passing Havant. If the hovercraft is cancelled then I stay on up to Portsmouth Harbour. At the Wightlink checkin point there is a Hovertravel desk which is manned by Hovertravel personnel at times of disruption, they issue boarding authority cards for the catamaran. Nothing extra to pay. This works with both through tickets and hovercraft only tickets.

Travelling from the Island there is a similar Hovertravel desk at Ryde Pier Head but you are expected to make your own way along Ryde Pier.

The arrangements are reciprocal and Hovertravel can & do help Wightlink out from time to time.

I have no experience of travelling on the Car Ferry when both the hovercraft and catamarans are cancelled due to bad weather but a friend tels me that this is possible buty very time consuming.

 

[hermit]

I often use the Hovertravel hovercraft.

If you have a through rail/hover ticket then it is certainly worth getting a free hovercraft reservation. If you don't you risk being in the standby queue and not getting the hovercraft at the time you prefer. Even at times which are not obviously peak times this can be worth it as school and other groups can use a lot of space.

The diversion arrangements via the Wightlink catamaran ferry work well these days when the Hovertravel hovercraft is cancelled for bad weather or technical reasons.

When I am travelling to the Island I check the Hovertravel website (or better their WhatsApp messaging group) when I'm passing Havant. If the hovercraft is cancelled then I stay on up to Portsmouth Harbour. At the Wightlink checkin point there is a Hovertravel desk which is manned by Hovertravel personnel at times of disruption, they issue boarding authority cards for the catamaran. Nothing extra to pay. This works with both through tickets and hovercraft only tickets.

Travelling from the Island there is a similar Hovertravel desk at Ryde Pier Head but you are expected to make your own way along Ryde Pier.

The arrangements are reciprocal and Hovertravel can & do help Wightlink out from time to time.

I have no experience of travelling on the Car Ferry when both the hovercraft and catamarans are cancelled due to bad weather but a friend tels me that this is possible buty very time consuming.

The arrangements for diversion via the car ferry if the Wightlink catamaran is cancelled are not only very time-consuming but very hit-and-miss. The last time I was affected by this there was no sign of the promised transport into Ryde when we arrived at Fishbourne, not even a taxi, dedicated or otherwise. Fortunately, as a local unencumbered with luggage, I knew to walk the ten minutes up Fishbourne Lane to the main road, where there are fairly frequent buses into Ryde. I’ve since wondered what happened to the bewildered visitors stranded at the ferry terminal, which is in the middle of nowhere.