Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has announced a rescheduling of their sailings to Birkenhead. Schedules to Heysham have also been changed during the day on a Saturday and Sunday between the following dates; 

9th November 2019 to 5th January 2020

• Douglas to Heysham at 08:00
• Heysham to Douglas at 14:30 

11th January 2020 to 21st March 2020

• Douglas to Heysham 08:45
• Heysham to Douglas 14:15

Regarding their Birkenhead sailings they have released this statement; 

Essential engineering workds mean there will be no weekend sailings between the Isle of Man and Birkenhead this winter. 

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has been advised by Birkenhead terminal officials that works need to be undertaken during weekends preventing Ben-my-Chree from berthing. 

With no other suitable berths available in Merseyside, the fourteen timetabled weekend sailings to Birkenhead this year (from 9th November to 5th January) will now be rescheduled to Heysham, departing Douglas. When the remainder of 2020 schedules are released (in late October) all winter weekend sailings will also be to and from Heysham at the usual timings. 

Passengers affected by the change will be contacted regarding the new arrangements. 

Mark Woodward, Chief Executive of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, explained; 'This is obviously a position beyond our control but to maintain twice daily services to the UK for both passengers and freight this winter, we will instead increase the number of sailigns to Heysham at weekends. We will also be arranging an express coach service between Heysham and Liverpool on Saturdays and Sundays for foot passengers, arriving in Liverpool around half an hour after the coach would have normally arrived from Birkenhead. 

Isle of Man Steam Packet have also gone on to say that any existing bookings for Birkenhead will be offered this alternative route, with similar departure timings but a forty-five minutes reduction in crossing time.