Officials yesterday discussed the impact of the council's traffic management plans with retailers from Stuart St and the Octagon.
They included Stuart St retailers who this week complained making the "down" lane on upper Stuart St a bus stop would cost them business.
Others wanted to discuss plans to move taxi stands to the parking spaces near Nova Cafe and tour buses to Princes St between the Octagon and Moray Pl.
After the meeting, council city environment general manager Tony Avery said officials would urgently reassess the plan and report back to retailers.
But there was close to no chance of any "tweaking" before the first cruise ship arrived on October 19.
He did not want to raise expectations by discussing possible solutions, but said the plan had to minimise the impact of buses and taxis, and maximise the visitor experience, in a limited space.
Some suggested the council reconsider old options, including using the railway station, the Octagon's central carriageway and parts of Moray Pl.
Mr Avery pointed out any of those options would affect another group of retailers.
He acknowledged many retailers at the meeting were frustrated they had not been consulted much sooner.
Yesterday's meeting should have happened six months earlier, and it would happen earlier before next season, Mr Avery said.
Totally Wired director John Ransley, whose shop is in upper Stuart St, said there were some heated words from retailers when the parking changes were announced last week.
The council should not have waited until the eve of cruise ship season to engage retailers - and it should not have presented the changes as a fait accompli.
"There is a feeling there has been no consultation. People didn't know this would affect their business until last week, and talking to them now is just too late."
He hoped the next meeting, which he said could happen next week, would bring more concrete results.
