Monaco

The season is over in Guernsey now, and apart from the odd "conference" cruise there is no more activity until next year. The liners will now leave their Northern European routes and head for the cruises in warmer climes.

September in Southern France bought the opportunity to see the liners visiting the ports on the Cote d'Azur. Villefranche, the port for Nice, is a tender port between the town and Cap Ferrat in a most spectacular setting. The Liberty of the Seas and the MSC Poesia were in port on a perfect day.

The Monaco Yacht Show at the end of September provided spectacular settings for visiting liners with the guests of the Wind Surf being entertained by the Red Arrows as well as the most photographed Boat/Car/Thing at the show.

The Noordam was in port as the show opened and provided its guests with views of the final setting up of this major event, as well as the constant flow of tenders to the Super Yachts in the bay.

The Seabourn Quest stayed into the evening in Monaco and its guests had views of the Maltese Falcon coming alongside.

The Discovery was at Monaco on Friday, the penultimate day of the show.  However a lot of its guests decided to go on coach tours to Eze and Nice rather than enjoy the activities of the harbour. Guests had to be back on board by 2100 for a late evening departure.

As there are no more Liner visits for the rest of the year this will be the last of the regular post,s although there might be some historic ones through the winter.

Saga Sapphire

The Saga Sapphire sailed from Falmouth late last night and arrived in Guernsey for a half day stay. She spent her time in Guernsey anchored off Castle Cornet giving her guests a short tender ride to St Peter Port. Saga Sapphire joined the Saga fleet in May 2012 after her refurbishment in Palmero and was the first to appear in the new livery of Saga. The liner was launched in 1981 and became the MS Europa before undergoing many name changes before being transferred to Saga in 2011.

On departure for Dover, the Saga Sapphire headed south, with the Commodore Clipper in the background  passing the Casquets off Alderney, the most northerly of the Channel Islands. The beaches on the north coast of Herm still look inviting even in these early days of September.

With Herm and Jethou forming a background these islands can be added to the list that Saga Sapphire has sailed by on this cruise including the Isle of Man, Isle of Mull, Orkney, and Skye on her Celtic Britain and Ireland cruise.

Aurora, Crystal Serenity

The Aurora lived up to her name as the Roman "Goddess of Dawn" when she arrived in Guernsey to a beautiful sunrise, having sailed overnight from Southampton. She spent the day on the more easterly anchorage before leaving for Zeebrugge. Her guests made the most of the weather and took in a local Food Festival held in St Peter Port over the weekend.

She was closely followed by the Crystal Serenity having sailed from Portland in Dorset. Not many guests were on deck except for the early morning joggers making the most of the quiet deck space as she arrived at the closer anchorage to St Peter Port.

This Sunday in Guernsey was a pleasant day with everyone making the most of the last summer weekend before the schools go back. There was no rest for the crew of the Valiant heading north  for Poole who spent a short time in Guernsey having arrived from Jersey on a regular cargo run. The island forming a backdrop is Jethou.  This privately owned island has a rare public opening later in the month.

Guests of the Crystal Serenity could be forgiven thinking that they had changed ship as they boarded their tenders overshadowed by the Commodore Goodwill.  Unusually it spent Sunday in Guernsey, rather than her normal Jersey to Portsmouth sailing. The Crystal Serenity left for Dover late afternoon but will return on Tuesday on a cruise heading to Southern Europe.

Ocean Princess

Ocean Princess is back in today at the start of her cruise from Dover going around the British Isles the other way to last week. She was in Guernsey for a full day before her tea time departure to Falmouth. The Model Yacht Pond at the Castle Emplacement was full of young sailors today gaining their first experiences at boat handling,. Maybe in the future one will be an officer on the liner at anchor.

The Ocean Princess was getting its last tenders aboard as the sun still shone. Some guests were taking advantage of the deck areas to enjoy the end of season weather as Guernsey heads towards the first day of September.

Clouds over the island blocked out the sun on the Castle Breakwater but the sun still shone on the Ocean Princess on its last visit to Guernsey this season.

Crystal Symphony

Crystal Symphony arrived today on a cruise from Lisbon to Dover. It was good visibility after the mist of the past two days.  The "Humps", a collection of small islands, are in the background with their seal population that can be visited on locally run rib tours. The coast of Normandy was also visible, which the local population in June 1940 must have looked at apprehensively. They had to make the agonizing decision whether to evacuate their children or face the unknown on Guernsey as the occupying forces drew closer with gunfire clearly audible from the fighting on the French coast.

These guests had the chance to learn more about the Occupation in World War 2 as their guide on this specially Guernsey Occupation liveried coach explains the history. The Occupation lasted from 1940 until May 9th 1945, a date which is still celebrated as Liberation Day on Guernsey and Jersey, their own national holiday. These specialized tours are some of the opportunities that visiting guests have to learn more about these unique islands.

The Crystal Symphony with a crew of over 500, and capacity of just under a 1,000 guests, was built in Finland in 1995. She has undergone 3 major refits and a "facelift" in 2012 intended to offer her guests the best Crystal experience which they will enjoy on their journey to Honfleur.

Ocean Princess

Yesterday was a summer's day, very hot, hardly any wind; this morning brought fog, and with the Ocean Princess having arrived from Milford Haven it was not the best welcome to the shores of Guernsey. The Ronez was at anchor awaiting the tide for St Sampson's harbour, Guernsey's tidal commercial port.

The Ocean Princess was on the westerly anchorage which gave a shorter tender ride for the guests on their 8 day cruise from Dover, visiting Milford Haven, Dublin and Edinburgh as well as Guernsey. Before the sun is up tomorrow they will have arrived back at Dover at the end of the cruise.

At anchor off Belgrave Bay on a low tide, this is not the tourist picture of Guernsey. For the population of the north of the Island this is the view they see on their commute every day of the year with low tides, high tides, beautiful sunrises, views of the other Islands - it does beat the M25 queues every day!! When somebody wanted to reclaim this bay, the local population marched in protest, most people like it as it is.

Celebrity Infinity

Summer continues in Guernsey with another hot sunny day, only the mist that persists over the calm sea is not welcome as the liner fades into the distance. The Celebrity Infinity visited today as part of its 11 night cruise around the British Isles originating in Harwich, before continuing to Cobh and then Waterford. The Sark Venture comes alongside as the Bon Marin heads back to St Peter Port with guests aboard.

The Herm Trident is full even after Bank Holiday Monday as she leaves on a late morning departure for Herm, taking her passengers for a close up view of the liner, on the short 20 minute ride. There are plenty of visiting yachts still in Guernsey waters taking advantage of the weather whilst it lasts.

The Celebrity Infinity employed the services of Sark Shipping with both the Bon Marin and the Sark Venture being used as tenders. Despite the two ferries and the liners own tenders queues built up as her mid afternoon departure became imminent.

MSC Opera, Superyacht Ronin

A busy day at St Peter Port with the MSC Opera on one of its regular visits and the superyacht Ronin on a refueling visit. She spent over 6 hours fueling from a fleet of road tankers, before departing later in the day for Horta in the Azores.

The MSC Opera did not sail by this week, as she did last week, and arrived shortly after midday to spend a misty half day visit at St Peter Port on her way from Ijmuiden to Vigo in Spain. Only three more visits before her season finishes in Guernsey and she heads to the southern oceans for a cruise to Cape Town in October.

This family seemed oblivous to the liner as they head for an afternoon's fishing on the Castle Breakwater.

Later afternoon at St Peter Port Harbour presented a familiar summer scene with the tenders operating to the MSC Opera, the Commodore Clipper on No 2 berth having arrived from Portsmouth on her daily visit, the Victor Hugo on the cross berth awaiting passengers for Dielette, and the Valiant of Channel Seaways operating its LOLO service. Only the Huelin Dispatch is missing from this scene, after many years of a afternoon schedule to Southampton, as Huelin Renouf have recently gone into liquidation.

Discovery, Seabourn Sojourn

Four months to Christmas but it was still a summer's morning, on a Bank Holiday weekend,  as the super-yacht Big Eagle came into Guernsey to refuel along with two liners.  The Discovery came from Honfleur on a British Isles cruise originating in Newcastle, and the Seabourn Sojourn from Southampton on the start of her cruise. Castle Cornet provides the foreground and is one of the frequent places that guests come to, to photograph their liners.

The Seabourn Sojourn was launched in 2010 and is the second of a trio of luxury boutique ships built for Seabourn. With a capacity for 450 guests and the "largest luxe spa" at sea, she spent her short stay on the closer anchorage to St Peter Port before departing for Cobh. With the short stay, tenders shuttled back and forth frequently and a power boat race in the morning also provided entertainment.

The Discovery by comparison was on the more easterly anchorage with a longer tender ride . Even the design of the tenders show the ship's age with the Discovery ones looking more traditional in appearance. The Discovery went into service in 1972 and starred in a supporting role to her sister ship in the TV Sitcom "Love Boat", which is credited with prevoking more interest in cruising.  Her first cruise from Great Britain in 2013 left from Avonmouth, the first liner to do so in over 20 years.

Oceana

The Oceana's long day at sea on her way from Le Havre was made even longer as her arrival time was delayed to accommodate the detonation of a un-exploded mine! The  RCAF mine was dropped on Guernsey in World War 2. The mine was successfully detonated late evening by a Royal Navy bomb disposal team. The harbour work boat Sarnia stands by with the Navy detonation team on board.

The Oceana seemed to follow the current fashion of long days at sea or early arrivals with no disembarkation at their destination. She anchored off St Peter Port long after the sun had set but the early risers amongst the guests this morning had the opportunity to see sunrise.

The Oceana was on a short 4 night cruise from and to Southampton and left St Peter Port shortly after 6.00 pm. Twelve hours later she will be arriving in Southampton and their taster cruise will be over. The season is starting to slow down but over the next few weeks there are still thousands of guests yet to sample the delights of Guernsey.

Prinsendam, Caribbean Princess, Azamara Quest

A unusual sight today was the Prinsendam leaving St Peter Port for Zeebrugge  at 7.00 am, after a overnight stay.  For a short time she shared the anchorages with the Caribbean Princess which arrived at sunrise from Southampton on one of her regular visits to Guernsey . The coast of France was clearly visible as the liner headed for the Big Russel.

The Caribbean Princess spent half a day in Guernsey not only using her own tenders but also Sark and Herm ferries to cope with the large number of guests wishing to enjoy a Saturday morning in St Peter Port.

Only two days after her last visit the Azamara Quest arrived from Southampton and stayed till late afternoon before departing for Bordeaux. One of the key features of this line is the AzAmazing evening which showcases some of the destinations that are visited.

There should have been another liner today but the MSC Opera cancelled its visit, probably due to the high winds late on Saturday afternoon. The guests still had a view of Guernsey as she sailed by on her way to Vigo.

Minerva, Prinsendam, Corinthian

The weather went through all its variations today with rain, sun, mist, dull and then did it all again, which was a varied welcome for the three liners that came in. The Minerva should have been a Soviet research vessel but the deal fell through and she became owned by Swan Hellenic. She is now well travelled from Antartica to Guernsey. She had the longest tender ride being anchored almost out of sight beyond the Prinsendam.

The Prinsendam with her 800 guests arrived from Plymouth and provided the background for the Corinthian which is back in Channel Island waters having arrived from St Malo. Being one of the smaller liners she was able to negotiate the locks at St Malo and lie alongside in the inner basin a short walk from the walls of St Malo. She left at lunchtime for Herm and then Honfleur.

The Prinsendam stayed the night off St Peter Port before departing on Saturday morning for Zeebrugge. The cruise goes under the title of "14 Day Celtic Enchantment" visiting such places as Galway, Waterford and Liverpool before her stop in Guernsey.

Ocean Princess, Azamara Quest

After a quiet few days the Ocean Princess came back for her second visit in a week from Dover and the Azamara Quest arrived from Honfleur. The Ocean Princess was on the fashionable short day visit and with calm seas all morning the tenders were soon operating.

The Azamara Quest was on the more easterly anchorage and had the longer ride in to St Peter Port on tenders. The passengers on the Bon Marin had a closer look at the liner on the their trip to Sark. The journey takes about a hour and passes close by the other Channel Islands of Herm and Jethou.

Arriving and leaving St Peter Port harbour by tender gives one of the best views of the capital of Guernsey that you can have. With the landmark Town Church and other buildings that formed the sea front over a 100 years ago. the rising hill forms a natural harbour that was developed over the years.

Corinthian

Arriving via the Little Russel from the north, the boutique liner Corinthian made for a unusual sight as she sailed to the anchorage, passing Roustel beacon. She is in local waters for two visits over the next week taking in all the major islands in the bailiwick of Guernsey. Sunday afternoon she makes the short journey to Herm.

This local fisherman has a close look at the Corinthian as he heads out for a day's fishing. The Corinthian was "re-launched" in 2009 and has 50 suites on board for its 100 guests. With her ice strengthened hull she can also offer cruises in Antacrtica, as well as the unique experiences that these small liners offer.

Despite the luxury that these guests are travelling in with on board gym, spa and beauty salon, it seems that the best way to get ashore is on the Zodiacs being prepared, as the Golden Spur waits for the disembarkation of the local pilot.

Queen Elizabeth

Today was the turn of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth arriving from Dublin after a day at sea yesterday. Her maiden voyage was in autumn 2010 to the Iberian Peninsula. For company on the anchorage today she had the Sarnia Cherie, one of Guernsey's own oil tankers.  She was purchased to safeguard the delivery of oil to St Sampsons Harbour which dries out at low tide. Because of this the double hulled ship, built in 200,7 has to sit on the bottom of the harbour.

If you were in Castle Cornet you had the opportunity to see her through the pay per view telescopes, now costing 50 pence or 1 Euro, I though they were still 10 pence. Is this where the one from the airport went? This must be one of the few dual coinage pay machines on the island.

This game of lawn bowls goes on despite the view of the Queen Elizabeth in the background. Tonight the liner will leave Guernsey bound for Southampton where she will end her 10 day cruise around the British Isles.