Costa Pacifica

Our overnight stay in Herm this weekend bought some different angles on the Costa Pacifica which arrived in Guernsey on Sunday. With a capacity of 3,600 customers and hardly any shops open in St Peter Port (only open with special permission on a Sunday) there were a lot of Germans and Italians in town enjoying the peace and quiet. The previous port visited was Leixoes in Portugal.

Late afternoon she sailed for Harwich via the Big Russell between the islands of Herm and Sark. By then the weather had cleared and the west coast of Sark looked glorious with the spring colours of the gorse.

MSC Magnifica

Another sunny day, but the wind was too strong for the MSC Magnifica and its 3,600 customers to come ashore by tender. She got as far as St Martins Point with the pilot on board but conditions were not good enought. Condor Vitesse is in the background coming up from St Helier, stopping off in St Peter Port and then onto Poole

The pilot boat, Golden Spur, had a long run back to the ship to collect the pilot after checking the anchorage. The island in the background is Sark, with La Coupee clearly visible.

Azura

At last, for the 4th scheduled visit in the last 10 days from mid morning there was blue sky. With a stiff north-westerly wind, tenders shuttled all day back and forth to St Peter Port harbour, with a capacity of just over 3,000 customers the Azura gave the shop keepers of town a lot of potential sales. Whether or not anybody took a trip to Herm, the island in the background, I don't know. Perhaps they have had enough of small boats!!

Come 5.30 p.m the last tenders were back at the ship and the Azua's customers will be getting ready for their last night, as she heads back to Southampton after a "taster" cruise with only 2 nights on board. The fisherman at the end of the breakwater don't seem to very interested the ship, perhaps anticipating the supper they are going to catch.

Azura

3rd Attempt to get the perfect day in Guernsey and only one more attempt to do it on Friday, yesterday on Azura's visit the fog cleared for part of the afternoon but not the best day. These customers must have been short of something to enjoy on Guernsey as there were queues for the tenders just after lunch, did'nt sail for 3 hours.

The Azura lay shrouded in fog for most of the day off  St Peter Port but was clear enough before it left to see the Marin Marie leave for Normandy as the last tenders shuttled between the ship before it left for Southampton. Back on Friday, weather does not look too good.!

Azura

On a perfect spring morning the Azura finally arrived after it's aborted visit last week due to the high winds. If she is full there is just over 3,000 customers on board who after a visit to Bruges on Friday and yesterday's sail down the English Channel will enjoy a day in Guernsey.

After the ship has anchored the shore party leaves on the first tender and the pilot boat moves into pick up the pilot who brought her to her anchorage off St Peter Port.

Anchored in the roadsteads of St Peter Port the ship dwarfs the lighthouse on the Castle Breakwater of the harbour. Alongside are the tenders which will shuttle back and forth until she leaves in the early evening 

Alexander von Humboldt II

Not quite the Luxury Liner that Guernsey is used to, the Alexander von Humboldt II paid a overnight visit to St Peter Port on the 17th and 18th April. Although looking from 2 centuries ago she was only launched in 2011, replacing the first ship of the name which was launched in 1906 as a lightship and renamed/rebuilt  in 1988.

Fram

In the evening gloom of Guernsey's April spring the Fram takes on a pilot after a short visit from Sark.

Commodore Clipper, Azura

The P&O Liner Azura taken into service in 2010 by-passed Guernsey this morning as the weather was not clement enough to work tenders. The 3000 passengers were on a 2 day trip from Southampton!!

The photo is from September 2012 when the seas were kinder.