MSC Opera

The MSC Opera was back today on her way south to Spain and Portugal. She arrived from Ijmuiden via the  Big Russel before turning at the Lower Heads buoy to follow the pilot boat to the anchorage position.

Due to the strong winds and rising during the day the liner moved anchorage position a few times to provide for safe transfer of the guests to the tenders.When she first arrived the initial position was not suitable and she  moved astern to a more southerly position.

The shore party was on on there way ashore promptly but had a wait before the guests arrived. Not doubt during the day they suffered with the weather as thunderstorms and torrential rain passed over Guernsey. The ferry in the background is the Herm Trident passing the Island of Jethou which is currently leased by Sir Peter Ogden. There was once a cafe on the island which was raided by the police in the 1950s for serving drinks out of hours.

Oceana

It's that time of the year for the repeat visits with the Oceana on her way back from an Iberian Peninsular cruise making her last port of call St Peter Port. The weather is again glorious with many day trippers arriving on the fast ferry from Poole. They get a shorter day in Jersey because of the extra journey time but there seems plenty on the Condor Express as she heads south.

On a high tide in St Peter Port the view of Condor Express and the tenders shows the development to the north of St Peter Port known as Admiral Park, The tenders from the Oceana continued all through their stay but there were queues even in the middle of the day.

This small jetty at the Halfway provides the viewpoint for the Oceana on the easterly anchorage. The Halfway is known as such because it's, well, halfway between the two main harbours on Guernsey.

Caribbean Princess

Caribbean Princess is back today on another one of her British Isles cruise visits. She is anchored on the easterly anchorage with part of Fort George,  (appropriate name this week), fortifications showing in the foreground. Used as a barracks by the occupying forces in World War 2, it contains the unique German fortifications built on top of Napoleonic era ones. The small beach is the southern entrance to a tunnel which now contains an aquarium from which the "famous" bass was stolen recently. This fish was passed off as a winner in a local fishing contest, until it was identified by a local fisherman as such!

Staying for half a day causes queues for the tenders as the guests try and make the most of their short visit, meaning that the majority will leave heading back to the harbour as late as possible.

Wednesday was another sunny day with the sea calm giving the guests a good journey out to the Caribbean Princess. In the background are the islands to the north of Herm know locally as "The Humps".

MSC Opera, Oceana

Two regulars today, the Oceana arriving first on a Southampton, Zeebrugge, Guernsey, Southampton cruise along with the MSC Opera arriving in the early afternoon on a cruise from Spain, to the Netherlands and then south again. The helmsman on the Oceana tender has been in the job 25 years, and on a day like this it looks to be a good job.

Guernsey still continues to bask in a heatwave but some of the guests on the MSC Opera prefer to stay on board the ship and enjoy the luxury cabins on the stern with the bigger balconies.

With the capacity of these liners there was plenty of tender traffic going to and fro and the Oceana being on her usual easterly anchorage had the longer ride. The MSC Opera was the last to leave Guernsey and was on her way south to Vigo where she will arrive on Saturday morning. Both liners will be back at the end of the month, hopefully still in good weather.

Balmoral

On another hot summer's day the Balmoral, star of BBC's Tuesday night programme about an on-board vicar, arrived at St Peter Port from Southampton with over 1,000 guests aboard. The programme has received mixed reviews from potential guests and Fred Olsen issued a disclaimer saying that the BBC had full control over what it chose to film.

One of the last tenders to leave St Peter Port takes down the Fred Olsen house flag as she heads back to the ship. The Balmoral was launched in 1988 and was stretched in 2007 by having a 99 foot section added to the centre of the ship,so she is the largest ship in the fleet.

Tenders being hoisted as the ship prepares for departure provide interest for the guests. Her next port of call is Dublin, where she will arrive 18 hours later. Currently Fred Olsen is offering 3 cruises to see the Total Eclipse in March 2015 on the Boudicca, Black Watch and the Braemar, after the first one sold out immediately. 

Oceana

After the warmest weekend this year P&O's Oceana is at the easterly anchorage off St Peter Port on a short two night cruise from and to Southampton. The days now produce a lot of heat haze and the beaches of north coast of Herm are barely visible.

After a full day in Guernsey the crew of the Oceana with all guests aboard get the landing stage all closed up and prepare for departure. The Oceana was built by an Italian yard and entered service in 2002, and has capacity for over 2,200 guests

Holiday makers get a last view of the ship as she leaves for the overnight trip back to Southampton and a early morning arrival.  The tables at La Vallette on the east coast of Guernsey provide a good view of all the shipping and islands and keep the sun in the early evening of mid summer.  Later in the month Oceana will return to the Island as part of a cruise visiting Spain and Portugal.

Caribbean Princess

Today the Caribbean Princess is back in St Peter Port again for one of her frequent visits to the Island It was a misty day to start, but by the time of her early afternoon departure the sun was shining again. The tenders were running all morning, as were local ferries to bring ashore some of the 3,500 guests on board. Castle Cornet in the background was held by Royalist Forces for 8 years in the English Civil War whilst Guernsey was for the Roundheads.  At that time it was not connected by a breakwater to the Island.

As the guests arrived in St Peter Port a local guide dressed in Guernsey Militia uniform was available to help them  make the best of their short visit to Guernsey. This area is on the north side of St Peter Port and is where the Liberation Monument commemorates the Island's liberation from occupying forces on the 9th May 1945.

Caribbean Princess left Guernsey for Cobh early on Friday afternoon as part of her Round Britain cruise. The ship is seen from Salarie Corner, with the beach covered in Vriac (Seaweed). Local farmers used to gather this to put on their fields to provide the nutrients required, hence the many slipways around the Island so that farmers could get their horse, tractors and carts onto the beaches.

Sea Cloud II

Today arriving from Honfleur is the Sea Cloud II, one of the few three-masted tall ships in the cruising world. She is one of the luxury liners in the world offering her guests a unique "private yacht" experience. Anchored in front of Jethou there were no queues for tenders as she normally carries under a hundred guests.

Sea Cloud II has 24 sails and can carry over 32,000 square feet of sail area providing an alternative method of propulsion to her diesel engines. The original Sea Cloud was built in the 1930s, the largest private yacht at the time, and converted in 1979 when purchased by a group of German businessmen. Sea Cloud II entered service in 2001.

Despite the luxury of Sea Cloud II it seems the simple pleasures in life are still good as locals take an after work swim in Havelet Bay on the southern side of St Peter Port, the main town on Guernsey. The slipway is dedicated to a previous Queen's representative on the Island, Lieutenant-Governor, Vice Admiral Sir John Coward.

MSC Opera

The MSC Opera arrived at lunchtime from Ijmuiden, the port for Amsterdam, with over 2,000 guests on board.She is visiting Guernsey about every 10 days till September 2013 on cruises that start in Southampton and via the Netherlands, go to Spain and Portugal before returning via Le Havre.
In the later afternoon the MSC Opera seems to be part of Castle Cornet, the guardian of the approaches to St Peter Port, one of Guernsey's most popular tourist attractions, housing many museums.

On reclaimed land the North Beach Marina provides moorings for many local boats, as the MSC Opera prepares for her early evening departure.

With the anchor coming out of the water the MSC Opera heads to the east of the Great Bank. With the Pilot Boat in the lead, she is on her way to Vigo on the North West corner of Spain where she will arrive after a full day at sea. She was built in 2004 in St Nazaire in France, and is unusual in that the decks are named after operas.

Azura

Summer has arrived in Guernsey, the best day of the year so far heralded the arrival of the Azura from Southampton. She was at the anchorage with tenders running before 8 o' clock on Saturday morning which gave guests a full day on the Island before she departed for Zeebruge early evening. After the tenders have been launched they await the first guests of the day.

The temperature, whilst being one of the warmest days of the year, gave a unusual sea fog which drifted in and out all day off the coast and at times almost shrouded the liner. The fast ferry from Jersey on her way to Poole was in the clear as she came past the Azura on her way into St Peter Port.

The fog had almost cleared as the Azura prepared for departure but the fisherman seems unaware of the busy scene behind him with Herm Harbour full of visiting yachts.

Our Son's Wedding in Herm

No liners today but a very special day for our family as our younger son and his wife celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. After the service on Guernsey the Wedding Party and guests took to the sea on the Herm Trident to the Island of Herm off the east coast. The landing was made at the low water pier, Rosaire Steps just a short walk to the White House Hotel.

As it was the perfect summer's day most of the guests joined in the cricket match on the beach by the hotel, with the bride being one of the hardest hitters.

My wife took great enjoyment as our elder son was caught out, nothing like bare foot on a beach!!

The next day a summer storm occurred with high seas and no further ferries ran after 1100, so it's not only 2013 having a bad summer.

Minerva

Not a good week so far for guests arriving on the liners at St Peter Port. The Minerva arrived yesterday on a  foggy morning which did not lend itself to show Guernsey at its best. The Minerva has a interesting history, with its hull originally intended as a Russian Spy Ship, the hull is ice-classified, and has gone through many owners by sales of the parent company. The Minerva was extensively refitted for the 2012 season.

The Minerva was on a long stay on Monday and did not leave until 2100 for what should have been and idyllic evening on the anchorage with the sun setting over St Peter Port.  It did not happen, and she left for Portland on a misty mid-summer night.

Wednesday should have brought the Saga Ruby to Guernsey on her journey from Cobh but the conditions were not good for tenders and Captain Dunlop continued on course to the liner's home port of Dover. This was probably the last chance that the island had to see the Saga Ruby before she is taken out of service. These photos are from a earlier visit in April 2008 where she stayed into the night off Castle Cornet.