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.