Amadea

Not a Bank Holiday and not as sunny, very unusual.  The Amadea, built in Japan in 1991, and chartered to a German based company,  arrived midday from Lorient, on the west coast of Brittany. She had the best part of the day in Guernsey, weather wise,  with the rain passing to the north of the Island. Late afternoon the bad weather had settled over Normandy with the liner being lit dramatically against the dark sky. She left in the evening, destination Hamburg.

Condor Vitesse, one of the high speed ferries operating between the United Kingdom, Channel islands and France,  arrived from Poole at 5.00pm and dumped her wash to the south so as not to disturb Tender operations between the liner and St peter Port.

Saga Ruby, Balmoral

Still a Bank Holiday weekend and it's still sunny, the sun welcoming the Saga Ruby and the Balmoral to St Peter Port. Both were at the anchorages before 8.00 a.m and with markets in town today the guests should enjoy their short visit.

The Saga Ruby is in the twilight of her career as she will finish service in early 2014. After the QE2 sailed into retirement the Saga Ruby became a favorite of those that had enjoyed the Cunard liner, one of the last traditional looking liners she will be missed by many. Her Captains produce blogs of the cruises which give an alternative insight into the world of cruising, Saga Ruby Blog . She had her tenders already swinging out before she came to anchor taking full advantage of a short stop in the Island.

The Balmoral is the second Fred Oslen liner to visit in two days and is coming up on the anchorage marked by the Golden Spur, St Peter Port's Pilot boat. One of the advantages of this line from others is that they depart from a number of UK ports such as Glasgow, Bristol, Harwich etc

Caribbean Princess, Braemar

After two days of high winds and liners cancelling their visits as they are unable to launch tenders. the Bank Holiday weekend arrives and it's sunny! Today the Braemar and Caribbean Princess arrived before Guernsey woke up and over 3,500 guests enjoyed their stay on the Island. The Caribbean Princess overshadows Castle Cornet, with some of the guests looking back at their liner.

Both liners are on round the British Isles cruises with the Braemar coming from Dover and heading for Falmouth. The  Caribbean Princess has recently crossed the Atlantic and is on the start of her deployment in Europe, the cruise came from Southampton and leaves for Cobh. She was the first to leave and is seen heading south with the island of Sark in the background.

Plenty of tenders were in evidence avoiding the excessive queues of last year with one of the Herm ferries helping out as well.

Mein Schiff 1

Cobh is a popular previous visit this week as today's Mein Schiff 1 and tomorrow's Caribbean Princess both visited. It was the port that survivors of the RMS Lusitana were brought ashore at, previously known as Queenstown. The Mein Schiff  1 is  in the colours of Tui Cruises, the English company Thompsons being in the same group. The name translated means "My Ship". She was launched in 1996.

The anchor is just breaking the surface as Mein Schiff 1 with the pilot on board, and over 2,000 guests prepare to leave Guernsey and sail for Southampton via the Big Russel, between the islands of Herm and Sark.

As the liner sailed the Petite Mel passed by, heading for the fish quay in St Peter Port,  after another long day at sea on the fishing grounds. No mistaking the name of the liner!

Costa Voyager

Today was the turn of the Costa Voyager, one of Costa's smaller ships with a capacity for 800 guests, She arrived at the anchorage early morning having sailed from Vigo, the port for Santiago de Compostela, destination for many pilgrims, at least one of the guests was up early.

Despite the slow approach on a grey morning the shore party were in fine fettle as they sailed into St Peter Port to get all ready for their guests.

Sark Shipping supplied one of their ferries as an extra tender to speed up getting guests ashore. During the wait to anchor one enterprising crewman took the time to do some fishing!

The Costa Voyager departed at 3.00 pm for Dunkirk, following the fashion for shorter visits, either to visit more destinations or to have a more economical cruising speed for the next destination.

Discovery, Seabourn Sojourn

It must be the weekend, drizzle, rain, mist and other such undesirable things, Sunday was not a good day for the Discovery and the Seabourn Sojourn. They arrived from Tresco and St Malo respectively and their guests spent a rather damp day in Guernsey compared to yesterdays brilliant sunshine. They are both small liners of under a 1,000 guests meaning they can go where the larger ships can't; ie through the lock gates at St Malo, Honfleur etc, a more personal service than the larger 3,000 plus capacity vessels.

The Seabourn Sojourn is one of the most luxurious vessels in the world, and is the second of it's class for Seabourn Cruise Line being first shown to the public on the River Thames in June 2010.

Eurodam, Jamaica Bay

A busy Saturday at St Peter Port with the Eurodam putting in a early appearance from Vigo in Spain with just over 2,000 guests aboard.  She towered above the Castle Breakwater and gave all on board a good view of a local powerboat race which took place to the south of here.The breakwater is a popular vantage point with views of all the islands as well as a favorite for fisherman.

At the same time in St Peter Port harbour the 60mt superyacht Jamaica Bay, delivered in 2010,  re-fueled, which took about 4 hours, before departing to the north. She was an attraction in herself looking a bit out of place where yachts generally take on a few litres!

At 1530 the last tenders were aboard the Eurodam and she departed to Zeebrugge, leaving behind a quieter town.

Queen Elizabeth, Aurora

In my eyes the Cunard liners are the creme de la creme of the liner world, with their dress codes and restaurants dependent on your cabin,  their historic heritage,  they stand out from other Lines even if the ships are not unique any more.

The Queen Elizabeth arrived on a flat calm morning but did not seem in too much of a hurry to get her tenders ashore, being almost a hour after she anchored. She sailed overnight from Zeebrugge,  the port for Bruges, before enjoying a sunny day at anchor.

The Queen Elizabeth towers over Castle Cornet, Guernsey's main defence of the harbour, last used by the Occupying Forces in World War 2. It is now one of the Island's premier tourist attractions.

 The Queen Elizabeth stayed the night as did the Aurora on one  of her conference cruises where you anchor tantalising close to shore but do not get off.  They will both head back to Southampton on Friday. The island in the background is Herm, where today there is a Real Ale Festival, and the coast of France at Cap de la Hague is just visible on the horizon.

 The Aurora used the southerly anchorage off Fermain Bay and the east coast cliffs.  In the foreground is the road that leads out to Castle Cornet.

Celebrity Infinity, Zenji, Silver Explorer, Voyager

The Celebrity Infinity was the first visitor of the day, on a wonderful spring morning,  having come from Le Havre with over 2,000 guests on board. The tenders were swung out and were soon running a shuttle service to St Peter Port Harbour. Just after she anchored the yacht Zenji arrived off of St Peter Port and stayed for a few hours

The next to arrive was a revisit, the Silver Explorer, which kept the Celebrity Infinity company for most of the previous night as she sailed from Honfleur.

No doubt the Silver Explorer is at anchor as the relevant "signal" is hoisted.

The tenders from the Silver Explorer are the way to get ashore looking like they are crewed by Special Forces rather than your normal method of being shore bound!

Quite a day for Guernsey with 2 "Superyachts", the other being the Lady B and, if only for 5 minutes, 3 liners, the Voyager being the very short term visitor. Despite the fact that the pilot bought her up to the anchorage, and there were 2 other liners at anchor, she decided not to stay, and set course for Fowey.

Silver Explorer, Island Sky

This morning the Silver Explorer arrived at St Peter Port in a sea that lives up to her name. As she came up to the anchorage the sun came out on a grey morning highlighting the choppy water. She is her for half a day having come up from St Malo.

Over the past few days the Island Sky has been in Channel Island waters sailing between Alderney, Guernsey, Herm and Sark as well as venturing to St Malo.

Black Watch, MSC Magnifica, Hamburg

2 Days - 3 Liners

Today, Monday 6th May has been a Bank Holiday in the United Kingdom and two liners visited Guernsey, with the Black Watch spending the day here yesterday. The Black Watch arrived on a wonderful calm morning and soon had tenders in the water for a full day in Guernsey. She left at teatime bound for Boulogne.

Bank Holiday Monday seemed to be the hottest day of the year so far in Guernsey and the island was host to the Hamburg arriving for a full day visit having sailed yesterday from Southern Brittany, Arriving lunch time the MSC Magnifica finally made it having cancelled the previous visit due to strong winds. Nothing like that today with temperatures reaching low 20's, the best early May Bank holiday for a long time.

Despite being on a half day visit, a fashion that seems to be increasing,  the MSC Magnifica had tenders in the water before the pilot had disembarked ready to get over 3,000 guests ashore. She arrived from Harwich on her way back to the Mediterranean.

St Peter Port Harbour looked fairly full late afternoon with both liners, tenders, Sark Ferries and the Commodore Clipper on her normal route of Portsmouth, Guernsey, Jersey, preparing to depart.

Le Boreal

My favorite of the year, Le Boreal, came in to St Peter Port yesterday in a strong north easterly having sailed from Belle Ille. The pilot took her to the anchorage west of the Great Bank providing for the customers occupying the 132 cabins on board a close first look at Guernsey

Even before she had anchored the landing stage was being made ready and the starboard tender was already on its way down. Though the ship looks like a super yacht the crewman on the landing platform provides scale for her true size