Saga Pearl II

The last Liner for August arrived today, the Saga Pearl II. It's hard to believe that in a previous life she spent her time sailing between South Africa and Europe under the name Astoria. She was acquired by Saga in 2009 and now carries under 500 guests in a traditional, British style. With Bordeaux harbour in the background the Condor Liberation passes the liner on her journey north to Poole.

With the warm weather many guests took advantage of the outside decks to make the most of these late summer days. It doesn't look too crowded and only one crew member on the lower deck enjoys the quiet moments before the evening starts.

Saga Pearl II left at tea time bound for St Marys in the Scilly Isles where she should arrive at sunrise tomorrow morning. Blue seas, blue skies, blue funnel is the picture as Saga Pearl II leaves the anchorage.

Europa

A month ago Europa 2 visited St Peter Port for a half day visit, this Bank Holiday Monday it was the turn of Europa. She has a reputation as the most luxurious small cruise liner and on some cruises has a Michelin starred chef in one of the smaller restaurants on board. This Bank Holiday the weather is sunny and warm but the seas and Castle Cornet look surprisingly empty.

I don't know if any guests made it to Moulin Huet, but the cafe was open today for the many cliff walkers about this morning. With the car park at the top of the footpath it's a steep walk to the cafe and the beach, but Renoir managed to make it for one of his paintings.

It was just before midnight when the Europa left for St Malo and tenders were running well into Monday night giving guests the opportunity to enjoy an evening ashore. Europa is on a cruise from Hamburg to Lisbon and will then head for the Mediterranean, and eventually on to Cape Town and the Far East for Christmas. Taking advantage of her size she visits the smaller ports and Friday will see her in St Jean de Luz, a town at the western end of the Pyrenees.

Azura

Compared to the last few weeks the short crossing by tender from the Azura looked not as peaceful as it had been. She is on a two night cruise out of Southampton to Guernsey which seems to attract guests celebrating special birthdays and even wedding dinners.

St Peter Port had the morning sun which showed off the town cascading up the hills. Not many guests would have made it to one of Guernsey newer restaurants, the cream building with its huts in the gardens, accessible only by steps that climb the hill.

Azura entered service in 2010 and with her sister ship Ventura were the largest ships in P&Os fleet until the arrival of the Britannia. With Herm in the background she makes an impressive sight as her own tenders come alongside. During the day the Herm Trident also helped out, moving large numbers of guests at a time. Azura made her way back to Southampton just before 6.00pm.

Prinsendam & Britannia

Last night the Prinsendam arrived at St Peter Port at the start of her Celtic Explorer cruise, sailing down the Big Russel, with calm seas as the sun was setting. No guests came ashore overnight, but plenty were on deck to enjoy their arrival at the anchorage. In the image the Island in the background is Sark.

As the sun set there was cloud on the horizon but it parted just enough to shine on the liner after she anchored.

This morning she had company as the Britannia arrived at the end of a cruise which has taken her to the north coast of Spain. Seas were calm as she sailed along the south coast of Guernsey arriving just as the sun was rising. It seems there have been less cancellations due to weather this year, but that could be just wishful thinking.

Unusual to have two liners in lit up. It was just dark enough for them both to be illuminated with the Britannia on the outer anchorage and the Prinsendam closer to St Peter Port. Temperatures are still high in Guernsey today with not much wind, ideal for guests to enjoy themselves on the island before leaving at 6 pm.  Britannia returns to Southampton and the Prinsendam on to the Isles of Scilly.

Oriana & Voyager

As the end of August looms and the colder months get closer so a trip to Herm on these last sunny days is called for. The bonus was the view from Herm of the Oriana and the Voyager. Oriana dropped anchor first on a British Isles cruise. St Peter Port was the first port of call with some guests making the most of their long day in Guernsey to take a trip to the smaller island. In the image Herm Trident passes the Oriana on her short trip to Herm.

The Voyager arrived mid morning coming from Ostend. She picked up the Guernsey Pilot off the Lower Heads buoy before sailing towards the anchorage, seen here passing between the Island of Jethou and St Martins Point on Guernsey. Voyager, one of the smaller liners visiting this year, carries just over 500 guests but is still well traveled, spending Christmas and New Year in the Far East.

Although the last to arrive the guests on board Voyager had a shorter tender ride into St Peter Port, and here she is coming up to anchor with the Pilot boat marking the position. She left just before the Oriana at tea time and is heading south for Vigo.

Ventura

P&Os Ventura spent Sunday at St Peter Port on her way north from a cruise to the west coast of Portugal and Spain. She made the most of the August weather arriving before breakfast and departing at tea time. The sea front was closed to traffic so guests good make the most of a "Sea Front Sunday"

Guests taking any Bus or Coach tour which goes as far as L'Eree on the west coast may have noticed the geese and ducks that inhabit the fields and nature reserve. What they don't see is that as dusk falls the geese on one side of the road head to the reserve on the other side, some fly, some walk, but they seem to know when there is no traffic!

Before the geese crossed the road the Ventura left the anchorage and headed out on her way to Southampton around the southern tip of Sark. This is the first time I've seen the Ventura in the new colours. I don't remember seeing the eye-catching red line at sea level before on the other P&O Liners, maybe she is a bit high in the water.

Caribbean Princess & Magellan

Two more Round Britain cruises today, the Caribbean Princess at the start of her cruise and the Magellan towards the end. The Caribbean Princess arrived first with the CMV Magellan arriving at about 7.30am. With the Island of Jersey in the background, the Magellan heads for the closer anchorage to St Peter Port harbour as the larger liner's tenders prepare for their visit.

Incredibly calm seas as the Golden Spur, the St Peter Port Pilot boat, heads towards the spot where Magellan will drop anchor. At this time in the morning the waters look empty around St Peter Port as the island wakes up to the start of the weekend.

The Magellan is the flagship of Cruise and Maritime Voyages.  Her early years were spent as the Carnival Holiday, she had a short spell as the Grand Holiday, in 2014 she became a Hotel Ship for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, all this before joining CMV in 2015. Tomorrow she will visit Honfleur in Normandy before heading for her home port of Tilbury on the River Thames in London.

By the way, with 4,000 guests ashore this morning in Guernsey this was a regular sight as guests queued for the round the island bus ride, the 91 or 92. There are other buses that cover the west coast or north coast but this will cost more as you will have to get off and wait for another bus. Depends if you want to spend your time in Guernsey in a queue.

Britannia

Britannia was in town today where guests enjoyed another sunny summer's day. Arriving a little later than normal the tenders were soon running to the harbour. The liner pontoon in St Peter Port, bringing guests to the heart of the town, is proving beneficial, but it maybe a bit small for the larger liner tenders. This guest, making the most of the photo opportunity, gets one of the empty tenders heading back to Britannia.

A photo opportunity for another guest, this time on the bridge deck level,  getting her last photos of Guernsey before Britannia sets sail. Only two more visits due here for Britannia before she heads away from Northern Europe for warmer climes. The Union Jack colours look particularly striking in this shot.

St Peter Port is the last call for Britannia as she heads back to Southampton after a two week cruise to the Mediterranean. One of the last tenders heads back to the liner, as the island of Herm in the background prepares for a busy weekend and the forecast good weather.

Crystal Symphony

Crystal Symphony arrived from Honfleur early this morning at St Peter Port today where her guests enjoyed a full day in Guernsey, having passed the Astor sometime during the night. Crystal Symphony will also head to the Pacific and New Zealand, with December being the month for their long crossing.

Not many guests would have made it to the old Guernsey Militia lookout near Petit Bot bay which gives good views of the south coast of Guernsey as well as the bay itself. The beach wasn't too crowded but the clear waters enticed many swimmers.

The Crystal Symphony left at tea time bound for St Malo on the north coast of Brittany.  The St Peter Port Pilot follows the liner away from the anchorage ready to take the pilot off as leaves on passage.

Astor

Astor was back in St Peter Port on another sunny August day. Her days at sea might have been a bit different if she had started on her intended sailings between Cape Town and Southampton, but before being completed she was sold to a another shipping company. With her current owners she does sail into Cape Town occasionally, and April next year will see her spend two days there. In the foreground is the pier at Salarie Corner, with the Island of Sark in the background.

Astor left at tea time bound for Honfleur and then on to Zeebrugge. The seas off St Peter Port look empty for August even though the sun is still shining. October will see her heading westbound across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and onto Auckland. The sea off St Peter Port will look even emptier then!

Sirena & Celebrity Silhouette

Oceania Cruises new ship, Sirena, arrived in St Peter Port this morning from Le Havre. Christened in Barcelona in April this year, after being extensively refurbished, she is on a rare visit north of the Mediterranean. Originally entering service with Renaissance Cruises in 1999,  she became part of the Princess Cruises fleet in 2002. This morning with blue skies and sea, the approaches to St Peter Port Harbour were busy, not only with tenders from the Sirena, but also from the Celebrity Silhouette.

With a capacity four times greater than the Sirena, the Celebrity Silhouette did rather overshadow the smaller liner. However her cruises are not as adventurous, heading for her home port of Fort Lauderdale during our winter months. Sirena, before she returns to Barcelona next July, will have crossed the Atlantic, crossed the Pacific twice and had cruises out of Sydney.

The Celebrity Silhouette, behind the Sirena, left late afternoon bound for Cobh. She is on a Round Britain Cruise and will be back in Amsterdam in 12 days time. Sirena is heading south to Bordeaux and on to Barcelona, before crossing the Atlantic in late September. In this image the Guernsey pilot boat is off the stern of the Celebrity Silhouette, with the Sark Venture returning from the liner acting as a tender. The French ferry Granville is leaving St Peter Port bound for St Helier, Jersey.

Minerva

The Minerva returns to St Peter Port at the start of her Celtic Traditions cruise. This will include a visit to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Tattoo and Fringe Festival, hopefully with seats already booked. She spent the day at anchor with the weather clearing during the morning to give blue skies, good weather to enjoy your balcony for the few guests remaining on board.

From the high ground surrounding St Peter Port there are good views of the other Islands in the Bailwick as well as the liner anchorages . This view point is close to Candie Gardens and Cambridge Park within Les Cotils where you will find a small cafe and gardens.

The view to the north is over the housing on the outskirts of St Peter Port up to L'Ancresse Common at the extreme north of the Island. With the many trees in sight it's hard to believe this area is one of the most densely populated in Guernsey.