Caribbean Princess & Azamara Quest

Today and yesterday have seen two liners visit on cruises around the British Isles. The Caribbean Princess arrived yesterday at the start of her cruise and left mid afternoon bound for Cobh, passing the Azamara Quest at the end of her cruise having arrived from the same port. With the heat haze still coming off the land after the previous day's record temperatures the Caribbean Princess provides a contrast with the cliffs of the south coast of Guernsey and the Island of Sark.

The Azamara Quest is a very different liner from the Caribbean Princess catering for the destinations that the larger liner cannot visit. With only a quarter of the number of guests the line attracts the boutique liner afficianado who appreciate the more intimate ship. She left early evening bound for Southampton where her next cruise will head to St Petersburg.

Summer in Guernsey attracts many different type of boat, and on the anchorage tonight, as the Azamara Quest left,  was the Regina Maris, a sailing ship built in 1970.  According to her website she accommodates over 30 students, and spends a lot of time off the coast of Africa as a sailing training ship, home porting in Amsterdam.

Azamara Quest

Not the best day for a visit to Guernsey for the Azamara Quest with the rain and mist not clearing 'til late afternoon. The guests had a full day with an early morning arrival and a late evening departure. Visibility was not good and the views from the liner were not the other islands and French coast but a grey sea and mist. Castle Cornet had few visitors looking at the Azamara Quest this afternoon, not the June weather we are used to!

If the guests had taken a Fortifications tour they may have seen the "V" for Victory symbol used in the Second World War, created on one of the Mirus ammunition bunkers in St Peters as part of the Floral Group initiative. The Mirus battery was built by the Occupying Forces and is the largest coastal gun battery in the Channel Islands with a range of over 45kms.

The Azamara Quest left late evening for Falmouth and will be in Cobh on Sunday following in the wake of the recent visitor, Celebrity Silhouette. What a difference a few hours makes with the bad weather now cleared and visibility increased the rocks and islets to the north of Herm are clearly visible. With the last tender coming aboard the liner will shortly be on her way.

Ocean Princess, Azamara Quest

After a quiet few days the Ocean Princess came back for her second visit in a week from Dover and the Azamara Quest arrived from Honfleur. The Ocean Princess was on the fashionable short day visit and with calm seas all morning the tenders were soon operating.

The Azamara Quest was on the more easterly anchorage and had the longer ride in to St Peter Port on tenders. The passengers on the Bon Marin had a closer look at the liner on the their trip to Sark. The journey takes about a hour and passes close by the other Channel Islands of Herm and Jethou.

Arriving and leaving St Peter Port harbour by tender gives one of the best views of the capital of Guernsey that you can have. With the landmark Town Church and other buildings that formed the sea front over a 100 years ago. the rising hill forms a natural harbour that was developed over the years.