Arcadia & Emerald Princess

The Arcadia arrived yesterday morning and stayed overnight hosting a IT Directors Spring Conference. Its a non-landing cruise from Southampton returning first thing Saturday morning. The mist of the last few days persisted although clearing somewhat during the day. Last night the views from the liner could not have been good.

The Arcadia was joined by the Emerald Princess today. She was returning from her cruise to the north coast of Spain and was due to leave early in the evening for Southampton. The Arcadia slips away in the background with the delegates on board no doubt getting ready for the "Gala Dinner". Emerald Princess will follow her back.

Saints Harbour on the south coast of Guernsey cannot be visited by guests on a tour bus. Best accessed on foot it a small fishing harbour also favored by anglers and kayakers. Today the sun shone on the harbour and these fisherman are making good use of the clear waters.

Emerald Princess

April Showers, April Rain, April Wind, April Sunshine; all of these greeted the guests from the Emerald Princess when she spent the full day in Guernsey. She left Southampton on Saturday and spent yesterday in the Western Channel. Some guests I met at St Barnabas told me how sunny the weather had been there. I hope they found Market Square on their way back to the ship! This morning the sun shone on the boats in Bordeaux Harbour in the north of the Island with Emerald Princess in view on the outer anchorage.

The inclement weather in the afternoon led to a large number of guests wishing to return to the liner at the same time creating a queue that snaked its way around the Albert Pier. This is the view from St Barnabas which gives good views of St Peter Port, Castle Cornet and any visiting liners.

The strong winds are shown by the strain on the anchor as the 'Last Tender' is hosted aboard before the Emerald Princess departed at tea time for Southampton. She will home port in Southampton for the summer this year before heading for southerly climes

Oceana and Emerald Princess

With over 5,500 guests on board the Emerald Princess and Oceana, St Peter Port harbour was a busy place to be today. Tenders were running all day with Emerald Princess calling on the services of the Herm Trident, and Oceana coping on her own. Once the morning mist cleared the sun shone all day so the guests could enjoy their time ashore, before leaving in the early evening for Southampton.

St Peter Port gives plenty of photo opportunities with the old harbour forming the sea front of the capital. These guests from the Emerald Princess are enjoying themselves, but seem oblivious to the German gun position on the left from the Occupation.

Tenders always seem busy at lunchtime, even on a full day's stay.  This one returns to the Emerald Princess as the Condor Vitesse heads north on her fast passage to Weymouth. Both liners have been chasing one another on a 7 day cruise from Southampton to Spain, the Gironde in France, and then via Guernsey back to Southampton.

Emerald Princess

Today, May the 9th, is Guernsey's National Holiday celebrating when the island was liberated from occupying forces at the end of World War II. Greeting the sunrise this morning was not the Royal Navy and Force 135, (the British Army liberating force), but the Emerald Princess with over 3,000 guests on board for a day visit. She left Fort Lauderdale on the 18th April on a positioning cruise to spend the summer in Europe. Twenty two days later on the 10th of May she will dock in Southampton after her "Western Europe Grand Adventure Cruise".

Shortly after arriving on the easterly anchorage in a strong south westerly wind, tenders were soon in the water for the shore party and the first guests. With the large number of guests on board numerous tenders were launched as well as a charter of the Herm Trident ferry.

Guernsey turns out in force for Liberation Day and with the extra numbers of guests from the Emerald Princess the parade for the Service of Remembrance had a large audience. The parade included  representatives of the crew of HMS Daring (Guernsey's adopted ship) and a number of Gurkha Rifles, and they were joined by Chelsea Pensioners for the church service.