Azura

Hard to believe it's April, it seems more like June, especially with the French vedette Victor Hugo leaving St Peter Port with day trippers on a warm evening. With the Azura in the background preparing to leave it seems everybody had a good day in Guernsey.

Basking in the final warmth of the day the guests on board the Azura have enjoyed a cruise south to La Coruna. It may be a shock at 6am tomorrow morning in Southampton.

Castle Cornet is the fortification which has guarded the approaches to St Peter Port for centuries, a popular visit for guests on board the liners. Matching "Union Jacks" on the Castle and on the bow as Azura heads back to her homeport.

Caribbean Princess

St Peter Port is the first port of call for the Caribbean Princess after leaving Southampton last night and it's a glorious April day to celebrate the Queen's Birthday. Fresh from her multi million dollar refit in March she has some new "waves" on her bow.

Even the shore party seem capitavated by the early morning, taking photos of the liner as they headed into harbour.

St Peter Port Pilot boat heads back to harbour at the start of the days visit.

Saga Sapphire

It's Easter Sunday and the sun is shining, soon it will be a drought it's been shining so long this Spring. Saga Sapphire arrived from Cherbourg early this morning having left Southampton on Friday.

The cliffs are alive with flowers and as usual at this time of year the Bluebell Woods, on the east coast cliff path to Fermain, have their own unique colour. I wonder how many guests were there today.

Early evening and the Saga Sapphire departed St Peter Port for Le Havre before sailing on to Dover for Tuesday. In the background is the Island of Herm which guests could visit and on the right is the privately owned Island of Jethou.

Vistafjord Caronia Saga Ruby

With the Astoria in St Peter Port today,(originally the Stockholm on the North Atlantic Route), another of the regular visitors to Guernsey in past years is heading for the breakers' yard. When liners were not as frequent as today, the Vistafjord was at St Peter Port in the summer of 1979.

Renamed in 1999 as the Caronia she visited St Peter Port in Cunard colours during the first decade of the 2000's.

In 2005 she became the Saga Ruby, a much loved liner until she was retired in 2014. Her distictive shape could soon be no more, as now named the Oasia she is rumoured to be heading for the breakers yards.

A history lesson in this photo from August 2009, with Saga Ruby in the background, the Minerva leaving the anchorage and the Spirit of Adventure in between.

Astoria

The Astoria arrived at St Peter Port this morning from Ijmuiden after a change of itinerary, she was due to arrive later in the week. She left at tea time heading for Falmouth.

A familiary shape in Guernsey waters, the Astoria has visited in recent years as the Azores, being renamed in 2016. She is one of the few original North Atlantic liners still in service.

AIDAvita

AIDAvita arrives in St Peter Port, first visitor of the year 21st March 2017, left Miami 5th March, on to Hamburg 24th March.

Many Titles for this photo, St Peter Port pilot boat, Golden Spur,  under the watchful eye of etc etc etc!!

By the time departure time  came for Dover guests were able to enjoy the spring sun, though with coats on.

One guest is determined to get a photo of the anchor coming up,

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.

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.

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.

Crystal Symphony

First port of call for the Crystal Symphony on her Round Britain cruise from Tilbury is St Peter Port where guests came ashore on a cool summer's day. The liner entered service in 1995 and has undergone three "upgrades" over the last fourteen years culminating in every room on the ship being redesigned.
No company for the Crystal Symphony mid morning as she rests at anchor.

In the depths of the Guernsey countryside out west is the 'Henry garden', Henry being well known hoover first made in 1981 in Dorset. This cleaner favored by professionals is an iconic British product, but not too many uses like this come too mind.

After a full day at St Peter Port, Crystal Symphony left for Waterford in Southern Ireland to continue her Round Britain cruise before returning to Tilbury, London in 11 days time. The liner will see the world over the next year. October will see her sailing to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, before sailing to Australia and New Zealand. March 2017 she will be in Japan, before heading east again across the Pacific, through the Canal to New York, Iceland and then back to Europe. In the image a Dutch sailing ship  comes on to the Havelet anchorage, whilst the Guernsey Pilot boat waits for the liner's departure.

Aurora

Not a blue sky day for the guests on board the Aurora for their short two night cruise from Southampton to Guernsey, but if you stayed on board you had some free sporting entertainment. The Aurora provided a luxurious grandstand this Sunday morning for a six lap powerboat race, whilst on shore a traffic free seafront gave guests the opportunity to walk and enjoy the bustle of the town.

As the last tender heads back to the Aurora there is no late afternoon sunshine to enjoy today but guests can look forward to a evening on board the liner before her early morning arrival into Southampton. The blue funnel sill doesn't look right!

Minerva & Celebrity Silhouette

Two more visitors today with the Minerva arriving early this morning and the Celebrity Silhouette joining her at midday. Seeing the Minerva at anchor in calm seas off St Peter Port it's hard to think of her being built as a "spy" ship for the Soviet Navy in the late 1980s. St Peter Port has had a few old sailing ships visit in recent days and this early morning arrival heads for a welcome berth.

After some morning cloud the skies cleared and the temperature rose in time for the Harbour Carnival and the KPMG Castle Nights of music at Castle Cornet. The evening departure of the Celebrity Silhouette gave the guests on board time to sample the entertainment before taking the tenders to head back to the ship. Sark Shipping had one of their ferries as a extra tender to cope with many of the guests who went ashore.

With most of the guests on board basking in the last of the sun from either the decks or their balconies they must have enjoyed their visit to Guernsey with good weather, calm seas for the tenders and the delights of Island life.

More old sailing ships at anchor as Celebrity Silhouette heads to sea and her next destination of Le Havre. Monday will see her back in Amsterdam having cruised around the British Isles. Minerva left mid afternoon heading for Lisbon and then south as far as Cadiz before returning to Portsmouth in early August.

Astor

TO THE LADY who lost her wedding ring in Boots I believe it has been found. This blog EMail is nklepgur@gmail.com.



Astor was the Cruise Liner visiting today, not leaving until well into the evening after a long day in Guernsey. She left Tilbury last Wednesday on a British Isles cruise. She visited Scottish Islands before heading south to Dublin and the Scilly Isles, before arriving at St Peter Port. Astor, extensively refurbished 6 six years ago, is one of the smaller liners to visit the Island, catering for just under 600 guests. Tomorrow one of her sister ships in Cruise & Martime Voyages will visit, the Magellan.

Leaving the anchorage in the last sunlight of the evening the rocks and islands to the north of Herm show clearly. The sea does not look very summery yet, even for the 12th July. Astor's next destination is Honfleur in Normandy, before she heads back to Tilbury.

Caribbean Princess

Back home to see the Caribbean Princess visit St Peter Port on one of her regular sailings this year. She had company at the anchorage with Guernsey's adopted ship HMS Daring. This combination of Warship and Cruise Liner is not seen very often as the Caribbean Princess left mid afternoon bound for the Irish Sea and Cobh.

HMS Daring was launched in 2006, entered service in 2009 with a home port of Portsmouth. In 2008 she became Guernsey's adopted ship and has  visited the island many times during her career. This time was a short visit leaving overnight on Friday. Although accommodation has improved on naval ships in recent years I'm sure the crew on the Daring had comments about the Caribbean Princess facilities.

Queen Victoria

One of the world's most recognisable cruise lines arrived today in the shape of the Queen Victoria. Just before 8 am as St Peter Port was coming alive the liner dropped anchor. Tenders were already being swung out ready for the guests to enjoy the delights of Guernsey at the weekend. St Peter Port is the final port of call on her cruise from Spain and Portugal. The last port of call was Vigo, one of the world's largest fishing ports.

Maybe there was a fishing contest at the end of the Castle Breakwater as the Queen Victoria leaves for her return to Southampton. A favorite spot in the summer, it is hard to believe that in the winter the waves will break over the lighthouse.

The same weather pattern continued as for the last few days, the Liners leave and the sun comes out. Locals and tourists alike came out to enjoy the lack of wind and welcome sun. Bordeaux Harbour is made even more attractive by the high tide and calm seas, a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view, shame about the digger.

Sea Cloud II

Today it was the turn of the luxury sailing ship Sea Cloud II to pay one of her regular visits to St Peter Port. Summer seems very slow in coming to the Island at the moment with grey days and after the liners go, sunny nights, or at least for the last few days. The Castle Walk is the way that many guests take en route to Castle Cornet, though at the moment the walk way is shut for some storm repairs, rather strange to leave it till the time of year when more people use it.

Sea Cloud II entered service in 2001. As a guest on board you no doubt learn the names of the 3 masts and 24 sails which the ship has. She was only here for a half day visit and left the anchorage at lunch time heading for Honfleur. Sailing up the west coast of Guernsey she should arrive early tomorrow morning.