Ventura

A day of contrasts for the Ventura's visit today. The morning was glorious sunshine and hot; this afternoon, cloud and rain. No sign of rain this morning as the tenders came alongside, as both Sark and Herm ferries were employed to bring the guests ashore. Condor Liberation is on the ramp, as well as the French ferry Victor Hugo on the cross berth.

The Ventura was on a two night cruise from Southampton for her short visit to Guernsey today. Amongst the guests on board are a wedding party. The bride boarded at Southampton in her wedding dress, and certainly had plenty of guests to enjoy the celebrations. But if you want to stand out in a crowd, wear something bright - like the lady in the pink top.

Early evening as the Ventura left the anchorage bound for Southampton. She will be back on Monday on her way south for a week long Iberian Cruise and currently all cabins are sold out apart from inside ones. Not too sure the weather will be as kind for that visit.

Azores, Adonia & Sea Cloud II

Three days with no liners, then three are on the anchorages off St Peter Port. The Adonia and Azores arrived this morning from the Scilly Isles along with the Sea Cloud II that arrived from Cowes, Isle of Wight. Not too sure if the windsurfer got close to the liners, there was a lot of activity off St Peter Port to contend with.

The Sea Cloud II was the first to leave, taking a lunch time departure bound for Lorient. The Azores was the last to leave, just before sunset, bound for Le Havre, where some guests may take the coach trip to Paris.

Herm Island provided a different viewpoint to try and get all three liners together, but was not as good as the sea front in Guernsey!! After the bad weather of the last few days Herm was busy with visitors making the most of the good weather, and maybe staying for a long weekend. The White House Hotel is a short walk from the beaches, as well as providing spectacular views of sunsets over Guernsey. The harbour beach doesn't look too busy, but Shell Beach was proving popular.

The cliff path on the high ground on the south side of Herm gives good views of St Peter Port and the three liners. The islet in the foreground is Crevichon and is only a short distance from Jethou, a privately leased island which is not open to the public. The Adonia, on the left of this image departed at tea time bound for Southampton, for the end of her British Isles cruise. The Azores is also on a British Isles cruise originating from Liverpool. Cruise & Maritime Voyages is chartering the Azores and they sail from various "local" ports such as Liverpool, Hull and Bristol as well as London-Tilbury.

One more image of the three liners on the anchorage, an impressive sight.

Voyager

Visits are not quite as frequent as the season is getting towards its end, The Voyager arrived today from Ostend for a half day visit. The guests on board made the most of their short visit by taking coach tours around the island, they were out early and had the opportunity to see the west coast beaches at high tide with hardly anyone on them. Grandes Rocques only had these dog walkers on the beach.

Shortly after lunch time the last tender was heading back to St Peter Port to collect the guests who had enjoyed their short stay on Guernsey. The St Peter Port Pilot was boarding the liner in preparation for the departure to Oporto.

Some guests may have made it to Herm, the beaches certainly looked inviting in the late summer sunshine. The Voyager, with a capacity for just over 500 guests, finds favour with those who prefer a "quieter" liner and a smaller ship to call home during their cruise. The liner was bought at auction by its owners in 2009 and was refurbished for the British cruise market in 2012.

Royal Princess & Magellan

Spending the week in Edinburgh for the Royal Tattoo and the other events in town during August, cruise liners  were the last thing we expected to see. Even before we touched town at the airport the  Royal Princess was in sight just off the Forth Bridges. Unfortunately one of the rare rainy moments we had during our visit, not the best for this photo.

The Edinburgh Royal Tattoo was excellent, the venue, the lighting, the warmth of the audience from all over the world,(including Guernsey), all contributed to the enjoyment of the evening. Every display was worth seeing, the USAF Honour Guard display team was spectacular and would have been appreciated by the many Americans who were at this event.

The Magellan was also at Leith for the last day of our visit as part of her Scottish Islands and Edinburgh Festival cruise. The view from the Walter Scott monument in Princes St Gardens is well worth the climb for the view over the city but the narrow steps on the top section can cause issues.

Oriana

As it stands right now the Oriana guests will be one of the last to use the crossing by the Town Church due to a change of heart in the management of traffic in this area. Reverting to two lanes of southbound traffic will mean that this area is deemed no longer safe for the large number of pedestrians crossing at this point. This should take place on Monday 9th August.

It is that time of year when summer does not stretch on endlessly. For some strange reason clothes shops want to sell you winter clothing, not what you want to wear on this Saturday, one of the hottest of the year. The guests on board the Oriana made the most of their day in Guernsey arriving early this morning and departing just on tea time. Wearing her new Colours, with the Union Jack proud on the bow, P&O's liners leave no doubt of their heritage.

It's a short cruise for the guests on board the Oriana, leaving Southampton last night, Guernsey today, Zeebrugge tomorrow and then back to Southampton on Monday. With the St Peter Port Pilot off the liner, she will set course up the Big Russell, before turning into the northbound shipping lane of the English Channel.

Royal Princess

A lovely sunrise this morning off the east coast of Guernsey as the Golden Spur marks the position for the Royal Princess to drop anchor. Any independent guests on board have a good choice of events today with the Scarecrow Trail in Torteval and, closer to the ship, Seafront Sunday and various stalls by the Old Harbour in St Peter Port.

Any guests on their balconies on the other side of the liner would see St Peter Port lit by the early morning sun. The steep rise leading up to Hauteville House, where Victor Hugo lived when in exile, is clear in this image. So too is the Fort Field, part of Fort George which overlooks St Peter Port.

The Royal Princess is on her regular cruise around the British Isles, which will take her cruising the north coast of Scotland, before heading to Le Havre and then to Southampton. The end of August will see her last visit of the year before she sails for Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Next summer she will not be a regular visitor to Guernsey as she will be based in the Mediterranean.  The liner is not so good for the inhabitants of Herm though as due to her size she sometimes interrupts telecommunications links with the island!

Saga Pearl II

Mid morning at Salarie Pier and the Saga Pearl II rests quietly at anchor. The pier is easy to get to as the steps have been repaired to access it from the walkway. No boats leaving the Marina, but by tea time the locals will be heading to Herm and Sark for the weekend, or the nearby French coast.

Starlight Circus early this morning, Guernsey's very own circus which has been appearing at the old aerodrome at L'Eree for many many years. Those Guests from the liner taking the Guernsey Vaeux will see the circus as they pass, but the diminutive box office will not be open yet.

Saga Pear ll is on her last visit of the year and arrived this morning from Southampton. Formerly the Astoria she was also a visitor to Guernsey under that name before under going her refurbishment for Saga. Castle Cornet in the foreground is a favorite with guests from liners as well as being popular with locals especially for the KPMG Castle Nights, when they take their picnics and listen to the music

Mein Schiff 1

Mein Schiff 1 left Hamburg on the 18th July and after cruising  the North Coast of Scotland and the Irish Sea, she arrived in Guernsey early this morning. She was previously the Celebrity Galaxy and was transferred to TUI in 2009. At a undisclosed date in the future she will transfer to Thompson Cruises in the United Kingdom. She left St Peter Port for Southampton this evening and in the background of the image is the Island of Alderney, only visited by the smallest Cruise Liners, but well worth a visit.

Not too sure if any of the guests of the Mein Schiff 1 were in the water at Vazon Bay this afternoon where even with a strong westerly wind the beach saw plenty of activity. In the winter the sea will break over the sea wall and the roadway creating a very different picture.

As the Mein Schiff 1 passed St Martins Point the St Peter Port Lifeboat sailed close by on her way back to harbour. Once again the calm seas of the east coast contrast with those of the west coast earlier. By the end of 2015 Mein Schiff 1 will be in completely different waters cruising out of Singapore to Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Hebridean Princess

The Hebridean Princess was an unusual visitor today actually coming into St Peter Port Harbour to berth alongside. She arrived early afternoon after the St Malo ferry had departed which enabled her to use that berth. The Hebridean Princess left St Helier late morning. as part of her "Footloose to the Channel Isles" cruise from Portland in Dorset. On her approach to St Peter Port guests had the opportunity for a view of Herm, one of the islands not on the cruise.

Originally built as a ferry she is at home in the north cruising the Islands for Hebridean Island Cruises. With "All Inclusive cruises" a headline for the company the free internet and "no tipping policy" is a change from some other lines. In the background as she enters St Peter Port is the Grossherzogin Elisa a 1909-built ship going through many changes in her life before her current role as a sail training vessel.

The Berlitz Cruising Guide tells us that the liner has a "Scottish Country House ambience" which is enhanced by the flowers at the stern. The Queen chartered the ship for her 80th birthday celebrations giving the Hebridean Princess a unique heritage.

Bit different to last night with the Prinsendam illuminated outside St Peter Port. Hebridean Princess quietly alongside in St Peter Port, no sound of engines tonight to send guests asleep. Castle Cornet not illuminated yet, it was 9.30 the night before.

Prinsendam

Looking out to the west this morning it looked unlikely that the Prinsendam would be staying but the wind direction and the shelter that St Peter Port anchorages provide made the day's visit possible. This view looking South West from St Martins Point shows the seas that were running early this morning.

Once the St Peter Port pilot was on board, the pilot boat Golden Spur headed towards the anchorage and calmer seas. The spotlight of sun shining on the sea illuminates the pilot boat against the grey sea out to the east.

Passing down the east coast between the islands the liner now has calm waters and contrasts clearly with the green cliffs St Martins. The Prinsendam has been on an "Irish and Scottish Explorer" cruise from the Netherlands and arrived from Ilfracombe  just after 7.00 am.  It will be past midnight before she leaves Guernsey for Ijmuiden arriving there early on Wednesday morning.

With her early morning departure Guernsey enjoyed the rare sight of the Prinsendam with lights ablaze off St Peter Port. Castle Cornet in the foreground has music nights during the summer due to the generosity of a local finance house.