Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Again David, a very interesting view of the ships, Its good to see the clear configuration of the cruise port from above, you just can't get that from ground level,
That Saga Saphire sure looks gorgeous, will be interesting to hear what John thought of her when aboard today
Guest 718- Registered: 28 Jun 2011
- Posts: 195
I made a day of it. I watched them arrive in dreadful weather and I saw them make a very eventful departure. 'Tween times I visited the Sapphire and had a good look around and now I'm totally exhausted and want to go to bed.
I'll try and put something together tomorrow, but in the meanwhile I think the Sapphire is a delightful ship and a credit to Saga.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Here is a slightly better pic of the Saga Sapphire leaving last night. The sun was actually shining for a change. When you say 'eventful' departure John I noticed that they appeared to be having trouble getting away from dockside in the strong wind, both tugs used...the wind was very strong and northerly so pressing them into the pier. Im no expert...but from a landlubbers viewpoint this looked to be the case for both ships.
Hope you've had a good sleep by now John.
The little Braemer is in today..has been photographed earlier on the thread.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
slightly off topic there is a brand new board put up by the sculpture near the yacht club showing all the cruise calls for the season.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
What a great idea - well done to whoever.
Roger
Guest 718- Registered: 28 Jun 2011
- Posts: 195
As my account of the Sapphire's arrival is a large post I've opened it as a new topic - Saga Sapphire arrives at Dover. Hope this is OK.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Another beauty in today..the calls are coming very frequently now, great news for Dover. Its the Crystal Serenity..another large vessel, perhaps not quite the whopper size of some of the others but very nice indeed..
Here she is nestling in the swirling mist at 5.50am this morning. Foghorns going off last night..spookily eerie down here..
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
This is about as LIVE as we can get..the Costa Fortuna docking as I write..just got these pictures this very minute...another beauty..see also the post immediately above for todays other visitor.
This is the first visit of a Costa ship since the disaster with the Costa Concordia..and very welcome she is too. As with todays other visitor see post above, another fab and huge ship, a beauty. An impressive brace of ships in today.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
having recently returned from a trip on the royal caribbean have to say the way it was all organisd shows dover in another light.
from the time of arriving at southampton t time of departing everything great.
have to say also there was nothing i could find that didnt run smoothly throughout.
had one smaklkl hitch at the end when the immigration decided to take passengers off one at at a time as there computers had failed, that did cAUSE a hiccup, but the crew remained calm and was offering cakes, tea, coffee etc as his as something beyond there control.
but when arriving at southampton you were greeted, put into the correct line to get you onto the liner as soon as poss, all checks done and away we went.
throughout the trip it was great entertainment, great facilities,
my first time, but have to say southampton seem to know how to do it
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
These were taken when I last saw the Cost Fortuna - in Venice where they dwarf the buildings in the city:
Or maybe not! Will try and sort out the glitch.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
and now resized so hopefully:
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Wow!! Mark truly splendid pictures there..absolutely fab. Just shows the sheer scale of these ships. Seeing her in an Italaian setting there above, well you cant help but think of the tragic circumstances of her sister ship the Costa Concordia. One shouldnt dwell on these things but looking at her and the Crystal Serenity right here in Dover Harbour today.. see the pix in the posts above...it does fill one with a terrible anquish to think anything could happen to such magnificent things.
Allow me to gush for a moment...but a great day for shipping in Dover, especially now that the sun is out too. Terrific.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
wonder if dover will do like southampton does
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
Would imagine they do exactly the same, i.e. get passengers and stores on and off the ships.
What else did you have in mind?
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
Have to agree with Keith there (blimey!) - we got diverted to board the Black Watch at Southampton last year when there was a gale blowing at Dover, and it was a totally different experience in their new passenger terminal. Loads of space and loads of staff and no problem with the weather affecting boarding.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
RAY;
It's ok you can agree now and again lol
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
Can't comment on service levels vis-a-vis Dover and Southampton, but Southampton is clearly a much bigger cruise port with five cruise terminals. It's also the UK headquarters of the Carnival Corporation and home port for P&O Cruises and Cunard, so there will always be a lot of staff on hand. With P&O and Cunard home porting, they also get year-round trade rather than the seasonal business here in Dover. I don't think Dover has been that successful in attracting home port trade outside the summer cruise season, which is why the port of call trade is so important. This is also why Dover town needs to up its game. With new cruise terminals planned for London and Liverpool, the cruise lines will go to the destinations that offer the best product.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
So true Kevin - also of course how much they are charged for berthing their floating hotels.
Now that I have had a lot more input on my Tourism Strategy from many of the people and sites I had sent it to, it is almost ready for publishing; I just hope that those responsible for tourism in Dover, see it as a tool to use to improve the Town, help the businesses increase their footfall and turn Dover into a tourism destination.
Linked to and used in conjunction with the Plan of Action for Dover and the "discussion paper" I have written on how to have a successful market here, it could turn Dover around.
Roger
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
QUOTE FROM RAY: "we got diverted to board the Black Watch at Southampton last year when there was a gale blowing at Dover, and it was a totally different experience in their new passenger terminal. Loads of space and loads of staff and no problem with the weather affecting boarding."
Pleased to hear that Southampton offers a good experience to cruise passengers, lived there for ten years and its a lovely city.
Also pleased with the news today that Liverpool has been given the go-ahead for cruise ship turnarounds on the basis that they repay the grant aid they have received. Sailed out of Liverpool countless times in my deepsea days and they thoroughly deserve to reap the benefits of additional ship calls as a great seaport.
All healthy competition for Dover which has achieved the seemingly extraordinary feat of becoming the nation's second cruise port after Southampton despite all adversity. As Ray says, Dover is untenable in southwesterly gales and cruise ships have to find alternative destinations when there is a blow on. There is also the problem of the very strong tidal currents across the entrances and circulating within the harbour, and the jetstreams through both entrances, in the period leading up to high water.
Notwithstanding all this, Dover is set to receive 156 cruise ships and 250,000 passengers this year. The renovation of the Marine Station (CT1) and the dreadfully dilapidated passenger walkway leading to it are to be welcomed.
Bit puzzled that Ray and Keith seem to feel that Dover is lacking in some way, apparently space and staff. Have spoken to my brother-in-law, who has taken four cruises from Dover, and to a friend who is a baggage handler, and they consider the service excellent. The exception would be when there are three ships in at once and one has to draw the short straw of berthing on the Admiralty Pier extension, with pax trundling their luggage from CT2.
email: dover7@msn.com
