#oriana – The cruise liner Oriana that moored off Dun Laoghaire this morning moved to Dublin Port at lunchtime. The sudden change of berth arrangements follows a navigational incident in Dublin Bay this morning and is in relation to a passenger tendering operation from the MV Oriana to/from Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
In a statement to Afloat.ie, the Marine Survey Office (MSO) said it had previously issued two permits to undertake tendering operations in connection with the passenger ship Oriana on 26th July 2013. One permit was issued to the Oriana, for the use of its own tender vessels. The second permit was issued to the local operator of a passenger vessel.
An officer from the MSO subsequently attended onboard the Oriana today to investigate the incident and the permit granted to the Oriana has subsequently been withdrawn.
The second permit, issued to the local operator remains valid, an MSO spokesman said.
This morning, during the swift onset of a sea fog on the bay around 0930, a tender from the Oriana was operating between the ship and to/from Dun Laoghaire harbour. Local sources say the tender was assisted by a local Pilot vessel. The liner sounded a number of blasts of the ships horn as sea fog engulfed the south shore of the bay near Sandycove.
The cruise liner was initially moored approximately 1km off Dun Laoghaire's East Pier, in Scotsman's Bay from around 6am before moving into Dublin Port at 1pm this afternoon.
A Spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company said this afternoon:
'Operational issues that arose this morning in relation to tendering of passengers from the cruise ship Oriana are a matter for discussion between the vessel's operators, P&O Cruises, and the Marine Safety Directorate.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has no role or responsibility in regard to the operation of tenders taking passengers from cruise vessels into Dun Laoghaire Harbour'.
