#CRUISESHIP SISTERS – Oceania Cruises Nautica (2000/30,277grt) currently docked in Dublin Port will later today be joined by a sister, Azamara Journey, operated by Azamara Club Cruises, writes Jehan Ashmore

Azamara Journey had departed Leith and is heading through the Irish Sea and is expected to arrive in the capital port around mid-afternoon.

Both vessels (circa 680 passengers) form part of an original eight-strong sister fleet of French built 'R' class ships ordered for Renaissance Cruises, which ceased trading in 2001, resulting in the splitting of the ships to various owners.

Incidentally Oceania Cruises also operate two more such sisters. Regatta built as R Five and Insignia, the former R1, the lead-ship of the series all having the previous owner's rather simplistic naming theme. Likewise Azamara Club Cruises operate the former R Seven, rechristened Azamara Quest.

Another 'R' class sister operating for P&O Cruises, the Adonia, which led the seven-strong spectacular sail-past in Southampton waters for the 'Grand Event' to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the famous company, is due to call to Foynes in a fortnight's time.

Noting that Adonia, led the liner line-up which included Arcadia (as previously reported), seen third in line astern and where each ship set off on separate cruises as they headed out of the Solent.

#PORTS & SHIPPING REVIEW - Over the last fortnight Jehan Ashmore has reported from the Ports & Shipping Scene which saw trade volumes in Drogheda Port continue to rise. An increase of over 44% was recorded for the first six months of 2012 compared to the same period last year.

Off the west coast, a record breaking 48 tonnes of silver bullion has been recovered from the wreck of S.S. Gairsoppa, a 412-ft British cargoship that was torpedoed by U-Boat in WWII.

The Competition Authority is to conduct an in depth review of how our ports perform and how they are to be funded and to examine whether Dublin Port has an economically dominant position.

A boost on all fronts for traffic figures on Stena Line's Belfast-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route was welcomed by the ferry operator which completed the takeover of operations from DFDS Seaways last summer.

Single-route operator Celtic Link Ferries reached an agreement with Rosslare Europort, to end a stalemate in over €100,000 relating to unpaid port landing fees.

Deutschland, one of the three cruiseships that visited Dublin Port last weekend completed its cruise in London, where the vessel is currently moored as a floating hotel for the German Olympic Sports Federation.

Belfast M.P. Nigel Dodds is leading a campaign to keep the WWI battleship cruiser HMS Caroline, the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland, from leaving the city. The 1914 built ship could be moved to Portsmouth for preservation or even face scrapping.

At the other end of the island, Cork based Irish Mainport Holdings has acquired a new seismic-support ship. The vessel renamed Mainport Kells has recently taken up a long-term charter contract for clients operating in the North Sea.

#SUPERYACHT – The elegant streamlined luxury 60m/200ft motoryacht M.Y. Majestic is to dock in Dublin’s Port this evening, having departed Norway via Scottish waters, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Caymen Islands registered 12-guest charter-yacht (view gallery) which has a crew of 15 to serve clients normally in the warmer climes of the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

On her visit to Dublin she is to moor midway alongside Sir John Rogersons Quay in the heart of the 'Docklands' quarter.

The motoryacht has a skylounge, which offers private vantage point for bird’s eye views. From here guests have the option to convert the lounge into a cinema with a 100-inch screen and a choice of more than 800 on-demand movie titles.

She was built in 2007 by Feadship, the same Dutch yard that completed the M.Y. Air which called to Cork in May. Majestic has two VIP staterooms, in which the stateroom on the lower deck takes up the full beam (10.9m/34ft) and is approached by its own guest lounge. The other accommodation is for five double en-suite cabins.

As to be expected of the millionaires’ yacht, there is an extensive array of leisure toys on board, be it through the use of two tenders (over 23ft), 3-man wave-runners, hobie kayaks, waterskis, wakeboards, scuba equipment facilities for 8 persons and for those snorkelling up to 12. All this is backed up by a Zodiac rescue boat, however for those not wanting to get their feet wet there’s the gym!

She is powered by a pair of CAT 3516 engines which generate 2000hp (1492kw) each, which deliver a cruising speed of 14knots, though if required this can increased to 16 knots.

#TREESOME CRUISECALLS – This morning three cruiseships arrived into Dublin Bay and all within less than an hour. Currently the trio are berthed closely together in the centre of Dublin port, which this year expects to see around 90 such vessels visiting this season, writes Jehan Ashmore.

First to arrive was Holland America Line's Prinsendam (1988/37,983grt) from Liverpool, followed by Swan Hellenic's Minerva (1996/12,449grt) from Portsmouth and lastly Peter Deilmann's Deutschland (1998/22,496grt) from Douglas.

In 2011 around 200 large cruise vessels visited Irish shores carrying more than 308,000 passengers and crew. The cruise sector in fact has doubled in terms of visitors, in just over 7 years when 142 cruise ships called in 2004 bringing more than 146,000 passengers and crew.

Large ports such as Dublin, Cork and Belfast handled over 85% of the total cruiseship visitor numbers in 2011. Of these ports only Dublin saw an increase, leaving the others remaining relatively unchanged. However, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the opening earlier this year of Titanic Belfast is attracting more cruise calls to Belfast.

#TALL SHIPS RACES - 'First Mate' Keith Duffy joined Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar and new Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise Ó Muirí on the first day of this year's Tall Ships Races to announce details of the spectacular line-up for the free four-day festival in Dublin from 23-26 August.

Up to 50 magnificent tall ships will sail into Dublin Port, the final host port in the race, for what promises to be Ireland’s biggest festival of the summer. 

“It’s great to see the Tall Ships Races back in Ireland again, following a highly successful visit last year," said Minister Varadkar.

Local organisers Dublin City Council and the Dublin Port Company have programmed an impressive entertainment line-up to cater for all tastes.

Mary Weir, project manager for the Tall Ships Races 2012 Dublin, said: “We are expecting over one million visitors to attend the festival and we want to make sure there is entertainment to suit everyone.  

"We have designed a captivating and exciting line-up of entertainment with everything from food theatres and markets, imaginative children’s areas, a Family Zone, an impressive music line-up with Ash and The Undertones already confirmed, parades, street performances, literary trails and an Urban Street Culture and Watersport Zone.

"We are taking over the quays both North and South and the Docklands for four days. In fact the entertainment offering is so vast we anticipate people visiting the festival over several days to get the most out of all that is on offer - and the best part is that it is all free."

The festival will also be a celebration of Dublin’s maritime history, with the CHQ Building at George's Dock hosting an exhibition programme that will include beautiful black-and-white images of the docks through the ages courtest of the Dublin Dockers Preservation Society. 

Meanwhile, an explosion of colour and celebration is sure to draw huge crowds as up to 1,800 Tall Ship crew members from all over the world will take part in a parade up the quays on Friday 24 August from 3pm-5pm.

The crews will move up the quays in song and celebration to the Custom House where an awards ceremony will take place, acknowledging the incredible journey they will begin on 9 July when they depart from St Malo in France.

The overall winner of the Tall Ships Races 2012 will be revealed along with the winner of Sail Training International’s Friendship Trophy, awarded following a secret ballot in which captains vote for the ship and crew that they believe has done the most to further international friendship and understanding, the main ethos of the event.

Then on Sunday 26 August at 11am, the River Liffey will come alive as the Tall Ships prepare to depart and sail out of the capital in a stunning parade of sail as one of the key highlight of the weekend’s entertainment.

Organisers are also still seeking volunteers to jump onboard and get involved in the festival.

Up to 1,000 volunteers are required for the Tall Ships Races 2012 Dublin to give visitors the warmest of welcomes, help create a great atmosphere and an experience they will never forget. Log onto www.dublintallships.ie/volunteers for more information.

For more details visit www.dublintallships.ie or 'like' the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dublintallships to be in with a chance to win a trip of a lifetime for a loved one abroad to celebrate the Tall Ships Races in Dublin.

#NAVY VISIT – The Royal Navy's coastal training patrol boat HMS Charger (P 242) spent last night in Dublin Port having sailed from Liverpool's East Brunswick Dock. The vessel is based at the Commanding Officer of the Liverpool University Royal Naval Unit RN Headquarters on Merseyside, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The small boat measuring 20m in length and a beam of 6m remains this evening moored alongside the Poolbeg Yacht Boat Club Marina. The 100-berth facility faces Alexandra Basin where P&O Cruises Arcadia docked today.

HMS Charger is an Archer P2000 class patrol boat built by Waterfcraft Ltd of Shoreham. She provides practical navigation and seamanship training at sea where a crew recruitment unit takes place annually in early October from the universities in Liverpool and also from Lancaster University.

Last week HMS Charger called to Belfast Lough which included berthing in the city's Abercorn Marina basin next to the Titanic Quarter. Also visiting the basin this week was the newbuild WFSV Gardian 10 completed by Arklow Marine Services which was on a promotional delivery voyage to Great Yarmouth.

#P&O 175th ANNIVERSARY – The cruiseship Arcadia (2005/83,781grt) sailed into Dublin Port after an overnight passage from Southampton, where P&O celebrated their 175th anniversary on Tuesday with a spectacular parade of the fleet billed as the 'Grand Event', writes Jehan Ashmore.

Dublin Port is the first port of call since the 2,388 passenger (maximum) capacity Arcadia departed her homeport on a 14-night adult-only round trip cruise to Iceland. She and six cruiseships of the P&O Cruise fleet formed the impressive sail past down the Solent to where they each went their separate ways on cruising intineries.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, better known throughout the world as P&O was established in 1837. The famous company's colourful house-flag is flown on the P&O Cruises fleet and P&O Ferries operating out of the UK. The flag is also depicted as the funnel colours of the ferry fleet and incorporates the royal colours of Spain (red and gold) and Portugal (blue and white) which relate to the older traditional colours representing the monarchy.

In 2005 P&O was sold to Dubai based DP World for £3.3 billion, which operates P&O Ferries, while the cruise division was sold off to Carnival UK, a subsidiary of the US owned Carnival Corporation which among its many companies includes Cunard Line. The Arcadia and her fleetmates are under the P&O Cruise brand and the cruiseships also fly the house-flag under license.

The origins of P&O though can be traced as far back to 1815 when Brodie McGhie Wilcox engaged Arthur Anderson to become a ship clerk in his brokerage business in London. The Lime Street based brokerage initially chartered vessels and the business grew so by 1823 Anderson was made a partner to form Wilcox and Anderson. They embarked on a sail-cargo service from London to the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1835 the timber-built passenger and cargoship paddle steamer William Fawcett was chartered from the Dublin and London Steam Packet Company. The 206-tonne vessel gave a top speed of 10 knots, noting that she had two sailing masts fore and aft of the steamer's funnel.

William Fawcett is regarded to be the first ship in the P&O fleet, the steamer with the Irish connection carried the government contract to carry 'mails' to Iberia. The company secured more contracts and rapid expansion to the Orient, where the house-flag reached India, Ceylon, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. This led to many ships built and not just confined to cargoships, notably the liners with passengers travelling Port-Out and Starboard-Home...how POSH indeed!

It was fitting to see Arcadia arrive into a flat-calm Dublin Bay as she entered from the southern approaches off Dalkey Island, where paddle-steamers such as William Fawcett would of sailed past heading for London. Her modern short-sea successor in the form of P&O Ferries ro-pax European Endeavour (2000/ 22,125grt) was also arriving into the bay off the Baily lighthouse from Liverpool.

Arcadia cost £200m to build and when the vessel was laid down at the Fincantieri Cant. Nav. Italiani SpA shipyard in Monfalcone, she was originally the Queen Victoria for Cunard Line. It was however decided that the newbuild would be renamed Arcadia as she was transferred by Carnival to the P&O Cruises brand and given a traditional name.

To read more about the company, the ships and much more visit www.poheritage.com

#CRUISE LINERS – The newest addition to the Saga Cruises fleet Saga Sapphire (1981/37,301gt) is to make her debut to Dublin Port tomorrow, having made her inaugural Irish port of call to Cobh today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Saga Sapphire previously the Bleu de France and launched as Europa for Hapag Lloyd, underwent a major refit taking several months in the Sicilian port of Palermo at the Fincantieri shipyard.

She arrived into her homeport of Southampton in preparation for her new owners 'maiden' cruise in late March which was delayed by several days. The delay in redelivering the 706-passenger cruiseship was due to strike action over redundancies at the shipyard.

Tomorrow she is due to berth in the capital port at Ocean Pier under the command of Captain Philip Rentell who has worked with the UK based operator when he joined the company in 2005 as master on their Saga Rose.

#DUTCH NAVAL VISIT – A torpedo training ship HNLMS Mercuur (A 900) is one of four vessels of the Royal Netherlands Navy based in Den Helder which are scheduled to visit Dublin Port next weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

During the four-day call, the HNLMS Mercuur and the Alkmaar class minehunter HNLMS Vlaardingen (M 863) will be open to the public on the Saturday and Sunday between 2pm-4pm. All the vessels will be berthed alongside Sir John Rogersons Quay.

HNLMS Mercuur is fitted with a maintenance shed for torpedoes and as a target ship for submarines to fire dummy torpedoes. She has an armament of 1 underwater launch tube for Mk. 48 torpedoes. The 64.8m vessel has a crew of 39 and the vessel which displaces 1,400 tonnes is powered by a 2 x MAN 6L-20/27 diesels (1,632 hp total) which deliver 14 knots.

The 41.5m long navy training ship (MOV) Van Kinsbergen (A902) is used for practical nautical training, a task for which it was specifically built and equipped. In addition to the navigation bridge, the MOV Van Kinsbergen has a second, fully equipped training bridge. There are five-crew and also the same number of civilian crew.

A second Alkmaar class vessel HNLMS Zierikzee (M862) forms the final member of the flotilla. Each of the 51.5m long vessels which weigh 534 tonnes has a crew ranging between 28-38 personnel. The Alkmaar class origin is a joint design of the Netherlands, Belgium and France navies.

The Dutch constructed the propulsion system, the Belgiums provided the electronics and the French built the mine-hunting equipment. To reflect the cooperation between the three countries, the international name of this class of ship, are referred as the Tripartite class.

#DESIGNER CRUISE SHIP – The cruiseship Marina (2011/65,999grt) which was only launched into service last year is on a port of call to Dublin today, having departed on a cruise from Dover, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Marina berthed alongside Ocean Pier this morning and the 1,250 passenger (double occupancy) vessel was built by Fincantieri Sestri Ponente in Italy for Oceania Cruises. The compnay also operate a sistership Riviera which was completed this year.

The 15-decked Marina which has 11 decks assigned for guests and served by a crew of 800. The guest to crew staff ratio is being 1.57 to 1. Oceania Cruises claim that the pair of mid-sized newbuilds are the most beautiful, elegant and sophisticated ships to debut in the past 50 years.

Designer features include the Lalique Grand Staircase and owner's suites furnished under the Ralph Lauren Home name, which showcase high quality standards in residential design and furnishings. Of the many facilities The Bon Appétit Culinary Center, is unique as it is the only hands-on cooking school at sea. There is also an artists-in-residence to teach fine arts in the Artists Loft.

To gain a greater insight to what's on board take a virtual tour of the vessel which has the following principle dimensions; length: 785 feet, beam: 106 feet and she draws on a maximum draught of 24 feet.

As is the norm the nationality of the staff hotel crew are international while the officers are European. She is registered in the Pacific island nation of the Marshall Islands.