#CaptBreton – While Galway Bay is hosting The World today off Mutton Island, Captain S C Breton master of P&O Cruises Arcadia which is nearly twice the size, is set to make an anchorage call off Dun Laoghaire Harbour tomorrow morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Under her command, Captain Breton has the responsibility of the 83,500 tonnes vessel and leading a crew of 848 and more than 1900 passengers on the exclusively adults-only cruiseship. The call is to become the second cruise caller to Dun Laoghaire this season, following the successful and historic inaugural visit of Queen Mary 2 in mid-May.
The vast majority of her passengers are from the UK, the rest are a sprinkling of nationalities including those from Isreal, Malaysia, Japan and New Zealand. As for Captain Breton and her crew who are more diverse in terms of nationality than her guests are, with more than 25 countries represented and where the majority of the crew are mostly British, Indian and Filipino.
The 285m Arcadia was launched in 2005 by her patron, Dame Kelly Holmes. She is one of seven cruiseships of the P&O Cruises fleet which together last year made a spectacular cruise-in-company sail-past down Southampton Water for the 'Grand Event' which celebrated the 175th anniversary of the world famous company last July. Arcadia was the third vessel behind the sail-past leadship.
Incidentally Arcadia's first port of call after the event was to Dublin Port as previously reported on Afloat.ie and tomorrow's call will be her first to Dublin Bay since the visit just over a year ago.
Arcadia was launched in 2005 at the Fincantieri Cant. shipyard in Malfoncone though originally she was laid down at the Italian shipyard for Cunard Line as their Queen Victoria, however it was decided by her owners Carnival Corporation to transfer the vessel to her UK based cruising subsidiary.
As previously alluded she is an adult-only cruiseship which offers a relaxed pace in stylish surroundings that are also extravagant throughout her 11 passenger decks. A notable feature is her exterior glass-fronted lifts and expansive art collection, featuring no less than 3,000 works of art and creating a sophisticated air on board.
