#Cruiseliners - A megayacht cruiseship that has been docked in Dublin Port for the last five weeks due to detention by maritime authorities has finally been lifted today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

According to the Paris MoU, the principle regulatory authority for eliminating the operation of sub-standard ships, the authority has removed the M.Y. Variety Voyager from a list of ships under detention. 

The small luxury Maltese megayacht cruiseship at just 1,593 gross tonnes, had begun the detention a month ago (1st August) by Irish Port State Control (a member state of the Paris MoU: see related coverage). Afloat awaits further details as to reasons for the extended duration of the Greek operated ship which as previously reported was expected to depart in mid-August. 

Among the reasons cited for the detention of the Variety Cruises vessel as previously reported on Afloat, were concerns over the safe working order of lifeboats. According to the ship's agent last month this led to in port repairs to satisfy SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations.

Prior to the month-long detention, Variety Voyager arrived to Dublin Port on 27 July following a cruise-leg from a UK port (see original story). The four passenger deck ship offers intimate luxury cruising that is more akin to a private yacht based in the Meditteranean, from where the ship has operated since launched in 2012. 

Due to the detention, guests of the 72-passenger capacity cruiseship were forced to abandon the cruise and were flown out of the country.

This morning Afloat tracked Varierty Voyager vacate Sir John Rogersons Quay and shift berths involving the short passage to Ocean Pier located downriver in the main commercial part of the port. This would be a brief berthing as this lunchtime the cruiseship departed the port after 35 days. The next port of call is Copenhagen, Denmark.

In an uncanny coincidence, Berlin, the last detained cruiseship in Dublin Port, docked in the capital today having sailed from Falmouth. The FTI Cruises ship catering for 415 German clientele, had been placed into detention during a call in June.

A subsequent call to the Irish capital by the 9,570 tonnes cruiseship took place at the beginning of August, the same day Variety Voyager was detained.  

#BoutiqueYacht – Making a maiden Irish port of call was mega yacht Variety Voyager that brought yesterday a refreshing change in Dublin Port where the trend is for considerably larger giant sized ships, writes Jehan Ashmore.

At just 1,593 gross tonnage the boutique sized cruiseship Variety Voyager with capacity for only 72 guests pampered in ultra-luxury docked next to the Tom Clark Toll-Bridge. The 2012 built sleek four passenger-deck mega yacht had sailed overnight from Holyhead. Notably the call to the north Wales ferryport took place in the inner harbour where the Stena HSS fastferry craft had served Dun Laoghaire but currently only caters for small cruiseships.

The 60 odd nautical mile crossing that is between Holyhead to Dublin takes ferries just over three hours to complete, however the 68m/223ft mega-yacht took a more leisurely eight hour passage. The debut call to Dublin represented the first of seven calls scheduled this season by the boutique mega yacht's upmarket Greek operator Variety Cruises.

Variety Voyager is the largest of the Athens based operator of 11 mega yachts and motor sailers. They are also the largest mega yachts operator in the Mediterranean and one of the top 3 worldwide in the Small Ship market. In 2016-2017, Variety Cruises won in The ‘Best Boutique Cruise Line’ by USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards.

Cruising in one of these small ships offer guests (4 to 5 star luxury) which offerr the ultimate mega-yacht experience. With capacities ranging from 5 to 36 cabins, it is the latter capacity that relates to Variety Voyager whose guests are served by 33 crew.

As one would expect from a mega-yacht, Variety Voyager has cabins and public areas finished with warm fabrics, rich marbles, Axminster carpeting and soft tones wood panelling. Everywhere, unobstructed views of the ocean and of the ports visited.

Asides operating throughout the Mediterranean, Variety Cruises global ports destinations include Cuba and The Seychelles. In addition to the Irish debut, new for 2017 is that the operator have added destinations further into the Atlantic with cruises to Iceland along with southern hemisphere calls to Madagascar and the Mozambique Islands.