Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Ponant Cruises

#CorkCityCallers – An expedition / coastal cruiseship that trades to both polar regions and a megayacht cruiseship called to Cork City quays this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Norwegian operator Hurtigruten Voyages Midnatsol (midnight sun) which normally plies stunning deep-inland fjords headed up the River Lee to the city’s South Quay. The call to the city-centre is also where Le Soléal, a megayacht from Ponant Cruises docked at North Custom Quay. The 10,000 tonnes cruiseship flagged in the French territory of Wallis and Fortuna Islands, has 132 passenger suites.

It is relatively unusual to have such small cruiseships together in the city-centre, and both having sailed overnight from the same previous port of call. Afloat yesterday monitored the cruiseships at anchorage off Hugh Town, St. Mary’s of the Isles of Scilly.

What is the norm given increasingly larger giant cruiseships that call downriver to Cobh’s deepwater quay. An example been Royal Caribbean International 90,000 tonnes Serenade of the Seas which is arriving this morning from Ponta Delgada, Azores.

Midnatsol’s call to Cork is in advance of resuming the classic Hurtigruten coastal voyages along Norway’s rugged and spectacular coast. The voyage that dates to 1893, involves calling to 34 ports that depart Bergen daily in the south and reach as far north to Kirkenes close to border with Russia.

Prior to sailing to Scilly, Midnatsol had called to Brest, France and before that La Coruña, Spain. This particular cruiseship is part of Hurtigruten’s global ‘Explorer’ voyages that run outside the domestic duties along Norway, however she will rejoin fleetmates from May to September. Since last year, Midnatsol began running expedition cruises to Patagonia and Antarctica.

Of the 12-strong Hurtigruten fleet of passenger, freight and car-carrying vessels, Midnatsol (in which can handle 35 cars), belongs to the largest class of ships, the ‘Millennium’ series. The 16,000 gross tonnage Midnatsol completed in 2003 was built in the Nordic country in Rissa and likewise of her sisters can carry 1,000 passengers.

The sisters are Finnmarken and Trollfjord, the latter made a special promotional port of call to Dun Laoghaire Harbour. This took place early in the career of the ship that berthed at the East Pier from where a visit was made on board the vessel painted in the operator’s distinctive livery of red, black and white.

Published in Cruise Liners
Ireland's leading fishing port of Killybegs, Co. Donegal, this morning received the 226 passenger yacht-like cruiseship Le Diamant, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The 8,282 tonnes Le Diamant had sailed overnight from anchorage in Galway Bay and prior to visiting the 'City of the Tribes' the vessel also called to Foynes port in the Shannon Estuary as reported previously in Afloat.

In 2004 Killybegs received a significant boost in the completion of a €50m outer harbour with berthing quays totalling 350-metres long so to accommodate the north-west fleet and to include the 'supertrawlers'.

Despite the major port infrastructural investment, Killybegs has seen declining fortunes in the fish industry though in recent year's new business from the offshore exploration and cruise ship industries has assisted in generating new revenue.

Published in Cruise Liners
Cruiseship passengers on board the Spirit of Adventure which anchored in Galway Bay today will have an opportunity of visiting the famous race course venue at Ballybrit, writes Jehan Ashmore.
At just under 10,000 tonnes Spirit of Adventure built in 1980 with a capacity for 352 passengers is the largest cruise-caller this season to make a call to the mid-west port. She had sailed overnight from Foynes and is due to depart later today bound for Kirkwall, Orkney Islands.

The vessel first visited Galway in 2009 but this call will be her last year operating under the Spirit of Adventure cruise banner. The company are to replace the vessel  next season with the Saga Pearl II which will be transferred from the parent company Saga Cruises and renamed Quest for Adventure.

Prior to the Spirit of Adventurer's call, the 226 passenger Le Diamant arrived from St. Malo last Friday. She became the first vessel to make a call to the 'City of the Tribes' on behalf of her French operators, Cie de Ponant. Her passengers were taken on tours of the city, Connemara and the Aillwee Caves in neighbouring Co. Clare. The vessel is due to return early next month.

With three cruise-calls this year the port is set to increase this figure to 7 in 2012 arising from the ports campaign over the last two years. Paul Carey, Chairman of the Harbour Company, said "We are beginning to see the fruits of this campaign and look forward to growing Galway's association with the return of the majestic passenger liners to Galway".

"The passenger liner The World has been confirmed for a two-day visit in August 2013 which is a great endorsement of Galway as a cruise destination".

The call by the world's first ocean-going luxury resort vessel will also be another first for Galway. Operators of the 43,524gt vessel, Residences at Sea have made previous Irish ports of call to include Dublin, for more on her to the capital last August click HERE.

Published in Cruise Liners

Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of.   For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water.  The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.

The Forty-foot Christmas Day swim

A Dublin institution that brings people from across Dublin and beyond for a dip in the chilly winter sea. Bathers arrive in the dark from 6 am and by noon the entire forty foot is a sea of red Santa hats!