UK cruise operator Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition made its inaugural call offshore of Dun Laoghaire Harbour this morning, having recently also anchored off the Normandy coast during the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The 1,200 passenger cruise ship of 48,123 gross registered tonnes (grt) which along with the larger 1,400 capacity fleetmate, Ambiance of 70,285grt was also offshore of Normandy, while the momentous historic occasion was marked onshore. Several ceremonies were held last Thursday, exactly 80 years to the day when the Allied invasion took place on 6 June 1944 during World War 2.
Both Ambition and Ambiance, flagged in the Bahamas, British Commonwealth, marked the 80th anniversary when on D-Day the ships made a meet up, which was a special moment for the guests and crew on board when offshore of Omaha Beach, one of the five beaches that formed the Normandy landings of Operation Overlord. On the previous day, Ambiance was across the English Channel in the Solent, as ceremonies also took place at Southsea, Portsmouth.
On D-Day itself, the cruise ships were seen in the distance offshore during the coverage of the surviving veteran’s attending the British Normandy Memorial, where a commemorative service was held at the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, near Bayeux.
At the British Normandy Memorial, the names of the 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who fell on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944 are recorded. The memorial also includes people from more than 30 different countries and including those from Ireland who fought when serving in the British, American and Canadian armies.
Inscribed in stone, their names have never, until now, been brought together. Also at the memorial site is the French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of French civilians who died during the Battle of Normandy.
During the ceremony, directly opposite the British Normandy Memorial facing Gold Beach, was the Royal Navy’s Duke class/Type 23 frigate, HMS St. Albans, and landing craft, which performed a memorial service at the beach in Asnelles.
On today’s anchorage call off Dun Laoghaire, which forms part of a short Dublin Staycation Cruise that departed Bristol yesterday, passengers, according to the operator, have the opportunity to explore Dublin’s rich history, lively culture, and iconic landmarks, such as Trinity College and the Guinness Storehouse.
Last month saw the launch of a new free bus tour specifically to serve cruise tourists visiting Dun Laoghaire Harbour, linking Sandycove with calls including Glasthule. The 45-minute roundtrips will also allow other tourists to the region and locals alike to visit the neighbouring coastal attractions, among them the James Joyce Tower & Museum.