SOVEREIGN 24th September 2016 (part 8, the final one)

Friday 30th September 2016
Today we expected to arrive in Toulon, in France, but it was not quite as we know it. Several miles away across the bay I could see yellow hulls of two Sardinia Ferries & Corsica Ferries but the area we berthed in was called La Seyne-sur-Mer. This is in the Var Department of south-east France, to the west of the city of Toulon. The weather was beautiful outside but it seemed there was no easy method of transport away from the ship at this remote berth, other than a very long walk to a local bus stop, to go into the far away city of Toulon. We could have taken a ship's excursion, but most of us decided to have a ship day and walk on deck rather than ashore, and it turned into an excellent choice.

La Seyne sur Mer


One big grey-hulled ship was manoeuvring slowly nearby with help from a tug, and we noticed her name was ANWAREL SADAT.

A different deck for walking

Anwarel Sadat


At 11.30 a.m. our group were taken for an arranged visit to the Engine Room, which initially involved many security problems. I think at one point the females were separated from the males of the group, but that proved to be because we might all need to be 'patted down' for further security purposes. Then it appeared that we could not leave Reception because of some mis-communications, but eventually we were allowed to set off with escorts to go to the Engine Room. We were all amazed at the possibility of doing this, but of course it was not to be! We were to visit the Engine Room Control Room, which was still a fascinating experience. In fact the Master of SOVEREIGN, Captain Ivo Botica, came to join the Chief Engineer, Risto Sisic, during our visit. We enjoyed seeing the Alsthom Builders Plates from 1987, and various camera shots of parts of the workings of the ship. One long table had a set of deck plans, with a separate one headed 'Viking Crown Lounge', which cheered several of our group.

Alsthom Builders Plate

Bunker Station Port

Part of the controls

Another plate

View of the actual engines

Deck plan

Viking Crown Lounge

Funnel view

Captain and Chief Engineer, holding a copy of Sea Lines, the quarterly publication of the Ocean Liner Society

Norwegian sign


Back in the public rooms we went for lunch, then ashore for some photographs in the limited space allowed on the quayside. There were local stalls on the quayside and many of us were pleased to buy hand-made soaps, lavender articles and pretty china.

Mega Andrea and Mega Express Five

A631 visiting


After departure we went down for our final dinner on board SOVEREIGN, followed by star-gazing up on deck. The Milky Way was bright and easily visible as it had been on several evenings on board when viewed from a darkened upper deck.

Ships seen: Sovereign, Mega Andrea and Mega Express Five over in Toulon port, Anwarel Sadat, A631

Saturday 1st October 2016
Here we are at 9 a.m. arriving back in Barcelona port, and viewing all the other ships lined up along the quay. STENA NORDICA with her GNV colours could still be seen at a distance, and a Grimaldi vessel was leaving. We passed the other cruise ships, and noticed six new locomotives sitting tidily on the quayside.

GNV in the damp distance

Costa Favolosa, Mein Schiff 5, Carnival Vista

6 locomotives on the quayside

Carnival Vista

Mein Schiff 5

Costa Favolosa

Sovereign's bow


Then it was time for final goodbyes and disembarking SOVEREIGN for me to head home to the United Kingdom. I had time to stroll up La Rambla and make for the station and airport. I flew home with Norwegian Air on one of their very new B737-800 aircraft, which was very comfortable.

Ships seen: Stena Nordica in GNV colours, Carnival Vista, Mein Schiff 5, Costa Favolosa, Sovereign.


Once again I had enjoyed my annual cruise with the Ocean Liner Society in very congenial company, on the good ship SOVEREIGN.

FERRYING IN '15 23rd June, Corsica Express Three

23rd June 2015 (contd.)
Our ship back to Piombino is to be CORSICA EXPRESS THREE which berthed near our table, so we could watch the cars and passengers disembark quickly. Her hull was the golden yellow we have come to expect of a vessel in the Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries group.

Corsica Express Three


We finished our drinks and joined the foot passengers waiting to be allowed to board. The ship was built in 1996 at 3,530 gross tons and is a high speed craft so this sailing will be something of a novelty for us. We had to climb several stairways to reach the access to the lounges on the lower or upper decks. Here we could see a very small kiosk/shop, which was closed for the whole journey. We entered the lower deck seating lounge, which appeared to have a slight sheer because we were still in port. I decided I wanted to see the upper lounge and this was quite different in style and appearance so I settled here after we had sailed.

The closed shop

Lower deck sheer

Up to the upper deck

Bar and Lounge

Life ring

The sunny part of the small open top deck

Moby Baby and Moby Lally further along the quay


The top deck was open and gave us good views of the port and other ships but the sun and heat soon drove us inside again. We sailed at 10.45 a.m. and soon picked up speed as we left the harbour; this time the journey to Piombino will take just half an hour so that should give us a different outlook to compare with a normal sailing. I settled happily in the top lounge and as we sailed and the familiar Thieving Magpies music came out from the loud speakers near the Bar. I moved over and stood underneath to hear and enjoy it, and the Bar Steward smiled and turned it up slightly so we could enjoy it together. The few other passengers in the big lounge didn't seem to mind, and it was soon over. A female uniformed member of staff walked through the Lounge so we smiled at each other. I presumed she had come from the Bridge through the doorway at the forward end of the lounge.

Very comfy seating


I was aware that we were going at quite a speed, and when two male members of staff came to the bar in their white overalls I decided it was time to find out. Polite greetings exchanged I felt I could ask them about the speed of the CORSICA EXPRESS THREE and they seemed happy to tell me we were going at twenty-seven knots.

Announcements soon told us we were approaching Piombino (yet again...!) and that we should be prepared to disembark. All passengers from both decks gathered outside the shop, hearing the usual music as we waited. The uniformed female member of staff soon came along, unlocked the shop and took something out in her hand. To my amazement she smiled at me again and handed me a small gift, of one of the Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries bright yellow key rings with their insignia on it. I thought that was so kind and told her so; we were both happy and I was really surprised and pleased.

Key ring gift



We shook hands and said goodbye all round, and set off down the stairs to the ramp. On the way down we saw the overalled engineers so they said goodbye too - I felt I had somehow done my bit for good international relations this morning!

Back at Piombino we made our way up to the Hotel Phalesia to collect our belongings and the hire car, ready for the afternoon's drive south to Naples.

Piombino on the Italian mainland (near Elba), before heading south to Naples


Ships seen: Moby Baby, Giuseppe SA, Acapulco Jet, Oglasa, Giovanni Bellini, Moby Lally, Aethalia, Moby Love, Marmorica, Aegean Odyssey, Corsica Express Three


To be continued...