MSC BELLISSIMA 14th March 2019 Part 3

Wednesday 13th March 2019
I slept well in my delightful bedroom and enjoyed breakfast down in the Restaurant. I had time to myself this morning, as my travelling companion was arriving by train at lunchtime. I had decided to walk to the ferry terminal (Traghetti Terminale) for exercise and pleasure to see what I could see. Not a lot, was the general answer. The pavements were uneven and I had to watch my step, but once inside the public part of the building at least I could see the Arrivals and Departures boards.

Arrivals board

Departures board


These showed arrivals as ATHARA from Porto Torres, BITHIA from Olbia and LA SUPREMA from Palermo. The departures were to be GNV FANTASTIC to Tunisia, Tirrenia's ATHARA back to Porto Torres, Tirrenia's BITHIA back to Olbia and GNV'S LA SUPREMA back to Palermo. Ah, memories, memories.

I could only look out at the ships from the main passenger terminal, and that view was through glass, and above concrete balcony edges outside the glass, but I managed a few photos. I liked seeing the list of things of things Forbidden to be taken on board: Tortoises, parrots, monkeys, chameleons etc.

Bithia

Bithia's other side

Forbidden things

Athara and Bithia

Majestic and Fantastic


Then it was time to walk back to the hotel to meet my friend and wish him a happy birthday for today before we set off to see some sights. His train was on time, his check in was easy, and we were soon ready to set off for the delights of the funicular as he requested, followed by a taxi ride east along the coast to the little village of Boccadasse. This visit had been suggested by the Bar Royale Steward during a chat the previous evening. A friendly local taxi driver took us to the end of the promenade near the village, and we could then descend numerous cobbled steps down to the beach and find somewhere for a late lunch.

Boccadasse

Confetti on the steps

Steps up behind us


The views were beautiful around us and of the sea and the far mountains around the coastline; we could hear the sound of the sea crashing onto the rocks and beach below us before we arrived at the bottom of the steps. I saw confetti blown onto the steps outside several homes on the way down.

Sparkling sea and the lunch terrace

The sea again

It looked rough

A shell wall


At the bottom we decided to walk around the little beach and then up part of the other hillside, before coming back for a very late lunch at one of the beachside restaurants. We enjoyed all of that in the sunshine, but a brisk wind later sent us back up to the street-side promenade where we could call the taxi to come back for us. Out in the sea we noticed EUROCARGO SAVONA was at anchor, and then a Grimaldi vessel was sailing towards the port of Genoa.

Eurocargo Savona

A Grimaldi vessel


The day ended back at the hotel with drinks and dinner and chat about the day's events.

Tomorrow is the day MSC BELLISSIMA is due to arrive in Genoa, for us to check in and sail away for 3 nights on board.

Ships seen: Bithia, Majestic, Fantastic, Athara, Eurocargo Savona, a Grimaldi vessel

To be continued...

FERRYING IN '15, 25th June, SNAV Sardegna

Thursday 25th June 2015 (continued)

At the railway station we bought tickets for Palermo, further west along the northern coast of Sicily, and caught the 13.50 train. During the journey I enjoyed dozing, listening to music, or drinking water, and I finally managed to finish reading last Friday's English daily newspaper. I had been reading various pages over the week, and discarding them for recycling as I went, but this all made very little difference to the weight of my rucksack.

Sleeping dogs

Train in Palermo station


We arrived at Palermo station at 17.29 later that afternoon, in great heat, and immediately noticed the sleeping dogs lying on one of the platforms. We all know what we have to do with them, don't we. We decided to take a taxi to the port, as it was some distance away, and once there we could see our ship for the night's sail from here in Palermo: SNAV SARDEGNA, of Grandi Nave Veloci (GNV).

SNAV Sardegna

The sign at the quayside


My friend wanted to photograph some other ships so I climbed the metal staircase on the quayside and boarded the vessel midships. She seemed huge after the morning's little ferries; she is 33,336 gross tons, was built in 1989 as OLAU HOLLANDIA, became PRIDE OF LE HAVRE, and then SNAV SARDEGNA. I looked around some of the public areas and was particularly impressed with some of the original artwork in Reception.

Outside cabin 7117

Deck 7

Original artwork

Reception

One of the lounges

Huge mural

Life ring

Work in progress - MSC Opera and Palladio


Out on deck I could see LA SUPREMA in her new logo paintwork, which is not universally popular I believe. It is certainly noticeable.

La Suprema in her new paintwork

Legs on board

Black smoke for 10 minutes

Minerva Uno


Black smoke was coming out of our funnels for about 10 minutes, but once the ropes were let go we knew we were about to sail, on time, at 8 p.m. We saw the Pilot boat approach our starboard side, and then could see the Pilot himself stepping on the bow of his vessel. He held a mobile phone tightly to his right ear with his right hand all the time we could see him, and presumably was also talking into it; as we watched he continued talking into his phone as he stepped onto the inside deck of the SNAV SARDEGNA. The pilot boat pulled away and we gathered speed and turned to leave the harbour. I have never seen a Pilot board a vessel in this way before, and can't believe he was talking to the Captain. Hmm, seems a bit of a cavalier approach to what I always thought of as a professional job of work......

Palladio in a sorry state

TransHawk

La Suprema with the new GNV logo

Splendid with the old logo


On the way out of the harbour we passed a small ship A F MICHELA which was half painted, as if her future life might be changing. I later discovered that this was her eighth name since she was built in 1974, and I have seen her before but with one of those previous names.

A F Michela half-painted


One of my friends said she is a really fascinating ship, and that he can claim something of a personal interest in her. "Like the Laurana she is ex-Adriatica, although from a slightly earlier, 1970s, generation. She did some really long voyages in her time, such as Venice-Dubrovnik-Piraeus-Heraklion-Alexandria, one of the final great cross-Med ferry routes. She was rebuilt in the early 90s but, before that, Michael Palin travelled on her when he went around the world in 80 days: http://palinstravels.co.uk/book-8. There is a brief history of the ship: http://www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com/adriatica/eseeng.html here."

My friend notes the last page hasn't been updated for her most recent sale, which is to local Sicilian operators for use to the remoter islands around the coast of Sicily. Now we know why she was only half-painted when we saw her.

My friend also notes that

"She is something of a personal favourite as she was my very first Southern European (outside the Canary Islands) ship when I sailed on her during her final years with Adriatica from Brindisi to Patras back in August 1999 - so she was the first of many! We caught up with her again in 2011 on what was a rather damp sailing to Albania and she is very '1980s Adriatica' on board, similar in some ways to the Laurana."

Leaving Palermo at dusk

Leaving Sicily


After sailing from Palermo in Sicily, we were heading for Naples, back on the Italian mainland, where we are due at 6 a.m. tomorrow. We made our way to the formal Restaurant, which was about a quarter full, for an evening meal. It was very cold in there and I had to collect some warmer clothing; the waiting staff had a very casual attitude to taking orders or delivering them, but the food was pleasant. After dinner I had a final warming-up session by going to the disco and dancing with some charming Italian ladies who made me welcome, so the evening ended on a high note.


Ships seen: A F Michela, SNAV Sardegna of GNV, Splendid, La Suprema in new GNV colours, TransHawk, Palladio of Siremar being worked on, MSC Opera also being worked on, Minerva Uno


To be continued...

Costa Victoria 20th April 2011 Part 1

18th April 2011
Today I’m flying from Gatwick airport to Genoa in Italy, prior to joining the COSTA VICTORIA in a couple of day’s time. Lucky me. I haven’t landed there before so it was disconcerting to look out of the port side aircraft window and see blue sea right up until the moment we landed and the brakes were put on, as we hurtled down the runway. It was only as the aircraft turned at the end of the runway that I could see that it stopped not far ahead of us and there was water on three sides.

Only last week I’d met a retired seaman who had docked in Genoa in 1959 and immediately been asked to join a Mission to Seafarers team who were about to play a quick game of football on the land that was still being reclaimed to build an airport! He asked me to think of him when I landed at Genoa! Because he played for a Mission to Seafarers side, and I’m on my local Mission Committee, I put this in my diary.

The Airport bus took me into the centre of the city, and a local bus took me to my hotel near the ferry terminal. I checked in and asked if it was possible please to have a room looking out over the harbour and the ships and was allocated one on the 6th floor. Gosh, it was good – my hands were unpacking but my eyes were taking in all the ships I could see from the window: MSC LIRICA, THOMSON DREAM, MOBY OTTA, MARRAKECH,


AURELIA, JANAS, FANTASTIC, LA SUPREMA and MAJESTIC were all in a curved line in front of me.




I could take quick pictures as first MARRAKECH (with a tug)




and then MAJESTIC left. Over on the far side of the harbour I could see the funnel of a Moby ship and yellow hulls of what could be Sardinia/Corsican ferries so I was looking forward to a harbour trip tomorrow.

Across the road at the Ferry Terminal I found out the arrivals and departures for the day





then walked along the roadway to look at the cruise ships before they left for the night.




The air was warm and comfortable under a blue sky and I watched ZEUS PALACE berth where MAJESTIC had been. How strange to see her in GNV colours now, but she still looks good.


The sun was getting low as I returned to the hotel for dinner and another look at my ship photographs of the day.

Ships seen: MSC Lirica, Thomson Dream, Moby Otta, Marrakech, Aurelia, Janas, Fantastic, La Suprema, Majestic, Zeus Palace