ASTORIA 9th March 2017, Part 1

Thursday 9th March 2017
I set out for Tilbury Cruise Terminal and, despite the ongoing difficulties with using Southern Rail for part of my journey, I managed to reach my destination. I am booked with friends to go on the good ship ASTORIA, newly acquired by Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) and we are to sail for three nights and visit Amsterdam and Antwerp before returning to the London Cruise Terminal here at Tilbury.

Once at Tilbury railway station I met friends and we took the local bus to the cruise terminal, which saved quite a difficult walk or taxi ride. In the Terminal building I met even more of our group and realised we had come from various parts of the UK, the USA, Denmark and Germany. The internet makes so many friendships possible and we all seem happy to be able to arrange to travel together occasionally on a particular ship and trip (including cruise ships and ferries).

This ship was launched in 1946 at 12,165 gross tons for the Swedish America Line, with the name STOCKHOLM. I think many of us know of her disastrous collision with the ANDREA DORIA in July 1956; she subsequently changed ownership and names over the years. Now at 16,144 gross tons, her past names include ITALIA PRIMA, CARIBE, ATHENA and AZORES amongst others.

Stockholm bell

Astoria Deck Plan

Cabin 415

I have cabin 415, which is an inside double cabin for single use on Deck 4 Mediterranean Deck. My cruise card shows my name and nationality, plus my Muster station and lifeboat number. I noticed that it also has my date of birth on it, which is something I have not encountered on any other ship's cruise card! I wonder if that will be considered a controversial matter for CMV and their passengers...

The outside deck area of the Buffet Restaurant


Many of us met for lunch in the Buffet Restaurant and afterwards we attended Boat Drill before we left Tilbury at 3 p.m. Up on deck I met someone else who was enjoying photographing ASTORIA and ships generally - more congenial company. He was a retired eye-surgeon from Switzerland who had worked in Syria 'before the war'.

Show Lounge

Show Lounge

That must be the card room

I admired this glass lampshade


I walked around the ship and up on the Observation Deck at first sight I thought that the deck was wooden but closer inspection revealed that it was very dense carpeting, with almost unnaturally straight lines of caulking. That was a surprise but, after being amused, I realised that although unconventional, it might prove hard wearing.

It looks like deck carpet

Ferry Princess Pocahontas seemingly laid up over the other side of the river

The little cross-river ferry Duchess M that was in use


We left Tilbury and as we sailed along the River Thames out to the sea we could see many of the old Thames Forts (the Maunsell forts), built in the second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They are built of concrete and metal, and are still an amazing sight.

Some of the Thames Forts


Later that afternoon one of my friends mentioned that he had seen two Americans taking photos around the ship. He pointed them out to me as they were standing not too far away, and I realised that I knew them! They were friends I had last met in New York several years ago but I recognised them straightaway. Isn't life extraordinary? I went over to say hello and they recognised me too and so, after catching up on news, I introduced them to other 'shippy' friends nearby and they became part of the group for the rest of our time on board. They had travelled over for this ship trip and were then planning more touring in Europe, so it was an amazing coincidence that we should all meet up on board ASTORIA.

I went to unpack in my cabin and later met friends for drinks and dinner. Service was very slow at our allocated dinner tables but we suspect this is because the ship is new in service but we enjoyed the food. After dinner there was a choice of seeing the Welcome Show, dancing or film shows.

Ships seen: Astoria, Duchess M the local cross river ferry, Grande Amburgo of Grimaldi Lines, tug Svitzer Laceby, tug Svitzer Bootle, Princess Pocahontas


To be continued...

Horizon Part 3

Part 3
Wednesday 30th May 2012
Today’s port is Salerno, Italy, which still evokes war-time memories for so many people in the world. Most of us felt grateful to be alive nowadays, and able to enjoy sailing along the coast with the sea like a millpond under such a blue sky.

Salerno coastline

Salerno

Coast

Our 7.30 a.m. arrival meant an early breakfast and time to take on-board photographs before we went ashore. Because the ship was built in 1990 for the weekly New York service to Bermuda, her gangway was always located on Deck 5 for ease of access at the piers, and this is where I found Reception and the Excursions office. It is a light, attractive and spacious double-height atrium-like area but seldom found or used, judging by the almost-new appearance of the carpet and furnishings.

Art work near Reception

Reception

Reception

We disembarked and had to take the shuttle bus to the port entrance (7 Euros and not allowed to walk the short distance) and enjoyed seeing the Corniche route along the mountainsides.

The heat has changed the light already so we were glad to walk into the shade of the town and visit the Cathedral and Crypt, with their beautiful decorations and tranquillity.

Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Cathedral

In the Crypt

In the Crypt

In the Crypt

In the Cathedral

Italian ice-cream had to be tried, more walking and then a real Italian pizza lunch. The café was able to provide espresso crema shakeratto so all was well with the world as we returned to the ship for the rest of the time in port before sailing from Salerno.

Cartour Epsilon

Saphir Disco

James Le Piano Bar

The Library

The Games Room

One of the staircases


Ships seen: Cartour Epsilon, of Caronte & Tourist, Bernike

To be continued....

HORIZON with the Ocean Liner Society 27th May 2012

HORIZON with the Ocean Liner Society
27th May 2012

I’ve been a member of the London-based Ocean Liner Society for many years, and enjoy the monthly lectures in the little Farringdon hothouse that currently serves as the meeting place. An added bonus is the quarterly magazine ‘Sea Lines’. A few years ago the Committee decided that it would be a good idea to try and arrange a group cruise, on a date and at a cost that would suit members, so I was very pleased to book and join the 2012 cruise on board HORIZON of Croisieres de France.

I first saw the ship on 10th May 2003, berthed at one of New York’s finger piers. I had been out walking with the maritime author and friend Mr Theodore (Ted) Scull, and a mutual friend from New Zealand, and we had all climbed the 243 steps up from the Weehawken ferry terminal; we stood at one end of the Palisades over on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, admiring the ships at the ‘finger’ piers in the Port of New York. We could see QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, HORIZON, ZENITH, NORWEGIAN SEA and ADONIA, and so I took a photograph. I carried a print of it with me for this second sighting of HORIZON, and decided my diary notes just had to be called “Broadening my Horizons….”

Queen Elizabeth 2, Horizon, Zenith, Norwegian Sea, Adonia
in New York, May 2003

Saturday 26th May 2012
I flew from the UK to Marseille in the south of France, and the welcoming warmth was so lovely, after the endless rain at home, despite the constant noise of road works and impatient drivers. I met some of my travelling companions for dinner in the Old Port, and we were all looking forward to joining the ship tomorrow.

HORIZON was built in 1990 for Celebrity Cruises, as was ZENITH in 1992, for the New York to Bermuda run. Celebrity was formed in April 1988 by Chandris Line, but in turn was bought by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in 1997, and HORIZON at 46,811 tons was soon the smallest ship in their growing fleet. In 2005 HORIZON became ISLAND STAR in Island Cruises which was a joint venture with TUI, but when Royal Caribbean pulled out of Island Cruises, she rejoined ZENITH at Pullmantur Cruises in Spain and was renamed PACIFIC DREAM. Royal Caribbean then decided to place her with Pullmantur Cruises in France (Croisieres de France) this Spring (2012) and she is now back under her original name, with the ‘all inclusive’ cruises that Pullmantur offer.

Ships seen: several local ferries for Chateau D’If and other nearby islands

Ships not seen, but known to be in port: Norwegian Epic, MSC Fantasia, Hamburg, MSC Divina, Costa Serena

Sunday 27th May 2012
Another blue sky warm day, so breakfast was followed by a brisk walk to look inside two local churches, and then a taxi ride to the Cruise Port for embarkation on Croisieres de France’s HORIZON. Nearby was MSC’s newest ship DIVINA, which had been named by the Italian film star Sophia Loren. We were soon on board and I located my cabin 9051; it was said to have a restricted view because of lifeboats but luckily I was between two of them and could enjoy the view.

Cabin 9051

Horizon deck plan

Horizon deck plan

We had lifeboat drill, then sailed out of the port and started to enjoy our all-inclusive drinks package.

Atlantic Star

Horizon Officers

Lacydon at speed

FS Camille

Registered in Malta

Ark Forwarder, registered in London

Paglia Orba and Jean Nicoli

Art work on deck

Deck 11 looking forward

Deck 11 art work

Deck 11 looking aft

Our group was allocated 4 tables for dinner in the Restaurant Le Splendide, so we enjoyed our first meal on board and then Disco Night.

Ships seen: Napoleon Bonaparte, Paglia Orba, MSC Divina, Piana, Calliste, Scandola, Jean Nicoli, Atlantic Star (yes, still there), M.N. Eclipse, Ark Forwarder (registered in London), Gaschem Werra, Janina, Hansa Catalina, FS Camille

Monday 28th May 2012

I woke soon after 5 a.m. and pulled my heavy curtains and then the voile ones aside slightly to peep out of the window at the early morning sky and sea. Within moments the glass was covered in a gentle shower of water drops, from a Deck Hand on the deck below mine who was washing everything down with a hosepipe. I had to laugh, and waved at him, and he was surprised but waved back quickly as he continued with his work. I went back to sleep, probably with a smile on my face.

At a more civilised hour I met friends for breakfast, and we enjoyed the thought of another hot day – what a treat – and a 9 a.m. arrival in the bay of Santa Margherita, Italy. Excursion passengers took the first tenders ashore, and then it was our turn.

Misty mountains

Comfy seating with lavender

More art work

Le Grand Theatre door handle

View from the tender

Horizon from the tender

We enjoyed walking and sightseeing around the town, which is where Guglielmo Marconi came in 1931 on his laboratory boat to start working on micro-waves.

Museum

Marconi plaque on the wall

Horizon on the horizon

Over the next few years he frequently anchored his boat off Santa Margherita, to continue his experiments with radio and telegraphic signals. Land beacons were built in the hills above, and finally in November 1936 he was able to have a telephone conversation between his ship Elettra, the city of New York and two planes flying over New York itself. Santa Margherita is proud of Mr Marconi and his connection with their town, and there is a wall plaque and road named after him, so we were pleased to see those, and other buildings of interest, before returning to the ship and enjoying the facilities on board.

Still in use

Still in use

Forward view

Azamara Quest (Azamara Club Cruises)and Club Med 2

The evening’s dress code and entertainment was Tropical Night so I wore part of my Diamond Jubilee celebration outfit, including some rather unusual shoes.

My Diamond Jubilee shoes

I also enjoyed talking with another OLS friend who mentioned that his great-grandfather was a Castle Line captain. The Captain’s young daughter often went with him so had tales to tell in later life to her grandson. I don’t often meet someone with pre-1900 Union-Castle Line connections (when Union Line and Castle Line amalgamated) so that was an interesting chat.

Ships seen: Azamara Quest (Azamara Club Cruises), Club Med 2 with her five masts, Mein Schiff 2 at a distance, Grimaldi Euro Cargo.

To be continued....