NAVIGATION-Cruising and Maritime Themes

The Panama flagship MSC POESIA seen underway in Funchal, Madeira on 28th March 2012 during a eastbound transatlantic crossing from the Caribbean to Northern Europe where she'll be based for the upcoming summer season. MSC POESIA was the third cruise ship built by the french shipyards of Aker Yards, St. Nazaire for the Musica class of MSC Cruises in mid 2008. She's around 89,600 GT and has a standart passenger capacity of 2,550. The Musica class is a slight evolution of the first two built ships of the italian owned company with the youngest fleet in the market, MSC LIRICA and OPERA and therefore the main inspiration for the FANTASIA class of larger cruise ships of 138,000 GT.

                               Santa Maria Postcard                              Santa Maria at Funchal                             Postcard of Vera Cruz                          Vera Cruz at anchor                        Twin sisters Santa Maria and Vera Cruz                    Liner Funchal before delivery to her owners in 1961                  Largest Portuguese Liner ever, Infante Dom Henrique Liner Principe Perfeito leaving Lisbon in the late 60's historic photo given to me by my father over 40 years ago This post is dedicated to my father who sadly passed away on the 17th of March, my passion for passenger ships started when I was five and my father, himself passionate about ships and the sea took me to Lisbon docks to watch Santa Maria, since then the liners above were part of my life and indeed my father's, who supported and followed me on this growing passion ever since, as a Chinese philosopher used to say "a photo is worth a thousand wor

The last Ocean Liner, so far the passenger ship of the 21st century is seen here at Bergen on the 18th of June 2007 an astonishing photographic moment by Tom Guldbrandsen. For a truly memorable photo experience please visit Tom's website on  www.fotoverden.no , this is something not to be missed. Also for other posts and photos of QM2 visit my blog dedicated to the ship  http://vmf-queenmary2.blogspot.com . Photos Copyright by Tom Guldbrandsen

The incredibly beautiful "FUNCHAL" is seen in these photos yesterday at Lisbon, the ship is still undergoing a massive refit that started in September 2010, this unique cruise ship was built in 1961 and has lived a very happy life so far, owners are taking every care of the ship getting her ready to many years to come of cruising, the return to service of "FUNCHAL" will be cherished by all ships enthusiasts all over the world.

THE QE2 STORY is a website dedicated to one of the greatest ships the World has ever seen, the website was registered in 2008 year that the ship ended her career as an ocean-going passenger ship, by Rob Lightbody. Today the site is quite possibly the most popular website on the Internet devoted to the QE2. A forum was launched in January 2009 to keep the ship alive with comments from people that worked on her, travelled on her and have been admiring the ship throughout the World. QE2 was the flagship of the British Merchant fleet  for 35 years since 1969 until the new QM2 was introduced in 2004. Queen Elizabeth 2 was the last of many British-built Transatlantic Liners born on the Clyde. Today the ship is still intact at Dubai, her interiors are kept intact and in pristine order by an active crew of experts of 38 people, one of her nine Diesel-generators is working full time to provide power to the ship, she was recently visited by Rob who was greatly impressed by the maintenance sh

Dates for this year two reunions have now been revealed. S.S. "CANBERRA" seen below departing Lisbon in the late eighties Details of this year "CANBERRA" crew reunions have now been advertised on the only website dedicated solely to the Ocean Liner and later Cruise Ship S.S. "CANBERRA". Please visit this wonderful site devoted to this amazing passenger ship for all the details of the reunions and to remember the extraordinary career of the ship  www.sscanberra.com

5th of June, the final day of the extended bank holiday Jubilee Celebrations, the three new CUNARD passenger ships will be together at Southampton for the very first time. For all the information please visit CUNARD LINE Blog on  www.cunard.co.uk . Photo of the grandest Ocean Liner ever built at Southampton in June last year

Next week end the 24th and 25th of March, the biggest cruise show case of the year takes place at the OLYMPIA in London. The event features lectures and over 100 cruise operators exhibiting. For all the details please visit  www.cruisingshow.com . Also for the cruise show Blog by Jane Archer, one of the UK's leading journalists on the subject please visit  www.blog.cruisingshow.co.uk . Images taken from The Cruise Show website

 Despite the Depression caused by the Economic Crash of 1929, ship building survived, the most surprising development was the decision by NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD to build two new luxury liners for the North Atlantic, the SS "BREMEN" and SS "EUROPA", Germany was once again to rule the most important Transatlantic Run. Funds for the first of the sisters were raised on open market with a significant portion coming from Americans who wanted to help Germany after the post war recovery. Both ships were launched in 1928, the "BREMEN" at DEUTSCHE SCHIFF UND MASCHINENBAU and the "EUROPA" at BLOHM & VOSS.  SS "BREMEN" was slightly larger than her sister at 51.656 GRT, she had capacity for 2130 passengers, she departed on her maiden voyage on the 16th of July of 1929  SS "EUROPA" left on her maiden voyage on the 19th of March of 1930 after being delayed by a fire during her completion at the fitting out base which caused s

R.M.S. "QUEEN MARY" was built and engined in 1936 by JOHN BROWN & CO at Clydebank, she was 81.237 GRT, her steam turbines had a total power of 160.000 s.h.p. which gave the ship a cruising speed of 28.5 knots, when she was launched she was a symbol of the end of the Depression that threatened her very own completion. QUEEN MARY sailed from Southampton on her maiden voyage on the 27th of May 1936 In August of 1938 having alternated for two years with the FRENCH LINE S.S. "NORMANDIE" as holder of the "Blue Riband", she emerged as the undisputed holder with an average speed of 30.99 knots westbound and 31.69 knots for the eastbound crossing, this was never to be challenged until the S.S. "UNITED STATES" came into service Known as the "Grey Ghost" during WWII she transported over 800.000 allied soldiers as a troopship, it has been said that she and her sister ship the "QUEEN ELIZABETH" shortened the war for at least one year

 SNOWBOW PRODUCTIONS was created "in order to help ensure the survival of our Maritime History on film", this is how author Dex Cox describes his own work. I have several of SNOWBOW's DVD's and I must say they are a MUST for all the lovers of Ocean Liners, Britain's Maritime Heritage and Maritime History in General, in order to follow this extraordinary work and buy DVD's and amazing paintings by Robert G. Lloyd please follow the link  http://snowbow.co.uk

A four-part new TV Series is due to start end of March to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of "TITANIC", to watch a presentation trailer of the new drama series please follow this link www.itv.com/titanic

The "SHIPS MONTHLY CRUISE CLUB" has organized a TITANIC CENTENARY cruise from the 3rd to the 8th of April, the cruise will depart from Southampton and will include visits to Liverpool and Belfast, the highlight of this special cruise will be without doubt a visit to the TITANIC CENTRE at Belfast. "BALMORAL" is the beautiful flagship of FRED OLSEN CRUISE LINES, the ship was built as the "CROWN ODISSEY" in 1988, she was purchased in 2007 by FOCL, she is 43537 GRT and has capacity for just under 1800 passengers, for this and other cruises with FOCL please visit their official website on  www.fredolsencruises.co.uk . Photos of "BALMORAL" off Calshot last summer

The portuguese flagged cruise ship GRAND CELEBRATION underway in Funchal in the morning of the 11th November 2010. Imagens taken at the occasion of the ship's first visit in Madeira. The GRAND CELEBRATION was one of the first purpose built ships for the now american cruise giants Carnival Cruise Lines. When launched in the late 80's she was simply knowned as CELEBRATION and was part of a 3 ship class along with her sisters the JUBILEE and the HOLIDAY. In 2008 she was sent to Europe and transfered to one of Carnival's brands, owned by the Costa group, the Ibero Cruises. The following year her sister, the HOLIDAY, joined as well the Ibero fleet as GRAND HOLIDAY and now both operate mainly for the spanish market. The JUBILEE instead was the first of that class to leave the Carnival fleet, as she was transfered to P&O Holidays as PACIFIC SUN for australian marketed cruising.