NAVIGATION-Cruising and Maritime Themes

The name SHIP BEAUTIFUL has been associated to the CUNARD passenger liner AQUITANIA built in 1914, as History progressed the Liners by the end of last century seemed destined to Museums, History Programs and books, apart from wonderful memories from ships enthusiasts, Maritime Historians and of course passengers and crew that sailed for decades on these wonderful forms of art. With the Cruising Industry's boom also at the end of last century it seemed impossible that another specifically designed liner would be built after the QE2 in 1969, this remarkable liner was many times described as the last true ocean liner to be built. Everything changed when CARNIVAL bought CUNARD and announced that a new liner, the largest, grandest ever, would be built in 2002, the news came a pleasant shock to the maritime world, how would that be possible, would it be viable and economically profitable, after all to build a new liner would be a lot more expensive and a diff

Magnificent reminder of "MSC MAGNIFICA" entering Lisbon on a gorgeous sunny summer day, photos captured 22.9.2013, this great passenger ship was built at Saint-Nazaire and entered service in 2010, she weights 95.187 G.T., unbeatable Lisbon light, nothing like a hot summer's day to photograph ships

Au Havre, un paquebot tous les trois jours en 2014 - 04/01/2014 - leParisien.fr : Good news for the French Port of LE HAVRE, please click link for information published on the "LE PARISIEN".

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone. Seen here departing Funchal on New Year's day is the very handsome classic passenger ship "SAGA RUBY", the ship was the last passenger ship order to be received by SWAN HUNTER and started service as the VISTAFJORD in 1973, not the last one to be built in Britain as commonly stated, the last one was the "ODESSA" also finished by Swan Hunter in 1974. This could very well be her last call to Madeira, the ship is due back in Southampton on the 7.1.2014, the end of her very last cruise with SAGA CRUISES, she has been reported to be withdrawn from service after that and with tougher rules coming into place all the time, affecting mainly classic passenger ships, it is unlikely that she will be sailing again on regular cruising services, I sincerely hope not. Photo taken by Peter Goncalves , 1.1.2014