Cruise Season - UPDATE

Believe it or not cruise season has begun again. Despite predictions of 15 to 20 cm of snow later today, hardy tourists emerged from Marina at pier 31 to see the sights. The ship did not dock at pier 22, the normal cruise ship berth, since the cruise pavilion and its merchants, are not open for business yet this year.

The snow did not set in until the afrernoon and then it was very fine and wet. However visibility was quite limited when the ship sailed at 1830. According to news reports passengers had been warned to expect cold and snow, so seemed unfazed by the experience.

Marina under more clement conditions in May 2016.

Marina has been an early caller in previous years too. In 2014 it was here May 25 and in 2016 on May 18, and then May 3, 2018. This is the first year that it has broken into the April time line however.

After last year's experience they will not try the St.Lawrence River this year. Last May the ship had to berth in Trois-Rivières when high water levels prevented it from passing under the Laviolette bridge. A thousand passengers were bused to and from Montreal.

The ship was in Saint John, NB on Sunday where the passengers would have enjoyed real spring weather.

Built in 2011 by Fincantieri Sestri Ponente, Genoa, the 66,084 gt ship has a maximum passenger capacity of 1300. The cruise schedule indicates it may have 1250 on board for this trip. The ship is en route from New York for operators Oceania Cruises Inc  (a brand owned by NCL Norwegian). It has planned stopovers in St.John's, Cobh, Dublin, St-Malo and Le Havre, before arriving in Southampton, UK April 19. After that it will go on to France, Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

Update
Although the next port was to be St.John's, NL that visit has been cancelled. The winter weather would be chasing the ship and I assume that is the reason. The ship is sailing directly for Cobh, Ireland instead.  

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Marina sets out

The cruise ship Marina sailed this evening with a destination of Horta, Azores.

Built in 2011 by Fincantieri Sesti Ponente in Genoa, the 66.084 grt ship can carry 1259 passengers using double berths. It was also here May 25, 2014 en route for Scandinavian and Northern Europe cruises. 

After taking what I thought was a decent shot of the ship, free from distracting background, foreground and shadows from shore, I realized that I could add some excitement - granted I had to use a wide angle view.

One of the RCN's new CH-148 Cyclone helicopters did a fly past, as the ship came into alignment with the rising moon.

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Marina one time caller - updated

Most cruise ships make repeated calls in Halifax each year, but there are usually a few that only show up once. Oceania Cruises' Marina is one of the latter.
It arrived this morning on its one and only call in Halifax this year.

  

Built in 2011 by Fincantieri Sestri Ponente in Genoa, Italy, the ship measures 66,084 gross tons and has a maximum passenger capacity of about 1250. It is arriving from New York and will go on (via Sydney)  across the Atlantic to start Scandinavia and north Europe cruising in June.

Addendum:

Coming off the dock at pier 22 this afternoon, the ship sailed north and west of George's Island, giving a close up view.

Pilot boat Chebucto Pilot (left) is headed outbound in advance to meet the ship and disembark the pilot. The ship is just off the dock and must sail north around George's Island before it heads southward  for sea.

As with many modern day cruise ships, Marina is fitted with a 'ducktail' stern sponson to improve stability. The ship shows its port of registry as Majuro, Marshall Islands.

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