Ocean Nova cruise ship spends four days in Plymouth
A cruise ship has pulled alongside at Plymouth’s Millbay docks ready to set off for a bird-watching tour of Britain. The expedition vessel Ocean Nova arrived last night at Trinity Pier and will be there until Friday.
The ship will take up to 78 passengers on board and then set off for a 10-night cruise around Britain’s seabird islands. It heads first to the Isles of Scilly, then to Lundy Island, Skomer and Holy island off Wales, the Isle of Man, Alisa Craig, Rathlin Island, and on to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland islands, ending at Invergordon, Scotland.
The ship arrived in Plymouth at about 9pm on Monday, April 24, having left Tilbury docks a day earlier. Last week it was touring around the coast of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Ocean Nova is a 73m-long passenger vessel which was built in 1992 in Denmark. It is owned by US company Fleetpro Ocean, operated by Noble Caledonia and sails under the flag of the Bahamas.
Formerly known as Sarpik Ittuk its gross tonnage is 2,183 tons and it is the sister ship of the M/S Quest. In 2006 the Ocean Nova was refurbished to become an expedition ship capable of sailing to the Antarctic.
Inside are two decks of twin and triple cabins, a dining room, observation deck and a library containing books and DVDs about the polar regions. It visited Plymouth twice in 2022 and this year is the second of 10 cruise ships due to visit Britain’s Ocean City.
The gargantuan MS Rotterdam stopped for eight hours on April 16[1]. The 297m long Holland America Line vessel anchored in the Sound and brought more than 2,600 passengers, and 1,000 crew to Plymouth, stopping off en route from Fort Lauderdale, in Florida, USA, to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
In all, 10 cruise ship visits are expected in Plymouth this year, which is two more than in 2022. On May 5, Saga Ocean Cruises’ 1,000-capacity Spirit of Discovery is due to stop in the Sound at 8am for a nine-hour stop. The 236m long boat has 10 decks and was Christened by Queen Camilla in 2019.
Silversea Cruises’ Silver Dawn is scheduled to arrive at the West Wharf on May 18 for an 16-hour call as part of a 14-night round trip from Southampton. The mega yacht carries 596 passengers and 411 crew, with 288 cabins over 11 decks.
During August three visits are scheduled. Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity is due on the 23rd, anchoring in the Sound for 10 hours, from 8am, as part of a voyage from Southampton to Reykjavik. Two days later Majestic International Cruises’ Ocean Majesty is at West Wharf, Millbay, and on August 28 Silver Dawn returns at 8am for an all-day stop en route from Southampton to Copenhagen
There are another three boats expected in September. Phoenix Reisen Cruises’ Amera stops at West Wharf on Saturday, 23rd, with Scenic Cruises’ Scenic Eclipse 2 arriving the following day.
On September 26 , Seabourn Cruises’ Seabourn Ovation will weigh anchor. Some companies are even taking bookings for 2024, with vessels including Oceania Sirena, Silver Spirit and Azamara Quest already planning Plymouth visits.
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References
- ^ MS Rotterdam stopped for eight hours on April 16 (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)