Liverpool Cruise Season 2019

2019 has been the busiest season so far at Liverpool Cruise Terminal with 86 calls including 9 ships visiting the Mersey for the first time.  In all we welcomed 165,000 passengers and crew to our city.

Here are just some of the beautiful ships which I photographed when I was at the terminal this year.

Costa Cruises "Costa Mediterranea" opened the 2019 season on 12th April, she called again in May and August.

Costa Mediterranea

Celebrity Cruises "Celebrity Reflection" called 4 times this year.   These two alongside shots were taken on her visit on 17th June. 

Celebrity Reflection

Celebrity Reflection

She is shown here sailing away on 13th July

Celebrity Reflection

Aida Cruises had three ships calling this year, I was able to capture AidaVita on 18th May

AidaVita

AidaAura arrived for an overnight stay on 5th August

AidaAura

and AidaBella arriving on 17th August

AidaBella

You may have been watching the Channel 5 Programme about the "Most Expensive Cruise Ship In the World" this year, the star of the show Seven Seas Explorer called on 9th June

Seven Seas Explorer

Seven Seas Explorer

Oceania Cruises sisterships Nautica and Insignia called this year.  Here Insignia is shown sailing away on 21st June

Insignia

Whilst Oceania own 4 of the 8 "R Class" ships originally built for Renaissance Cruises, a further 3 sail for Azamara Club Cruises, here Azamara Journey is alongside on 25th July.  The 8th member of the class "Pacific Princess" called at Liverpool last year.

Azamara Journey

Another class of ships which have called at Liverpool this year are the Ocean Class of Viking Ocean Cruises.  We welcomed 3 of their fleet, making a total of 8 visits this year, including inaugural calls by Viking Sea and Viking Jupiter.

Here Viking Jupiter moves off the landing stage on 3rd August.

Viking Jupiter

Here we are 2 shots of Viking Sun, alongside in weather more befitting her name on 25th August

Viking Sun

Viking Sun

The flagship of the Cunard fleet, Queen Mary 2 called on 16th July with a late sailing into the sunset

Queen Mary 2

The following day we also had a late sailing of the brand new Spirit of Discovery which was on her maiden voyage for Saga Cruises, having only been named by the Duchess of Cornwall the previous week

Spirit of Discovery

Princess Cruises "Crown Princess" made 4 calls this year and is seen here approaching the Landing Stage on her final visit on 14th September.  

Crown Princess

Making her first, and last, visit in Pullmantur colours was Zenith on 14th July, she has since been sold to Peaceboat so we may see her again under a new name

Zenith

Zenith

Liverpool is popular with cruise lines catering to the German market.  Here we have Hapag Lloyd's Europa 2 alongside on 14th August

Europa 2

Transocean's  "Astor" called on 24th August

Astor

And Tui Cruises "Mein Schiff 5" is shown alongside on 2nd August

Mein Schiff 5

Another ship calling for the first time was Ponant's expedition ship "Le Dumont D'Urville on 16th September

Le Dumont D'Urville

On 3rd July Norwegian Cruises "Norwegian Spirit" made the second of her three visits in 2019.  Her first visit on 2nd June coincided with Liverpool FC's European Champions parade, an event which made her LFC supporting Captain extremely happy!

Norwegian Spirit

Finally in this review are two of our most regular callers.  Fred Olsen Cruises "Black Watch" was our most regular visitor, with 22 sailings in 2019.  She is alongside here in the autumn sunshine on 12th October

Black Watch

CMV's Magellan made 9 calls this year, and also stayed alongside for 2 overnight party events.  She is seen here at her berth on 27th October for her Halloween Party event.

Magellan

Of course none of our ships can make it alongside without the muscle power of our team of boatmen, and with over 100 ships scheduled for 2020 they'll be even busier next year!  

I hope you've enjoyed this gallery of just a small collection of the ships which graced the River Mersey this year.  We also had calls by ships of Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruises, Holland America Line, Phoenix Reisen, and Seabourn.  It has been a pleasure to welcome passengers and crew from all corners of the world this year and I'm looking forward to even more ships making their way into Liverpool "The Birthplace of Passenger Shipping" in 2020.

Election 2019 - shock, not really

Well the shock of last night is slowly abating and actually I feel quite relaxed about it, perhaps that is because deep down it wasn’t actually that much of a shock.

The fight for the UK to remain in the EU at this time is lost.  I accept that, I don’t agree with it, but I accept it.  The paralysis of the last 3 and a half years is over, England has chosen it’s path, and given Johnson the majority to take us down that path, and down that path we must go.  Those who wanted Brexit have got what they wanted, and they must now be given what they voted for.  Be it good or bad.  Boris Johnson has told lie after lie after lie and the English electorate have believed him.  Well that is their choice, their decision.  Johnson has promised them sunlit uplands, investment in infrastructure and skills and promised them better jobs and better pay.  He must now deliver on those promises.  The size of his majority will actually make his life more difficult.  He fought this election in his image.  He won it in his image.  He will govern in his image.  When it goes wrong, as I believe it will, he won’t be able to blame the last Labour government, he won’t be able to blame Corbyn, he won’t be able to blame the EU.  This is a personal victory for the brand called Boris, but he will occupy a lonely podium, and the cheers will soon turn against him when he doesn’t deliver on those empty words and meaningless slogans.

One bright light during the cold dark December night is that the non-party of Farage, Tice and Widdecombe left empty handed, they may have caused many causalities but there will be no spoils of war for them.

The most important thing for me, as a European, is the decades of peace and prosperity that a union of the peoples of Europe has brought to this continent too often at war with each other.  It is sad to see the UK cut off from that family, heading into isolation, but the prize of European peace is bigger than any one nation.  I am and will remain a passionate European Federalist