MS Maasdam Cruise Ship after Sunrise, Western Entrance, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A view of the MS Maasdam in early morning sunlight as it begins reversing towards CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) of the Admiralty Pier in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


(Click this MS Maasdam Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

Western Docks at Night
Harbour House

The bow of the Maasdam is pointing towards the open waters of the Straits of Dover and the English Channel through the harbour's Western Entrance. This 245 yard-wide gateway into the Port of Dover is bounded by the Admiralty Pier, behind and to the right of the ship, and the out-of-shot Southern Breakwater further to the left. Also on the right is the bow of the Norwegian Sun cruise ship that berthed alongside Cruise Terminal 2 (CT2) just a few minutes earlier.

The DHB Dauntless tug belongs to Dover Harboard Board of Harbour House.

This post-sunrise photo of the Maasdam was taken at 6.33 am on Tuesday, 3rd of August, 2010, from the lighthouse and Harbour View cafe end of the Prince of Wales Pier while on a morning cycle ride (1) (see all lighthouse photos).

The Maasdam passenger ship left Boston (Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA) on a transatlantic cruise that began on Saturday, July 17. Before arriving in Dover Harbour the ship called at the following ports along the way:

St Pierre (Territorial Collectivity of St Pierre and Miquelon, France), St. Johns (Newfoundland, Canada), Qaqortoq (Danish: Julianehåb, Greenland), Isafjordur (Ísafjörður, Iceland), Akureyri (Iceland), Aalesund (Ålesund, Norway), Bergen (Norway), Oslo (Norway), and Copenhagen (Denmark).

The Maasdam left Dover later in the day (5.11pm) on an 18-day "Voyage Of The Vikings" cruise back to Boston. Itinerary (schedule):

MV Spirit of Adventure at Sunrise, Western Entrance, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A post-sunrise view of the MV Spirit of Adventure in Dover Harbour, her bow pointing through the Western Entrance towards the open waters of the Straits of Dover and the English Channel beyond:


(Click this MV Spirit of Adventure text link to see the largest size)

Western Docks at Night

The Western Entrance is formed by the Admiralty Pier behind the ship and the Southern Breakwater, out-of-shot to the left.

The passenger ship is shown manouevring into position prior to reversing towards CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks.

The photo was taken while on a cycle ride (1) at 5.34 am on Wednesday, 23rd of June 2010, from the lighthouse end of the Prince of Wales Pier.

A little earlier, at 5.21 am, the Spirit of Adventure had entered Dover Harbour through the Eastern Entrance at the end of a 14-night round-trip "Britain and Irelands Garden Coast" cruise that had begun on the 9th of June with the following itinerary (schedule):

St Peter Port (Guernsey, Channel Islands), Dartmouth (England), Tresco (Isles of Scilly), Dublin (Eire/Ireland), Holyhead (Anglesey, Wales), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Oban (Scotland), Portree (Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides of Scotland), Stornoway (Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides of Scotland), Scrabster (Thurso Bay, Scotland), Kirkwall (capital of Orkney, Scotland), and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (England).

The Spirit of Adventure left Dover later in the day at 4.34 pm on a 7-night "Norway's Choral Symphony" cruise. Itinerary:

MS Grand Mistral Cruise Ship at CT1, Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

An early morning view of the MS Grand Mistral berthed alongside CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) of the Admiralty Pier, part of the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


(Click this MS Grand Mistral Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

The red-bricked structure to the right of the passenger ship is the Cruise Terminal 1 building, previously Dover Marine Railway Station (partial view) and Dover Western Docks Railway Station. Above the CT1 building are the Western Heights with the stern of the vessel obscuring Shakespeare Cliff (part of the White Cliffs of Dover.

The photo was taken on a cycle ride (1) at 6.22 am, Tuesday the 7th of September, 2010, from near the end of the Prince of Wales Pier. The foreground structure on the left-hand side of the photo is the lighthouse (2) with the roof of the Harbour View Cafe at top-right.

The passenger ship is on a Northern European tour. It has just arrived from IJmuiden, (Holland, Netherlands) and left Dover later in the day for Le Harve (France) before ending its journey at Bilbao (Northern Spain).

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MS Grand Mistral and Ibero Cruises (3) (4)

The MS Grand Mistral is a cruise ship currently sailing for Ibero Cruceros (Ibero Cruises website) and was formerly owned by Festival Cruise Line (Festival Cruises).

MS Saga Pearl II Cruise Ship and DHB Dauntless Tug, Western Docks, Dover, Kent, UK

An early morning view of the MS Saga Pearl II in the last minutes of berthing alongside Cruise Terminal (CT3) of the Admiralty Pier in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


(Click this MS Saga Pearl II Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

The photo was taken on a cycle ride (1) at 6.57 am on Saturday, 29th of May, 2010, from near the lighthouse end of the Prince of Wales Pier (western side).

The lighthouse in the photo is the Admiralty Pier Light. It was built in 1908, has a cast iron tower 72 feet high, and flashes a white light every 7.5 seconds when operational (see all lighthouse photos).

On the left is the Dover Harbour Board tug, DHB Dauntless. Behind the tug is the Western Entrance. On the far side of the English Channel the cliffs of France can be seen as a hazy line on the horizon.

The Saga Pearl II had to berth at CT3 (the furthest from shore) because CT1 and CT2 were already occupied by the MS Braemar and the MS Eurodam cruise ships, respectively. A busy day in the Port of Dover!

The MS Saga Pearl II is shown returning from a round-trip 15-night "Gems of the Baltic" cruise that had began in Dover on Friday, 14th of May, 2010.

Itinerary: Copenhagen (Denmark, via the Kiel Canal), Travemünde (Travemunde, Germany), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia), Visby (Sweden), Klaipeda (Lithuania), Glydnia (Poland), Rønne (Ronne, Denmark), and then back to Dover.

The Saga Pearl II left port again later in the evening. The following day (May 30th) Captain David Warden-Owen recorded the following (abridged) (2):

Pride of Dover Ferry, Admiralty Pier, Western Docks, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The cross-channel ferry, MS Pride of Dover berthed alongside the Admiralty Pier in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


(Click this MS Pride of Dover text link to see the largest size)

The photo was taken from the Prince of Wales Pier on Tuesday, 27st of April, 2010.

The MF Pride of Dover primarily operated on the Dover to Calais route, normally berthing in the ferry terminal of the Eastern Docks (the Western Docks is the cruise ship terminal).

The ferry was tied up at Cruise Terminal 1 (CT1) on the Admiralty Pier for several days, however, which may have had some connection to the airline crisis that arose as a result of ash fall-out from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruptions in Iceland.

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The MS Pride of Dover (1)

The MS Pride of Dover was built by Schichau Unterweser AG (Schichau Seebeckwerft) in 1987 as a cross-channel ferry for Townsend Thoresen. She was the last new ship to appear in service with the famous Townsend Thoresen orange hull though she was delivered with the P&O house flag painted on her funnel which was changed from the 'TT' logo during construction. Townsend Thoresen was renamed P and O European Ferries late in 1987, following the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, and Pride of Dover was swiftly repainted in the new company colours.

The industry generally regarded Pride Of Dover and her sister MV Pride Of Calais (photo not yet uploaded) as the most successful ferries ever built for English Channel service. The ships boasted superb handling characteristics and excellent sea-keeping abilities. Between 1998 and 2002 she was under the control of P&O Stena Line and carried the name MV P&OSL Dover from 1999 until 2002 (sometimes P&O SL Dover). Once returned to P&O control she was renamed MV PO Dover before she was repainted into new P&O Ferries livery when her name returned to MV Pride of Dover.

MS Pride Of Dover details (1) (2):

MS Seabourn Sojourn Cruise Ship nearing CT1, Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

An early morning view of the MS Seabourn Sojourn reversing towards Cruise Terminal 1 (CT1) on the Admiralty Pier of Dover Harbour:


(Click this MS Seabourn Sojourn text link to see the largest size)

Western Docks at Night
White Cliffs of Dover

The photo was taken at 6.42 am on Thursday, 3rd of June, 2010 (1) from the southern end of the Prince of Wales Pier, part of the Western Docks.

The foreground structure on the left-hand side is the lighthouse (2) with the roof of the cafe at top-right. In the background are Shakespeare Cliff (part of the White Cliffs of Dover) and the ex-Dover Marine Railway Station (now the Cruise Terminal 1 building).

The Yachts of Seabourn took delivery of Seabourn Sojourn on May 28th from her builders at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. The ship then set sail for Greenwich in London via this stop-over in Dover.

After spending the day berthed at Cruise Terminal 1, the Seabourn Sojourn left Dover at 8.38 pm and continued to London where she moored mid-river near Canary Wharf early on Friday, the 4th of June.

Later in the day, the British supermodel and fashion icon Twiggy (Twiggy Lawson) became godmother to Seabourn Sojourn and officially named the yacht during an onboard ceremony.

On Saturday the 5th, the company donated Seabourn Sojourn to the non-profit Breast Cancer Haven as the venue for a gala fundraising event to celebrate the charity's 10th anniversary. (3)

On Sunday, 6th of June, the MS Seabourn Sojourn embarked on her maiden voyage of a 14-day "Iceland Cruise" and a 28-day "Northern Europe Cruise", initially calling at Invergordon (Scotland), Thorshavn (Faroe Islands, Denmark), Reykjavik (Iceland), Heimaey (West-Man Islands/Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland), Olden (Nordfjord, Norway), Bergen (Norway), and Amsterdam (Holland).

MS Asuka II Cruise Ship berthed at the Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The MS Asuka II passenger ship berthed at CT2 (Cruise Terminal 2) on the Admiralty Pier of Dover Harbour, her bow pointing in the direction of the Western Entrance and English Channel beyond:


(Click this MS Asuka II Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

Western Docks at Night

The Asuka II is in the Inner Harbour (ex-Commercial Harbour), part of the Western Docks, that is bounded to the left by the out-of-shot Prince of Wales Pier.

To the left of the passenger ship is the Southern Breakwater and DHB David Church dredger, a Dover Harbour Board vessel.

Towards the bow on the right is the Cruise Terminal 2 building; near the stern is part of the Admiralty Pier Turret base (alt. Dover Turret), an enclosed Victorian armoured turret built in 1882.

The photo was taken at 1.05 pm on Monday, 16th of May, 2011, from the upper level of the Admiralty Pier.

The MS Asuka II (飛鳥II, alt. MV Asuka 2) "changed to foreign trade" on Sunday, 3rd of April, and departed Yokohama (横浜市, Yokohama-shi, 日本, Japan) at 4 pm on a World Cruise (1) and then called at Singapore, Port Louis (capital of Mauritius), Cape Town (South Africa), Walvis Bay (Namibia), Dakar (capital of Senegal), Lisbon (capital of Portugal), and Rouen (capital of Normandy, France) before arriving at Dover, England (nb this itinerary may not include tourist ports of call).

Balmoral Cruise Ship and Syros Oil Tanker, Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The Fred Olsen Cruise Lines passenger ship, MS Balmoral, berthed at Cruise Terminal 1 (CT1) on the Admiralty Pier of Dover Harbour:


(Click this MS Balmoral Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

In front of the Balmoral is the Liberian-flagged oil products carrier, Syros (details below); out of view to the left is the Celebrity Constellation (see below), a Millennium class cruise ship.

Photographed from the Prince of Wales Pier just after sunrise on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010.

A description of the Balmoral from the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines website (1):

Named after the Scottish home of the Royal Family, Balmoral has accommodation for about 1,300 passengers, through 710 cabins and suites. All the ship's public rooms have a Scottish theme: its principal restaurant, Ballindalloch, is named after a Speyside village and castle; while the ship's other two formal restaurants, Avon and Spey are named in honour of two of Scotland's loveliest salmon rivers.

Balmoral details:

Lord Warden House at Daybreak, Admiralty Pier, Western Docks, Dover, Kent, UK

A zoomed view from 600 yards of the former Lord Warden Hotel, a Grade II Dover Listed Building, situated at the landward end of the Admiralty Pier in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


(Click this Lord Warden House text link to see the largest size)

Notes on the architect and architecture begin at HISTORY and MATERIALS, respectively.

Western Docks at Night

Lord Warden House appears in the Western Docks at Night photo (left).

The three-arched structure behind Lord Warden House began life as Dover Town Rail Station (alt. Dover Town Railway Station, Dover Town Train Station). It then became Dover Marine Rail Station and finally, Dover Western Docks Rail Station.

Today, it is the Cruise Terminal 1 (CT1) building, the first of three on the Admiralty Pier, and provides a reception area for passengers from the cruise ships that visit Dover throughout the summer season.

This pre-sunrise photo was taken from the Victorian and World War II coastal artillery position known as St Martin's Battery (located on top of the Western Heights cliffs) at 5.40 am on the 25th of August, 2010.

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Lord Warden House Listed Building

The following is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under the terms of the Click-Use Licence (PSI licence number C2010002016):

MS AIDAblu Cruise Ship berthed at Cruise Terminal 2, Admiralty Pier, Dover, Kent, UK

An early morning view of the MS AIDAblu cruise ship berthed at Cruise Terminal 2 (CT2) on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks, her bow pointing in the direction of the Western Entrance and English Channel beyond:


(Click this MS AIDAblu cruise ship text link to see the largest size)

The low structure on top of the pier to the right of the AIDAblu's stern is the Victorian Admiralty Pier Turret (alt. Dover Turret) containing 2 Fraser RML 16 inch 80 ton guns (RML = "rifled muzzle-loading") which were declared obsolete in 1902.

This Dover Harbour photo was taken at 7.24 am on Tuesday, 17th of May, 2011, from the lighthouse end of the Prince of Wales Pier (western side).

The reflections in the glass windbreaks - which I like! - are from the table and bench combinations (such as the one I stood on to take the photo) set out in front of the Lighthouse Cafe.

The seagull wheeling above the centre of the passenger ship has been included at no extra charge.

The MS AIDAblu sailed from Hamburg (Germany) on Friday, 13th of May, on a "7-Nachte Nordeuropa" (7-Night North Europe/Northern Europe, German Bight) cruise with the following itinerary: Amsterdam (Netherlands/Holland), Antwerp (Belgium), Dover (for London, England), Le Havre (for Paris, France), and then back to Hamburg.

At the Going Down of the Sun..., Dunkirk War Memorial, Dover Seafront, Kent, UK

Soon to be completely wreathed in shadow as the sun continues to set behind the hills of the Western Heights, this is the Dunkirk War Memorial on Dover's seafront promenade in front of the Georgian Waterloo Crescent of Marine Parade:


(Click this Dunkirk War Memorial text link to see the largest size)

The front panel, or plaque, depicts a battle scene showing a British Army soldier carrying a wounded comrade towards a small rowing boat below which is inscribed:

Dunkirk Veterans Association East Kent (1). This memorial was erected on the 16th August 1975, the 35th anniversary of the battle of Dunkirk. During the period May 10th to 1st June 1940 202,306 British, British Commonwealth and allied troops were evacuated to Dover. The memorial not only pays tribute to the bravery and discipline of the servicemen, but to the courage of the crews of the armada of little ships which assisted, and the people of the port of Dover who received them.

But as Richard Overy of the UK newspaper, The Telegraph, noted in A very British defeat, a review of the 2006 book, Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man (Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, 2006):

MS Emerald Princess Cruise Ship berthed at the Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The MS Emerald Princess berthed at CT2 (Cruise Terminal 2) on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks, her bow pointing in the direction of the Western Entrance and English Channel beyond:


(Click this MS Emerald Princess Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

Western Docks at Night

The Emerald Princess is in the Inner Harbour (ex-Commercial Harbour) of Dover Harbour, bounded by the out-of-shot Prince of Wales Pier.

To the left of the passenger ship is the Southern Breakwater and the Pride of Calais, a P&O Ferries cross-channel ferry about to enter the Eastern Entrance.

Towards the bow on the right is the Cruise Terminal 1 building; near the stern is part of the Admiralty Pier Turret (alt. Dover Turret), an enclosed Victorian armoured fortification built in 1882.

On highter magnifications a half-moon can be seen towards the top right-hand corner of the photo; partial view of a sky-blue double-decker bus.

The photo was taken at 1.07 pm on Tuesday, 10th of May, 2011, from the upper level of the Admiralty Pier.

The Emerald Princess is part-way through a 16-Day "Northern Europe Passage" cruise From Fort Lauderdale (USA) to Copenhagen. Full itinerary (schedule):

MS Costa Magica Cruise Ship, Admiralty Pier, Western Entrance, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The MS Costa Magica passing through the Western Entrance of Dover Harbour into the Straits of Dover and English Channel beyond:


(Click this MS Costa Magica Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

The Western Entrance lies between the Admiralty Pier on the right and the out-of-shot Southern Breakwater to the left.

The above photo was taken at 6.02 pm on Monday, 17th of May, 2010, from the lighthouse and cafe end of the Prince of Wales Pier. The Dover Lighthouse in the photo is the Admiralty Pier Light (built 1908; cast iron tower 72 feet high; white flash every 7.5 seconds).

The Costa Magica arrived in the Western Docks from Santander (Spain) and is shown sailing for Kiel (Germany) to begin an 11-night "Northern Europe Cruise" on the 19th of May calling at:

Stockholm (Sweden, via the Kiel Canal), Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), Klaipeda (Lithuania), Glydnia (Poland), and Rønne (Ronne, Denmark). From Rønne the passenger ship returned to Kiel via the Kiel Canal.

A Costa Magica video from Costa Cruzeiros of Brazil:

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The Costa Magica (1) (2)

The Costa Magica is a cruise ship for Costa Cruises. She debuted in 2004 as a sister ship to Costa Fortuna, built on the same Carnival Cruise Lines' platform as the Destiny-class.