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 Ryndam Cruise Ship before the Southern Breakwater, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A view of the MS Ryndam heading for the Eastern Entrance of Dover Harbour and English Channel beyond at 5.12 pm on Sunday, 1st of May, 2011 (1):


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

Harbour House
Western Docks at Night

The passenger ship is accompanied by two tugs, DHB Dauntless (left) and DHB Doughty (right), owned by Dover Harbour Board whose offices, located in Harbour House of Waterloo Crescent, overlook the harbour.

Behind the ship is the Southern Breakwater and the Dover Breakwater West End Light (2)

To the right of the lighthouse is the Western Entrance that lies between the breakwater and the Admiralty Pier (out-of-shot to the right: part of the Western Docks).

Cruise ships berth alongside the Admiralty Pier and then usually leave the Port of Dover by the Western Entrance. On this occasion strong winds have caused the Ryndam to opt for the same route a sister-ship, the MS Eurodam, took the previous year.

The photo was taken from the Prince of Wales Pier just as the Ryndam was passing the wreck site of the Spanish Prince (ex-Knight Bachelor), a World War I blockship scuttled/sunk in 1915.

Earlier in April, the Ryndam left the Gulf of Mexico by sailing south of the Florida Keys and then called at Cherbourg (France) and Zeebrugge (Belgium). The passenger ship is now beginning a 21-day Mediterranean Medley cruise and returned to Dover on Saturday, 21st of May, before the voyage finally ended in Rotterdam on the 22nd. Cruise itinerary (schedule):

MS Costa Atlantica Cruise Ship just after Daybreak, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A view of the MS Costa Atlantica reversing towards 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 Costa Atlantica Cruise Ship text link to see the largest size)

This Dover Harbour photo was taken on a cycle ride (1) at 6.05 am on Tuesday, 7th of September, 2010, from the Prince of Wales Pier whose lighthouse can be seen just left of midships (see all lighthouse photos).

The passenger ship is part-way through a 17 Days Copenhagen to New York Transatlantic Cruise which began on September 4th. Itinerary:

Copenhagen (Denmark), Bremerhaven (Germany), Dover (England), Le Havre (France), Sydney (Cape Breton Island, Canada), Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada), Bar Harbor (Maine, USA), Boston (Massachusetts, USA), Newport (Rhode Island, USA), New York (USA).

The MS Costa Atlantica first called at Dover on Wednesday, 19th of May en route from New York to Copenhagen (Denmark). The ship then spent the summer season on a series of 7-night European Cruises calling at:

Hellesylt (Norway; Technical Call), Geiranger (Norway), Flam (Flåm, Norway), Stavanger (Norway), Oslo (Norway), Warnemünde Germany), before returning to Copenhagen.

A Costa Atlantica video with Italian sub-titles:

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):

MS Athena Cruise Ship and Tugs in the Western Entrance, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

Stormy weather ahead: a gunmetal-grey early morning view of the MS Athena, survivor of a famous maritime disaster (see below), in the process of berthing at Cruise Terminal 3 (CT3) on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks:


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

The bow of the MS Athena (alt. MV Athena) is pointing towards the Western Entrance with the Straits of Dover and English Channel beyond; the Cliffs of France can be seen on higher resolutions.

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

This Dover Harbour photo was taken at 6.31 am on Tuesday, 7th of September, 2010, from the lighthouse end of the Prince of Wales Pier.

The two Dover Harbour Board bollard-pull tugs assisting the Athena, DHB Dauntless (on the left) and DHB Doughty (on the right), along with the DHB David Church dredger, berth in the Tug Haven of the Tidal Harbour.

The MS Athena, chartered by tour operator Page and Moy for the 2010 summer season, has just finished "A Taste of Europe", her last summer cruise this year, which began in Dover on Friday, the 3rd of September with the following itinerary: Dover - Amsterdam (Netherlands, Holland; Anne Frank house, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum) - Zeebrugge (Belgium; for Bruges or Ghent) - Honfleur (France; Saint Catherine Church, Monet's Garden at Giverny, or Paris) .

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MS Athena (1)

MV Princess Daphne

MS Athena, like the MS Princess Dapne, is a cruise ship owned and operated by Classic International Cruises (CI Cruises) of the World Cruises Agency. She was built in 1948 as the MS Stockholm by Götaverken in Gothenburg for the Swedish America Line (SAL). Since her career with SAL she has sailed under the names MS Völkerfreundschaft, MS Volker, MS Fridtjof Nansen, MS Italia I, MS Italia Prima, MS Valtur Prima and MS Caribe, before beginning service under her current name.

As Stockholm, the MS Athena was best known for colliding with the SS Andrea Doria in 1956, resulting in the sinking of the latter ship:

Night Panorama of the Western Docks in Dover Harbour, St Martin's Battery, Kent, UK

This panorama view of the Western Docks of Dover Harbour was taken from the Victorian and Second World War coastal artillery gun emplacements of St Martin's Battery, Western Heights, at 5.25 am on Tuesday, 24th of August, 2010:


(Click this Western Docks of Dover Harbour text link to see the largest size)

At top-left, the Western Entrance from the English Channel (Straits of Dover) to the harbour is formed by the Southern Breakwater on the left and the Admiralty Pier on the right.

The cruise ship berthed at Cruise Terminal 1 (CT1) on the Admiralty Pier (right of top-centre) is the MS Saga Ruby.

MS Saga Ruby at CT1

The passenger ship has just completed the "Treasures of the Anglo-Celtic Isles" cruise that called at various ports in England, Scotland, Wales, Nothern Ireland, and Eire (Ireland).

The cruise began at Dover on August the 11th and had the following itinerary: Dover, Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Portree, Greenock (Glasgow), Belfast, Holyhead (Wales), Dublin, Cork, Falmouth, Guernsey (Channel Islands), Dover.

A close-up of the MS Saga Ruby was taken a little later from the Prince of Wales Pier. Click on the thumbnail or MS Saga Ruby Cruise Ship and Neptune Catamaran in the Western Docks.

See all ships belonging to Saga Cruises photos.

Elsewhere in the main photo:

MS Crystal Symphony Cruise Ship at Daybreak, Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

An early morning view of the MS Crystal Symphony as it manouevres into position prior to berthing at CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks:


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

The bow of the Crystal Symphony is pointing towards the open waters of the Straits of Dover and the English Channel through Dover Harbour's Western Entrance (bounded by the Admiralty Pier behind the ship and the out-of-shot Southern Breakwater further to the left).

The DHB Dauntless tug (Call Sign MZGC8, IMO 9190456, MMSI 232004784) belongs to Dover Harbour Board.

This Dover Harbour photo was taken at 5.01 am on Monday, 14th of June, 2010, from the lighthouse end of the Prince of Wales Pier.

Also in the Port of Dover this day were the MV Minerva and MSC Opera passenger ships (photos not yet uploaded).

The Crystal Symphony is at the end of a 12-night Europe Cruise which began in Civitavecchia (Rome, Italy) on the 2nd of June and called at:

Porto Venere (Italy), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Barcelona (Spain), Tangier (Morocco), Lisbon (Portugal), Bilbao (Spain), Le Verdon (France), and Bordeaux (France).

The ship left Dover later in the day on a 7-night Ballads of Britain cruise with the following itinerary:

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.

MS Balmoral Cruise Ship at Sunrise, Western Entrance, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The MS Balmoral Cruise Ship framed in the Western Entrance of Dover Harbour at 6.02 am on Monday, 26th of July, 2010:


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

The Admiralty Pier is on the right and the English Channel is on the left; the photo was taken from the the Prince of Wales Pier.

The Balmoral passenger ship, operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, is shown arriving in the Port of Dover from Honfleur (France) at the end of a 16-night "French Connection" cruise.

Later in the day, the passenger ship left Dover at the start of a 12-night round-trip "Beauty of the North" cruise with the following itinerary:

Warnemunde (Warnemünde, Germany), Ronne (Rønne, Denmark), Gdynia (Poland), St Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia), and Copenhagen (Denmark)

Vessel details: