Netherlands 918 Combat Boat 90 Fast Assault Craft Stern, Dover, Kent, UK

A Dutch Combat Boat 90, pennant number 918, berthed against Crosswall Quay in the Tidal Harbour of Dover Marina:


(Click this Combat Boat 90 Stern text link to see the largest size)

Soon after the shot was taken, two Royal Marines (1) arrived and were taken onboard by a member of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (2).

The Dutch boat can carry 18 amphibious troops and has rails fitted on the stern deck to hold a vehicle.

This Dover Harbour photo was taken during a cycle ride (3) at 2.20 pm on Thursday, 3rd of February, 2011, from in front of Dover Lifeboat Station (home to the Dover Lifeboat, RNLB City of London II).

Netherlands CB90 Bow

The caption to the first photo of the vessel, Bow view of Netherlands 918 Combat Boat 90 Fast Assault Craft in Dover Harbour, has a different video and secondary photo to those below.

In 2010, Sweden's Dokstavarvet Shipyard successfully modified 2 Combat Boat 90's to be lifted into davits of LPD's ("landing platform dock") of the Royal Netherlands Navy (4) and the UK's Royal Navy (5).

During trials scheduled to last 6 months, the two boats and a full Swedish boat squadron were embarked on, and deployed from, a Dutch Navy LPD as a fully integrated element of the amphibious forces (6) aboard.

On the 9th of May, 2011, the Royal Navy subsequently announced (7):

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 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:

MV Minerva Cruise Ship passing in front of Dover Castle, Inner Harbour, Kent, UK

The MV Minerva photographed from the Turret on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks at 4.02 pm on Wednesday, 28th July, 2010:


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

MS Minerva & Castle (1)

The MS Minerva had previously been berthed at Cruise Terminal 1 on the Admiralty Pier (out-of-shot to the left). The passenger ship has completed the 180 degree turn shown half-a-minute earlier in the MS Minerva & Dover Castle (1) photo and is now heading for the Western Entrance of Dover Harbour and the English Channel beyond.

The Minerva had arrived from Copenhagen (Denmark) earlier in the day at the end of a 15-night, "Treasures of the Baltic" cruise and is leaving port at the start of a 15-night, "Sagas of Fire & Ice" cruise.

Itinerary (schedule): Kirkwall (Orkney Islands, Scotland), Lerwick (Shetland Islands, Scotland), Helmaey (Vestmannaeyjar Islands, Iceland), Reykjavik (Iceland), Grundarfjordur (Grundarfjörður, Iceland), Isafjordur (Ísafjörður, Iceland), Akureyri (Iceland), Thorshavn (Torshavn, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark), and Edinburgh (Scotland).

A video from Swan Hellenic featuring the MV Minerva:

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:

Night Panorama of the Ferry Port and Eastern Docks of Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

This night-time and panoramic view of Space City in Dover Harbour was taken on Wednesday, 19th of January, 2011, from the cliff-edge south of Dover Coastguard Station overlooking the Straits of Dover and English Channel beyond:


(Click this Dover Ferry Port and Eastern Docks text link to see the largest size)

The Eastern Docks and Ferry Port (1) occupy the bottom two-thirds of the photo with the actual cross-channel car and freight terminals out-of-shot to the left (as is the Eastern Arm pier that once bounded the Camber).

Various roads, some with light trails, surround the darkened square office block just below the centre of the photo: The Fan, North Exit Road, North Return Road, Dock Exit Road (etc.)

Above and to the right of the office block is the multi-storey car park atop the Booking Hall (Arrivals Hall, Reception Hall).

Official websites of companies operating cross-channel ferries are at P&O Ferries, Seafrance (under administration as of November 16th, 2011), and DFDS Seaways (Norfolk Line, Norfolkline). Photos of their ships appear, or will appear, under the P&O Ferries, Seafrance, and DFDS Seaways category labels (see all ferry images).

White Cliffs of Dover
Lightoller and 8 East Cliff

Above the Booking Hall, the Jubilee Way A2 Bypass sweeps down from a low-point in the White Cliffs of Dover (dimly visible down the right-hand edge) called Broadlees Bottom and turns back on itself over the Ferry Port before 'touching down' at a roundabout near the docks entrance where it is joined by the A20 dual-carraigeway.

The A20 runs parallel to the seafront after entering the town from behind Shakespeare Cliff and meets the roundabout below Athol Terrace after passing the houses of East Cliff (Marine Parade).

Charles Lightoller lived at 8 East Cliff after joining the Royal Navy's Dover Patrol (2) in 1916. He was the second mate and senior surviving officer of the 1912 RMS Titanic iceberg disaster.

In Lightoller's time during World War I, the Eastern Docks was "H.M. Dockyard, East Cliff" (3) and used for the dismantling of ships. In 1920 the Stanlee Shipbreaking & Salvage Co. Ltd. took over as commercial ship breakers and the following year they broke-up the battleship, HMS St Vincent, a veteran of the Battle of Jutland:

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.

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:

Netherlands 918 Combat Boat 90 Fast Assault Craft Bow, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A Dutch Combat Boat 90, pennant number 918, berthed against Crosswall Quay in the Tidal Harbour of Dover Marina:


(Click this Combat Boat 90 Bow text link to see the largest size)

Soon after the shot was taken, two Royal Marines (1) arrived and were taken onboard by a member of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (2).

The Dutch boat can carry 18 amphibious troops and has rails fitted on the stern deck to hold a vehicle.

This Dover Harbour photo was taken during a cycle ride (3) at 2.18 pm on Thursday, 3rd of February, 2011, from in front of Dover Lifeboat Station (home to the Dover Lifeboat, RNLB City of London II).

Netherlands CB90 Stern

The caption to the second photo of the vessel, Stern view of Netherlands Combat Boat 90 Assault Craft in Dover Harbour, has a different video and secondary photo to those below.

In 2010, Sweden's Dokstavarvet Shipyard successfully modified 2 Combat Boat 90's to be lifted into davits of LPD's ("landing platform dock") of the Royal Netherlands Navy (4) and the UK's Royal Navy (5).

During trials scheduled to last 6 months, the two boats and a full Swedish boat squadron were embarked on, and deployed from, a Dutch Navy LPD as a fully integrated element of the amphibious forces (6) aboard.

On the 9th of May, 2011, the Royal Navy subsequently announced (7):

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 Empress Cruise Ship from the Admiralty Pier Turret, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The MS Empress berthed at CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks, her bow pointing in the direction of the Western Entrance (night photo) and English Channel beyond:


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

Western Docks at Night

The photo was taken at 12.57 pm on Tuesday, 10th of May, 2011, from the upper level of the Admiralty Pier near the Admiralty Pier Turret (alt. Dover Turret: an enclosed Victorian armoured fortification built in 1882).

The Empress is in the Inner Harbour (ex-Commercial Harbour) of Dover Harbour, bounded on the far side by the out-of-shot Prince of Wales Pier.

The MS Empress is on a 10-night positional cruise from Lisbon to Copenhagen, taking the ship north for the 2011 summer season around the Baltic Sea. Full itinerary:

Lisbon, Portugal (04 May); Leixoes, Portugal (05 May); La Coruña (La Coruna), Spain (06 May); Bilbao, Spain (07 May); Le Havre (Paris), France (09 May); Dover, England (10 May); Ijmuiden, Holland/Netherlands (11 May); Hamburg, Germany (12 May); Copenhagen, Denmark (14 May).

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The MS Empress (1) (2)

MS Disney Magic Cruise Ship at Sunrise, Western Entrance 2, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A post-sunrise view of the MS Disney Magic as it manouevres into position to berth alongside CT2 (Cruise Terminal 2) of the Admiralty Pier in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


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

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

The photo was taken at 5.55 am on Sunday, 18th of July, 2010, from the lighthouse and cafe end of the Prince of Wales Pier.

The view is similar to that shown in the "MS Disney Magic Cruise Ship at Sunrise, Western Entrance 1" photo (linked to below), except this one shows more of the side of the ship and less of the stern (a better picture all round, I think).

The MS Disney Magic has just finished a 11-Night Northern European Capitals Cruise which called at Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), Warnemünde/Rostock (Germany), St Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), and Stockholm (Sweden).

Later in the day, the ship began a cruise with a similar itinerary, except it called at Tallinn (Estonia) instead of Helsinki.

Ship information:

Seven Seas Voyager Cruise Ship, Admiralty Pier, Western Docks, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

A post-sunrise view of the MS Seven Seas Voyager soon after the ship had berthed alongside CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) of the Admiralty Pier in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:



The red-bricked structure on the right is the Cruise Terminal 1 building, previously Dover Marine Railway Station (and ex-Dover Western Docks Station).

The photo was taken at 5.57 am on Thursday, 9th of September, 2010, from a point between the Porthole Shelters (to the right) and the Lighthouse (to the left) on the Prince of Wales Pier (western side).

The Seven Seas Voyager passenger ship had just finished a 12-night Stockholm to Dover cruise; later in the day, the ship began a 14-night Dover to Monte Carlo cruise (Monte Carlo is a Monaco administrative area).

The Seven Seas Voyager is a cruise ship for Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) and entered service in 2003. Every cabin on board is a suite with a balcony. In 2006, a Forbes.com article listed the Asia leg of the Voyager's world cruise as the most expensive cruise in the Asia region.

MV Minerva Cruise Ship and 12th Century Dover Castle, Inner Harbour, Kent, UK

The MV Minerva photographed from the Turret on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks at 4.02 pm on Wednesday, 28th July, 2010:


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

MV Minerva and Castle (2)

The MS Minerva had previously been berthed at Cruise Terminal 1 on the Admiralty Pier (out-of-shot to the left) and is shown in the processs of completing an 180 degree turn (see thumbnail) whereupon she will head for the Western Entrance of Dover Harbour and the English Channel beyond.

The Minerva arrived from Copenhagen (Denmark) at the end of a 15-night, "Treasures of the Baltic" cruise. The passenger ship is now leaving port at the start of a 15-night, "Sagas of Fire & Ice" cruise with the following itinerary (schedule):

Kirkwall (Orkney Islands, Scotland), Lerwick (Shetland Islands, Scotland), Helmaey (Vestmannaeyjar Islands, Iceland), Reykjavik (Iceland), Grundarfjordur (Grundarfjörður, Iceland), Isafjordur (Ísafjörður, Iceland), Akureyri (Iceland), Thorshavn (Torshavn, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark), and Edinburgh (Scotland).

A video from Swan Hellenic featuring the MV Minerva:

MS Disney Magic Cruise Ship at Cruise Terminal 2, Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The MS Disney Magic berthed at CT2 (Cruise Terminal 2) on the Admiralty Pier of Dover Harbour's Western Docks, her bow pointing in the direction of the Western Entrance and English Channel beyond:



This Dover Harbour photo was taken at 5.52 am on Saturday, 12th of June, 2010, from a point between the Porthole Shelters (to the right) and the lighthouse and cafe (to the left) on the Prince of Wales Pier (western side).

The MS Disney Magic has just finished a "7-Night Barcelona to Dover Cruise" whose itinerary comprised: Barcelona (Spain), Gibraltar (UK), Cádiz (Cadiz, Spain), and Lisbon (Portugal).

At 5.12 pm the Disney Magic left Dover on a 12-Night Northern European Capitals Cruise calling at Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), Warnemünde/Rostock (Warnemunde, Germany), St Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), and Stockholm (Sweden).

The foreground memorial left-of-centre in the above photo has an inscribed plaque on top dedicated to Sir Clifford Jarrett, K.B.E. (1905-1995), an ex-pupil at Dover Grammar School for Boys (DGSB, which I also attended from 1962-1967).

Extract from "The Dover County School 1905-1931" (2):

C. G. J. Jarrett had been winning merit awards and prizes all the way up the school (DGSB) and he now departed with a state scholarship and a major scholarship to Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge. In 1930 Mr. Whitehouse was able to visit Cambridge and be entertained to dinner by Old Pharosians Sanders, Garland, Stanway, Dilnot, Carpenter, Trist and Jarrett. Jarrett rose through the Civil Service to become Sir Clifford Jarrett, K.B.E., permanent secretary or under-secretary to several ministries until he retired in 1970 and then for nine years often visited Dover and the school when he was Chairman of Dover Harbour Board (from 1971 to 1980).

MS Disney Magic information:

F235 HMS Monmouth, 70th Anniversary of Dunkirk, Admiralty Pier, Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

The Royal Navy Type 23 Duke-class frigate, HMS Monmouth (F235) berthed at the Admiralty Pier's CT1 (Cruise Terminal 1) in the Western Docks of Dover Harbour:


(Click this Royal Navy frigate, HMS Monmouth text link to see the largest size)

The photo was taken on a cycle ride (1) at 7.17 pm on Wednesday, 26th of May, 2010, from a point between the Porthole Shelters (to the right) and the Lighthouse and Harbour View Cafe (to the left) on the Prince of Wales Pier.

HMS Monmouth is shown en route to Ramsgate on the eve of taking part in a re-enactment of the World War II Dunkerque/Dunkirk evacuation. A BBC News article for the 26th said (2):

A fleet of 'Little Ships' that took part in the Dunkirk evacuations has gathered in Ramsgate ahead of the 70th anniversary of the event.

Up to 60 small vessels that assisted in Operation Dynamo (3), which started on 26 May 1940, will re-enact their journey.

A fleet of fishing boats and pleasure craft assisted naval vessels in the evacuation of about 300,000 Allied troops from the French coast.

Ramsgate's Royal Harbour Marina was the reception centre for returning troops.

On the 27th of May, the UK Daily Telegraph newspaper wrote (4):

Second World War veterans will make an emotional journey across the English Channel to Dunkirk today to mark the 70th anniversary of the celebrated evacuation.

The former troops, accompanied by their families, will attend a ceremony at the French port to commemorate the historic rescue mission.

They will set sail from Dover following a departure ceremony attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent's office, senior military, government officials, police and others.

The Parachute Regimental Band will perform on the dockside, together with a 200-voice choir from the Royal Choral Society, who will also accompany the veterans on the journey to Dunkirk.

Fifty of the original "little ships" involved in the evacuation - many of which were private fishing or pleasure boats drafted in to help - will also set sail for Dunkirk.

They began leaving Ramsgate in Kent this morning and will be escorted by HMS Monmouth.

Video - "Dunkirk veterans mark 70th anniversary", a British Television report from ITN News: