Ships in Bergen

Last Friday morning I went on board MV Voyager as she was alongside in Bergen, to complete a full interior photo tour. To find out a little bit about her history, take a look at our post with pictures of her departure later in the afternoon . Otherwise, keep reading to have a look around her public spaces... Passengers head down the gangway to enjoy a day in Bergen Voyager looked good alongside at Bontelabo, helped by the spring sunshine in Bergen. I stepped on board and was greeted at reception by a very friendly crew before being taken for a look around. My guide was Voyager's Deputy Entertainment Director Jamie Leeke. The smart reception desk is right beside the embarkation area The first stop on the tour was Discovery Deck (Deck 5), which is the location of many of Voyager's public rooms. For a ship of her size Voyager has an impressive selection of bars and lounges; perhaps a happy leftover from her previous life as a casino ship in Asia. Forward fa...

Also calling into Bergen over the weekend was P&O's Oriana. Currently mid-way through her livery change to bring her in line with the company's new branding, she is sporting the new royal blue funnel but is yet to receive the enormous stylised Union Jack across her bows. Oriana looked fantastic in the morning sun The sun shone as she made her way into town in the morning, giving some great views of her gliding in towards her berth at Bontelabo. Oriana turns as she comes alongside her berth Oriana was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and entered service in 1995. She was the first purpose-built cruise ship specifically for the British market, and with a tonnage of 69,000 was one of the largest in the world at the time. As such, she attracted considerable attention during her launch and the related celebrations, and was named by Queen Elizabeth II in Southampton. The sun catches the side of Oriana's new royal blue funnel She can carry 1,900 pas...

The 2015 cruise ship season in Bergen has now started to pick up pace, marked by a weekend with 4 ships calling. On Friday, Voyages of Discovery's MV Voyager was in the city. I was lucky enough to go on board Voyager to be shown around her interiors. The full tour will be added soon. The following photos were taken of her alongside at Bontelabo, and of her departure later in the afternoon. MV Voyager alongside at Bontelabo, Bergen With a length of 152m and a gross tonnage of 15,400 she carries just 540 passengers. Stores are taken on board for the final leg of the voyage Laid down in 1988 and completed in 1990, Voyager has had a long and varied career. After several years sailing for cruise lines in the US, and a stint with Cunard, she was bought for use as a casino ship, sailing short gambling cruises from Singapore, and later Hong Kong. Voyager's smart superstructure contrasts with the clear blue sky Following a period of uncertainty she underwent a major ...

It was an absolutely stunning day in Bergen last summer when Costa Pacifica docked at Bontelabo. The following photos were taken as she made her departure from the city on 08/07/14.  I have now updated this post with additional photos and information, as I work to refresh the archive of photos taken before this blog was up and running.  Close-ups of Costa Pacifica alongside in Bergen Costa Pacifica was built in Italy in 2008/09. She is the third of Costa's Concordia-Class ships, following on from her ill-fated sister Costa Concordia. With a length of 290m and a gross tonnage of 114,500 she can accommodate up to 3780 passengers, served by a crew of 1100. The sun cast some wonderful reflections on her hull With little to distinguish between the majority of large ships in Costa's fleet, Costa Pacifica settled easily into her service role, and has had a reasonably successful career to date. Deck workers stand by as Costa Pacifica swings away from her ...