One of the last cruise ship calls in Bergen this season was AIDAcara. A regular visitor to the city throughout the summer, she will make her final call for the year next week. Yesterday she docked at Bontelabo. The following photos were taken of her alongside in what was left of the evening light. AIDAcara alongside at Bontelabo, Bergen Built in Finland in 1996, AIDAcara was intended to be named Clubschiff, but entered service for her German owners as AIDA. AIDAcara in Bergen Following her owners' acquisition by P&O Cruises in 1999, AIDA became the first ship in the now extensive AIDA fleet. AIDAcara's passengers were lucky to enjoy a rare sunny day for their October visit Her name change to AIDAcara came in 2001, in anticipation of the entry into service of her two near-sister ships AIDAvita and AIDAaura. The bow of AIDAcara, showing her distinctive paint scheme Despite being the smallest and oldest member of the AIDA Cruises fleet, a substantial...
Better late than never; last September P&O's Aurora called into Bergen, and I have finally got round to uploading the photos I took of her departure from Bontelabo. Aurora entered service in 2000, with her design based closely on that of her slightly older fleetmate Oriana . As such, the two ships share many common features. The larger of the two, Aurora has a tonnage of 76,000 and can accommodate around 1,900 passengers, served by a crew of 850. Aurora has long been a personal favourite of mine. I remember following her design and construction eagerly as a child, and visiting Southampton to see her sail during her maiden season. I have since cruised on her twice, and although she does seem to experience more than her fair share of issues, she is a very attractive and comfortable ship to sail on. For me, it's her exterior styling that sets her apart from so many other modern cruise ships. She was built just ahead of the trend for the large, economical series of...
Last week I went on board Fjordline's cruise-ferry Stavangerfjord, for a whistle stop tour of her passenger facilities during her impressively fast turnaround in the city. MS Stavangerfjord approaches Bergen, Norway To find out a bit more about her design, construction and service, take a look at my previous post here , with photos of Stavangerfjord approaching Bergen taken last December. Otherwise, keep reading to have a look around her public rooms, cabins and suites... A plan of Deck 7, showing the layout of Stavangerfjord's public spaces (credit: fjordline.com) With a few exceptions, Deck 7 contains all of Stavangerfjords public spaces. The gangway leads directly to the middle of this deck, adjacent to the reception desk. First impressions are good, with an attractive entrance area and smiling staff to welcome you on board. The Reception Desk Directly opposite the reception desk is Bungalow Wine & Tapas Bar, with the fresh food on display making t...
Nice. I really want to sail on a Viking ocean ship one day!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Hoping to get onboard before too long...
ReplyDelete