28 March 2012Dover Cruise Port welcomes AIDAluna.
On tuesday this week the Dover Cruise Port welcomed the AIDAluna on day four of the ship’s voyage from Hamburg calling at Le Havre, Antwerp and Amsterdam before returning to Germany on Saturday. This was AIDAluna’s inaugural call at Dover Cruise Port. Captain Dirk Albrecht said;
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather on arrival for our first visit to Dover and look forward to making a further five calls between now and the end of May.”
From 15th May the brand new ship AIDAMar will make seven calls and sister ship, AIDACara will call three times at Dover Cruise Port. Owned by US based Carnival, the AIDAluna sails with 634 crew. She was originally deployed in the Baltic Sea in summer 2009 and is the third ship of the Sphinx class with a gross tonnage of over 69,000.
The vessel, the first AIDA ship to boast a poolside theatre, offers passengers a wide variety of facilities including 13 passenger decks offering 1,025 staterooms, 666 of which are outside and 65% of those boast balconies.
On board, there is a 4-D cinema, fitted with moving chairs and the focal point of the ship is the theatrium, a three-level complex which doubles up as a theatre. An impressive spa facility can accommodate 70 guests and the sun deck is fitted with a massive LED screen. The ship has seven restaurants, one of which is multi-cultural and 11 bars.
Clare Newman, Manager of Business Delivery at the Port of Dover presented Captain Dirk Albrecht with an inaugural plaque and he reciprocated with a model of the AIDALuna;
“We were delighted to welcome AIDALuna to Dover on her inaugural visit which is also the first call of Dover’s 2012 cruise season. With over 2,500 passengers onboard, half have opted for an organised shore-excursion, whilst the rest are either enjoying the good weather on deck or are exploring Dover and the rest of the county under their own steam. We have worked hard to develop the relationship with AIDA and are delighted with the increased number of calls that we have welcomed year on year.”
Picture shows Clare Newman left and Tricia Corkhill of the Port of Dover presenting Capt Albrecht with the aforementioned plaque to mark the inaugural visit. See also the new season thread in our forum which has a picture or two of the ship itself. http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewtopic.php?id=9896
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Dover RNLI lifeboat crew will help the Olympic torch on its journey.
Volunteer lifeboat crew members from Dover RNLI lifeboat station will be among the chosen few who will help the Olympic torch on its journey to the games this summer.
In an announcement made this week by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), crew members will take the torch from a tall ship while at sea within Dover Harbour, before bringing it to shore and handing it on to the next torch bearer.
The crew, like thousands of other members of the public around the UK, were chosen to be a part of the torch bearing ceremony as it makes its journey through Kent on Wednesday 18 July because of their inspirational achievements in their community.
The torch will arrive in Dover aboard a tall ship at approximately 5.40pm, whereupon it will be transferred to Dover’s all weather lifeboat City of London II. The handover will be visible by spectators from the beach, after which the lifeboat crew will land the torch bearer on the Prince of Wales pier.
The torch’s route through Kent follows its journey through Hastings, Rye, Ashford and Folkestone earlier the same day. Roy Couzens, Lifeboat Operations Manager for Dover RNLI lifeboat station, said it was a real honour for the station to be involved in the chain of people who will be carrying the Olympic torch:
‘This is fantastic news for our crew – to be chosen to play a part in the Olympic Torch Relay in this way is recognition of the contribution our volunteers make to the community. We are very much looking forward to being involved on the day – and believe me, when that torch is at sea in our lifeboat, it couldn’t be in safer hands!’
An average of 115 Torchbearers a day will carry the Olympic Flame during its 8,000 mile journey around the UK before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Allen Head, RNLI Training Divisional Inspector for the east, said it was a real honour to be involved in the chain of people who will be carrying the Olympic torch:
‘I am delighted that the volunteer lifeboat crew of Dover RNLI lifeboat station have been selected to play such a prominent role in carrying the Olympic torch on its journey. The Olympics embody the spirit of determination and dedication, qualities which are shared by our crews across the land as they go about their important life saving work.’
The streets along the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, which can be viewed in full at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay, gives street-by-street details and proposed start times for when the Olympic Flame will travel throughout Kent. Residents living in and around Dover can find out when it will be travelling along their nearest high street, through their town square or past their local village shop.
Many thanks to Martin Collins for Picture and Report.
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