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Costa Europa
Mediterrainean Cruise - March 2008
 
Page 6: 16th March: Gibraltar
 
 
This page is one of a series showing a Mediterrainean cruise on Costa Europa in 2008. There is also a full history of Costa Europa.
 
Cruise Itinerary:- Savona - Sea Day - Malaga - Cádiz - Lisbon - Gibraltar - Alicante - Barcelona - Savona
 
Many cruise ships stop at Gibraltar, partly due to tax reasons since Gibraltar is not in the European Union. I have called there many times, and once you have visited the rock on the cable car, seen the monkeys, walked down a few tunnels, seen the impressive 'big gun' and avoided the 'duty free' shops (prices are higher than online), there is not much else to do. On my latest visit I was looking for something new and interesting. I remembered that the beautiful Devon excursion vessel Brixham Belle (built as a 'gentleman's motor yacht') had gone out to Gibraltar to run dolphin trips. A few minutes googling and I had booked two places on the afternoon trip. This was also used for an official Costa trip, but we saved a few pounds and got aboard first for the best seats by travelling independantly (she docks 10 minutes from the ship at the old passenger terminal). This was a lovely trip on a delightful boat, and is recommended to anyone who visits. It also allows images to be taken of your own cruise ship (not usually possible in Gibraltar) and the rock itself. For shipping enthusiasts you also get close enough to photograph the veteran ferries sailing out of Algeciras to Africa.
Next Page...
 
 
Sections on this Page:-
Costa Europa
Dolphin World - dolphin cruises on Brixham Belle
Gibraltar
Straits of Gibraltar Ferries
Next Page...
 
Ships on this Page:-
Al Mansour - Comanav
Atlas - Imtc
Brixham Belle
Costa Europa
Irrational Exuberance - ex-Hein Godenwind of HADAG
Las Palmas De Gran Canaria - Acciona
 
Cruise Itinerary:-
Tue March 11th Savona - Italy Depart 17:00
Wed March 12th Sea Day
Thu March 13th Malaga - Spain Arr: 13:00 Dep: 20:00
Fri March 14th Cádiz - Spain Arr: 07:00 Dep: 18:00
Sat March 15th Lisbon - Portugal: 08:00 Dep: 18:00
Sun March 16th Gibraltar - Arr: 14:00 Dep: 19:00 - this page
Mon March 17th Alicante - Spain Arr: 12:30 Dep: 19:00
Tue March 18th Barcelona - Spain Arr: 08:00 Dep: 13:00
Wed March 19th Savona - Italy Arr: 09:00
 
Associated Pages:-
Dolphin World (Gibraltar) and Brixham Belle
Oriana Cruise Call at Gibraltar in 2000
Costa Crociere
Home Lines
Holland America Line
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page
 
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Costa Europa
Mediterrainean Cruise - March 2008
 
Page 6: 16th March: Gibraltar
 
 
 
Costa Europa
 
Costa Europa pennat whilst approaching Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Gibraltar
 
Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Ferries passing Gibraltar, with Europa Point lighthouse
Europa Point is often (incorrectly) described as the most southerley point of Europe (it is actually in Spain)
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Costa Europa at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 - seen from Brixham Belle
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Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Dolphin World
 
Dolphin World operate lovely trips on a delightful boat to see the dolphins in Gibraltar Bay. It is recommended to anyone who visits. It also allows good images to be taken of your own cruise ship (not usually possible in Gibraltar) and the rock itself. For shipping enthusiasts you also get close enough to photograph the veteran ferries sailing out of Algeciras to Africa.
 
Contact:-
Phone:- reservations@dolphinworld.gi
Website:- www.gibraltarinfo.gi/gibraltar-dolphins.aspx
 
 
 
Brixham Belle
More images of Dolphin World and Brixham Belle
 
Dolphins seen from Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
We saw dozens of dolphins - photographing them was less easy
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Brixham Belle at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Irrational Exuberance
(ex-Hein Godenwind of HADAG)
 
Irrational Exuberance was built as Hein Godenwind for the Hamburg-based HADAG in 1960. In 1969 she sailed between Copenhagen and Malmo as the Kobenhavn for Centrumlinjen (still 50% owned by HADAG), and then moved to Forde Rederei of Flensburg as the Nordsee I in 1975. They were still listed as owners in 1995. I first photgraphed her in Gibraltar in 2000, looking quite smart at that time, but I did not find details of her Gibraltar operators, and I saw no advertisements for services. She was named Estrella del Mare and Estrella. On subsequent visits her berth moved around the harbour, and she looked increasingly derelict on each visit. In 2001 she had been sold for conversion to a private yaght, and was renamed Irrational Exuberance. As shown below, she had sunk at her berth in 2008.
 
 
Estrella at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Estrella at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Estrella at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Estrella at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Estrella at Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Straits of Gibraltar Ferries
 
 
Al Mansour
(Comanav: 1998- )
 
was built in 1975 as Stena Nordica for Stena Line, the last in a series of four ships intended for charter work. Her sisters were Stena Normandica (1974), Stena Atlantica (1975), and Stena Nautica (1975). They were designed and built by Rickmers Werft, Bremerhaven, who achieved a very high vehicle capacity for the overall size, the downside of which was the very boxy appearance.
 
Stena Nordica was delivered in November 1975, and entered service with Stena Line between Göteborg-Kiel. Between May and November 1975, Stena Nordica was chartered to Marine Atlantic for their North Sydney-Port Aux Basques route. Unlike her sisters Marine Nautica and Marine Atlantica, she was not renamed. At the end of the charter, Stena Nordica resumed service with Stena Line on their Göteborg-Frederikshavn route. Repeats of the Marine Atlantic charter was made during the summers of 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981, separated by a period with European Ferries, on the Felixstowe and Zeebrugge route, through the winter of 1977-78. In September 1978, Stena Nordica was chartered to Hellas Ferries, running between Volos and Lattakia (Syria) as the Hellas (1). This charter was repeated in 1980 and 1981. Name reverted to Stena Nordica between these Hellas charters, which between February-April 1980, included a charter to Sealink for use between Fishguard and Rosslare. When not in service as Hellas (1), her place was taken by the Stena ro-ro ferry Stena Runner (now Stena Transfer), running as Hellas (2). In 1980, Stena Nordica was chartered to B&I Line for service between Rosslare and Pembroke Dock. She visited Birkenhead from November 1980 to February 1981 for engine repairs.
 
After the 1981-82 Hellas Ferries charter, Stena Nordica was renamed Stena Nautica, a name previously carried by one of her sisters. She was chartered to RMT, who purchased her the following year in 1983, and renamed her Reine Astrid. Reine Astrid operated for RMT successfully until 1997, despite being much slower than other ships in the fleet. She initially ran between Oostende and Dover, moving to Oostende-Ramsgate in 1994. In 1997, Reine Astrid was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Kiss, but was soon chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation), for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Al Mansour. Al Mansour was purchased by Comanav in 1998.
 
Complete history of Al Mansour
 
 
Al Mansour leaving Algeciras
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Al Mansour leaving Algeciras
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Al Mansour leaving Algeciras
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Al Mansour leaving Algeciras
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Al Mansour leaving Algeciras
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Al Mansour leaving Algeciras
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Atlas
(Imtc: 1999- )
 
Atlas was built as Stella Scarlett in 1974 by Jos L Meyer, Ems Papenburg, for Skandinavisk Linietrafik, part of Scandinavian Ferry Lines. She was used on a route from Landskrona to Copenhagen (Tuborg Haven). From 1980, the Swedish terminal was changed to Malmö. In 1981 Stella Scarlett was sold to Nordisk Faergefart A/S, Fåborg, for use on the Faaborg-Gelting route as Gelting Syd. The route was closed in 1999, following the end of on board duty free sales between EEC countries, and Gelting Syd was sold for use between Tangier and Cadiz (later Algeciras-Tangier) as the Atlas for the International Maritime Transport Corperation, Casablanca.
 
Complete history of Atlas
 
 
Atlas in the Straits of Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Atlas in the Straits of Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Atlas in the Straits of Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Atlas in the Straits of Gibraltar
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Atlas in the Straits of Gibraltar - Simplon postcard sp1295 issued May 2008
Photos: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
(Triton Class - 1993- )
 
22409 grt - 151.10m long - 12600kW=18 knots - 550 passengers/400 berths 1680 lane metres
 
Las Palmas De Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz De Tenerife were built in 1993 by Union Naval De Lavante, Valencia, for Trasmediterránea services in the Canary Islands (Las Palmas-Santa Cruz). With Juan J.Sister, there were three new ferries for Canary Islands services delivered in 1993. The Balearic Islands services did not receive a similar upgrade until 2001/2002, with the delivery of Sorolla, Fortuny and Murillo. They have subsequently served between Algeciras-Tangier and on Palma de Mallorca routes.
 
More images of Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
 
 
Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Las Palmas De Gran Canaria in the Straits of Gibraltar in Acciona colours
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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Simplon Postcards issue sp1292 of Las Palmas De Gran Canaria - released April 2008
Photos: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008
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