Berthed at Liverpool today was the Oceania Cruises liner MS Natuica. She went into operation in 2000, then operated by Renaissance Cruises, and has also been part of the Pullmantur Cruises fleet (2002-2004). Since then she has operated for Oceania Cruises with a port of registry in the Marshall Islands. The Natuica weights over 30,000 tonnes and is approximately 593 feet long by 83 feet wide.
She can carry 824 passengers on her nine passengers decks along with 386 crew. The Nautica was once the target of Somalian pirates while sailing in the Gulf of Aden in November 2008. Thankfully, she was able to escape without injury to either its passengers or crew.
The busy season of visits by cruise ships to Liverpool’s Cruise Liner Terminal is now running down as Autumn sets in. Between now and the end of the year there are only three different cruise ships visiting the River Mersey, although together they will visit the city on twelve different occasions. Those three ships will be the Marco Polo, the Black Watch and the Boudicca. The last of these ships is due to visit the city on no less than eight occasions before the year is out. The Marco Polo is due three times and the Black Watch on just one occasion on the 27th December. You can view the Cruise Liner Terminal schedule online.
As always you can view my videos of MS Nautica’s visit on my YouTube channel (also at the top of this post) and my photos on my Flickr site. I went back to the Pier Head this evening, hoping to catch the Nautica sailing from Liverpool. I got there just in time to catch her departing. Watch a short video of her leaving on YouTube. (below).
While back at the Pier Head I also took some photos around the Pier Head and Albert Dock as dusk was descending over the Mersey. You can view the photos and videos on YouTube, or just the photos on Flickr.
STEPHEN NULTY 