I hope you are all well, apologies for lack of posts to the forum, we've just moved, and with all the unpacking, trying to get our broadband sorted etc etc, its been a bit manic to say the least! From the front of our house we have a view of Southampton Water, and in these dark cold winter nights, the sight of a cruise ship sailing past lit up like a Christmas tree is quite impressive!

Anyhow, not sure if you know, but there is the end of an era in Southampton.
The dry dock, built originally for the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth has been flooded for the last time.

A&P, the current operators, have decided that the dry dock is no longer comercially viable, and have decided that in Southampton they will concentrate on alongside and "wet dock" repairs.

I personally think this is a great shame, especially as they have done some fantastic refits on cruise ships over the last few years.

So, for the record, the last cruise ship to be in the dry dock was the rebranding of Adonia to Sea Princess.

I am glad that I took the photos which I posted at the time and are in one of my albums.

That would be a shame....

quote:

---

Originally posted by sealeg claude:
Hi,
Doesn't that leave the whole of the UK without a drydock yard facility ???

CG

---

Hello, there are still dry dock facilities in Falmouth and on Tyneside, run by A&P.

I think we will see most cruise ship refits in either Bremerhaven or Hamburg from now on.

Wonder if there might have been a more level playing field if the UK adopted the Euro? (Please don't think I'm starting a Political debate!!).

It is very sad news indeed.

Andrew, Ocean Village I think was the last one in dry dock. Either that or Oceana. Adonia went in on the 15th April. She was in dry dock when the Queens were in on the 16th. She left for sea trials on the 27th, returning about 4am on the 28th. OV was the 30th April in the fog (2 Arcadia's that day ). Can't remember when Oceana was so perhaps that was the last. OV came out on the 10th May. I was down the marina at the time for the QM2/Star Princess arrival and she was meant to come out at 8am only didn't until sometime in the afternoon (2 Star Princesses! ).

Have you got a link for your pics?

[ 11-26-2005: Message edited by: Patsy ]

I know about Hamburg and Bremerhafen...but are the other yards you two mentionned within the UK suitable for 900'+++ ships and beyond to Postpanamax size drydock work?? I'm sure they're all suitable for up to 100' wide ship...but the lenght ??

Thanks for sharing your informations.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patsy:

Have you got a link for your pics?

[ 11-26-2005: Message edited by: Patsy ]

---

Hi Patsy (and everyone else), we've settled into life in Hythe very quickly, its great being here! Just before I set off for work this evening I was having dinner from our lounge watched Aurora pass by, looking very beautiful!
The link to my photos should be as follows:-

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=1844&CatLevel=&Cat1_ID=&Cat2_ID=&Cat3_ID=&Cat4_ID=&FromSearch=True&SearchPage=%2Ftravelpage%2Faspgallery%2Fview% 5Fuser%5Fads%2Easp%3FUser%5FID%3D1028%26Ad%5FID%3D1844

If that doesn't work, go onto the photo gallery and in the search field, enter "Adonia".

quote:

---

Originally posted by sealeg claude:

are the other yards you two mentionned within the UK suitable for 900'+++ ships and beyond to Postpanamax size drydock work?? I'm sure they're all suitable for up to 100' wide ship...but the lenght ??

---

Belfast is 556m [1824ft] x 93m [305ft] and Falmouth's largest [they have 3 altogether] is 259m [850ft] x 39.6m [130], so they can do, as they did, the Thomsons of this world. Southampton had a max length of 1000ft. Most of the others are around the 200m mark. So S'ton is a loss, but does not leave us bereft. Most of the business with ferries etc is done in Falmouth anyway.

The Falmouth detail can be found here, click locations then Falmouth.