D&N

Of course it is. Congrats on being quickest. I'd be disappointed if the natives didn't recognise it! 😂 I'm not sure whether it was Superfast IX or X. IX is now Atlantic Vision sailing between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, where I suppose it could potentially get close to QM2 and X is A-Nepita operating mainly Marseille - Corsica for Corsica Linea. As with many Superfast ships she had a top speed of about 30kn and cruising around 25kn. We used the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route for our 2003 summer holiday, and a mini cruise (our wine run) in spring 2004. I've a few 2003 snaps that show parts of the ship, but nothing that would identify which.

I offer you my photo of a location that surprisingly (in my opinion) has not been seen before. Taken late July or early August 2003. Some should instantly recognise it. Unfair to ask the ship, as I don't recall which of two it was. It was one of a few that could keep up with Queen Mary 2 in a favourable sea. N.B. Ignore the date on the photo. I'd forgotten to set it on the camera.

By tour or by train? There's not many big supermarkets in centre of Antibes, so probably NICOLAS and independents. Best to bring up Google Maps on phone and type in "cave vins", that will show nearest. Watch most will close for lunch, google should give that detail. If you are walking from port to train you can pass some of the shops I already listed.

@rakkor If you don't want to go so far there are independents: Caviste Ets Vallauri, 10/12 Rue des Halles Cave Riviera, 7 Rue Teisseire 1862 Wines & Spirits, 5 Rue du Maréchal Joffre And the chain; NICOLAS at 40 Rue Meynadier and 21 Rue d'Antibes I've not used any of them but they'll all give guidance on wines. Casino Group shops are cheaper but you need to know what to buy. Parts of their promos are vouchers for the future, which won't be any use to you. There seems to be very little in Villefranche other than restaurants and souvenir/crafts shops.

I believe you're in Cannes this Wednesday as well? We're hoping to catch the ferry to Île Sainte-Marguerite at about 09:30, and take some photos for the location thread. Although the forecast keeps changing and weather might not be great. There's still time for them to change their guess though. There is a: Casino Supermarché Cannes "Pont-des-gabres" at 54 bd. d'Alsace. It's autumn "Foire aux Vins" started yesterday and continues until Sept 11th. Here's a link to the shop details, and you should find a link to "Foire aux Vins" catalogue on that page, which lists all the offers they have. It's about 2.2kms walk each way from Quay Max Laubeuf, or you could get a taxi/uber. https://magasins.supercasino.fr/supermarche/cannes-pont-des-gabres/CS987 Our local store is a Géant Casino, and the promotion doesn't start until Tuesday. I've already made a list of over 50 bottles to buy for our cave! I don't see a Casino store in Villefranche, nearest is Nice. But there will be smaller independent wine shops as well, there and in Cannes.

Many will recommend "Southampton Harbour", which is probably the most luxurious hotel and very close to the port. It probably has more facilities and restaurants than others. We stayed at "Room2 Hometel". It was very nice, and suited our 'functional' style more. It also seemed homely with families staying but no noisy children running around. It was also much cheaper than Harbour. There were some meals available in the hotel but we chose to eat at nearby Max's Brasserie in Oxford St. And took breakfast at The White Star Tavern, where there was a wide choice of cooked breakfasts served to table. Many of those in the Tavern for breakfast appeared to be cruisers that were staying there.

Hopefully I'm not spoiling anyone's research! I think it may have been Sea Goddess II, based on my previous examination of pictures of port lifeboats. Several photos of "I" show both identical, where I've seen the port side of "II" they are slightly different. It would have helped if I'd stuck with 35mm rather than switching to APS photography for a few years. I suspect the larger capture area and ability to scan from negatives on 35mm would have revealed the name. Seabourn Spirit is the other one. I don't think there are any real differences between the 3 that Colin mentioned when viewed from the front. It was our 1st visit to this area (motoring) and we stayed at the cheap Formule1 Hotel (£15/night with continental) about a mile from where we stay now. I must have researched Monaco, as we took swimming gear with us. My main priority was to walk round parts of the Grand Prix circuit looking at rubber marks on kerbs and such like. We passed Spirit, and I commented that it must have previously been a car ferry, never having seen a superyacht before with a fold down water-sports platform at the stern. Security was almost nil. We walked close to the ship, could easily have helped ourselves to items from the beverage delivery that was in progress and mingled with passengers boarding a coach. I also comment on the packed lunches being loaded onto the coach. Later we visited the municipal pool, the one in the port. It's not there for the elite, but for general Monegasques and the low prices reflected that. We had a clear view of the stern of Sea Goddess and there seemed to just be a gangway to the quay. Security was simply crew members checking anyone using the gangway, otherwise you could go as close as you liked. I did some research on both ships when I returned home, as I'd not previously been aware of that class of cruising. I've never had any inclination to try it, and probably couldn't afford it, but interesting nevertheless.

I read many comments on airline weight restrictions, which I don't understand. There's the odd poster who might be taking a cruise as part of a much longer trip to several continents, and some may have health issues that restrict what they can carry. But most airlines allow quite generous luggage. British Airways Economy Plus, which is economy with checked luggage allowed us about 69 kg and 350 litres each between 1 hold case and full size and under seat carry-ons. easyJet at comparable price including add-ons would have included same weight and slightly larger hold bag. On a recent Delta flight Nice to New York economy limits were the same. In practice we took about 30 kg and 130 litres each, giving me 6 suits and plenty of shirts and ties, and my wife 14 different evening outfits and 12 lunch outfits, along with everything else we needed for 2 weeks. Our cases were much smaller than permitted because they are easy to handle at a medium size. With a bit of planning we could have coped for the 14 nights with hand baggage only. I have seen folk visiting us here with full size shampoo, conditioner and shower gels, which might explain part of the problem. To me that's just bad travel planning.

My photo looks like the rear of the port lifeboats is slightly different. Other photos show ships that may be like that, or with two identical lifeboats. On that basis I could identify it, but as lifeboats are moveable I'm not so sure. Date and location should narrow down the other. Was hoping perhaps @Colin_Cameron might have been on it.

I saw those two, but was wondering how easily the ship would pass them. If it were one of them, going by a map on meltwater delivery there is feeder, "Infantfona" that could be what we see as a pyramid shaped indentation in the rock formation to right background. Otherwise I thought it might be further towards sea.

I didn't think it looked like anything we saw in Alaska, albeit we would only have seen a fraction of what's there. And description of departing a maiden call probably wouldn't have fitted. So I was inclined to Norway. I had switched from Google to Yandex and was about to give up and made a last ditch attempt at a panoramic crop taking out most of the sea and sky, and came across this near identical photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kongsfjorden_112.JPG I was looking for the slope descending from left of frame but most other aspects match up as well. I think it's in Kongsfjorden, but the glacier may have a name? Port could be Ny-Alesund? Perhaps someone else needs to finish it off.

I forgot that I do have a still photo of the other ship as well, if that's any help.

We can use this photo to play the game, following recent comments ..... Slight problem; I'm not sure what the ship is! It's a scan of a photo that I took on morning of Saturday, June 28th, 1997. I seem to remember doing some research afterwards and did identify exactly which it was. I've been looking at photos today and could make a guess based on those but I don't think I could be certain. It would be interesting if anyone here was actually on it that day, we might have passed within a few metres. There was another ship in port as well, which I have some video footage of us passing. I'll reveal that later in case anyone else already knows and wants to volunteer the info. I don't think this is one for researchers, you probably need the knowledge already.

Congratulations! @bluemarble. You are spot on. Pictured just over 3 months before we sailed on Arcadia, and of course had booked well before then. That was what I was looking for, although I was aware of the broad connection that they were all under Carnival ownership. I only realised today, another link; Fair Majesty and it's subsequent incarnations was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique. I wanted to get that out of the road before next Wednesday.

A port previously seen that probably should be fairly easy. Where were we (and the ships)? But what relates the two ships? And what's the Cunard connection?

Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, facing south. I found an almost identical photo, with lots more people on it, published by an immigration service. They had attempted to hide it behind a blurred mask with text on it.

As an aside, you'll note that the dress code for hill walking includes a collared shirt for gentlemen! 🤣

I've heard that. We only used P&O Ferries from Portsmouth and once with Stena in the brief period that they operated Southampton-Cherbourg. I think their ferry leaves quite late at night, so might be too late for dinner.

My thoughts entirely @bluemarble. I was only out of bed briefly as the cats were demanding attention, hence the brief response. @sfred, you certainly had found the island, and deserve the credit. The list of not seen ports has "Porquerolles, France". And further googling reveals that is probably the official name of the island. Here news articles tend to mention "Les Porquerolles" but the group is actually Îles d'Hyères. The original photo will be focused on us, last summer on our first visit to The Esterel, making the islands look much closer than they should be. Porquerolles is 48 miles from the spot where the photo was taken. That was at Pic de l'Ours, shown in 2nd photo with it's TV transmitter mast. I thought posting the full photo would just be too obvious. I'm not sure whether this allows you to move the port to the "seen" file, it's not exactly a close view of it.

Close. It's the furthest away island, which is listed as a not seen port. Confusingly it is known by two names. The less official, which I thought was the group, is listed.

I'm intrigued as to whether they actually sold M229A to anyone. A different experience from Brittany Ferries!

Is it remotely installing some sort of corporate "standard image"? If so, I hope you have a fast connection!

My wife often nags me to do things without really knowing what the deadlines are for them. The online printer that I use for our Christmas Cards usually offers substantial discount offers until nearer the festive season, when I imagine they see an increase in business. So I spent Saturday afternoon working on the photo-artwork for this year's card and placing the order, which arrived this morning. On checking previous orders I see that it was 8 days later last year and mid September the year before. If we keep this up, I'll eventually be making the next year's card on Boxing Day! At least I have a few months to write the addresses on the envelopes. We can look at the sample that I've placed in a cabinet, to psychologically cool us down when it is warm. The subjects are sporting very nice fur coats.

The answer came quite quickly from: Shin SHIBATA (living in Japan). I have tried emailing: portvillefranchedarse@departement06.fr as well, having taken a screenshot from that camera, but no response so far.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find that when viewing MarineTraffic (without subscription) after a ship has departed from a tendering port, it often appears that some of the tenders have been left behind? I find the thought that they might have forgotten about them mildly amusing. 😂