How do you parallel park a cruise liner?

With great care, especially when one of the liners in question is P&O’s Arcadia. There were supposed to be two cruise ships in, both of them were due to arrive about 08:00.

Well, as luck would have it, I was awake and fully dressed when I spotted Arcadia arriving. I expected her to move down towards the Sea Wolf’s berth, but for some reason, she stayed at the top of the harbour, near the end of the berth.

 The Sea Wolf (or more correctly Lobo Marinho) pulled out just after 08:00, and it brought home to me just how big Arcadia actually is.

Then it was the turn of the second cruise liner. I cannot remember for the life of me what it was called, but I do know that it was a German ship. It waited patiently for the Lobo Marinho to pull clear, and then started one of the most amazing manoeuvres I have ever seen with a cruise liner.

The manoeuvre started normally enough, with the pilot swinging the ship around, so that it could reverse into the harbour – no problems there.

Then, much to my amazement, it looked like the pilot was starting to parallel park the ship!

I’ll grant the pilot his due, he was very skilled, and to watch the way he parked the second liner was incredible, but I still don’t like boats (or ships!)

Ah well, time to call this quits – I’m back into the playpen tomorrow, so I’ll finish updating tomorrow night – if I can face looking at a computer screen again!

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most