#FERRY – Following yesterdays High Court appointment of an interim examiner to the Fastnet Line Group, the ferry operator has issued two statements (click here) and an apology to passengers with the immediate closure of sailings, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The discontinued winter sailing schedule for this year is also expected not to be repeated during October 2012-March 2013. Fastnet Line's decision to make the Celtic Sea route into a shoulder season and summer only service follows a similar path taken by Stena Line which withdrew Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead (HSS) sailings in mid-September, for report click here. The central corridor route is due to reopen sometime in April or May 2012.

Cork City and County council and Kerry County council have provided €700,000 to support Fastnet Line and yesterday they announced an additional €150,000 in co-funding for the period of the examinership. In order to stabilise finances the ferry company are to radically reduce passenger capacity of the Julia (see photo) from 1,500 down to 950. This is in line with the capacities of the Julia serving 'night' sailings.

She has a crew predominately from Eastern Europe and Irish and UK deck officers. The Bermuda flagged, Hamilton registered vessel is currently berthed at Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal, Cork Harbour. At 154m she is the largest ferry to date capable of berthing in the limited confines of the swing basin in Swansea and with a draft of 5.8m in a port which is subject to a large tidal range on the Bristol Channel.

Operating costs on the 10 hour service has been severely hampered by continuing increases to world oil prices. From the year 2010 to this year, fuel costs rose by 27% and almost 50% from the original budget of 2009. The company claims that each crossing amounts to €18,560 alone in fuel costs.

Fastnet Line to date has carried 150,000 customers, of which 75% have originated from the UK market, generating on average €350 per person (€40m approx) exclusive of fare and on-board spend. This crucial market is core to the success of the company's direct 'gateway' route to scenic south-west Ireland, with Swansea connected to the M4 motorway linking midland population centres and London. The operator claims a saving of 600km driving based on a round trip compared to using rival ferries running on routes to Rosslare from Pembroke Dock and Fishguard.

Since the reinstatement of the service in March 2010, after Swansea Cork Ferries pulled the Superferry (photo) off-service in 2006, the loss to tourism generated revenue on both sides of the Celtic Sea was estimated to be £25m per annum according to the Welsh Assembly and a similar figure recorded in the Cork and Kerry region.

The company also outlines the reduction in carbon emissions saved from operating the only direct service specifically connecting the regions of Glamorgan and Munster. Some 500,000 freight miles alone were saved in the Welsh region since the service started instead of using alternative route running from Pembrokeshire ports.

#Ferry – The High Court has appointed an interim examiner to the Fastnet Line group of companies, which operates the M.V. Julia (1981/22,161grt) on the Cork-Swansea ferry service, according to report on RTE.ie

Mr Justice Peter Kelly appointed Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton interim examiner at a sitting of the High Court. Mr McAteer will present a progress report to the court on November 15.

The Fastnet Line companies are owned by the West Cork Tourism Co-Operative Society Limited, which was formed in April 2009. Over 400 members have invested funds in the venture which started in March 2010 following the closure of Swansea Cork Ferries which ran on the route until 2006.

Brittany Ferries last Cork-Roscoff sailing for this year is scheduled for this weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Pont-Aven's final end of season sailing will be departing Ringaskiddy on Saturday (29th) at 15.00hrs and she is due to arrive at her homeport of Roscoff at 06.00hrs local time.

To confirm sailing schedule including next season starting March 2012 click HERE and for sailing update click HERE.

The €100m luxurious ferry was built in Germany in 2004 and she entered service that year on the three-route roster linking Ireland on the 14-hour overnight weekend sailings in addition to serving on French-UK and UK-Spainish routes.

Uniquely she is the only ferry operating in Irish waters with a swimming pool which is enclosed on the upper deck. Of the various facilities, services and entertainment, they may vary depending on the date and time of year.

The Port of Cork Company held a cruise seminar today to highlight the need for a united approach within the Cork Cruise business and to announce the first turnaround cruises from Cork expected in 2012.

The Port of Cork Company mentioned at the seminar that the port's role is to facilitate the safe and efficient berthing to all vessels. However, increasingly the Port finds itself acting as a tourism body promoting the region to the cruise companies, attending trade exhibitions, meeting attractions and tourist providers and insuring new shore excursions are being offered. As the cruise business in Cork continues to grow, a wider and united approach with city and county councils, tour operators, travel agents, local tourism organisations and attractions, is needed to promote the region and the activities which cruise passengers can enjoy during their visit.

In 2010 at a previous cruise seminar, the Port of Cork announced their aim to grow the cruise business over the next five years to 75 cruise calls and to encourage cruise companies to use Cork as a turnaround port, offering cruises departing from Cork and returning to Cork.

At this year's seminar, the Port was delighted to announce that two companies in 2012 will offer turnaround cruise calls to Cork. Both MSC Cruises and Hebridean Island Cruises will operate cruises in August and September highlighting the opportunities Cork has as a turnaround port and for Irish passengers wishing to cruise from Cork. MSC Cruises will call to Hamburg, Amsterdam, Scotland, Dublin and back to Cork, while Hebridean Island Cruises will focus on Cork and the West coast of Ireland.

Speaking at the cruise seminar, held in Fota Island Resort, Captain Michael McCarthy Port of Cork said: 'The two turnaround calls in 2012 are very exciting and we are delighted that the Cork cruise business is growing, following our efforts and investment over the years. We now have Ireland's only dedicated cruise berth, capable of handling the largest liners afloat today and we must now capitalise on working together and offering more to attract the cruise lines. It's imperative that there is a united approach so that when a ship calls we are able to promote all that is happening in the City, the county and the wider Munster region directly to the cruise passengers.'

He continued: 'We are currently undergoing a strategic review of our cruise berth and we hope to have this completed in 2012. In Cork we have a unique product offering in terms of the cruise berth and its location in Cobh. While the Port of Cork is committed to investment in the Cruise sector,  we recognise that the region is the biggest benefactor from this business with at least €20 Million being generated both directly and in-directly, hence the need for a united approach.'

Also speaking at the cruise seminar was Aiden Pender, Strategic Development Failte Ireland, Jens Chr. Skrede, Managing Director Cruise Europe and Margaret Cronin Specialised Travel Services.

Since 1991 Port of Cork passenger and crew numbers have grown by nearly 85,000, highlighting the rapid growth of the sector which is predicated to continue. Cruise bookings for 2012 have already exceeded 2011 calls and potentially could be the busiest yet for the Port of Cork.

The 2012 Port of Cork cruise bookings list will be available at www.portofcork.ie at the end of January 2012.

Shipping Company CLdN and the Port of Cork are pleased to announce that a new weekly service to Cork will be added to the existing sailing schedule for containerised cargo. CLdN's vessel, MV Arx will call to the Port of Cork's Container Terminal in Tivoli direct from France, before sailing to Dublin as part of its new weekly sailing schedule. The service will also call to the ports of Radicatel in France, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and Zeebrugge in Belgium.

The decision to establish a direct continental link to the Port of Cork further establishes CLdN's position in Ireland as a key logistics partner to the regions importers and exporters, and shows confidence in CLdn's ability to supply a reliable, market leading and cost conscious service which will assist their clients in the current tough economic climate.

The Port of Cork is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and due to its favourable location and modern facilities, the Port of Cork is ideally positioned to assist CLdN in the development of its quality containerised shipping service between Southern Ireland and the strategic ports in France, The Netherlands and Belgium. A well-developed road network will ensure good transit times both to and from the port, ensuring a reliable service offering to CLdn customers.

According to CLdN: 'CLdN intends to build upon its significant investment in the Irish market to date in an effort to bring further initiatives to the market to improve the reliability and cost effectiveness  required to allow importers and exporters of Ireland maintain a competitive edge in their selected markets.'

Commenting on the new containerised service, Captain Michael McCarthy Commercial Manager Port of Cork said: 'This new service will offer industry in Ireland a competitive choice of routes to market which will contribute to the current competitiveness of the Irish import and export sector. It also emphasises the strategic position of the Port of Cork as recent figures released by the Irish Exporter Association state that the export market has seen an increase of 8% to date and is expected to continue to grow in 2011.'

CLdN, whose Irish offices are located in Dublin and Cork ports, have forged long term partnerships with both suppliers and customers and intend to expand operations in Ireland over the coming years to ensure that the market continues to provide their customers with the infrastructure to assist in their continued success. CLdN was awarded the Irish Exporters Association Shortsea Shipping Company of the Year for 2010 reflecting the positive impact their services have on their members.

Hurtigruten's polar expediton cruiseship Fram (2007/11,647grt) docked at the Cobh cruise terminal in Cork Harbour today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Fram operates on cruises from Norway to Spitsbergen, Greenland, and Europe. She also cruises in Antarctic waters and explores the Chilean fjords. She can handle 400 passengers in 254 berths. On board there is a reception area, a large top-deck glass-enclosed observation salon positioned forward, bar, restaurant, library, shop and leisure facilities, including gym, sauna and jacuzzi. For further information and deck plans click HERE.

Throughout her interior she has traditional and modern artwork from a selection of Norwegian and Greenlandic artists. To read more on her Antarctic cruises and other destinations click HERE.

On this particular cruise, she had departed from Bergin and called to several Scottish ports prior to berthing in Belfast and docking in Dublin yesterday. This evening she heads for the Isles of Scilly, followed by a call to Portsmouth before disembarking her passengers in Hamburg.

With today's historic Irish rugby victory over Australia, fans of the green jersey, who happen to be on a cruise-ship with Cunard Line or P&O Cruises, will be able to continue watching games of the Rugby World Cup, writes Jehan Ashmore.

A total of 24 matches are being shown, starting from the opening game and will include all four Home Nations' matches, quarter-finals, semi -finals, bronze final and then the final on 23rd October. Of course there will be other fans on board from Wales, Scotland, England and elsewhere watching the fixtures throughout the cruise-ships various sporting bars, pubs and other venues.

Carnival Corporation's UK entertainment services general manager, Paul Wright, said: "The Rugby World Cup is of great interest to many of our passengers and we're pleased that nobody will miss out by being on holiday with us throughout this time. At any one time we could have more than 19,000 passengers collectively on board and rooting for one of the Four Nations to bring home the trophy".

He added: "Most people have a sport that they follow and some times, like on a cruise ship, you won't have access to your favourite sport, which means a lot to fans. On our last cruise on Independence of the Seas, we had popular sports shown in state rooms and certain bars around the ship, of course football was the most common sport shown".

Incidentally Independence of the Seas has also called to Cobh since her Irish debut in 2007 and at 154,407 tonnes is the largest ever cruise-caller to Cork Harbour. She surpasses Cunard Line's flagship Queen Mary 2 of 148,528 tonnes which too berthed at Cobh last Wednesday, four days after Queen Elizabeth's inaugural visit.

Cunard Line's flagship Queen Mary 2 docked at Cobh today, the 148,528 tonnes giant liner follows Queen Elizabeth which made her maiden call to Cork Harbour last Saturday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The current liner (QM2) can carry 2,620 passengers and a crew of over 1,200 on a vessel is the longest, tallest and widest of any passenger liner built. The luxury liner has private balconies for nearly 80 per cent of cabins and has an art collection worth £3.5m. To complement these works of art there is the first 'floating planetarium', the largest library at sea, boasting 8,000 hardbacks and also the largest ballroom to grace a ship on the oceans.

Queen Mary 2 was short-listed to be built in Belfast at the Harland & Wolff shipyard, but the contract went to Chantiers d'Atlantique, St. Nazaire on the west coast of France.

Her first visit to Irish waters occurred when she anchored off Dunmore East in 2005, the liner had arrived overnight on a passage from her homeport of Southampton and was on a nine-day cruise of British, Irish and Baltic state ports.

Today's Cobh visit of the 345m long Queen Mary 2 coincided with Ocean Countess, a former 'Cunarder', which is also in the port. The 163m vessel was built in 1976 and launched as their Cunard Countess. She weighs 17,593grt and has a 800 passenger capacity. Last year she joined Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) fleet under charter from Majestic International Cruises Group.

Also at work in Cork Harbour was the excursion vessel Spirit of the Isles which apart from operating River Lee sight-seeing cruises between Cork city-centre and Cobh at the weekends, is running a charter cruise this afternoon to Spike Island. For information about sightseeing trips and chartering click HERE.

Visitors to Cork Harbour Open Day should note that asides motoring or taking the train to Cobh, there's also the option of going downriver by boat to view the maiden cruiseship call of Queen Elizabeth, writes Jehan Ashmore.

There's also the option of departing Cork-city centre to Cobh by taking an excursion on the River Lee on the passenger-tender Spirit of the Isles. Sailings depart the city's Penrose Quay, which is on the same side to the railway (Kent) station.

Sailings will operate this Saturday and Sunday and for the remaining weekends throughout September. The boat's Saturday schedule departs the city at 11am and arrives at Cobh's Kennedy Quay at 12.15pm.

In addition there is a Lower harbour tour off Cobh on Saturdays and Sundays, departing Kennedy Pier, Cobh - 12.30pm and returning to Kennedy Pier at 1.45pm. The boat then departs Cobh at 2pm to return to Cork with an arrival time of 3.15pm. For both this Saturday and Sunday sailing schedules, fares and further information go to www.corkharbourcruises.com

In the late 1980's the Spirit of the Isles then named Ingot operated excursions for several seasons from Dun Laoghaire's East Pier to Dalkey Sound and Killiney Bay.

Returning to the third annual Cork Harbour Open Day there will also be a free shuttle-service running in the lower harbour calling at Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Cobh, Aghada and Crosshaven. The fast-ferry RIB operator 'Whale of a Time' is providing the free service which is sponsored by the Port of Cork Company and National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI). For further information visit http://www.whaleofatime.net/Home.html 

This year's Cork Harbour Open Day is set to be an action packed programme of events and activities including for the first time a free open day at the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) in Ringaskiddy, writes Jehan Ashmore.

In the evening the Cork Corona Film Festival will hold a fundraiser themed the 'Amazing Cork Maritime Experience' at the NMCI from 5pm onwards.

Also in Ringaskiddy, at the Deepwater Quay, Fastnet Lines' 22,000 tonnes Julia will be open to the public between 11am to 3pm. This will allow those to tour the facilities of the 1,500 passenger/325 vehicle capacity ferry which has operated the year round Cork-Swansea route since last year.

To enable visitors to visit the events spread across the world's second largest natural harbour, a free shuttle-ferry service connecting Ringaskiddy, Monkstown,Cobh, Aghada and Crosshaven will be operating on the day. The ferry service is sponsored by the Port of Cork Company and National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI).