The COVID Queens - Poole Bay - 12th September 2020
Having visited Weymouth on the 29th August 2020, I booked on a second tourist boat from Poole for the penultimate trip by City Cruises Poole on Saturday 13th September 2020. For this visit to Poole Bay there was only two cruise ships at anchor in the, both were owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. The two hour tour from the dockside at Poole allowed passengers close of views of the largest cruise ship in the world 'Allure of the Seas' and a passing view of 'Anthem of the Seas'. Sadly Anthem of the Seas had dropped anchor outside the three mile offshore limit which out tourist boat was allowed to travel. However the crew on board did a great job of allowing passengers on board to enjoy the size of the cruise ships.
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'Allure of the Seas'
Allure of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. As of 2018, the Oasis class ships were the largest passenger vessels ever in service, and Allure is 50 millimetres longer than her sister ship Oasis of the Seas Flag: Bahamas Gross Tonnage: 220,000t Length x Breadth: 360m x 60.5m Built: 2010 Home Port: Nassau |
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'Anthem of the Seas'
Anthem of the Seas is a Quantum-class cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean International and the second ship of her class. The Quantum class is the third largest class of cruise ships behind MSC Cruises's Meraviglia class and Royal Caribbean International's Oasis class by gross tonnage. Flag: Bahamas Gross Tonnage: 168,666t Length x Breadth: 347m x 49m Built: 2015 Home Port: Nassau |
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To give a sense of scale, as we circled Allure of the Seas the ship began to haul up its anchor, located on the bottom left of the ships bow are two engineers stood on a retractable inspection platform checking the chain as it is raised.
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With both engines running and the chain being lifted, Allure of the Seas prepares to slowly depart its anchorage to head to the port of Southampton. The ship would be exchanging places with 'Norwegian Seas' which had left Southampton heading for Gibraltar.
This was the closest our Tourist boat 'Solent Scene' could get to Anthem of the Seas, as it had anchored at over three miles from the shore line, which was beyond the permitted sailing limits of our vessel.