John Oram's photos with the keyword: Whitonia

2020 was a year like no other in the life of the Port of Southampton and this picture reflects some of what that year meant as viewed from Mayflower Park. It is unusual to see a Cunard ship on 101 but that's where Queen Victoria was today, taking a break from other south coast resting places. Alongside were the bunker vessel Whitonia and the Veolia waste disposal vessel Seagreen, both well known to habitués of the port. My pictures usually show one or the other with a cruise ship but rarely both. In the background is P&O Arcadia on 106, also taking a break from short distance cruising between Hampshire and Dorset. A part of the background, starboard of Queen Victoria might go unremarked in photographs up until now but the slightly majestic Solent Mills is now undergoing demolition to be replaced by who knows what. There are, apparently, good reasons to demolish rather than preserve the building but it is sad to see it thus reduced. 5300_DSC_2160E

As the cruise ship industry remained, from the passenger point of view, in hiatus, the latest wanderer to reach berth 101 at Southampton was Azamara Quest. I do not mind busy dock scenes but prefer portraits of cruise ships. On this occasion, the timing of my travels meant that I had to include the bunker vessel Whitonia as part of my composition. On other recent visits, the gulls have been swirling about in a distracting manner. This time, at least, most were on the water (which lends some charm to the scene, I think) but a vociferously quarrelsome few were just in the air. 5300_DSC_1778CE

The latest unusual cruise ship visitor to Southampton was Carnival Valor which had arrived from St Eustatius again, I assume. on crew repatriation. The familiar Veolia waste disposal vessel Seagreen is alongside. At berth 104 is Silver Spirit with the equally familiar bunker vessel Whitonia alongside and berth 106 is occupied by P&O Ventura. With the cruise ship industry in suspended animation, Southampton's movements remain of interest to the photographer but, for the prospective passenger, tantalisingly distant. 5300_DSC_1750E

It is more difficult for me these days to see 'new' ships at Southampton as I continue my quest to see as many cruise ships as possible in as many ports as possible. I last saw RCCL Adventure of the Seas at St Maarten. Today she had arrived from Lisbon and would depart for Ålesund. A middle of the day shot means the inclusion of the inevitable bunker vessel Whitonia. In the background, at Mayflower, is Crown Princess which arrived in the morning from Stavanger and would depart for Zeebrugge. X20_DSCF1959C

Although Royal Princess should have been in the limelight on its inaugural visit to Southampton, it was not well positioned for a photograph and I preferred to concentrate on Silversea's Silver Cloud which had arrived from Cherbourg and would depart to Copenhagen. As you can see, the bunker vessel Whitonia was in attendance so my shot is a record of a typical Southampton scene rather than the intended portrait. The Grimaldi Lines vehicle carrier Grande Italia, a regular visitor, had arrived from Valencia. P1180242

Although Royal Princess should have been in the limelight on its inaugural visit to Southampton, it was not well positioned for a photograph and I preferred to concentrate on Silversea's Silver Cloud which had arrived from Cherbourg and would depart to Copenhagen. As you can see, the bunker vessel Whitonia was in attendance so my shot is a record of a typical Southampton scene rather than the intended portrait. The Grimaldi Lines vehicle carrier Grande Italia, a regular visitor, had arrived from Valencia and the P&O Oriana (in the distance) would depart on a Baltic cruise having arrived from Lisbon. P1180241