John Oram's photos with the keyword: 'Empress of the Seas'

2020 was a year like no other for the cruise industry as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world and, alongside aviation, it ground to a halt. Ships were left out of position and, in many cases, in the early stages, struggling to find a port to accept them. During the the long hiatus in operations which followed, movements were unusual and of potential interest to the photographer when circumstances permitted. Royal Caribbean Empress of the Seas would not normally be seen at Southampton and had arrived from Berry Islands, Bahamas on 5 June 2020 reportedly on a crew repatriation trip. 5300_DSC_1743R

Without being in the secure area of the port there is only so much one can see at Southampton and that is from the vantage point of Mayflower Park. As the coronavirus crisis continued, the shipping at berths 101 - 106 provided a feast for the eyes on a June Friday. From the camera are RCCL Empress of the Seas (101) which had arrived from Berry Islands, Bahamas on crew repatriation, the familiar sight of Grimaldi Line vehicle carrier Grande Mediterraneo (102), TUI's Marella Explorer (104) which, given the current situation, has been a recent local wanderer and Carnival Breeze (106). Not visible in this shot is the superyacht Dilbar (105) which arrived during the evening of 4 June. 5300_DSC_1705