Season's end

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MOSSEL BAY NEWS & VIDEO - The last passenger vessel to call on Mossel Bay during the 2018/2019 Summer sailing season, the CMV Astor, arrived in the bay early on Thursday morning.

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The CMV Astor operates, apart from some European itineraries each summer for the German market, an annual Around The World Voyage and visits ports in Africa, Asia, Australia, as well as small islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Sadly, operators Cruise & Maritime Voyages recently announced the Astor's 2018/19 extended season in Australia will be her last with them.

The summer cruise season started in Mossel Bay on 16 November when the German vessel, the MS Amadea, with mostly German passengers anchored in the bay.

Intended for South Africa
The Astor is owned by the Germany-based Premicon, and is one of four vessels to have visited Mossel Bay this season.

The cruise liner was built in 1987, took her maiden voyage on 14 January 1987 and is currently sailing under the flag of the Bahamas. The vessel was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), in Kiel, Germany, ordered by the Mauritius-based Marlan Corporation. With an overall length of 176.25m and breadth extreme of 22.6m, the Astor is regarded as rather a small vessel. Her draught is 6.2 metres.

The Astor was intended for the fleet of South African Safmarine as a combined ocean liner/cruise ship for voyages from Southampton to Cape Town.

Her home port is Fremantle, Australia and by far the majority of her current 400 passengers are Australian.

Previously known as the Fedor Dostoevskiy, the vessel was sold to the Soviet Union company, Black Sea Shipping, merely a year after entering service. The vessel was renamed Astor again in 1995.

The Astor boasts seven decks with 289 cabins. Apart from the capacity passenger load of 500 to 650 passengers, she carries up to 300 crew. She currently sails under the command of the Ukranian Captain, Andrey Lesnichiy.

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Built at a cost of US$65 million, the vessel was extensively refurbished in 2010 at a cost of £14 million. She can reach up to 18 knots / 33 kph / 21 mph.

Mossel Bay port manager Shadrack Tshikalange said: "We are delighted to welcome the beautiful Astor with its international guests back to Mossel Bay.

"These passengers spend time taking in the Garden Route coastline and activities such as foot tours of Mossel Bay and bus tours to neighbouring towns such George and Plettenberg Bay."

TNPA is working closely with the Mossel Bay Municipality and Mossel Bay Tourism to develop the harbour as a tourist port.

Not all plain sailing
On 28 November 2008, in the Gulf of Oman, pirates tried to seize the vessel. The Astor was saved by the German frigate, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

A year ago on 28 March, Mossel Bay emergency personnel were called on to assist a male passenger who was suspected of having suffered a mild stroke on the Astor. The patient was transferred to the Life Bay View Hospital, where he received treatment before being discharged.

She offers passengers fine cuisine, high class entertainment, comfortable lounges and accommodation, and a memorable voyage on the current cruise of 51 days, one way from Adelaide to Kiel, Germany.

The itinerary started on 4 March and ends on 24 April. She will be replaced by the Vasco da Gama for the Cruise & Maritime Voyages' 2019/20 programme.

Alderman Levendal handed Captain Andrey Lesnichiy a replica of the caravel Bartolomeu Dias used when he set foot in Mossel Bay in 1488.