One of the many industries that’s been paused due to the pandemic is the cruise industry. Cruises have been left docked at coasts, floating away in the distances. Off the coast of Dorset, England major cruise ships including Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Sea, Carnival’s Valor, and P&O’s Aurora have been anchored in place since COVID-19 restrictions were enforced.
One captain, Paul Derham, a skipper for Mudeford Ferry, decided to take advantage of the situation we’ve found ourselves and he came up with the idea of offering tours of “ghost ships” where people could sail out and around them. His two and a half hour tours allow people to see the anchored ships in the English Channel’s Poole Bay.
“We will have an unobstructed view of these giants and are allowed to cruise up to 50 meters away…from these massive ships, which have included P&O’s Arcadia, Aurora, Ventura, and Cunard’s Victoria,” reads the Mudeford Ferry site.
The trips are limited to 20 people and they depart from Mudeford Quay on the vessel Josephine. While touring, Derham shares his experience at seas and his account of an “actual sea rescue” with the passengers. The tours cost £20 per adult and £10 per child and you can only pay in cash.
There’s a huge demand for the trips and they are advertised on the company’s Facebook page 12, 24, or 48 hours before the next trip. To find out more about the trips you can check out Mudeford Ferry’s website.