Update

Arcadia leaves for world tour after being stuck in Southampton Water (From This is Hampshire)

It would appear that Arcadia has been made the P & O Cruises flag ship for this voyage.

Her Captain is Commodore Steve Burgoine who comes from Norfolk, UK.

He is now the P & O Cruises Senior Captain and was the relief Captain for ss Oriana when I sailed on her.

I wonder if her previous Captain walked the plank after he broke the rubber band !

She has her AIS position transmitter turned off tonight so we can not monitor her progress !

The AIS maps tonight are showing mv Arcadia heading towards the Greek port of Piraeus where she is expected to arrive at 04.45 hrs on Tuesday which is one day behind her original schedule.

She is at present cruising at 21.1 knots.

Costa Concordia is at present about 5 miles ahead of her and cruising at 18.8 knots.

She is also heading for Piraeus where she should arrive about 08.00 hrs.

mv Arcadia has passed through the Suez Canal and called at Sharm El Skeikh in Egypt on Saturday 17th January 2009.

According to the blog from James Cusick her Executive Purser, she is now proceeding direct to Mumbai and will have five days at sea.

It therefore looks as if the call at Salalah, in Oman, has been cancelled which will enable mv Arcadia to return to her original schedule and arrive in Mumbai on the 23rd Janaury 2009.

We trust she has no problems with the pirates operating in the Red Sea.

The P & O Cruises ship mv Arcadia got an escort when passing through the Gulf of Aden yesterday.

The British Royal Navy Class 23 Frigate HMS Portland, which is on patrol in the area, paid her a visit and also sent up one of her helicopters.

Photos below from the blog run by James Cusick.