Monet commences her 2023 season for Noble Caledonia

By Mike Deegan, Head of Fleet Operations

Marine Engineer Auditor Paul Maine and I recently spent a week in Split helping the crew of MS Monet prepare for the 2023 cruising season.

This year we are pleased to add a light lunch, dining on deck, option to the on-board fayre and we have renewed some carpets in the ship.  Monet herself has had a new paint job and looked “Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion” as we left her on the morning she was due to embark her first passengers of the year.  Over her Winter slumbers the owners have added shelves in the shower cubicles, have renewed some of the teak decking around the upper deck (it was fascinating for me to watch the skilled craftsmen at work : caulking is not a skill widely available these days) and have overhauled the main engines, hot water distribution system and have updated the electronic charts system on the bridge (called ECDIS).  We have also changed the bathroom products to the Eco-Boutique range which I hope you like. Finally the Hotel crew have been fitted out with new uniforms – different for daytime and evening wear.

At the end of the week of preparations, we arranged a training buffet lunch and training gala dinner in the Restaurant for invited guests to train the talented Hotel crew, under the expert management of Hotel Manager Robert Lamond and Executive Chef Alex Mercador, and to test the flow lines in the slightly re-configured Restaurant (we have changed the table layout to improve accessibility at the forward end of the room).  The pictures show the lunch and the Hotel crew and myself just before we opened the doors for our Croatian guests (which included Marko Mandic, owner of Queen Eleganza who I know many of you have met) for Dinner.  I have also included a shot of Paul and I presenting Captain Pradjen with a Noble Caledonia house flag after his crew successfully passed their annual inspection – we don’t give Noble Caledonia flags away lightly!

The Master, Captain Josip Pradjen, and his outstanding crew look forward to welcoming you aboard the small but perfectly formed Monet sometime this Summer!