Photographs © John H. Luxton 2008

The somewhat unusual shape of the cruise ship LE DIAMANT emerges from the mist off Cóbh on the morning of May 29, 2008 as she headed past the cruise terminal and up the River Lee to Cork City. Each year a few smaller cruise ships take the scenic cruise beyond the main cruise terminal at Cóbh and proceed to the City Quays.

LE DIAMANT is operated by the Breton "Compagnie Des Iles Du Ponant" of which the French shipping line CMA-CGM is the principal shareholder.

LE DIAMANT began life as the in 1974 as the ro/ro ship FERNHILL built for Oslo based Fearney and Eger and after launch renamed BEGONIA and transferred to an associated Netherlands based company. In 1985 she went back to Fearney and Eger who sent her to Lloyd Werft, Germany for conversion into the cruise ship EXPLORER STARSHIP and chartered to Exploration Cruise Line.

Following the liquidation of Exploration Cruise Line she was sold by Fearney and Eger to Seven Seas Cruises and upgraded into a luxury cruise ship and renamed SONG OF FLOWER in 1990. Seven Seas Cruises became Radisson Seven Seas Cruises in 1997. She was sold on to Compagnie Des Iles Du Ponant in 2003 who refitted her and renamed her LE DIAMANT