The 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landing should see the largest gathering ever for the dawn service at North Beach. Accommodation on and around the peninsula will be at a premium and most will need to travel long distances. Those attending the service will need to overnight at North Beach leaving them exposed to the elements. Amenities on the peninsula are limited and the weather is unknown, rain fell when our ANZACs landed so you need to be prepared for both the overnight chill and possible rain.
Whilst we have no control over the weather our cruise guests will be in the comfort of their cabins up to 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the dawn service. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available 24/7 and breakfast will follow the service. The MSC Ochestra is a massive vessel weighing over 90,000 tonnes, and it will anchor at a safe distance from the Gallipoli bay. Passengers will be able to see the coast line of Gallipoli and the lights of North Beach where the dawn service is held. It will certainly be an eerie felling to imagine that from where the ship is anchored the small boats came into shore at dawn. It will be a moment to remember to watch the sun rise over the sphinx in the distance. As a group we will watch the dawn service live on big screens on the ship and then have our own special service. Early afternoon we will have an ANZAC Day concert where our performers will entertain you during the afternoon. There will be many other extras included as we commemorate this historic day.
Our cruise guests will not have to overnight on land at Gallipoli on the 24th April because we will anchor off the Gallipoli shore. Our guests will be able to participate in our dawn service on the ship. For travellers that have limited mobility, the cruise is the perfect solution to be part of the Gallipoli dawn service.
Guests will visit the Gallipoli peninsula on the 17th and 18th April. This will allow you to explore the beaches and heights prior to the arrival of the expected crowds. This 2 day visit is part of the cruise package and our historians will accompany you ashore to visit the beaches. Our historians will provide a detailed insight into the hardships our Anzac’s faced.
The cruise is not until 2015, which gives potential travellers time to prepare for the voyage. This trip will be a chance to see many destinations in the world and to be part of the 100th anniversary of ANZAC Day at Gallipoli.