BREMEN
The "Bremen" is a specially built ice-strengthened eco-cruise ship which makes regular tours from South America to the Falklands and other South Atlantic islands as well as to the Antarctic Peninsula. She was launched in 1990 as the "Frontier Spirit" but renamed in the mid 1990's when she was purchased by a German company. She has a helicopter pad on her top deck and carries several zodiacs for landing tourists at remote locations.
|
|
BREMEN 1 1999 (December 7th) Postcard from visit of MS "Bremen" to Stanley. Price US$8
Note: the above item is an official ship postcard from the Tourist Expedition ship "Bremen" and has two of the vessels cachets at left. The Falkland 40p stamp is postmarked with the Stanley machine cancellation with a boxed slogan reading "Collect Falkland Island Stamps". The view at right is of the picture side of the postcard.
BREMEN 2. 1999 (December 7th) Postcard from visit of MS "Bremen" to Stanley. Price US$8
Note: This item has different ship cachets at left and these are both specifically for the polar cruise including the lower one which shows penguins and a Christmas Tree!
This photo shows the "Bremen" in Antarctic waters amongst ice floes
|
|
BREMEN 3. 2000 (January 15th) Postcard from "Bremen" posted at Ushuaia. Price US$6
Note: The view at left is the picture side of the postcard. The cachet used on the address side is a special one for Bremen's 2000 antarctic cruises.
|
|
BREMEN 4. 2000 (January 15th) Postcard from "Bremen" posted paquebot at Ushuaia. Price US$8
The above postcard differs from the previous one in having a different Antarctic voyage cachet and also that it has German stamps which have been posted per "paquebot" at Ushuaia.
BREMEN 5. 2000 (January 15th) Envelope from "Bremen" posted paquebot at Ushuaia. Price US$8
Note: the Ushuaia postmark in the center of the envelope bears the legend "The Southern most City in the World" along with the 4 stars of the Southern Cross. The cover is franked with German stamps as the vessel is a German owned vessel.
BREMEN 6. 2000 (January 15th) Envelope from "Bremen" posted paquebot at Ushuaia. Price US$8
Note: This cover differs from the previous one in that it has a different ship cachet at left.
2001 ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
The "Bremen" undertook a Australasian cruise over the 2000-2001 Christmas period with the vessel visiting a number of ports in Australia and New Zealand. Her cruise started in Hobart, Tasmania and then went via Sydney, Lord Howe Island, Auckland, Wellington, Chatham Islands, Bounty Island, the Antipodes Islands, Stewart Island, The Snares and Milford Sound before arriving at Bluff on the 11th January, 2001. At Bluff which is the southern most port on the New Zealand mainland she swapped crews and passengers before embarking on a grand Antarctic Cruise taking in MacQuarie Island, Balleny Islands, the Ross Sea and Northern Victorialand before finishing up in Ushuaia in Argentina in February, 2001. |
This stern view of the "Bremen" taken at Bluff in the early hours of 11th January, 2001 shows the new all white colour scheme of the "Bremen".
|
|
|
BREMEN 7 2001 (January 11th) Picture postcard posted at Bluff. Price US$5
Note: The picture side of the postcard is shown at left. The postcard has at bottom a special Southland Spirit cinderella as sold by the Bluff Post Shop where the postcard has been posted. The Red Bluff cachet is also from the Bluff Post Shop. |
BREMEN 8 2001 (January 11th) Picture postcard posted at Bluff. Price US$5
Note: This postcard has the same reverse view but different cachets from the "Bremen".
BREMEN 9 2001 (January 11th) Envelope posted paquebot at Bluff with German stamps. Price US$8
Note: The envelope has been paquebot postmarked at Dunedin which is the nearest city to Bluff with Paquebot postal facillities. |
BREMEN 10 2001 (January 11th) Postcard posted paquebot at Bluff with German stamps. Price US$8
Note: This postcard has also been forwarded to Dunedin for Paquebot postal handling.
BREMEN 11 2001 (January 11th) Postcard posted paquebot at Bluff with Australian stamps. Price US$8
Note: The above rectangular "Bremen" cachet applied in violet above continues to show damage as in previous seasons. |
To see photos of the "Bremen's visit to Bluff on 11th January, 2001 click here.
The "Bremen" departed Bluff on the evening tide on January 11th bound for the Ross Sea and Ross Island with the intention of allowing passengers ashore at both McMurdo Base and Scott Base on the 23rd January. However the amount of ice meant that the vessel was not able to enter the Ross Sea and it was forced to leave the area with a lot of dissapointed passengers bound for the Antarctic Peninsula. After visits to several bases there the "Bremen" arrived at Ushuaia on the 10th of February to complete its Antarctic circumnavigation. Mail was off-loaded at Ushuaia as were many of the passengers before the vessel departed for a visit to South Georgia. On 22nd February, on the way back from South Georgia, the "Bremen" was hit by a rogue wave which smashed her bridge and left the vessel adrift without power for 24 hours before temporary repairs enabled her to limp into Buenos Aires escorted by the British antarctic ship "Ernest Shackleton". The following mail items were all originally intended to be posted at Scott Base but because the vessel was unable to call there, it was on carried to Ushuaia and posted there receiving Argentine paquebot markings. |
BREMEN 12 2001 (February 10th) Envelope posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamps Price US$5
BREMEN 13 2001 (February 10th) Envelope posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamp Price US$5
Note: this cover has a diferent cachet from the previous cover
BREMEN 14 2001 (February 10th) Envelope posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamp Price US$5
|
|
BREMEN 15 2001 (February 10th) Signed postcard posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamps Price US$8
Note: The above postcard is the official Hapag-Lloyd postcard (picture side shown at left). The postcard has been signed at middle bottom by the ships master, Captain Aye inside the expedition cachet. |
BREMEN 16 2001 (February 10th) Postcard posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamp Price US$8
Note: this postcard has the same picture side as the previous item.
BREMEN 17 2001 (February 10th) Postcard posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamps Price US$5
BREMEN 18 2001 (February 10th) Signed postcard posted paquebot Ushuaia with Ross stamp Price US$8
BREMEN 19 2006 (December 5th) Official Bremen envelope posted at Lyttelton. Price US$5
Note: the above envelope has two ships cachets including one for its Antarctic cruise. The "Bremen" was scheduled to arrive in Lyttelton on the 5th of December but had also made an unexpected visit the previous week when rough weather and high seas forced the vessel back from a visit to the Chatham Islands. |
BREMEN 20 2006 (December 5th) Official Bremen postcard posted at Lyttelton. Price US$5
Note; the picture at right is the picture side of the above (and the following) postcard. these two lots differ in the choice of cachets used. |
|
BREMEN 21 2006 (December 5th) Official Bremen postcard posted at Lyttelton. Price US$5
