Last days for ship that links St Helena to the world
Five-day cruise from Cape Town to British enclave will end when airport opens next year
Recalling a bygone era of stately passenger liners and quaint colonial traditions, the RMS St Helena is making its last journeys before the introduction of weekly flights to the far-flung South Atlantic island which shares the ship's name.
A day on board the five-day cruise to rugged British overseas territory of Saint Helena, one of the world's most remote inhabited islands, is marked by aristocratic pastimes alien to modern travellers accustomed to no-frills long-haul journeys.
It's a taste of luxury that won't be around for much longer, on board a nearly seven-tonne ship built in 1989 to carry passengers and goods across the ocean.
"The ship is coming to the end, so more people want to travel before she stops working," Hamilton said.
The shipping company has added a dozen cabins to meet demand before the ship cuts back on its trips when 4.5-hour flights from Johannesburg begin in February 2016.
