Sometimes I have the feeling that there is a sort of curtain between Alaska and Canada when it comes to the weather. Although I cannot really prove it as it can rain tremendously in Vancouver and Seattle as well. But yesterday was one of those days where it really looked like it. With every mile…   read more of “29 September 2017;…”

And thus I went from the “old” Amsterdam to the Nieuw Amsterdam by flying from Seattle to Ketchikan. As expected the plane was half empty while going up and very full while going down, as all fishermen, shopkeepers and other seasonal persons are leaving around this time of the year. And I cannot blame them…   read more of “28 September 2017;…”

Today just a few photos, as I left the ms Amsterdam to fly to Ketchikan to join the ms Nieuw Amsterdam.  A few days earlier than scheduled. The Amsterdam will leave wet dock tonight around midnight and then sail for 3 days until it reaches San Diego. There everything has to be finished as the same day…   read more of “27 September 2017…”

The main reason we are in this shipyard is because it close to where we ended our cruise and because we need Crane capacity to get all the carpet and other spare parts on board. Thus yesterday, we imitated the local ferry and raced across the bay. Then in the afternoon the containers were hoisted…   read more of “26 September 2017;…”

We had a nice and early arrival and it gave the passenger terminal a busy time as behind us the ms Noordam slipped in as well. Our schedule was to have all the guests disembarked by 10.00 hrs. embark about 300 contractors and then sail to the other side of Elliott Bay just after 12.00…   read more of “25 September 2017;…”

To comply with United States immigration and economic regulations (Passenger Services Act and Jones Act) we have to call at at least at one foreign port during our cruise. For ships that sail from Vancouver this is not an issue at all but for Seattle ships you have to select one. The fact that Victoria…   read more of “24 September 2017…”

Today we spend most of the day in “hazy Weather”. Sometimes good enough to see the mountains of Vancouver Island and sometimes worse enough to only see the mast on the bow of the ship. Still I consider this a “ can be worse situation” as the ship offers enough diversion to keep everybody going…   read more of “23 September 2017;…”

Sitka today turned out to be a very rainy day. Although the forecast said that it would dry up in the afternoon, it seems that somebody forgot to advise the Weather Gods as it just kept raining in an advanced sort of drizzly way. The good ship Amsterdam docked at Sitka this time, as a…   read more of “22 September 2017,…”