We have two overnight stays in Hamburg as it is impossible to get to Hamburg early from Rotterdam. It is simply too far up river. Staying overnight also ties in with the company policy of trying to offer at least one evening’s long stay in a port which in this case translates into an overnight stay, with a bonus for a 2nd one, as the Kieler Kanal is only 4 hours downstream. Those with a taste for German nightlife will be very pleased. For the sort of cruises that the Prinsendam makes – Explorer cruises – this is quite normal. You cannot see Hamburg in one day, even two days is not really long enough. So an overnight with a full afternoon and a full day is as best as one can do.

The good ship ms Prinsendam is in the capable hands of Captain Dag Dvergastein who has been commanding cruise ships for the last 30 years and came to us via Seabourn. The company is slowly starting to mix the officer teams from both company’s and we now have two HAL captains with Seabourn and a Seabourn Captain with HAL.  Late last evening the white curtain lifted and the Captain could switch off the fog horn much to the delight of the guests who occupied the suites right under the Radar Mast. You get the best cabins on the ship with the suites and also the best view from your balcony but you then also have to accept that you live close to the navigation part of the ship and that includes a lot of honking on the horn if weather or traffic so demands.

Traveling to Hamburg means a 7 hour journey up the river and that makes it impossible to reach Hamburg any earlier. That journey started this morning at 07.00 hrs. with the boarding of the Sea pilot. This pilot takes the ship as far as Brunsbuttel which is also the entrance to the Kieler Kanal where we will be the day after tomorrow. Then at Brunsbuttel, where we were at 09.30 hrs. we embarked the River Elbe Pilot which took the ship up to the entrance of the port. Then shortly after 13.00 hrs. this pilot was relieved by the port pilot who took the ship all the way to the dock. Because the schedule just works on average speeds, you never know if you will arrive exactly on time, as traffic and especially the current can affect things greatly. If you go upriver with the flood behind you, you can save easily an hour on a six hour journey but the other way around is also possible. Today we were unlucky as we had the ebb tide against us for most of the journey and only the beginning of the flood later on as high tide is at 20.11 hrs. And it is a HIGH as water level will rise by 12 feet. So we ran 20 minutes behind the brochure time, with complaints to Mother Nature please. But we had good visibility and so we had excellent sightseeing.

The exact locations where we change pilots. (Courtesy Elbe River pilot site)

Hamburg is a city with a long seafaring tradition. It was once home port to the largest shipping company in the world, the Hamburg Amerika Linie or HAPAG, until the wars put an end to that. Now that distinction is split into the largest container company, or the largest cruise ship company or the largest tanker company. But the citizens of Hamburg have retained a deep affection for the sea and the ships and the Hamburg port days are the biggest spectacle in relation to ports and the sea that you can think of. Also when a cruise ship gets christened in Hamburg, it is not just the company who creates a lot of hype, the whole city joins in. It also means that a lot of traditions are retained here which have fallen by the way side in other countries.

The location with Restaurant is called: Schiffsbegrüßungsanlage Willkomm-Höft, or Ships welcome point. It has been in operation since 1952 and receives sponsor money to keep it going. The pontoon in front is the docking location for the local river ferry,

Once of those traditions is to welcome the ship by flag dipping and playing the National Anthem. I know only one other place in the world where this still happens and that is when going up the St. Lawrence river to Montreal, about 50 miles north of Quebec.  Here in Hamburg there is a restaurant which continues the tradition and with a big loudspeaker they bid us welcome in the German and Dutch Language and then played the Dutch National Anthem. It costs money, it does not give any direct value, but it brings style and character and I always compliment those who take the time to keep such things going. People love and hence also the fascination with the pomp and circumstance of Royal Weddings and National Pageantry in the United Kingdom I suppose.

We will remain here until the early morning of the 5th.  and then sail down river again to Brunsbuttel to spend a scenic day sailing through the Kieler Kanal.

Tomorrow more about Hamburg.