Today we were from 08.00 until 17.00 hrs. in Newcastle upon Tyne which is located on the East side of England just south of the Scottish border. Although it is more the area which is also called Newcastle upon Tyne, than the city itself as the terminal itself is a fair ways from down town.
Newcastle Upon Tyne is really made up out of a lot of smaller towns. Newcastle itself is more to the centre left. (Map Courtesy Google…….)
The Cruise terminal, although it is not much more than a dock with a security railing, is located on the north bank of the river Tyne. It is a busy port, it is a main hub for the car carriers and there were several in port today loading and unloading cars, mainly of Japanese brands. It has a ferry connection with Denmark and it is a favorite port for cruise ships. Partly because of the hinter land and the city, and partly because it fits so very nicely in most cruise schedules. When we arrived, the Aida Vita came out as she vacated our berth to make room for us, after an overnight. Then there was the Seven Seas Navigator and at lunch time the little Astor came in as well. The port is also used as a changeover port but I would really like to see a covered terminal before Holland America would attempt it here. New Castle Airport about 20 minutes away and that helps considerably with international connections. They have a Big Red Bus here but the route does not come to the cruise terminal. If they did with over 4000 cruise guests into port, they would have made a killing.
Radar shot showing the whole route from Pilot station to dock.
Newcastle is not an easy port to get in and out of. Especially not, if you are the size of the Koningsdam. The cruise docks are 3 miles inland from the harbor entrance, which means you have to swing on the river to get the nose back to open sea gain. There is a turning basin with the official claim for having space for a 350 meter ship, but 300 meters is about the max, you want to do. The Koningsdam is just shy of 300 meters and with ships parked along the docks at the swinging basin, it just fitted for our ship. And then there is current which means you are to sitting in a fixed location while spinning around.
I like Newcastle but if this claim is right……. I leave open for discussion.
So the good ship Koningsdam arrived at the pilot station at 06.00 hrs. and then sailed upstream for the next 30 minutes. I use the word stream, as the water is really “streaming” here. The River Tyne is an estuary river which means the ebb and flood is pushed in with great force and has hardly anywhere to go, so it has to go up on the flood tide. Today we had about 12 feet (3.30 meters) of tidal difference. When we came it was flooding and it made the turning around in the turning basin even more interesting. We docked at 8 am which was one hour and 16 minutes before high water and then between 9. 20 and 14.30 we went up those 12 feet. Then water started to rush out again so by the time we left at 17.00 hrs. we had a nice push back to sea. And that means fussing around with gangway’s to prevent them from going too steep. The port is well equipped for this and has special gangways available which are long enough to make the steepness not too spectacular.
So all the guests went ashore under sunny skies and hopefully had a grand day seeing the North of England and the City of Newcastle. The crew who went ashore today had another focus: Pound land. For non-British this needs a big of an explanation. In the UK we have a store chain called Pound land where everything costs 1 pound or less. As it is a discounter you never know what they have and which brands but it is something that you need, and it is extremely good value. I buy my lightbulbs there if I get the chance. Our crew can get really excited about this and normally come back loaded with gifts for the home front. If you are an Asian crewmember you normally have an extended family with lots of small nephews and nieces and they all want a gift. And fluffy toys for under a pound keep everything within a reasonable budget. I once saw a Pilipino Bartender go home with 57 fluffy toys in a carton box. Must have had a very large family.
Tomorrow we are at South Queensferry one of the landing points for visiting Edinburgh. We should have the anchor down by 07.00 hrs. and stay until 01.00 in the morning as we have over 400 guests going to the Edinburgh Tattoo or performances at the Fringe. It is a tender port and thus we all have a long and strenuous day ahead of us to maintain an all day tender service. Weather for tomorrow: Partly Cloudy, gentle breeze and 66oF / 19oC. Could be a lot worse in Scotland.
Leave a Reply