Haines turned out to be a much better day than expected. The rain did not show and visibility was crystal clear so the magnificent scenery of the Haines area was all around us. Although we were supposed to have the currents against us all night long, we hardly noticed any, apart from a short period near Snow Passage and so we made good speed and we were docked 25 minutes ahead of schedule.
Holland America Line is the only cruise company who is calling on a regular basis at Haines, each week we have a ship docking here. One week it is the Veendam, the other week it is the Volendam. For the rest, ships call there on an irregular basis, such as the Silver Shadow who has a more unusual schedule to start with. Then there are the smaller cruise ships such as the small ships of Alaska Cruise West who specialize in calling to destinations off the beaten track.
I personally think it is great to have one port during the cruise that has not yet been taken over by Diamonds International or T-shirt Emporium. No doubt in all the larger ports these shops fill a need otherwise they would not be there but it is just great to call somewhere that is still pure and natural Alaska. Some people complain that in the town there is nothing there, which I do not agree with, but if you come to Alaska to see the real thing, then Haines is still the real thing.
And there are more than enough things to do here. Our Shore Excursion list runs up to 64 items/ tours to choose from. There are two museums in town, including the world famous Hammer Museum ($3 entry fee, not to be missed) and the walking or hiking trails start almost at the dock. The Lady pilot we have on board this cruise lives in Haines and has the wildlife right at her doorstep. Currently she is at war with a Moose with two calves who are harvesting all her cheery trees. Where do you still get that, Moose with calves in your own back garden? I think that Haines is a great place.
The temperatures in Alaska are slowly going up and most of the snow on the mountains is melting away. As a result some of the towns still have problems with their water supply. The turbidity in the reservoirs is still too high for unlimited pumping and so tomorrow we still will not be able to load water in Juneau. Haines did not have any restrictions and we were able to load the tanks full with crystal clear mountain water. What you normally buy in the shops in plastic bottles; here on the ship it comes directly out of the tanks. This water is almost as good as what we make onboard. But ship made water does not have any taste to it as it is pure distilled water with just a hint of Chlorine. Local mountain water comes with its own taste, albeit we add chlorine to it as this is compulsory under USPH regulations.
The water that we load is tested on a regular basis by the Alaskan State, which issues test reports for all the towns, so we always know that we have good water on board.
Haines is a late departure due to late return of some of the tours but it makes for a nice sail away with dusk just falling. As we are now close to the longest day of the year, it does not get really that dark anymore, but enough to have the moon come out and throw a silvery shine over the water. Perfect ending to a very good day.
Tomorrow we are in Juneau, and it supposed to be overcast and rainy.
June 18, 2008 at 4:44 am
I’m really enjoying your blog about cruising to Alaska. I’m sorry that you’ll be away on holidays when we are on the Veendam on Aug 22/08.
Do any other HAL captains write blogs?
We were on the Volendam in Sept 0 thru the Panama and enjoyed the ship very much. I’m expecting the Veendam to be similiar but different.
June 18, 2008 at 7:10 am
Haines is a gem indeed, unspoiled thus far by t-shirt emporiums and jewelery stores lining the streets. You have no idea how much we locals in Skagway dislike having 25 jewelery stores here in our small town, the majority of them owned by the largest cruise line corporation in the cruise business. Unspoiled alaska doesn’t seem to appeal to a lot of those who visit aboard the cruise ships. seems it is all about shopping and being able to SAY they went to Alaska. We love our visitors from the cruise ships here, are grateful that they come to take small sips of the beauty and leave a bit of their money behind. I too think it is sad that some take away only memories of shopping and not much else. Hurrah for HAL to provide the opportunity to visit unspoiled Haines. Do you know if there are any ships docking in Hoonah? Or plans in the future to include Hoonah also?
June 18, 2008 at 8:01 am
Wonderful entry about Haines. Great to read and brought back some wonderful memories. Thanks again for your fascinating “Tales of a Modern Day Sea Captain” I never miss reading it. Great fun.
June 18, 2008 at 9:23 am
Captain,
My Google Alert caught your blog about Haines and emailed it to me. I am the Tourism Director here and just want to thank you for your comments about our ‘real’ Alaska town. We love having Holland America calling on our port and are glad you and your passengers are enjoying it so much!
June 18, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Captain Albert:
My wife and I had the privalage of meeting you and your lovely wife on the Veendam 2 years ago when you were sailing out of Tampa. You performed our wedding vow’s renewual. I have been reading your blogg for sometime now and enjoy it very much.
Thank you
Tim Dewing
June 19, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Right on Capt. Albert.
About Haines that is. We took the roundtrip last Sept. on the Ryndam and got lucky as we also had a very beautiful day for our visit there. It surely is a glorious bit of our planet. We wonder if you ever had the chance to visit the private little museum, which has
operating fish canning machinery. It is really interesting and worth a visit for sure. If you get a chance to do it yourself, don’t hesitate… and there is quite a story behind it describing how all the equipment was obtained and brought to Haines. If you’re lucky your guide will be the wife of the fellow who built the place.
As for us.. we wouldn’t hesitate to take that cruise again. It was fabulous and Haines was the highlight of the stops. Wonderful little town.
August 27, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Dear Captain Albert,
Thank you for your wonderful comments about my hometown of Haines. My husband, Bob, and I own the Pioneer Bar and Bamboo Room Restaurant (which have been in my familly for 55 years). The population of our little berg has grown and waned, always leveling to about 2500 people. We are thankful for your visits as we have no year-round economy and it is hard to stay open all winter. Although we struggle financially, we are also grateful that we haven’t sold our soul and remain a true Alaskan town. Thanks again,
Christy