16 June 2016; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

For the guests it is much more scenic to sail from downtown Amsterdam than to be docked in Ijmuiden just outside the locks. But for the ship it is a lot of extra work. This morning the ms Prinsendam picked up the pilot at 03.00 hrs. and then had to go through the locks, sail through the North Sea Canal to be docked at the Cruise Terminal at 07.00 hrs. We were in port with the Zuiderdam but she had come in yesterday as having an overnight stay. Thus the whole passenger terminal was one wall of blue and white, it was Holland America Day in Amsterdam. (Plus the Rotterdam was in Rotterdam and that made the Dutch picture complete.) About 80% of the guests left us here; the remainder are the so called CVG (Collector Voyager Guests) who glue 2 or more cruises together. If you select a ship such as the Prinsendam then that makes sense as nearly every cruise is different. But we also have a lot of guests who do this while sailing on the larger ships, ships which are on the regular 7 day cruise run. Not much new to see then but the guests simply like the Holland America Line product. I can only agree with them, it beats sitting at home in the cold anytime.

The Cruise terminal of Amsterdam as seen from the North. I love looking at blue ships. There are river barges alongside for Water, fuel and recyclables loading and off loading.

The whole voyage to Amsterdam downtown takes so much extra time as we have to go through the locks and then at a steady and slow speed of between 7 and 10 knots through the Canal until we come to the passenger terminal. If there were no locks then the journey would only be 90 minutes or so but the lock takes a good full hour. And then we have to hope that the Lock master does not decide to give another ship preference; and that happens. I had it a few times that we had to hover as the Lock master decided to wait for a tanker on the other side while we originally had a confirmed entry time. To alleviate that issue, they are now in progress of building a new lock, bigger and wider. The North Lock (or Noorder Sluis) was already a big lock but started to reach its capacity with the arrival of the Mega Liners. Now our Koningsdam is about the biggest cruise ship that goes through. The lock is built south of the current large dock and will be sandwiched between some small locks from the old days and the North Lock.  Where this new lock is coming used to be a sort of apron where visitors could walk right up to the ship to wave, have a chat, or have another tearful farewell. Since 9/11 more and more fences have been installed and you if cannot get there anymore, then you might as well put something else useful there.

The new lock being built at Ijmuiden, which will basically increase capacity by 100%

The North Sea locks are there to keep the water level steady on the land side of the lock. Depending on the tide there can be a difference of about 3 to 4 feet with the North Sea and the lock levels that out. The whole area behind the lock, all the way up to Amsterdam is mainly below water level and thus the lock serves a dual purpose: to keep the sea out and keep the water level down. Plus it helps the local eco and farming system as the water is really fresh in the rivers, ditches and canals instead of partly salty or really salty. The whole water system which includes the canals of Amsterdam is kept on one steady level and is regulated by an intricate system of locks and sluices. In the 18^th century there were more than 10,000 windmills big and small that did the job, now it is down to a few high powered electric pump stations. Those pump stations also take care of the circulation of the water to avoid stagnant water which then will start to smell.

Amsterdam has the extra challenge that it is connected by the Amsterdam – Rhine canal with the river Rhine much further to the south. The Rhine is a fresh water river, so no problem with salt, but also a glacial river and in spring the water level can rise very high. Thus where this waterway meets the Rhine, there is a set of locks as well. These locks are set in the dykes that keep the Rhine in its place. Although most of the land east of the Canal is well above sea level, the churning power of the Rhine, especially in the spring time, can easily remove large swaths of land.

Thus the ms Prinsendam sails through fresh water each time it goes to Amsterdam and when it goes out again. Different to the Kieler Kanal which has sea water coming in from both sides and is much more of a mixture.

Our coming cruise, voyage 286 going to the North Cape.

We are not returning to the Kieler Kanal as this cruise takes us up to Norway. To the top of the world at the North Cape. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the weather. There has been a lot of fog up there lately, courtesy of the warm spring, but now a lot of turbulence has come over from the North Atlantic and that might affect us while traveling up the Norwegian Coast. Tomorrow we are still in the shelter of England and Scotland but once we clear the Orkneys the ocean swell can run in freely and then we will have to see. I am not predicting anything this time as the weather chart is too unsettled. One system is now dissipating and that will reduce the swell but in the next 72 hrs. something very nasty might develop east of Iceland. I say might develop, as you never know if it will. Hence no prediction. But tomorrow we should have sunny weather and that is a good start.