We are now on our 14 day cruise schedule. Or it are really two 7 day cruises, Vancouver to Seward and then back to Vancouver again. For us on board who consider Vancouver the seasonal home port it feels as a 14 day cruise with a change of passengers in Seward. Not all passengers change in Seward. Normally we have about a 100 who do the return voyage. It is called a Back-to-back cruise in cruise speak. To offer these guests at least one different port during that return cruise, we call at Haines northbound and at Skagway Southbound. Both ports are located in the scenic Lynn Canal so for the route that we travel there is not much difference.

Holland America started calling at Haines about 5 years ago when congestion started to built at Skagway. Before that time the ships would call at Skagway and we would offer a scenic Lynn Canal cruise on a sightseeing boat to Haines for those who were interested. When more and more ships started to call at Skagway, we deviated the first ships to Haines and offered tours to Skagway. Haines is a very small place and came to prominence during the 2nd world war when there was a large garrison in the town. There was the threat that Japan would launch a full scale invasion, either near the Yakutat or approach Lynn Canal from the South via Chatham Strait. As is known, Japan did invade Alaska but it was only a small operation and it did not last very long.

After the war the military presence slowly faded away. Leaving a nice sleepy village with some big standard built Clapboard houses, built against the hill. In the beginning of our calls there was not that much to do as the emphasis had always been on Skagway but since a few years there are numerous tours on offer for the guests to enjoy. At the same time Haines has been able to maintain its local flavor and is still very much an original Alaska town. No Columbian Emeralds or Diamonds International here. You buy your postcards at the local drug and grocery store. But there is a museum and there is a micro brewery that sells beer in Gallon jugs. There is a marina and it has a dock that just fits the Veendam.

It is a tight stretch from Ketchikan, due to the distance, and even more so with adverse currents. But by keeping the pedal-to-the-metal we approached the dock exactly on schedule and had the gangway out by 10 am. our official arrival time. The sun shone all day. By the evening the wind died down and the waters were as flat as in a back garden pond. Haines is sheltered from all wind directions except from Westerlies and that means that it is a real enjoyable port to dock at. Departure was therefore an enjoyment as well. Slowly gliding away from the dock with the mountains reflecting in the quickly darkening night, the ship swung around in the bay and proceeded with a sedate speed into Lynn Canal. Cruising at its best.

From there we went faster as we had to be early in Juneau. We have the best dock in the port, the furtherst one in and as there were three more cruise ships coming, the agent and harbor master wanted us first so that we were out of the way before the others came in. Made sense to me as well, the more room I have for docking, the easier and the safer it is. So we set speed for passing the entrance of Gastineau channel at 4 am, with the plan to have the first line ashore by 05.00.

Juneau weather forecast is showing skies without rain and wind and that means another nice day tomorrow. If the weather continues this way it is going to be a very good cruise,