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Ocean Liner History and Stories from the Sea, Past and Present. With an In Depth focus on Holland America Line

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13 Dec. 2016; Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala.

December 13, 2016 / / 1 Comment

Santo Tomas is one of those places were a canal would make the distance a lot shorter even if the distance between Roatan and Santo Tomas is only 142 miles. This is basically caused by the fact that the town is located inside a deep bay. The land is curved around it and protects the whole area from being exposed to the open Caribbean. So while we sail almost straight west from Roatan, most of that straight sailing is above land to reach the bay. Then the ship has to curve back until finally it can go south towards the dock. Just before you enter the bay the curve of protecting land is not very wide and thus a little cut –through would be possible. But looking at it economically the total traffic of ships which call at Puerto Barrios and Santo Tomas is probably not sufficient to even contemplate it.

A little cut at La....

A little cut at La Graciosa and you could quickly slip in and out of the bay.

As mentioned in my blog of the previous call, the guests here either go on tour or just wander into the terminal or visit the local town. For the latter there is a shuttle trolley service which leaves from the gangway. From the crew only those who have never been here before might go to the local town but all others who have bought the T shirt already normally stay on board. Unless shorex can organize a shuttle boat/ferry to the Amatique beach resort which is sometimes possible if the guests have not bought up all the tickets. But it is six hour happening and apart from concessions and entertainment not many crew have time to do it.

Tank entry by the rescue team taking a plank-type stretcher with them for the extraction.

Tank entry by the rescue team taking a plank-type stretcher with them for the extraction.

Certainly not when I am around and I have dreamt up yet another major training. This time on request of the engine department. Enclosed Space Rescues. The engine department often has to inspect, clean or repair tanks and these are not known to be easily accessible or easy to work in. Thus if an accident would occur it is also very hard to get the casualty out. To do an efficient tank extraction you have to train as it is a lot more difficult than it seems. Training in a real tank itself is not so easy as one has to be opened up and also nobody can see what is going on and learn from it as there is most of the time no room to stand around. To alleviate the problem of the very few being able to see something, it is better if we build a sort of mock up in an open space.

A medical equipment on standby and the medical officers giving instruction to the stretcher bearers.

A medical equipment on standby and the medical officers giving instruction to the stretcher bearers.

And thus with the aid of the five cadets on board I designed and constructed a complete tank in the Marshalling area; the open space in the ship where we normally handle the luggage and the provisions that come on board. With carton boxes, canvas, the luggage bins and some wood it was good enough for a good drill. The engineers sharpened their skills again and medical could now observe from close by what a ships tank looked like and how difficult it is to get a casualty out as the inside of a tank is normally web constructed which is needed for the strength of the ship.

Moving the Casualty from the back of the tank.

Moving the Casualty from the back of the tank.

We have of course equipment on board to help with this but you have to exercise this to ensure that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together if something would happen. Enclosed space incidents are still very common in the industry and not only at sea. Workers who do not realize that in a tank there might lack of oxygen or all sorts of gasses and the work surface is seldom ideal. Thus the regulations before we can enter a tank are very strict to ensure that those who go in also come out again. A lot of extra casualties are caused because workers see a collapsed colleague inside and run in to help. Which only results in yet another casualty. Hence nobody goes into a tank for rescue and extraction without wearing breathing apparatus. The bottle on your back is very cumbersome when getting in and out but it is a life saver. We also have oxygen masks connected with a long hose to a bottle which can then remain outside but then you still need somebody else to watch over that hose so it does not get stuck behind something.

The casualty coming out. the opening is the average man hole size of a real tank. (some are a lot smaller)

The casualty coming out. The opening is the average man hole size of a real tank. (some are a lot smaller)

Tomorrow we are in Costa Maya which lies 180 miles to the North from Santo Tomas and which will be our final call for this cruise. It should be a full house tomorrow with all the three berths occupied; the ms Oosterdam, the Rhapsody of the Seas and the Norwegian Jade. Weather: partly cloudy skies, 80oF / 26oC and a gentle breeze. So it will be a warm day there.

12 Dec. 2016; Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras.

December 12, 2016 / / 3 Comments

We were the only ship docking at the Mahogany Bay Pier today, courtesy of the fact that this dock was constructed by Carnival Corporation. Therefore our poor competitors, in this case RCI, had to do with docking at Coxen Hole a little bit more to the west. There is another cruise terminal but with some fewer facilities on the dock for guests who do not want to go too far. And a lot of guests had one look at the weather: dark clouds gathering overhead causing the occasional downpour and decided to stay on board or were back quite quickly. Main reason was they had already been here before, so why get wet during a repeat visit? We have a larger number of guests on board who are just taking a “quick Holland America cruise” in between. They are here for the ship and the service and could “not care less about the coconuts” as one guest expressed his reason to stay on board.

Hence the High Tea was having a full house and all the bridge tables were occupied as well. Always nice to see the public rooms being in use at other times than just when there is entertainment or happy hour.

Apart from all the activities on board, Holland America has also made it a standard of its product of giving the guests something to look at. All the ships have a lot of antiques on board which can bring many hours of happy hunting and observing if you are so inclined to do so. With the Koningsdam what is on display is more contemporary but that is not bad for a change either.

So as part of my hobby (and hopefully for posterity as well) I photograph & document the complete interiors of all the ships; as one day also the Oosterdam will also be gone. Not all the art is on display where all the guests can get at it, some is hidden in the private offices on board. So today a few pieces of art to look at, which are hidden on deck 1 in the Hotel Offices. Senior hotel staff offices are gathered near the Atrium where we have on the portside the Security Officers Office, IT office, the Front Office (with inside the Pursers office) and the Cruise Directors office.

Dutch Harbour by Heinrich Hermanns

Boats in a Harbour by Heinrich Hermanns

From all those offices the Cruise Director has the nicest piece of art hanging on the wall. Made by a German painter Heinrich Hermanns who lived from 1862 to 1942 and the painting is called Boats in a Harbour.  Normally I am very critical of paintings with ships but this is a nice atmospheric piece. Sailors always look at shippy paintings with the eye……………… is it correct. And you can only let that go if there are no real details on it. One of the painters who is always very in depth and scrutinized by us, is the maritime painter Captain Stephen Card as we have his paintings hanging on each of our ships, mostly in the forward staircase. Luckily he is a sailor himself who carefully documents first what he is going to paint because if he gets it wrong, the old Holland America line employees are very vocal.

Nicholas Berthon. Dutch Harbour.

Nicholas Berthon. Dutch Harbour.

On starboard side we have the Controller’s office, shore excursion, Beverage department, Culinary Department, Hotel Directors Office and the Executive Housekeepers office.  The 2nd painting of my liking is hanging in the Executive Housekeepers office. Again a painting with a ship on it, this time by Nicholas Berthon 1839 – 1888 and called Dutch Harbor. Looking at the name it sounds like he is a French painter and this is the first time I see this name coming up in connection to something with boats.  Knowing how my company sources Art and also how much budget there is, plus the need to keep the art from “walking away” the price for these sorts of paintings lays normally in the area of 800 to 1500 dollars. Good enough quality to have on board for guests to enjoy, not expensive enough for somebody to be tempted to embrace it as a permanent souvenir.

Not a painting but also art. A Christmas Village by the Oosterdam Culinary Department.

Not a painting but also art. A Christmas Village by the Oosterdam Culinary Department.

What I have forgotten to mention is that Christmas has fully arrived on the Oosterdam. During last cruise the decorations started to come out and by now everything is in place. Including the Christmas village in the Atrium. We have now Christmas Music played through the ship and to my utter amazement I have not heard White Christmas from Bing Crosby yet. All the other songs have all come by already including the missing two-front-teeth.

Tomorrow we are in Santo Tomas de Castilla in Guatemala which lays 142 miles to the west from here. And that means I am not going to predict the weather, as it might be the same as today; but it might just change as well, depending what pressure system wins the battle. The one to the south, the one to the north, or the one to the East.

11 Dec. 2016; At Sea.

December 11, 2016 / / 1 Comment

We had a glorious day at sea and the guests could sit outside to their hearts content and bake in the sun if they wanted to do so. Those who did move outside helped to ease the traffic inside a little bit as this cruise we are sailing with a full house. Although the Oosterdam has a space ratio of 44.2 which is one of the highest for the larger ships, it can still be busy. We have this cruise a real full house with every cabin occupied. Part of all these happy people on board is a large group called First Nation who have turned this into a sort of sub charter although the other guests do not notice very much of it, apart from seeing the bright blue T shirts which are being worn.  They have gatherings in the show lounge but as they show lounge is mostly empty during the day, outside the lecture hours and the rehearsals of the Cast, it works out very well for everybody.

Holland America Line has incentive groups on a regular basis, sometimes a small group, sometimes a large group which books in at 1st or 2nd sitting and sometimes there are charters which take over the whole ship. The amazing thing is, these charters vary enormously in background and focus and it indicates to me that people from all walks of life feel at home on Holland America. We have Church groups, Retails groups (selling products over the phone or franchises) Gay groups, Music groups, Nudist groups, Doctors, even once the FBI. The latter was very interesting as I did not know that the FBI also had undercover agents who did not look like anything like the image the FBI tries to project to the outside world.

Music charters are quite common and are good for the ship as well; as those guests tend to enjoy listening to music with a glass of something or the other in their hands. One such group is the Delbert McClinton charter, a gentleman who is very famous in America in the blue grass scene. They charter the whole ship and for 7 days the place is really heaving. I had them for the first time on my Veendam in 2006 or something and that was so successful that they have chartered a HAL ship every year since. It was interesting to be part of it as I had never seen a jam session with six Hammond Electronic Organs.   They have their next charter here on the Oosterdam on Jan. 06, 2017 and there is a whole array of musicians and bands coming with him. Basically continuous music for 24 hours a day. I do not know what the public is now but back in 2006 they struck me as people who had woken up in 1968 and had decided to stay there. I could not agree more with them as some people had a real good time in those days so then why not continue them?

It might not look that impressive but there is 3 to 4 bar pressure on the water.

It might not look that impressive but there is 3 to 4 bar pressure on the water.

Today, I threw one of my specials again a practical Damage Control Drill for the engineers. I offer this every time I am on board a ship as a practical drill for this is hard to achieve. You cannot just poke a hole in the ship and then start practicing. Thus the trainings and drills that are being done on board are often just a simulation of the real thing.I can afford to spend a few hours rigging up something more realistic and thus the Chief Engineer went or it. With the aid of the Bo ‘sun and his sailors we built a wooden wall against a scaffolding on the forward deck, rigged up four fire hoses, and presto you have a hull with ingress of water.

Starting the work in full gear. But quickly the coats came off as it was too warm. Helmets stayed on to protect the eyes from sold water.

Starting the work in full gear trying to install Domes over the holes in the hull. But quickly the coats came off as it was too warm. Helmets stayed on to protect the eyes against salt water.

We have a lot of material on board to help stopping, plugging or reducing the ingress of water but there is no strict science of how to deal with it as every situation is different and every hole in the ship will be different as well.  Thus the Leader of the attack team (officially Damage Control Team) has to think outside the box on how to use whatever he/she has available or can get from somewhere in the ship. Damage Control falls under the focus of the engineering teams as it is dealing with steel, broken pipes and electricity. However this morning the deckies wanted to have a go as well, get soaking wet and spending a good 90 minutes in the sunshine to do a bit of training to plug holes and to find out how it feels to have to work against 200 tons of water per hour ingressing into the ship.

Why do humans lie so much to mess around with water? These are all grown-ups, married with wife and children, but they went for it.

Why do humans like it so much to mess around with water? These are all grown-up men, married with wives and children but they went for it.

Tomorrow we are in Mahogany Bay, Roatan for a full day at the local resort. According to the cruise schedule we are the only one in port but you never know for sure as it is always possible for another ship to be deviated because of whatever reasons. We will be at 07.00 at the pilot station and should be docked 45 minutes later. Expected weather: wind, sun, clouds and rain; all expected in one day. Still it will be warm: 80oF / 27oC and a 75% chance of showers.

10 Dec. 2016; Key West, Florida, USA.

December 10, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Today we had a bit of luck and we were a bit unlucky. We had luck with the weather. This morning while at sea, it was gloomy, windy and rainy. Not exactly the weather that you want when going on a cruise and when going to Key West. But the closer we came to the pilot station the more it improved. The frontal system which caused the cold weather yesterday in Tampa just moved on along in time and the sunshine followed nicely. So by the time we docked the sun was shining and it kept doing so for the remainder of the day. By lunch time we were dealing with a balmy 76oF or 24oC and hardly any wind.

Our unlucky part was that we had to dock at the Navy dock although there were no other cruise ships in port. Both Mallory dock and B pier were empty. And that had to do with this sunset business here in Key West. Docking at Mallory and B pier is allowed as long as you do not block the sunset. If you do you need a permit and you only get so many a year and only if the Navy pier is already occupied. We already have been blocking the sunset at B pier for two calls and then the natives get restless. Last cruise the Eurodam was at the Navy dock and thus we lucked in. This time we are alone and thus the captain had to follow the rules and dock at the Navy Pier.

This is the outer mole and also the route the shuttle train has to take to get to the gate.

This is the outer mole and also the route the shuttle train has to take to get to the gate.

This makes it a little bit more complicated for the guests. What we call the Navy pier is really a complete little port which was once in daily use by the Navy. The United States Coast Guard still has a presence here and they have an old Coast Guard Cutter laid up in the inner basin. We docked at the outer mole which protects the inner basin from the swell of the open sea. To get out of the dock area you have to go all the way around the basin. That is quite a walk, even more if you attempt to do this by Rollator.

Shuttle buses, shuttle trains and trolleys; whatever was needed was at the gangway today.

Shuttle buses, shuttle trains and trolleys; whatever was needed was at the gangway today.

To solve this issue they run little sightseeing trains between the ship and the dock entrance around the basin. Then from the dock entrance it is about 10 minutes to be completely back in the center of the town. Not such a bad walk as you pass quite a few mansions from the 1920’s and related structures. All standing along a road you might not have ventured on if you had been at the other dock. Did the captain have any other options? Not really. Our sailing time is 18.00 with all on board at 17.30 hrs. Sunset is at 17.39 hrs. This meant that the ship would have had to leave at 17.00 hrs. at the latest to ensure that with swinging around, it would have been out of the line of sight by the sunset. That would have meant an all on board time of 16.30 hrs. Given the fact that during the last 2 calls we did not sail on time due to (very happy) stragglers returning late we might not have been clear before the magic moment of sunset. So we would have had to set our departure time even earlier or have left with –straggling -guests still standing on the dock side.

Arriving earlier is also not an option as the time schedule between Tampa and Key West is really tight and we cannot leave any earlier from Tampa as guests are boarding late and we are loading supplies etc. Doing the cruise the other way around (Key West as a last port of call) is not an option either, as we would then have full United Stated Customs and Border Protection which would reduce our time in port as well. The ship would have to be cleared first with everybody presenting themselves to the Inspecting Officers. So the Navy Pier was the only option and thus we docked there and can now stay until our official departure time. If we make that time remains to be seen as it can be expected to have “happy stragglers” again.

This cruise we do the West Carib loop again. Approx. 330 guests are doing a back to back and will thus have done both loops by December 16.

This cruise we do the West Carib loop again. Approx. 330 guests are doing a back to back and will thus have done both loops by December 16.

Yesterday we also had a change of Command. Captain Robert Jan Kan went on leave and will return 3 months from now. (See the Captains schedules on under Current Captains. You can also find his biography there) the alternating captain for this ship is Captain Michiel Willems who will now be on board for the next three months. Under his command the good ship Oosterdam will leave Key West this evening and then sail into the Caribbean Sea heading for Mahogany Bay in Honduras. We are expecting a sunny day tomorrow but after that it is a bit uncertain again.

09 Dec. 2016; Tampa, Florida, USA.

December 9, 2016 / / 3 Comments

After our heatwave call of 14 days ago it was a bit of a shock this morning to stick your nose outside. On arrival the temperature barely touched the 50oF or 11oC. which is not weather our guests expect at the end of their cruise. Tampa can be very cold at times if there is a northerly prairie wind blowing and I remember from the mists of time that we came in with the old Nieuw Amsterdam once when it was freezing. Not much but enough for the longshoremen to have 2nd thoughts about work and for the oranges harvest to be touch and go.

My day was only partly filled with work as I had to move cabin and visit my friends of the CPB again to help them achieve the zero count. This time the routine was re-established by marching all 330+ in transit guests & me off together, quickly inspected by the Officers and then being marched back on board again. Very smooth and very fast.

For my accommodation on board, I am a sort of nomad. The company ensures that there is a place for me but what that is varies from cruise to cruise. I can always stay in an empty officer cabin but the policy is to organize a guest cabin so the officer’s cabins remain available in case an officer is scheduled to be on board as an extra. And thus I have the interesting experience of moving through every permutation of cabins which the ships can offer.

So most home ports I have to change cabins as a cabin which is empty one week will be occupied the other week. Also there is the phenomenon of guests buying an upgrade or having to change cabins if they are doing a back to back course. They change and I change with them. Since coming on board the ms Oosterdam I have been on Deck 4 all the way forward, then I was bumped up to deck 8 with a balcony and today I descended again from those lofty heights to an inside cabin on deck 1.  I do not mind inside cabins as all the company’s staff cabins ( ie Captain, Staff Captain, Chief Engineer and Hotel Director) have inside bedrooms (except the Prinsendam, but she is special) and that is want you want if you sleep unusual hours. I have the bridge to look out of a window.

But what impressed me is the size of the inside cabins on the Vista here on Main deck.  They are very nice and very spacious even if I do not need all that space. My focus of each cabin is always is the desk big enough to handle my two computers? I carry a small one for presentations and a bigger one issued by the company. The latter one is heavy enough to survive a bomb explosion and thus excellent for all the travelling when I hop from ship to ship. And I always hope for a desk which can take both.

The Oosterdam has just been through a refit where they adapted some of the public rooms to make space for Billboard on Board (the dueling pianos) and the Lincoln Art Centre (Classical music) and also changed televisions and put more plugs in above the desk. When I now make my next Holland America Cruise with my wife I do not have the battle of laptop versus hair dryer .  Also added were USB points to charge phones and cameras.  The Oosterdam now has the interactive TV system with approx… 200 movies on demand (free of charge) same as on the Koningsdam which was I think the first ship where it was implemented.

We see a lot of amenities coming over, which were introduced on the Koningsdam first. Interactive TV, new cabin directories (in beautiful Dutch –Orange) new breakfast menus, and hot on its heels a roll out of new dining room menu’s as well. The favorites are still there but the presentation of the choices has been greatly upgraded.  And very important the new Gallery Bar (in the location of the old night club) has four draft beers on tap, including Newcastle Ale and that makes a lot of guests happy who have an interest in craft and other beers which are not the run of the mill lagers which you can get everywhere.

Tonight we have our rush – run for Key West again. The Oosterdam left on time from her Tampa berth and, pending no unforeseen circumstances, we should be on time in Key West as well. The Weather for Key West looks a bit unsettled so we will find out what we get, when we get there.

08 Dec. 2016; At Sea.

December 8, 2016 / / 6 Comments

Today we have our sea day and our final day on board before the ship is back in Tampa after its 14 day circumnavigation of the Caribbean Sea. Most of our guests will disembark but we have over 300 guests on board who will stay for the next 7 day cruise. And then there are some who are even staying beyond that cruise.  The weather is very nice, sunshine for most of the time with the ship bumping into a shower on occasion but they are few and far inbetween. Thus we could keep to the schedule and just after 04.00 we swung around the West point of Cuba at Cabo San Antonio and then headed into the Straits of Florida. From there it is was and is a straight course all the way up to the pilot station at Tampa. Currently we are aiming for 02.30 am. and then we should be docked around 06.00. Tampa will give us a chilly day with temperatures only reaching a “cold” 63oF. /17oC and scattered showers are forecast.  The crew will not complain as a cool day is better for work but guests travelling in flip flops might not be so happy.

Talking about work after my Holland America History Lecture a few days ago, guests asked me what I doing on board as I am not standing on the bridge. They obviously do not read my blog…………… But the current project, when not creating mayhem with drills or training, involves a ship wide structural inspection as explained before. But now a bit more of an in-depth and technical explanation. It basically has to with what you have in the ceiling of your cabin and the rest of the ship as well.

These are the solas requirements for various sorts of steel around various spaces in the ship.

These are the solas requirements for various sorts of steel around various spaces in the ship.

Ships safety really started with Solas in 1914 two years after the sinking of the Titanic. It seems that Maritime Legislation always gets a boost after some sort of shipping disaster either small or large. One of the results of all the lessons learned through the years is that certain spaces need more protection than others. And that has become very detailed in the course of the last 100 years. Since some time the construction and structural protection of a ship has been divided into 14 classes.  It does not mean that Class 1 is the least or Class 14 is the best. It is just a division of requirements. Especially indicating what sort of bulkhead (steel or other) a space should have, what sort of access door and what sort of insulation.

Insulation in the side of the ship. You do not see it but it helps to keep your cabin safe and insulated.

Insulation in the side of the ship. You do not see it but it helps to keep your cabin safe and insulated.

When a ship is constructed each space on board is reviewed for the function it is supposed to fulfill while in service. Thus the engine room has a different classification than a pantry or a steward station or a passenger cabin.  A passenger cabin has a classification number 7:

Accommodation spaces of moderate fire risk Spaces as in category (6) above but containing furniture and furnishings of other than restricted fire risk. Public spaces containing furniture and furnishings of restricted fire risk and having a deck area of 50 m² or more. Isolated lockers and small store-rooms in accommodation spaces having areas less than 4 m² (in which flammable liquids are not stowed). Motion picture projection and film stowage rooms. Diet kitchens (containing no open flame). Cleaning gear lockers (in which flammable liquids are not stowed). Laboratories (in which flammable liquids are not stowed). Pharmacies. Small drying rooms (having a deck area of 4 m² or less). Specie rooms. Operating rooms.

This is of course the most common classification on board as we are a tin can full of cabins and a certain amount of protection is required. The Steward Station of your cabin Steward has most of the time a classification 13 as there is a lot of different & combustible material in one space, including garbage and sun bathing towels often drenched in flammable sun tan oil. This is quite easy to see as the door of your cabin is not as heavy as the door of that Steward Station. Because of all these different rules, sometimes three spaces next to each other have three different classifications.

If a new cable has been pulled and it goes through a fire proof bulkhead then the penetration closure needs to be of the same standard.

If a new cable has been pulled and it goes through a fire proof bulkhead then the penetration closure needs to be of the same standard.

That is not easy to see from the outside and that sometimes results in repairs not done completely right, lockers switched to different uses but not in line with the acceptable classification or sometimes a complete modification has taken place. Or simply stuff is being stored in the wrong space. We are all human and most of us are not structural engineers. Because this was noticed on several ships of the 112 ship Carnival Corporation currently manages, it has instigated a policy for a complete review and from then on a once a year review.

This is what is above your cabin ceiling. partly for sound and warmth insulation but also to help with the fire integrity of the ship.

This is what is above your cabin ceiling. Partly for sound and warmth insulation but also to help with the fire integrity of the ship.

So I am now doing the startup review for the Oosterdam and will ensure at the same time that each space has a sign that says what is allowed in there. For that I have two off watch duty quartermasters in my wake who tape the correct signs for each space onto the bulkhead. Thus far my inspection has revealed very little in non-compliance.

But there is always the challenge of the toilet rolls. They are highly combustible once they get on fire and very long burning and you should only have a minimum amount in a space 7, the rest should be stored in a space 13. The question is now: what is a minimum amount of toilet rolls and what is more than a minimum amount? The discussion is still on going on since its invention.

I am not going to post a picture of a toilet roll but have a look at this little clip on you tube. It takes a bit of doing to get it to burn if mixed with something else (accidents occur) it is a very good source for a lot of heat and flames and it burns for a long time as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPEz6LAxc1g

07 Dec. 2016; Georgetown, Grand Cayman.

December 7, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I had not been to Grand Cayman since 2012 but not much had changed apart from one or two more Condominium buildings near the beach. For the rest the sky line still looked the same. I do not know about downtown, more shops or less, as I did not go ashore. Too warm, too many people and too much to do. The too many people came from the four ships in port. We had the Norwegian Epic on Anchorage number 3, The Liberty of the Seas on Anchorage number 2, the Disney Magic on Anchorage number 1, and the Pullmantur Monarch was scheduled for Anchorage nbr 4 but arrived late and opted to stay on the engines instead of passing the Oosterdam who was scheduled to drift but was now sort of blocking the approach to anchorage number 4.  The Oosterdam who had arrived around 07.30 was drifting right in line with the tender dock in downtown Georgetown and that brings the question why is the anchorage number 4 East of  the other 3 which are counted from the far west  down to the town.

Ocean Liner row in Grand Cayman. From left to right:

Ocean Liner row in Grand Cayman. From top to bottom: Norwegian Epic, Liberty of the Seas, behind it the Pullmantur Monarch, Disney Magic and behind it the Oosterdam right opposite down town. the light blue area indicates shallow waters, The yellow is the reflection of the radar.

Reason is very simple, anchorage nbr. 4 was an addition.  It was added in the late 90’s when more and more ships came to Grand Cayman and after some political bickering another small piece of sand bank was made available for an extra ship. You would expect that if it had been a logical place from the beginning, 1,2,3,4 or 4,3,2,1 would have been their all the time. This already gives the indication that it is not a great anchorage. It is when there is no wind. Then you have the best parking space of everybody. But there is always wind in Grand Cayman and then it is only a nice anchorage if the wind is exactly right. ENE to keep the ship lying behind its anchor and the wind pushing it nicely off the Reef. When the wind is more to the East, then the wind is stretching the ship behind its anchor and the stern goes towards the ship at anchorage number 1. And they do not like that. Nor does the ship that is at anchorage 4. When the wind goes more to the south or to the north, the ships swings towards the shallows and that is not nice either.

Looking at down town from the Bridge of the ms Oosterdam with a ships tender heading straight for downtown.

Looking at down town from the Bridge of the ms Oosterdam with a ships tender heading straight for downtown.

Today it was a wise decision of the Monarch to stay on the engines. There were squalls in the area causing ever changing wind directions and the wind was never right for anchorage nbr 4. If they would have been there and had to leave, escape, departing quickly, it would have been difficult as the Oosterdam was right behind anchorage. Unfortunately because of their late arrival time, they could also not hoover near the anchorage as the Oosterdam was already doing that and we had no intention of moving.

The ships at anchor. There is quite a bit of space between them, needed in case one ship swings more than the other, or faster.

The ships at anchor. There is quite a bit of space between them, needed in case one ship swings more than the other, or faster.

Yesterday I mentioned the most likely cruises the ships who call at Grand Cayman were making, so let’s see if that came out: Norwegian Epic ( 8 days) is making a around Cuba cruise, starting in Cape Carnaveral, going Eastwards and then west under Cuba. Liberty of the Seas (7 days) from Galveston is coming down the Westside of Cuba and goes as far as Jamaica and then back north of Cuba. The Disney Magic (7 days) sailing from Miami comes down from the west as far East as Grand Cayman and then goes west again. The Monarch (7 days for mainly Spanish speaking public) sails from Puerto Limon and goes as far as Montego Bay before returning.  Thus only the Oosterdam has Grand Cayman as part of a longer cruise, the rest is all on shorter cruises, and either staying in the west side of the Caribe or doing a very quick circumnavigation of Cuba.

The total number of guests which came ashore today from these ships based on the lower occupancy, was 14,400 guests, maybe even more, as Disney with all the kids on board is often way over the minimum occupancy rate. So the shop keepers and tour operators did not have anything to complain today.

We ran our own tender service while the other operators used shore tenders. Those shore tenders are nice and big but take a long time to fill up and to empty so whether it is a better service is a big question mark for me. Also they tendered to their own dock, further out of town, except the Monarch who also came to down town. But we had the south dock which is a perfect dock for our tenders so even with this busy day we had the best of it.

Tomorrow we have a sea day. Around 04.00 hrs. In the morning we will round Cabo San Antonio at a distance between 6 to 8 miles and for those up early, at that distance you can see the beam of the lighthouse clearly sweeping against the sky.

06 Dec. 2016; At Sea.

December 6, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Today we are in Western part of the Caribbean Sea, heading for Grand Cayman. And the course line is basically one straight North Westerly heading until we arrive there.  Until we get there, there is not much excitement to be gleaned from the around the ship. Just sun, sea and wind. And numerous Starlings who are flying around the ship and who are not very happy with the ship. A bird is only really happy with a ship when it can hang on the wind generated by the bow plowing through the water. The airflow is pushed upwards and generates just sufficient up-lift for a bird to ride on it. On the Pacific side you see them hovering there for hours and hours. Here in the Caribe they have a problem, the Trade Wind. When going North West that is a following wind, which blows about 5 to 10 knots faster than the ship travels.

Birds hate a following wind as it plays havoc with the uplift needed under their wings. So today we saw a continuous performance of: bird getting into position, bird happy for a moment, wind increases for a moment, wind now upsets the balance, bird unhappy and flies away. Most of the time to the stern of the ship. Then either the birds has forgotten what has happened, or there is a new bird but shortly after the whole sequence starts again. It does give the officers and quartermasters on the bridge something to look at, because for the rest the sea is empty.

Can not be much simpler. Heading straight for Grand Cayman.

Can not be much simpler. Heading straight for Grand Cayman.

During last night we met a few ships who were on the line between from Panama and the Mona Passage (between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) or going even further east but by the early morning the ms Oosterdam had sailed in an area of nothingness.  Here the water is very deep up, to 9000 feet is the norm, and that makes it less interesting for fishing boats and there is very little commercial traffic as there are not many cruise or regular ships who sail from the east coast of Costa Rica and Guatemala over to Grand Cayman or Jamaica. When we do our 7 days cruise next week, same as last 12 days ago, the Oosterdam will hug the coast and hop from port to port there. It does not hop over to Grand Cayman as the distance is just too long to fit in a seven day cruise. Hence we visit Grand Cayman on our 14 day around the Caribbean cruise when the Island lays on our return course back to Tampa. More or less straight in the line from Oranjestad to the West Point of Cuba. (Cabo San Antonio)

Thus we will meet cruise ships tomorrow who are also on a sail by the island cruise. Quite a few of them have just started their cruise in Miami or Fort Lauderdale and now have a sea day; they will have sailed around Cuba early this morning and will then arrive at Grand Cayman tomorrow. Or they have been visiting a port to the East (Bahama Island, Dominican Republic or Jamaica)  and are now coming westward, either to go to the Yucatan (Cozumel, Progresso) to do the same we are doing, heading back to Florida after their stop at Grand Cayman.

Tomorrow there are supposed to be four ships in port and it will be interesting to see on what schedule they are, as how long they are staying totally depends on the time needed from where they were coming from or where they are going to. We will have a relative short stay with everybody back on board by 14.30. hrs. to ensure we will make Tampa on time. The Captain has already announced that he cannot wait for stragglers. For them there are very good flights back home but it is a fuss to come back and collect your luggage. So it is better to be on time and catch the tender home before it leaves without you.

Tomorrow we will be another warm and sunny day and ashore in Georgetown it will feel even warmer than in another port as the sand (which everywhere) reflects and absorbs the heat.   No clouds expected at all and 84oF. 29oC. The trade wind is keeping this temperature down from soaring into the 90’s. if the wind was not there.

05 Dec. 2016; Oranjestad, Aruba.

December 5, 2016 / / 7 Comments

The A.B.C islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) are located just above the South American North Coast. Hence the good reason why it became a Dutch territory in the 17th. Century. They were very strategic in controlling the area which is now Venezuela, Columbia and the approaches to Panama. The islands itself were useful as well, as sugar cane was cultivated with great success. As both Curacao and Aruba had a natural harbor these two islands were the foremost of the economic expansion when Royal Dutch Shell stated to explore the Venezuelan oilfields. Refineries were built and eventually Bonaire took part in the oil production as well but Curacao with its Schottegat and Aruba with the Paarden Baai had a great advantage. And this remains to until the current day. Bonaire is still the more laidback one of the three islands although it has two cruise piers.

Our overnight cruise has taken us from Curacao all the way to Aruba, about a 50 miles voyage to the west. Even with leaving at 23.00 hrs. in the evening the ship could still make Oranjestad by 06.00 the next morning by sailing backwards. Other ships were dealing with this “backwards sailing” as well. Two cruise ships were going from Aruba to Curacao and as they had left in the afternoon they were already off Curacao by 8 pm. floating for the remainder of the night until pilot/docking time. They could have docked either where the Zuiderdam was or at our dock as soon as we had left but then you have to pay more port fees and you loose on board revenue as a lot of the younger crowd on board those ships would have invaded Willemstad in the middle of the night.

Unusual to see outside Aruba, and there were three of them, were the floating oil drill platforms from Maersk. Most likley waiting for orders.

Unusual to see outside Aruba, and there were three of them, were the floating oil drill platforms from Maersk. Most likely waiting for orders.

Our stay in Oranjestad was scheduled from 07.00 hrs. to 13.00 hrs. a short call needed otherwise it would be hard to make Grand Cayman on time. The port of Oranjestad is basically a heightened shore line turning it into a number of berths for ships and those berths are protected from the ocean swell by a natural reef. This all together is called the Paardenbaai or the Bay of Horses.  As luck would have it we were the only ship in port today making it possible to dock right in the middle of the cruise pier at Terminal B, which has the shortest walking distance to town.

Most is different from other ports is that the bollards are much more island, giving a much better angle against the wind.

Most is different from other ports is that the bollards are much more island, giving a much better angle against the wind.

Also the Staff Captain was happy as the ship could put its mooring ropes anywhere it liked without having to share with any neighbors. Putting mooring ropes in the best possible position is of extreme importance in Oranjestad.   If the trade wind veers just a little bit to the North East it flows fully in the port beam.   The island is very low and thus offers very little protection. The ropes will have to hold the ship in position against the wind which on a bad day can easily climb up to 35 knots. So sometimes the help of the thrusters is needed to ease off the tension on the ropes. The port has a very large number of bollards installed, many more than in any other port and that makes it possible to put ropes ashore which are 90o to the ship and straight in line with the wind. With other ships at the A and C terminal you sometimes have to share bollards and that is never nice. So today was an ideal day for a perfect rope alignment even if the wind was not that strong.

For departure the strong wind is not a problem. You simply employ the “blow away” maneuver. Let go the lines and by the time they are out of the water the wind will have pushed the ship 10 meters or so from the pier and the only thing you have to do is to give full ahead and make one course change to starboard and you are back again in the open sea. Then sail around the west point of the island and from there a northerly course to Grand Cayman.

Here we will be the day after tomorrow. They are expecting five ships in port and if they all show up, the Oosterdam will have to drift. This means more work for the captain but for the guests it is not too bad as we can drift right outside the tender port reducing the tender distance to the port to the absolute minimum. The weather for tomorrow, more of the same with maybe a bit more swell as we will be out of the lee of the islands.

04 Dec. 2016; Willemstad, Curacao, the Netherlands.

December 4, 2016 / / 1 Comment

Sometimes I think that our weather guru’s just put a bit of rain in the weather forecast to make sure they always have it right. Again today a bit of rain was forecasted but we have not seen anything yet. It was a beautiful sunny day with a very occasional cloud coming over but that was about it. I do not know if anything will change during the dark hours as we are here until 23.00 hrs. tonight but for the time being it is very nice. We are docked at the mega pier which is located outside the port and was inaugurated a number of years ago when it became clear to the authorities of Curacao that the new large cruise ships would start to bypass the island as they did not fit in the port and/or under the bridge when coming into the port.

Not an inspiring area; Caracas Baai. Where dock now is much better. This is the ss Nieuw Amsterdam II, around 1950.

Not an inspiring area; Caracas Baai. Where dock now is much better. This is the ss Nieuw Amsterdam II, around 1950.

In the old days there was the option to dock at Caracas Bay just around the corner. This is a secondary port for Curacao and mainly used for oil tankers and cargo ships. It is much wider but it is a long way from port and bussing in 5000 cruise guests would be a nightmare. Hence the new pier. There is now talk about building a second one for the even larger ships. The Oosterdam with a length of just under 300 meters fits comfortably alongside this pier and can set good mooring ropes under the optimum angles. Our Koningsdam which is 12 meters longer would already have to deal with all the forward or stern ropes becoming breast lines and that is with the predominant , strong, Trade Wind not such a nice thing.

The ms Zuiderdam towering over Otrabanda the left bank of Willemstad. If needed the ship does fit under the Juliana Bridge seen in the distance.

The ms Zuiderdam towering over Otrabanda the left bank of Willemstad. If needed the ship does fit under the Juliana Bridge seen in the distance.

We caught up-to-day with the Zuiderdam who calls here before it goes westwards towards the Panama Canal. She docked in the port or better said just inside St. Anna Baai at the west side to the entrance channel to the inner bay. Which means her guests are closer to downtown than ours. So why would she be there and not us? Well, she leaves at 17.00 hrs. and that gives the guests less time. We stay until late in the evening and thus our guests have plenty of time to walk to town (it is only 5 minutes more) and to come back. There is a local bus service and taxi’s galore so it is not as if we are cut off from the world.

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A busy day in Curacao, as it can be. Below at the mega pier a Princess ship,in port two R class ships and under the bridge a Celebrity ship. Today we only had Holland America in port.

Willemstad has been a cruise port since a very long. Already around 1900 there were the German cruise ships (The Hamburg Amerika Linie had the first dedicated cruise ship constructed called the Prinzessin Victoria Luise) who came here in the winter months before the first world war. I have a story about her on my blog. If you click Cruises from the past, and then click: the first real cruise ship.

Holland America showed up in the late 20’s and 1930’s when especially the ss Rotterdam came here on a regular basis while making cruises from New York. She docked at the same spot, the Mathey werf where the Zuiderdam is today.  Later on when the Nieuw Amsterdam came, she went to Caracas Bay as the available tugboat power was not deemed strong enough to bring her in. That problem has been longtime solved and the ss Rotterdam of 1958 which was bigger than the N.A just sailed in docked anywhere in the port.  Now they bring in very large tankers who are going to the repair shipyard located in the inner bay called the Schottegat.

Docking at the Mega Pier is a fairly easy gig. When coming from the East, as we did, you just make a wide turn, stop in front of the pier, make sure you keep the nose in the sometimes very strong current and go sideways.  Going into port, into St. Anna Baai, is a lot more complicated because you sail 90o on the current which can run up to 4 knots. The wind is from the same direction and that does not help either. When wind and current are strong together it is quite tricky to enter into the fairly small opening.   Thus it takes some planning and thus we saw the Zuiderdam stopping well outside the port, assessing the drift and then quickly moving forward to dock. Once you know the effect of wind and current on the ship you can figure out the drift, and then compensate for it. Which normally means steering a course which makes it look like as if the ship will hit the shore when it makes it approach but the current then pushes it back onto the course line at the moment you enter the Baai. While going in, the current will have less and less influence on the ship and then you have to reduce the drift angle until you are back on the normal course again.

We will sail tonight for Oranjestad Aruba at 23.00 and which is only a small hop to make as Aruba lies just west of Curacao. Here we will experience a Drive Inn, Drive Out harbor as the harbor is protected by a big sand bank with an opening to the NW. and a exit to the SE. (and vice versa) Weather for tomorrow, ……………………… more of the same.

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