10 November 2007, Bridgetown Barbados.

A traffic jam that was what it was. A real ship traffic jam. 4 cruise ships, a sailing training vessel and three cargo ships all converging on the pilot station and all with different ETA’s then announced. The port issues a schedule the day before, via the ships agents, with all the times of the ships coming in and the idea is that the captains stick to that schedule. Unfortunately, this is most of the time not the case and it is something I really hate. I give my ETA to the authorities very early, ask them if it will work out for the port operation and then stick to it. Thus I had set my pilot time for very early in the morning so I would be the first ship going into port, as I had to go to the most difficult berth. A very good location for the guests to go ashore but a bit tight to get in to with other ships already docked.

However it seemed that everybody had brought their arrival time forward and when I lined the Veendam up, the Sea Princess was already moving into port. Port Control did order the Empress of the Seas to wait as they understood that a 120 feet clearance for coming alongside is better then 30 feet, especially with the threat of rain squalls. We docked at the sugar berth, called so as it used to be for loading sugar in bulk. Three old elevators are still standing there although they have not been in use for a long time. The only way I can dock there is starboard side alongside, as with the Lido Restaurant overhang on deck 11, these elevators would touch the ship if we went portside alongside. Our gangway had to fit exactly between the pillars of the 3rd elevator housing, so we docked on the inch here. Apart from the occasional shower, more of a downpour in reality, it was a sunny day. Most of my British officers and crew ran ashore to stack up on goodies from home as this is still part of England in tradition and in way of living.

Here in Bridgetown they have days when six or seven cruise ships call at the same time and when this happens all the cargo ships are sent to the anchorage. Much to the annoyance of their captains, as for them time is also money. Not too long ago one of my class mates from the Maritime Academy in Amsterdam, who is now in command of a refrigerated cargo ship started a tirade, on the VHF, against these “bl****y fur-coat boats”. For them always getting preference and for them always being in the way. He did not realize that I was the captain of that “b****y fur-coat boat” he was having a go at. So when he was finally finished venting his anger, I told him, “Well if you can not beat them, why don’t you join them”. I will not repeat what he said then but it was rather elaborate and not really fit for consumption in a church hall. He finally quieted down when he found out that it was a class mate at the other side of the VHF. But he had to spend the day at anchor until the cruise ship that occupied his berth left and then he could come in. But a least he had the good grace to answer my whistle salute, when I backed the ship out of the berth, slowly passing him, while he was discharging his load of freezer containers.

Apart from the Sea Princess and the Empress of the Seas, we also had the Seabourn Pride in port and the Freewinds who had been in port since the day before. The Freewinds sails for the Scientology church, hopping from one port in the south Caribbean to another. The ship normally spends long periods in port, always staying overnight and slowly making its way to the next port. The ship is quite significant from an historical perspective. It was one of the first ships especially built for the new emerging cruise market in 1968. Called the Boheme it was owned by a Scandinavian company called Wallinius. The owner of Wallinius is an Opera buff, so all the ships have names related to the operas. So if you see a car carrier anywhere in the world, with an operatic name, then it is this company. The ship was marketed by Commodore Cruises and sailed between Miami and St Thomas. It had a capacity to take cars as well but that was never very successful So later the entrance hatch was welded shut. It carried a max. of 540 guests with a tonnage of just over 10.000. In 1986 it was sold to the scientology church as their “sea going retreat” and has been doing that ever since. I do not know how she will fare after 2010 when the new safety rules come into being but until now she ship has been holding out quite well.

We left just after sunset and started a slow crossing to Grenada, with the wind and the waves going with us.