It all ran as explained yesterday and the Ryndam safely docked at Terminal 6 in Tampa. Then the whole merry-go-around started with the disembarkation, refueling, provisioning and luggage in and luggage out. I observed the immigrations procedures by the CBP from the guest side this time.
When I sail as a crewmember I have a C1/D1 visa. C1 = crew coming into the country, D1 means crew sailing on a ship in/out of the country. (Then there is a very popular D2 which you become appointed to when you go on vacation and leave the USA. Lots of crew are really looking forward to being D-two-ed……………) Now as a Travelling Master I hop off/on in USA ports and work between USA ports and that means I am on a L Visa which covers foreign labor working on USA territory. That Visa is there to make sure no Foreigners take over American jobs. So when I applied for this Visa the company had to prove that the job could only be filled by me. Which makes sense and hence the special application. Requirements – long time sailing company employee – Command Status – Fluent Dutch Speaker – intimate knowledge and experience of HAL ships, crew and procedures. Maybe not so easy to find inside the USA………… So of course my Visa was granted but that puts me on board as a passenger in the eyes of the CBP and thus I had to go through immigration; wait for the zero count of the ship and then return back on board.
Well, I was really impressed. There were about 150 in transit guests on board, neither of whom wanted to go ashore to see the sights and to keep the procedures a simple as possible we were all marched off the ship once all the disembarked guests were gone; Saw immigration and then waited in the holding area for 10 minutes until CBP had observed the Zero count === all guests REALLY off= == and then we were let back on board again. Painless, easy and all within the rules. Kudo’s to CBP. Very well organized.
We are now going on a 14 day circular Caribbean cruise. Tampa – Key West – San Juan – St. Thomas – Antigua – St. Lucia – Curacao – Aruba – Grand Cayman. All docking ports, except Grand Cayman which still does not have a dock. Also in St. Lucia we will tender but only to collect the overland tour which comes back in Soufriere. While we wait for those people the rest of the ship can have a look at the Pietons, those strange Mountains that loom over the bay.
Key West is normally not part of an Eastern or all around Caribbean Cruise but has been put in to avoid spending 3 days at sea. Trying to race to San Juan P.R. is a bit tight in two days and by making it 3 days you can put a Key West afternoon call in. Last cruise we called at Key West as well and we were all by ourselves. Tomorrow we will be in port with Mickey Mouse, Disney Magic who will arrive just after us and will dock at Pier B. We will be back at Mallory.
I spent the afternoon upgrading my Port Database. Since the time that digital cameras were available for a decent price (approx. around the year 2000) I have been taking photos of each port that I visit. Dock, mooring lines, navigational marks etc. etc. Anything that might be useful as a memory hint for the next call. Through the years the ports catalogued have increased and for a number of years now it has been a very useful tool for navigation. I was not the only one doing this and as a result there is a lot of information floating around on various ships. Now while I am travelling around, it gives me the opportunity to merge everything and leave an updated database behind on each ship. Eventually each ship in the fleet will benefit. Also the Ryndam had a lot of material accumulated and it took me all afternoon to merge it and to update the newest ports.
The good ship Ryndam sailed on time following Carnival and NCL out to open sea. By 20.30 we were back in open waters and then we overtook the Carnival Glory who was going to Cozumel, and with a sea day to get there, only needed 14 knots of speed.
We are aiming for a 10.30 pilot tomorrow morning and should be docked at about 11.30. Weather forecast Sunny, not too warm and breezy.
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