It did not look very nice when I arrived on the bridge at 04.00 hrs. windy, rainy, gloomy and overcast. I knew that the wind would disappear as Juneau is sheltered from most winds except from the SE, when it funnels through Gastineau Channel. It would not be the case today and that would at least keep the temperatures up a little bit. For the rest it was a low hanging cloud with drizzle and I knew that it would make my Hotel manager worry about his flight tours going or not. Luckily later in the morning the cloud cover lifted a bit and most tours went. We were not delayed and as scheduled the ship turned into Gastineau Channel at 05.00 hrs. Far behind us was the Coral Princess and although scheduled to be number two in the parade the Celebrity Century was nowhere to be seen. Good for me, the more room in the port the better. I have to park the Statendam all the way forward in the corner and to have a bit of space when sliding in always helps. So we were docked by 06.30 and by 07.00 hrs. the gangway was out and the first guests streamed ashore to enjoy a rainy but nice Juneau. We did have our 90% of rain but the 10% as well and around mid day it was dry for a while. Looking at the forecast for tomorrow it looks like that we are going to have an upside down world this cruise. Ketchikan where it always rain is going to be dry, while the ports where we expect some dry periods have been rainy. Continue reading

On the southbound run we substitute Skagway for Haines. That was decided a long time ago, to give the guests who do an up & down cruise at least one different port. Now it would be hard to change it, even if we wanted to, as the docks in Skagway are full on a day like this. They had four biggies docked there today and that filled up all the docks to capacity. When the whole convoy goes up the Lynn Canal it is funny to see on the Radar one ship suddenly breaking away. E.g. number two breaks ranks and veers off to port to go to the Haines dock.  This dock is tucked away in a curve of the bay which is attached as a sort “bulge to the West” of the Lynn Canal. Sheltered from that ferocious funnel wind that can blow through the Lynn Canal it often has wind still weather and it is on average much less harsh than Skagway. That does not mean that it does not get its share of Alaskan weather. It does and certainly today. Forecast was a 90% chance of showers and we did get the whole 90% on the deck. It made for a cold and miserable day although it did not seem to deter our guests on board. Shortly after arrival the ship emptied out and all ran ashore to sample the delights of Haines and surrounding area. Continue reading

When we picked up the pilot at 07.45 we could already see that  it was going to be a wet day. The low cloud cover was too thick for it not to start shedding water sometime and indeed during the day it rained off and on. For Glacier Bay it is a blessing in disguise. At first look you think it is horrible to have a wet day like this, on the other hand this is the regular weather for the area and if you are here to see the Great Land in all its glory, then this is what you want. Thus we had a spectacular day in the bay and only the large amounts of ice made it hard for me to do what I like to do. Parking the ship in the perfect position for viewing the Glaciers. This time I had to stay further out as there were too many big pieces among the small stuff to make safe maneuvering possible.  I had to contend myself with staying at the rim of the icefield. You can see that they had a harsh winter here as the output of ice is much larger. Normally the ice cubes are melting much faster and most of the ice that has accumulated during the winter has already floated away. Now that process is only just starting and that means that John Hopkins Inlet cannot be reached at all at the moment. We even had issues with getting close to Lamplugh glacier. The Hopkins outflow also forced me there to stay double the distance away.  For the viewing it does not make that much of a difference. Everything is so immense in scale that you always get a good view. But if you are closer you can hear the glacier’s noises and further out that does not always work.  But the glacier calved a few times and thus all was well in the world. Continue reading

The weather forecasts are advising Gale Force winds but by the time that it will start blowing, we will be back inside the Alaskan Inside Passage. With wind around 15 to 20 knots it is a bit breezy on the bow but for the rest it is a very smooth transit of the Gulf. Most guests are busy with trying to sort themselves out after their overland tour and the rest are exploring the ship. Again most of those who came on board are first time cruisers and everything is new and exciting to them. I am busy with reviewing the rest of the schedule for this southbound cruise so that we can finalize all the happenings for the season and lock them into the schedule. That will avoid conflicts in the long run and makes it easier for everybody. We will then be set for the rest of the season until the final departure from Vancouver. Then I will have the challenge to get everybody out of that schedule again. Some routines tend to start living their own lives and it has happened that suddenly in the middle of the cruise a table appears out of nowhere and then we find out that it was because that table was used on Wednesday’s in Alaska; thus it is now also there on Wednesday’s while on the way to Panama. Continue reading

Named after the man who bagged the biggest bargain in history, when he bought Alaska for the USA, the port is located at the end of Resurrection Bay. Our main attraction to go there is that it is nearer than sailing to Anchorage and it has the Railroad Connection. Some other company’s call at Whittier, which is more to the East but a port much more exposed to the weather. So we as captains are very happy with Seward as it surrounded on the East and West side by mountains and partly sheltered from the North. That only leaves it open to southerly winds blowing up the Bay but it is a whole lot better than being exposed from all sides. This morning it was perfect weather. No wind at all when we came close to the dock and I could do my drift in maneuver as I had hoped for. It is always nicer to handle the ship by using 500 hp. instead of needing the 12000 hp available. For me ship handling is the art of exercising the minimum, a gentle touch above brute force. Today was a golden opportunity to do that. Continue reading

The weather gods were with us and the Gulf of Alaska was on good behavior. Visibility was not that great as we could not see the Fairweather Mountain Range but there was hardly any wind and only low swell. There is something brewing in the South East but at the moment it looks like that it will come over the area after we have returned to Glacier Bay in three days from now. Today we only had to contend with the occasional rain shower and confused seas. There were waves from the South and low running swells from the South East and South West. As a result the ship did not roll or pitch it just moved a bit on occasion and not even that much. Still it was enough for some guests to complain about it. Not unusual. While we are sailing in Alaska we always have a higher number of brand new cruise guests who make their first cruise ever……………………… and still believe that a ship with stabilizers will never move, whatever the weather. On our TransCanal cruises we managed to have some times 1100 Mariners on board, this cruise we just barely made 502 altogether. That number included however at least 4 700 days medallion holders (one couple with well over a 1000) and that made up a bit for the balance. They just came to see if Alaska was still Alaska and yes it is. 

Today was filled with the last day activities, crew farewell, Mariners Lunch and the all important last minute laundry and packing. Most of our guests will go into the interior from Seward and that necessitates careful thinking about what to pack and what to hand carry. The luggage travels separate from the guest on the bus and catches up at the first hotel stop. To get that right we have a very extensive and detailed schedule made up that will be the standard for the whole season. During our last call San Diego we had the Shore Operations Manager from Seward on board to talk things through so that all parties are on the same page. That includes me, as I have to adjust my arrival times to be in synch with the luggage offloading.

That means tomorrow morning a very early arrival. Pilot pick up at 04.00; first line one hour later and luggage starting no later than 05.30. First guests will be leaving at 06.30 with the last ones around 1 pm. The first new guests will arrive at the ship at around 11.30 am so there will be a period that there are  leaving and arriving guests on board at the same time. In this port the ship is basically acting as a regular hotel with people coming and going all day long. That has to do with the fact we use the same buses and trains twice. When we arrive the busses and a train are waiting for the disembarking guests and later the new guests will arrive on the return trip. The whole operation is running like clockwork, based on long time experience. Every year there are a few more tours that give a different slant on the whole thing but the basic pattern remains the same.

It started long time ago with the ss Rotterdam (V) which went to Seward for the first time in 1986. Compared to now that was very primitive. We carried on the bow our own luggage conveyor belts, we used school buses in addition to the Westours busses and we did not have any Glass Dome cars yet. Also what the company could offer in the interior was quite limited compared to what we can now. The hotels have been greatly expanded, there are more of them, and the number of additional attractions has increased 10 fold. Varying from cruises on Ptarmigan Lake, to a gold dredge, nature reserves, wildlife centres and with tours now reaching the top of Alaska where the Alaskan oil pipe starts. Since we are now one happy family under the Carnival umbrella, we run a lot of things in conjunction with Princess. As matter of fact the Alaskan land operation of Holland America and Princess now operates as one organization. Although we keep things separated to the extent that HAL guests do not travel in a Princess bus and vice versa.

The weather for tomorrow looks good. Overcast, small chance of rain and no wind on arrival. I will be able to let the Statendam just drift into the berth. I will have to stop on the inch though, so the luggage conveyor will fit in the ship. More about that tomorrow.

You approach Glacier Bay via Icy Strait, named so a long time ago, when Glacier Bay did not exist yet and was completely covered in ice. The Glacier then calved directly into this strait, hence the name. Since then the glaciers have been retreating and now we have to sail about 50 miles up the bay to get to them. That journey starts with entering the lower bay and picking up the Park Rangers. Glacier Bay is a National Park since President Coolidge signed a Presidential decree for it in the late 19^th century.   Thus as long as I have been around the routine has been the same, we pick up the Rangers and then we proceed up the Bay towards the glaciers. The thing that has changed through the years is the number of people that board at the Ranger Station. In the early beginning it was only 2 Rangers. One to make the announcements and the other one to walk around the ship, to talk to the guests. The next step was to bring books and maps on board for sale and the 2^nd ranger would stand at a table in a central point. In our case the Crows nest.  Then an addition to the team was a member of the native tribe who lived in Glacier Bay before the Ice Age of the 17^th & 18^th century dislodged them, but who are still in the area.  Lastly there is now a wild life observer as well, who spends the day on the bow with a range finder making observations. That is, if he/she is not distracted by curious guests of course. Continue reading

 Skagway is in my opinion the most peculiar town in Alaska. At least compared to the other ports that we visit in the Great Land. If it had not been for the gold rush of 1898 the town would have never been there and that makes sense. Every day in the afternoon a funnel wind picks up, blowing from the south through the Lynn Canal and it then whistles through the town where the main street –Broadway- is right in line with it. In the summer time it might be something you can live with but in the winter it must be very unpleasant. When the shops close after the cruise ship season, the town population dwindles to 400 or so (correct me if I am wrong, I am going by the wisdom of the pilots) and I admire the die-hards who can survive the harsh climate. Just a week ago more than 10 inches of snow fell in the upper pass and that meant that several tours had to be cancelled for the ships that were early visitors. If you blot out the Retail shops & Tourism, then I think that Skagway still comes quite close to what people call a “Frontier town”. Continue reading

Also in this port the arrival of the ships are staggered but the only problem is that it is not as easy as in Ketchikan where all the docks are in line with the open fairway called Tongass Narrows. The port of Juneau is basically a big pond, with only the option for smaller ships to go under the bridge and further up into Gastineau Channel. That bridge connects the town of Juneau with the town on Douglas on the West side of the channel. Further down there is the village of “Lucky Me” founded in 1986. I think this makes Alaska so special. This particular gentleman did not agree with the politics of Juneau and decided to pack up and settle down halfway down Gastineau Channel. Now after 25 years he has squatter rights, his house (if he is still there) has improved greatly and some other people have joined him. For somebody like me, who comes from a very well regulated country as the Netherlands is it is just mind boggling that you can do that. But there seems to be quite a few thousand people living in the Alaskan interior that are not accounted for, never missed and sometimes never heard of again. Somebody said it might be as many as 100,000 that simply” disappeared off the map” in this enormous territory but I cannot prove that. Continue reading

The pilot was scheduled for 05.00 hrs in the morning as it takes about 90 minutes get to the dock in Ketchikan. Ahead of us was the Star Princess, one of the shopping trolley Class of Princess Cruises. Most of the ships in that same class have had their observation bar on the stern (that horizontal bar that makes the ship look like a shopping trolley) removed but the Star has most probably not gone into dry dock yet. All the ships have more or less the same pilot station time here and who goes first depends on which dock you are going to. Princess goes to four; we go to two, so the Star Princess goes in first. In that way we do not have to pass each other while approaching the dock. It is all very well organized here in Alaska. All companies have the same agency which has been around for nearly 50 years in the cruise ship business and they regulate and organize everything to everybody’s satisfaction. Occasionally there is a captain who has not been on the coast, or does not understand the routine and tries to go against the flow and then finds out very quickly that that was not such a good idea. Fifty years of experience has to be respected and they really ensure that we are well prepared for the season. If each agent in the world would be like that, the world would be a better place and our lives a lot easier. Continue reading