Category: Cruises of the Past (page 1 of 4)

Day 07: 21 April 2026, Cherbourg, France.

April 26, 2026 / Captain Albert / 5 Comments

The Cruise Terminal which now houses the Cruise ship terminal and the Cite de La Mer, the under water museum.

Cherbourg is a famous port that became world wide known when the Ocean Liners to the new world started calling here. And company’s such as White Star Line (Including the Titanic which did call here, once), Cunard, French Line, United States Line, Hapag-Lloyd etc. made sure that Cherbourg became a household name. Until around 1969, Cherbourg was an important port of departure for French and Austrian passengers travelling to New York. Visits by ships such as the United States, the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, etc.etc. often made local and national headlines. Holland America never called here until the cruise era started. HAL ships called at the Boulogne Sur Mer anchorage before the 2nd World War and went to Le Havre after the war. It was only when HAL started cruising in Europe again in the mid 1990’s that Cherbourg became part of the cruise schedules. Sometimes as a scheduled port of call but more often as an alternative for St. Peter Port when the wind at the anchorage prohibited the ship from staying there. Cherbourg was very well ready for that event. The routine was that a ships Captain had to go and have a look at the anchorage to see if a tender service was possible, unless the Harbour Master had already closed the port. The latter was the easiest because we could then sail straight on to Cherbourg which is about 40 NM away from St. Peter Port. If the weather was on the edge of possibilities, then the idea was to arrive at sunrise. The Captain would then take a look at the swell and say yes or no. If it was no, then with the good help of the Harbourmaster and his team in Cherbourg we could be docked with gangway out by 10.00, giving the guests a still a full day. Even when not in the port schedule, those 3 hours sailing between the ports gave the locals enough time to set up the dock, arrange for tours and for the shuttle service into down town.

A display in the building showing the departures in the Trans Atlantic days.

I remember that it was standard, at least for my ship, to ask those who made this quick follow up possible to be invited for lunch on board, which was always appreciated. That did not always work with the people who manned the gangways and protected the terminal but a few bottles of wine, helped out here. Once Customs found out and wanted to arrest everybody but that was then solved by donating a box of Kendall Jackson Reserve to the Customs office. French customs can be very flexible if you play the game right. The company was always much less flexible as they saw it as bribery, while we on the ships saw it as appreciation. The Hotel Manager had a solution for any discrepancies that might occur in the bottle count. It was called “breakage” and there was often a spike during calls at Southern European Ports. The peculiar thing was that the ship often received gifts from the Port Agents and Tour operators out of appreciation for the business that we brought to the port. So bottles were going both ways. But those were the good old days. Now with soo many cruise ships and soo many mega liners, it has becomed so stream lined that even courtesy visits from the Agent to the “Master of the Vessel” hardly occur anymore.

The old Customs Inspection Counters in the arrivals hall.

When the Ocean Liners left, the Cherbourg Passenger Terminal ended up in the Doldrums somewhat as nobody knew exactly what to do with it. Built in late Art-Deco style it was too wonderful a building to destroy and at the same time it did not have a function anymore. So it was left as it was, with occasional use when warships would visit. Now we can be very happy about that as it is one of the few terminal buildings with a links from where emigrants left and the better heeled passengers went to and from, and is still mostly in an original state.

And guests can see that each time when they go ashore because they have to walk through the Customs Hall with the inspection counters from the 1930’s. Another reason that the terminal was left untouched was the fact that Cherbourg did not need the space. Cherbourg is the largest fully man made harbour in Europe and they could expand outwards and were not limited by rocks, moutains, cliffs or other natural features that confined the size of the port, as we see with a port like Dover. Everything there is cramped in under the White Cliffs.

Then in the 1980’s The City started to develope the “Cite de La Mer” museum focussing on under water exploration and underwater traffic of any kind. So there many kinds of deepsea submarines on display, old, current and feature designs and there is even an large French War submarine in its own dock, which providing a really fascinating visit.

The main entrance hall, where once the trains came in. Now handed over to Underwater craft.

And that was the reason why I was so excited to visit Cherbourg because in the entrance hall of this museum, which is next to the Maritime Terminal, is a souvenir shop with a bookshop attached to it. Second French Maritime hand books can still be bought with not too many challenges, through Ebay, Bookfinder or Abebooks but for new books it is very hard, as a. French publishers are not really bothered to reach markets outside France and b. Since Brexit the cost for sending a book to the UK, has become very expensive.

I bought not too long ago a Passenger List of the Rotterdam from a voyage in 1963. That cost about 8 euro’s (which is the regular going price between 7.50 and 11 euros) but then postage and customs paperwork (*) added aother 15 euro’s to it. Buying “in bulk” does not help either because when the value goes over 139,– then there might be import duties.

(* since Brexit each individual item imported into the UK or otherwise needs it own declaration for customs. So if it is 10 books the same, it is one customs declaration but if there are 10 different books, then it means 10 pieces of paper. At least when they are new books, when they are 2nd hand or antiquarian, you can cover it with one declaration but then often the value goes up too much. As you will understand Collectors are not very happy with Brexit.)

We decided to limit our going ashore with a visit to the “Cite de la Mer”. It is about a 15 minute walk into town, very pleasant to do today, if you wore a coat, as it was sunny but there was a gale force wind blowing from the North East. The port also lays on a shuttle service to town, which ran every 15- 20 minutes, even through French lunch time. The local community had laid on a dance exhibition in the terminal, between 10 to 12 noon, where authentic Breton and Normandic dances where shown.

Several generations of local dancers and singers.

For the guests the most interesting part was most likely the whole group of small, very small, children in local costumes on display. They were sitting there and remained sitting there for a good two hours while the adults and older children were dancing, singing and playing instruments. My wife and I came back when they were just packing up around noon time and just at the moment when the little ones were all “released from custody” and it was an cascade of French excited noise rolling through the old customs hall, while they all fled together to the outside.

This is one of the latest underwater craft. The US Challenger an underwater craft for one person. The French call it the “American Dildo” ,but I do not know why.

The museum is forever expanding, so when we visit next time, will we probably buy a ticket go inside again. We did so a few years back and the deep seawater tank and the explorers submarines and other exhibits were fascinating. They have now also opened up an Virtual Reality exhibition, where with a headset on, you walk through the ocean terminal in the heyday of Trans Atlantic travel and can experience what it really was like. For the young and young at heart they have set up a display based on the French Comic heroes Asterix & Obelix which are very popular in France, Belgium, The Netherlands but also in England and Germany. But even when not going inside the museum, there is so much equipment in the entrance hall, that it takes more than half an hour to have a look at all of it. The sometimes bizarre contraptions humans use and have used to get to the bottom of the ocean. It is said that we know more about the moon than about the oceans on our planet but if you look at the gadgets needed to go to the sea floor, I am not amazed.

This is one of the latest idea. A craft floating around the world, partially submerged. But because there would be somebody on board watching 24/7, they would be able to catch anything unusual, instead of relying on spot checks.

The bookshop was a somewhat disappointment as somebody had decided to “focus” on current affairs and what sold best. Hence there were about 25 different books on Titanic for sale, similar with a load of Titanic children’s book, But I have already over a 100 books about Titanic (from the scholarly level across to popular, to the absurd) and that was not what I was looking for, The real history books were no longer for sale. But I still found 2 books, one a thin on 5 euros,– with photos about the ss Normandie of 1935 and one with the history of the Ocean Liners, not with photos, but with hand drawn scenes of the ships. But done by an expert so the details were all correct. Same as you can see in the paintings of Captain Card on the HAL ships. Apart from nice to look at, they are also technically correct in detail and that is what one does expect if you have a bit of insight in maritime history.

The ships telegraph on the bridge. Now used for photos during bridge tour. It is orginally a mooring telegraph from the Moore McCormack days and came via the Veendam (III) and the Rotterdam (V) to the Rotterdam (VI). The write up is behind the telegraph so those who bother can find out about the history.

This the last day of the cruise and that meant afternoon packing. Luckily we had not bought much so what came out, fitted back in. As part of the Suite package, you get two bottles of liquor included and we had decided on Adnams Copper Gin, which is a very good brand in the UK, but that luckily fitted in the hand luggage. Disembarkation starts tomorrow at 07.45 hrs. and if all goes well we will be back at the car by 08.30 /08.45 and on the road shortly after. I had asked for a quick visit to the bridge, to see if the ships telegraph, installed by me and Capt. Van Dreumel was there, and yes it was. The Captain was quite eager to have a chat about the background of the bridge, as due to Covid there had never been a proper handover from HAL to Fred Olsen.

Then it was time to run to the Lido Deck, as the Urbu Band was playing. This is a British Brass band that has been performing for the 8th time on board. As far as I understand they are offered a discounted cruise, when a ship does not sell out, with the request for 2 performances. Good to sit and nice to listen to. There is something different and also wholesome in having a somewhat different entity playing that is not corporately managed and “plastic”, but are just purely playing for the fun of it.

After finishing packing it was time to go for cocktails and in the Observation Lounge one of the ships singers was giving a show, with songs from Frank Sinatra and related. It was very good, and fun to see as a beaming mother was sitting in the first row.

“Frank Sinatra junior providing a very good show.

Final dinner was in the dining room, and two things stood out, A. the number of empty tables, so it must have been busy in the self service restaurant, and B. the number of birthdays today. Although the company must know exactly when a birthday is, as it is all on the manifest, for some obscure reason, the number of birthdays tend to increase towards the end of the cruise. Maybe that is the case, or maybe guests declare having an anniversary ( not on the manifest). Whatever the situation, the stewards were busy running around the dining room, trailing behind the guy with the guitar to sing happy birthday left, right and center.

After dinner was the show, but we had seen the singer from the UK from a few nights ago so we did not go as I needed my sleep for the 5 hour drive home. Driving on the M25 (ring road around London) is challenging by itself but then come the smaller roads into Norfolk with all the side roads connecting, often via blind corners. And there are a lot of “creative” drivers in the English Country side. Then there is “farmer John” on the road with his faithful tractor and that can make things even more complicated.

I have one more post to go and that is the oversight and opinion of the cruise and that will come a day after this one has been posted.

Fred Olsen is one of the few company’s who have a fully operational flower shop on board. There are two florists and apart from looking after the flowers in the ship, they are also available for Guests to buy. The shop has been on board since 2022 ‘s I assume the concept works. But I do know that they are very busy during Valentines Day.

Day 1: At Sea, 15 April 2026.

April 16, 2026 / Captain Albert / 3 Comments

Today we have a sea day, while sailing from Southampton to Pauillac which is a small wine village on the west shore of the river Gironde, at the edge of the Medoc, a French wine region in the Bordeaux area. There is a weather front coming over and that gave us this morning gale force winds of up to 35-45 knots and combined wind and swell of about 3 meters. Which is high enough to make the ms Borealis move about somewhat. (The S and R class are not affected by any sea movement up to 2 meters but when it goes higher the ships get slowly affected). We were slightly affected this morning and the ship had put out the sea sickness bags in the staircases. Weather improved rapidly after lunch time with the depression moving away and the sun came out and visibility got better very quickly.

The Fred Olsen Fleet. BS = Borealis, BT = Bolette, BL = Balmoral

While sailing south we are hugging the french shore line around the coast of Normandy and Britanny and although following the shipping lanes (a sort of highways at seas) we were close enough to the french shore to be able to use our mobile phone with land coverage. If you are not careful, the moment the ship is more than 3 Nautical Miles from shore, it goes to Martime Coverage and that can be quite costly. So it is important that have you phone on airplane mode when not seeing any coastline around you while at sea, even when you have global roaming. We did not see much of the French coast but that was mainly due to the Frontal Weather system which brought rain with it as well.

Cruise schedule for 8 days. Soutahmpton – Pauillac, La Pallice, St. Malo, Cherbourg, Southampton.

This cruise we are going to Pauillac where we stay from 07.00 hrs in the morning to 18.45 hrs the next evening, giving the guests an ample chance to take one of the wine tours. Then it is a short hop to La Pallice (For La Rochelle) were we are from 07.00 to 20.00 hrs. Then we have a sea day, followed by a full day call at Saint Malo. That is a tender port with the ship anchoring in the estuary. The next day is a full day call at Cherbourg and from there is goes back to Southampton. We have now observed that the ship is not completely full and that might be the reason that we have new joining cast and singers on board with support staff; and a whole technical team for renewing the lighting in the show lounge. I estimate that about 50 cabins have been handed over for that operation. Most of the entertainers have taken the chance to have their nearest family on board, who are present in full force wherever these new singers are performing. Fred Olsen seems to have taken on a new Entertainment Company, to train these people but we have not found out yet what that exactly entails.

The “Fresco” on the aft Navigation deck with the pizza place.

So what has Fred Olsen done with the ship during the most recent upgrade? They have finally (re) opened the pizza place which HAL had on the aft navigation deck. Insiders might remember that HAL had the brain wave to remove the aft -outdoor- pool on both the Rotterdam and the Veendam so it could add more cabins. The pool area was then reduced to a wading pool. This no doubt increased revenue for the ship but the operational results where not that great. The wading pool never worked as most of the guests were not able to “step/climb” over the rim of the pool and there was nowhere to store your personal stuff, so when sitting on a stretcher in the wading pool, guests blocked a second sunlounger away from the pool for their towels and bags. Then common sense prevailed and none of the other ships underwent this treatment. But the remodeling did give the chance to make a bigger outside serving bar on the starboard side and to install a pizza kitchen / outlet on the portside. When the ship was handed over to Fred Olsen in 2020, the status of the pizza ovens was considered to be in a too bad a condition to re-open when sailing started again in 2022. So the place stayed closed until further notice. In the last dry dock in Autumn 2025, the area was completely renewed and is now in full swing again. Holland America prepared full size pizza’s there (handed out in a pizza box) but here it is slice only, but freshly made and of excellent quality. For the rest they also do other small bites such as cheese and ham croissants etc.etc.

The next thing is that they have remodeled is the library by removing the easy chairs and putting more regular tables and chairs in so there is more seating for the Cafe. The Barista counter of HAL is still there, but Fred has gone one step further and have changed it into a complete cafe same as on their other ships. You can still sit there and read a book but instead of reclining (and falling asleep) you sit now straight up to read your book or magazine.

The Crowsnest / Observatory which under HAL had declined to an “indepth” shore excurions study place, which never really worked that well as all the machinery broke down very rapidly, has now been fully restored to a day and evening lounge. The bandstand is back and all evening there is entertainment. Hurrah.

I believe on other HAL ships where the crowsnest was also converted to an EXC indepth shored and port immersion area, this is also rolled back somewhat to what the Crowsnest used to be, with a new dedicated library on one of the lower decks.

Here on board, the repeat guests are a bit confused by all the happenings going on. With the showlounge been refitted during day time, the lectures are now in the Auditorium (ex Cinema/ kitchen) but as this place can only take 299 guests, they have to repeat the lecture in the afternoon. That is not always appreciated as a lot of guests want to take a nap in the afternoon. The average age of our guests is the same as with HAL and then you need to re-charge your batteries for to be ready for the hard work of eating again in the evening. As nearly all the guests are British it means that nearly everybody wants to be out and about for cocktails in the evening, both for 1st and 2nd. sitting. So they need some downtime. The music venue times are adapted to this, with the entertainers taking a break while first sitting goes to dinner (18.00 hrs) and 2nd sitting is still trying to fit in their cruise clothes from last time. Then 2nd sitting cocktails start at 1900 hrs., dinner at 20.00 hrs.and the show at 22.00 hrs. Then between 23.00 hrs. and 24.00 hrs. there is music in the Observatory, the Night Club, the Ocean Bar and the the Morning Light Pub (ex HAL casino area)

The new singers “warming up” the captains party

Tonight was formal night with the Captains welcome on board party, which is still done in the respectable way as HAL used to do until about 2010 -2012. With a Receiving line with all of those who were going to be introduced (and yes with 10 white uniforms in a row, it feels abit like running the gauntlet), free drinks (wine, beer ,G&T, champagne), nibbles (canape’s and hot appetizers) followed by a speech from the Captain.

Captain Stefan Ravneng

We observed this Captain for the first time on the ms Balmoral when he was rather new in function and his speech and presence on stage was quite awkward. But by now, he felt more comfortable, made some jokes and his speech was running smoothly. Fred has the routine that the staff officers introduce themselves and that is great fun to see. With the staff captain being the easiest with handling the microphone, the Chief Engineer having the shortest speech of all (name and where he is from only) and the Cruise Director the longest. Then the champagne toast, followed by the announcement to get out of the lounge, to make room for the 2nd show. That results then in an enmasse march through the ship to the diningroom. They where well prepared as somehow they had managed to clear first sitting out completely by 19.45 so they could handle this 2nd sitting invasion.

We decided not to go to the show, I do not particularly enjoy comedians but to go to a concert of the strings. (see yesterdays blog) For those who sailed with Holland America longtime in the past, we then had the Rosario Strings from the Philipinnes on all the ships, one extended family, that never used sheet music but still could play anything. We have them now here on all of the ships of Fred Olsen. Tonight they had a sort of easy listening concert in the Ocean Bar, partly classical, partly crooner songs, and yes no sheet music or tablet in sight and yes they played everything by heart and to a very high standard.

The 2 male singers of the Singers group on board.

This was followed by a Country and Western hour, performed by the new singers and again, with all the family in attendance. I always have reservations about seeing english people in cowboy outfits, but they sang the songs with a nice american accent. Near the end they decided to do a line dance and then it was time to leave. There is only so much one can take, when a large number of octogenarians, fuelled by aa ample amount of (free) alchohol decide that they were 25 again. Free alchohol comes from the fact that the booze during the captains party was free and also the house wine and beer in the diningroom.

Tomorrow we are in Pauillac. We are suppoed to dock in foggy conditions at about 06.45 and then it should warm and sunny for the rest of the day, with temperatures around 21oC or 70o Fahrenheit.

An attempt at an American Line dance, on a moving ship.

Day 4, 2025 Dec. 20: At Sea, sailing towards Madeira.

December 21, 2025 / Captain Albert / 1 Comment

We sailed last night at 18.00 hrs. from Lisbon, slowly moving down the river and as it was dry weather everybody could have a good view of the “singing” bridge, the Vasco Da Gama statue and Belem Tower. The latter is where the pilot disembarks and that gives the option to speed up to stabelizer speed, 10 – 12 knots, and sail comfortably down the river. Halfway down the estuary the ship started to move again and has continued to do so for the night and the remainder of today. The ships movement did reduce somewhat by evening as the 2nd (interfering) wave field diminished in influence but it remained wobbly. Tomorrow will not be a problem as Funchal is located at the South side of the island of Madeira and that is in the lee side of most bad weather. Very light winds are so far forecast for our call and the breakwater is very long and large to keep all the swell out.

Today we had a full day at sea, including the World club gathering (repeater or loyalty party) and a formal night. Cunard runs an excellent lecture program with 3 lecturers so far rotating on this cruise. Two of them were very good, and one (claiming to do something maritime but only one talk and then talked about Madeira wine) not so good as he read his whole lecture and was not dressed respectfully (no jacket, but a sloppy shirt) towards the audience.

Female Conductor, Mrs. Farnham. started out with directing theatre shows in London and from there progressed to choirs and orchestra’s worldwide.

So we went to the 2nd & 3rd one. Nbr 2 was a Female Orchestra Conductor, who talked about how to become one, and the trials of making it as a female in a male dominated world. When she started in 1991, 1.4% of the world’s conductors were female. Now it is up to approx. 5% and she was running classes to get more Ladies in front of the orchestra, instead of in the orchestra. A fascinating world that most people do not know anything about. Next one was a gentleman who had spent his life in Drugs Enforcement and, (this being his 2nd lecture) went from the legal business around the work, to the actual catching of drug smugglers accompanied with what went right and what went wrong stories.

The Christmas market in the Queens Lounge from 10..00 to 12.00. Not exactly very busy, but then the prices were not really “market value”.

Then we had to run to the Queens Lounge were our classical pianist was giving his second recital. This time with works of known composers (Lizt, Handel, Sebelius) but also lesser known composers (Nazareth, Bortkiewicz) and that brought a wonderful experience. I got somewhat irritated at Housekeeping as they reset the lounge 5 minutes before the recital started (the floor had been cleared earlier for the Christmas Market = a sales effort from the shops and beverage) and continued finishing off after the concert had already started. Their supervisor had poked his nose in when they started but did not stay to ensure that the stewards stopped when the concert started. Leadership takes a lot of training, even with a White Star program.

The Queens Lounge, still with the open dancefloor space recently vacated by the Christmas Market. Pianist Robert Colville is seen here still practising. Housekeeping moved in 10 minutes before the recital started and all guests were moved to the dance floor. Nothing wrong with that, but why start so late and thus not finish on time ?.

Then time for a soft ice in the Lido and back to the cabin as it was time to write yesterday’s blog.

Time to dress came at 18.00 hrs. as we choose to go to the 2nd party at 18.45 hrs. The first formal night was color themed Black & White, this second one does not have a theme and the third one will be Red & Gold. So big boss decreed that we should have a different formal outfit for each night and hence for tonight it was blue formal for me blue jacket and blue cumberbund, to match her ladiesships blue dress.

In the grey mists of time Cunard held 3 parties, The Welcome on Board / Captains Intro party, then the World Club party for the various levels of repeat guests (Gold, platinum, Diamond , achieved at by counting the days) and also a “Senior Officers party”. When we went on the Queen Anne we found out that these 3 parties had been merged into one. Not nice for those who were looking forward to as many free drinks as possible, but understandable as each time they had to clear the Lido deck (section under the Dome) at 3 pm. in the afternoon to set things up for a party, to much annoyance of those on the sun loungers and/or watching the afternoon movie. If you have to do that 3 times in a 10 day cruise, then you get a lot of un-happy campers.

Wold Club party in the Queens Lounge. See above what a beautiful lounge this is for a party as long as not everybody insists on sitting down. The other 3 Ladies are the World Club loyalty team and they also sell cruises from an office on Deck 2.

World Club party in the Queens Lounge. See 2 pictures higher up, what a beautiful lounge this is for a party as long as not everybody insists on sitting down. Thus this evening we had this combined party again in 2 sittings and with literally everybody coming through the line dressed in Formal. What was nice to see is that more and more men are moving away from the standard black “Penguin Suit” and are starting to experiment with different color jackets. I have about 15 of them in various colors to tune in with my wife’s dress color choice and also because I simply refuse to wear an “undertaker suit” if I am going to a festive formal occasion.

So we had the chance to have a little chat with Captain Sharples, who turned out to be a good conversationist (not always the case, even with cruise ships captains) , then grabbed a drink and moved into the crowd. Those who could stand, did stand, leaving the seats graciously to those who could only sit. It was irritating again to see that the invited officers were hovering around the front of the dance floor and were waiting for the guests to come over to talk to them, instead of being gracious hosts and mingle in the crowd. Hence armored with a glass of wine Lesley & I marched over to a trio of junior officers who were “hiding” as far from the guests as possible and gave them a bit of training of how to entertain. They sort of freaked out when they found out my background but with a few stories and some Q&A they started to relax and enjoy themselves.

Then it was time to for Captain’s introduction which went in sequence of: first Chief Engineer ( he who controls the throttle, does control the ship), the Chief Human Resources Officer (all cruise ship companys have been upgrading the status of H.R as the well being of the crew is becoming more and more important), The Hotel Director (the only Lady among the staff), the Staff Captain (who was introduced as captain, to confuse things) and then the Guest Ambassador (who administrates the loyalty system) to introduce the guest on board with the most sailing days. This lady had clocked up 1200+ days since 1991. Her most beloved ship was the Queen Elizabeth 2 but she liked the new Queens as well. It seems that the older ships, built as Ocean Liners, had a form of character that made them favourites what ever challenges they had when sailing. I still come across HAL guests who remember Rotterdam V (now in Rotterdam) as their favourite while the new ships have much better facilities. But they lack character and style. On those older ships, the atmosphere on board dictated how you went about your cruise and how everybody interacted. But those days of ” everyday sea day is a formal day except sundays” are long gone.

When coming down from dinner, we bumped into the Captain and his wife who were going to retrieve their 3 children from the Youth Club. They were also having to deal with the magic of a Youth Club on board. Day 1: they want to go home, Day 2: they will go home when asked, Day 3: they refuse to come out as they are “too busy”, Day 4 and onwards is drama and tantrums near closing time. (I was once called out as Captain on such an occasion, when the mother in question accused the Youth Director about “brainwashing” her children, as they refused to come out, and neither Security nor the Hotel Director knew how to deal with it. I managed to talk the kids around (not the mother) by promising a bridge tour with ice cream (which we did anyway each cruise in those days. Then the next day the father threw a tantrum as he wanted a bridge tour as well but could get not one as the (free) tours were fully booked. ———–Working with people is wonderfull————– So, we as Captain & family had another chat and I was drawn in to volunteer to take photos with the captain by passing guests.

Then a mysterious bottle popped up in the cabin. Sparking Wine, but why ?? No card, no nothing. Turned out that this was a gift on “repeater day” for those with a higher number of sailing days.

Dinner was a busy affair as a larger number of guests had decided that this was THE night to order A-la-Carte (like we did yesterday with Dover sole) so all the head waiters and the Maitre where in full swing to prepare, Dover Sole, Lamb, Beef Wellington and Chateaubriand at the respective tables. But with being on TOP and have the best trained staff in this Queens Grill of all the restaurants, it all went smoothly without hiccups.

Then we went to the show. Tonight the 4 singers of the cast were giving a performance focusing on Songs of the Movies (James Bond, Abba =the movie etc.) This was advertised in the daily program with having a back up of an 18 piece orchestra (so bascially all the musicians on board) but there were only 9 on stage. Still very good, but why mislead the guests in promising more than you can deliver ?. The show was very good though. All the other Cast, Entertainers and family had parked themselves in the front of the stage (in the least occupied seats) and they made enough noise to make the theatre feel completely full.

Tomorrow we are in Funchal, Madeira. We will dock at the breakwater and with us will be the ms Ventura (P&O cruises) which will be with us in all the next ports. Lesley knows the wife of the Chief Engineer on the Ventura as they were at sea together in the grey mists of time, so she is trying to arrange a meet-up.

Weather for tommorrow: Sunny in the morning, rain possible in the afternoon with maximum temperatures around 18oC / 64oF.

28 July 2025; Sandane & Floro, Norway.

July 29, 2025 / Captain Albert / 2 Comments

With the constant increase in the number of cruise ships calling at Norwegian ports (and not considered very welcome in Bergen and Oslo), more and more little towns are getting new cruise ships docks. Most of the extensions and improvements of the postal ferry docks (Hurtigruten) but also complete new ones. They are almost all the same, a dock of about a 100 – 150 meters with ships longer overhanging at the bow and at the stern. Sufficient bollards are for that purpose put down further inland so even the big girls (we saw the QM 2 yesterday in Olden) are able to dock. Draft restrictions are normally not there as the fjords are normally very deep with the hill sides sloping straight down under water. So the docks are normally there where a little river found its natural end of run into the fjord and created a small plateau.. Some ports can then also offer one or more anchorages but not all of them, and most captains are not that excited by those that are there, but as long as there is no wind at the end of the fjord those anchorages are do-able.

The tender service to the dock in Sandane.

Sandane has a few small docks but they cannot handle much more than a large fishing boat or very small ferry. Hence we tendered into the small town which had a very nice new tender dock built for that purpose. It can handle 3 tenders at the same time. The tender distance is what we call a “4 boat distance” and thus all 4 tenders (capacity 75 max.) were in the water. That then gives the option of having 1 boat at the ship, one going to the shore, one at the shore and one on the return journey. By 10. am the tours were gone and most of the rest of the 800 as well and it was “open tenders”. E.G no need to get a tender ticket. For the suite people, like us, you can go to the gangway directly anyway, same as with many other companies. As we had waited for everybody to have gone ashore we had to whole tender to ourselves, not a bad way to start the day. We had the Phoenix supplied green (officially the color is turquoise) umbrella’s with us as the mountains had managed to catch some rain clouds and they were busy testing the town’s drainage system.

One of the two main streets in Sandane. To the left a sort of bookstore, luxury department store with a very nice book selection and a lot of children’s toys and puzzles.

Sandane is a small district town so it has a number of amenities needed to serve the locals who come by car down from their mountain homes and farms. 5 hairdressers, 3 or 4 cafe’s, one supermarket in down town, A city Hall & bank, and a nice bookshop (Unfortunately with only one nautical book, about sunken local ships along the coast, so nothing for me. I went in Bremerhaven to the Maritime Museum and there the book shop is completely gone, so I have high hopes for the Maritime Museum in Bergen. Otherwise only Hamburg is left and that is quickly shaping up as the best maritime museum in the world in my opinion.)

We walked the two main streets and then got back on board before the tours were returning. One tour did not come back but was rejoining the ship in the next port of Floro. This is a sixty mile journey through very scenic waters. Now the sun came out and by the time we arrived there at 1700 hrs. the temperatures reached a balmy 20oC / 68oF. A nice temperature for the Norwegian summer and much better than the heat wave they had last week.

Once back on board we went for “Curry Bratwurst” on the open top deck. This is basically a sausage with a curry sauce pored over it, with some paprika and dry unions. Served together with french fries or “pommes frites”. It was not as spicy as you can get on many a German street corner, but Her Ladyship approved of it, so it was good. You could have a normal beer with it or and Irish Beer.

It does not make sense to me, promoting Kilkenny Irish Beer during a German fast food lunch, but the stuff tasted good.

On the way to the next port, we had a gathering of the Gold & Silber cabins in the main lounge. We were expected to be there at 15.30 hrs. but now having learned that the Germans are early everywhere, “to be in position for when it starts”, we made it a point to arrive 10 minutes earlier. Only to find that they were all there already again with the Hotel manager as main entertainment on the stage telling about his career. (He had worked everywhere in his 40 years, so lots to tell) At the entrance stood a rather annoyed captain, who had popped down from the bridge to shake hands with everybody only to find them already all inside. Luckily there was us as he arrived the same time as we did. 10 minutes before start.. So he made a brief speech, explained that he had to be on the bridge and went back to the bridge.

This made us question whether they really knew what they were doing. The invitation that came to in the cabin should have warned us. It was signed by the Captain, the Cruise Director, the Hotel Manager and the Gold & Silber host. More Chiefs than Indians and none of them seem to have checked on the other to see how it all was possible. Anyway we got a planters punch (alcoholic or non alcoholic version) to keep us happy and then the three left told stories about the ship, the company and answered questions. The Cruise Director had been at sea since the Maxim Gorky days so he also had been everywhere and done everything. The regular questions were asked but it somehow felt wrong that all the answers came from the Cruise Director and not from the captain. Maybe they get it right next time.

The Marina of Floro. Full of pleasure boats but also work boats that serve the fishing industry.

Right after arrival we went ashore, as soon as the initial “invasion” of guests had made it off the gangway. Floro is a similar town as Sandane but with several older buildings in town and two hotels. A nice size marina and some good looking fish restaurants. For the rest a Thai restaurant (and a Thai bar…….. we never found out what that was supposed to be as it was closed) and a pizzeria. NOK 290 for a standard 12 inch pizza (About 10 kroner to the US dollar so $ 29,—), so we decided not to be tempted and returned to the ship.

The main street in Floro. This was around 1800 hrs. and as you can see it was not a hive of activity, even with the nice weather.

Having learned now that First and Second sitting is marching in about 30 minutes before the actual dinner time we decided to go for cocktails first in the Piano Lounge and show up at dinner around 20.00. (closing time being 20.30) A large glass of beer is 7.5 euro’s and about the same for a large glass of wine (with a large wine list to choose from) so the prices are very reasonable compared to a company such as Cunard. And you get standard a pot of peanuts while at other company’s you have to ask for it. And that is something I do not understand from other company’s where you have to ask, because as soon as you start eating peanuts, or mixed nuts, you want to have another drink…………..

The La Fontaine Dining room aft part. Seen from starboard entrance towards the stern. As it was during Royal Viking and HAL days.

We learned something new in the dining room tonight. As we could not find the “daily dishes available through out the cruise” on the menu, something that most company’s have, we investigated and found that you can order from the Room Serve Menu, which has quite a few nice dishes. This included Wiener Schnitzel which is not on the regular menu. Well, making a cruise on a German ship, we could not do without the Schnitzel experience and it was promptly ordered. And it was good, very good. After dinner we poked our nose into the show lounge to see part of the show.

Singers to the right and left and the trapeze lady in the middle. (Apologies for the photo quality but I am not a cell phone wizard.)

Tonight it was again a Cast show, now based on the “Greatest Showman” musical / movie. It was not as bad as the previous two days as the ladies are good singers but the cheography was again very bad. The acrobatic lady hung from the ceiling again, being very talented and this time it sort of fitted in with the “circus theme” of the show, but it does not really work with such a low ceiling. But the audience seems to love it, so for them all was well in the world. I think we are a bit spoiled with our international cruise ship experience. ……………..

The new dining room look with Phoenix Reisen. Taken from the same location as the old photo above. Now the restaurant is called the “Ozean Restaurant”

Tomorrow we are in Bergen. It is supposed to be dry and partly sunny and that is not so usual for Bergen so everybody will be out in force. Also in port: ms Trollfjord (Hurtigruten), ms Viking Saturn (Lesley and I will be on that one in February 2026) and the Costa Diadema. In total about 5000 cruise guests going ashore. It could be much worse and there have been protests in Bergen against having too many cruise ships on one day. 5000 guests marching through the fish market is already a lot, let alone when the count goes up to 9000 or more. And then add the regular tourists to it who come by sightseeing bus.

One more photo. This is the separate forward part, “the small dining room”, seen looking aft. To the right used to be a circular staircase going up to the Explorers Lounge. It was removed providing space for a steward station. More to the aft a Buffet has been installed, used in the mornings for breakfast and in the evening for cold orders.

27 July 2025, Flam; Norway.

July 28, 2025 / Captain Albert / 9 Comments

Still in the wider part of the fjord at 08.30 am.

Although the days are getting shorter, it is still sun rise around 5 am. and thus a beautiful sail in with the sun shining on the mountain sides of the fjord. I am never much bothered about having a balcony cabin but when cruising here it does pay off and one can enjoy breakfast on the balcony while seeing Norway float by. Or better said the other way around, Norway stands still and we float by. It is nearly 6 hours from pilot station to Flam, depending how much speed the ship is allowed to make. From the pilot station to where the fjord gets smaller you can run at sea speed but as soon as you get in the smaller parts the ship has to slow down to avoid the ships wake hitting the shore side. It would not do to tip a local fisherman out of his/her boat due to pulling a large wake.

The dock in Flam. There is space for one cruise ship to dock. Right on the grassy area are the souvenir shops, and sitting areas for the local hotel and the new Viking brewery. To the left the walkway to train station and in the back (yellow) the super market..

We could dock today as a larger ship scheduled cancelled for unknown reason their call. This is happening more and more that due to port congestion or weather, ships are re-arranging their schedules and show up another day. Port calls are normally reserved 2 years in advance but there are not many ports that charge for the booking up front, so there is a lot of last minute (read 3 or 4 months) re-shuffling going on and that can indeed still happen at the last minute. But the captain was happy to take the spot and docked stern in so our portside cabin was overlooking the port of Flam and with it the local train station which is the main reason we are here. Guests from the ship and tourists coming in by car, will take the scenic train up the mountain and then either come down again in the same way or continue with a bus or coach further inland and that bus then ends up on the Flam Dock side again. Apart from the train station, there are a few small hotels and B&Bs, a small CO-OP supermarket (open today to service all the cars and RV’s coming in) and now they also have a brewery here. Built in the form of a Viking Longhall (modern version as it has WI-FI) which shows the brewing process and beer for sale. Normally that has my great interest but the “Viking” prices charged made me change my mind.

What made me very happy was the fact that my HAL posters were still there. I put them up in 2010 when HAL added the new cabins on deck 8 aft. There was only this bare brown wall which hides the old lifts going down to the dining room from the demolished Midnight Sun Lounge.

So we waited until the majority of the ship had marched ashore and then took the chance to have a good look around. I estimate that Phoenix Reisen has spent since 2019 about $30 million on the ship. In 2019 during a six months dry dock it was roughly $24 million on new engines, new rudders and a lot of pipe work and renewing of all the cabins. Then later on they did more work on the suites and also made the Captains cabin smaller by putting an extra suite in the sitting room space that we always used for parties.

The Panorama lounge ex Crows nest. All the same except some chairs added to increase capacity.

If we start on the top deck, deck 12, the Crows nest, now Panorama Bar remained the same. Then a deck down 11, the midship pool was taken out and replaced with a wooden decking for deck parties. This area is now called “Schone Aussichten” or “Nice Views”. See the photos on the blog of yesterday with the deck party/lunch.. Then the Lido part at the stern has been spruced up considerably and what was with HAL a semi outside venue is now completely closed in with good air-conditioning. If you then enter the aft staircase, you can see the 17th. ships painting that was once hanging in the HAL explorers lounge has been installed against the bulkhead. So it was not thrown out, as often happen during refit.

Deck 10 & 9 is still the same with all the cabins having been rebuilt, and to my wife’s consternation the self service laundry on deck 8 was taken away. There is another ,bigger one, on deck 6 but from the top deck cabins that is a long way down. For the suites there is free laundry but it is not always wise to send a Ladies dress to the ships laundry as they tend to kill it with kindness. Then on Deck 8 the public rooms start. The show lounge has not changed at all, even the carpet is still the HAL carpet. Front desk is still front desk and the photo gallery on the portside is still the same as is the cinema. The shops have been reduced to only the center large one and the boutique that was on the port side is now the Future Cruise office for Phoenix Reisen. The Explorations library is still there but much less elaborate than in HAL days. Also the large Captains cabins, where I could hold parties for up to 70 guests has been reduced to a regular officer cabin and an extra suite installed. Makes sense from a revenue point of view but not from a service point of view as now they have to block off part of a public room for a party. For the “Gold service” meeting, the Panorama Bar was closed off and tomorrow when we have the “Gold & Silber cabin” party and they do it in the Main Show lounge at 15.30 in the afternoon. We will see if it works, but I like my parties at cocktail time between 6 and 8 in the evening but not in the mid afternoon.

The old Explorers Lounge looking forward.

The biggest changes made are to the old Explorers lounge area & the casino & the Java Cafe & small bar on deck 8. It has been completely changed. The Casino was removed as Germans do not gamble and replaced by 10 cabins. The the Java Cafe & bar area and the Explorers lounge have been completely ripped out and made into “the Piano Lounge” and it has a large bar. Now many more guests can enjoy this venue and listen to the piano player & singer. Originally this lounge was called the Casablanca Bar and the old Ocean Bar, the Harry’s Bar. Both names taken from the movie Casablanca with Humphry Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Then for some reason the name was changed to Piano Lounge & Piano Bar and they do have a duo playing and singing there.

The new Piano Lounge with bar. The photo taken from the same location as the photo above. The lounge curves around to the portside at the end.

On deck 7, the old Ocean Bar is now Harry’s Bar. The bar itself has been made larger, the band stand re-arranged, and all the partitions removed so there is more place for sitting. In the starboard forward corner an enclosed Smoking Room has been put in, with glass wall so you can see who is working on a slow suicide. In the afternoon and evening there are two older gentlemen playing (They look a bit like motor cycle lovers with a mid life crises) and they play a mixture of German pop and dance music. Obviously they must think that their public has hearing issues as last night it was very loud.

Harry’s Bar. With Royal Viking this was a dining room. With HAL it was remodeled to the Ocean Bar with band and dancefloor, but with the bar hidden behind a screen. Phoenix has now opened everything up. It has a bigger band stand and much more seating.

Phoenix needed to make these two rooms bigger as Germans go much more for drinks in the afternoon and after dinner drinks and dancing than the Americans with HAL do, and I think they did a very good job, Two very nice lounges, who serve their guests well.

Deck 6, 5 and 4 are cabins again with on deck 5 in the forward staircase there is a multi purpose room, which with HAL was mainly for crew training, incentive group meetings and Club HAL. Now this is a “Kreativ Room” which on this cruise seems to consist out of “Sit & be Fit”. For that purpose a hard wooden floor has been put in while with HAL it was carpet. And then finally, “hurrah” they put in 4 new tenders. That meant installing new davits to hang them from which is quite expensive but they did so.

The menu at Pichlers.

We went for pre-dinner cocktails to the Piano lounge, which was completely empty. We are now getting the hang of the German flow. They were either watching the scenery on departure outside or they marched directly into the dining rooms or Lido. I wonder if they are indeed afraid that the kitchen will run out of food. Then they all congregate in the lounges afterwards where the bars were doing a roaring trade. We had a booking for Pichlers which is the old Holland America Line Pinnacle Restaurant and it is still exactly the same. The system works in a German way, everybody comes in between 18.30 and 1900 which gives the staff time to take your drinks order. Then when everybody is in, they close the doors, ……….yes they close the doors………… and then you get served a set menu served. If there is something you do not like or cannot eat (like milk in a dish) then they will get you something from the dining room. Food is free, drinks, water, tea and coffee you have to pay for. With a specialty restaurant you do not expect to pay for tea and coffee but here you do and they do not tell you. But once having experienced this, you know and can be ready to make a more quantified decision next time. The food was very good and the service very smooth. Even with a full house, there were enough waiters to make it all work perfectly.

That meant of course we missed the show but when we came out, “Die Beatles Show” was still going on, in the theatre, here called “Die Atlantik Lounge”. Again this was a revue show, so same cast as last night, and again it was very bad. 3 of the four singers are not too bad to listen to , but the sound system, the back stage lighting and set-up, and cheography of the dancers is not good at all. Maybe Phoenix should only have bought 3 new tenders and spent some more money on the shows. On the other hand the guests did not seem to notice and were enjoying themselves so what can I say. We will have to find out eventually what quality of the shows are on “Mein Schiff ” and “Aida” but it cannot be that bad. That concluded our day, so time to translate the daily program to Lesley and plan for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are in Sandane from 0700 – 1300 hrs. then a 60 mile jump to Floro for an evening call. Sandane, is an anchor call, so with tender service, but Floro is docking. We have never been to neither of the two places so we want to step ashore, even if it is only for 5 minutes. Weather for tomorrow, it calls for overcast weather with rain on the mountain but that rain normally has a tendency to come down the mountain at some time during the day. Who cares, the cabin is equipped with 2 large umbrellas so we can handle weather. Temperatures around 61 oF / 16 oC. and maybe somewhat higher.

26 July 2025: At sea;, off the coast of Denmark.

July 27, 2025 / Captain Albert / 6 Comments

Today was our first day at sea and it was a nice and smooth sea day with partly cloudy skies and temperatures around 14oC / 58 oF. A lower temperature than normal for the summer, caused by a North Easterly Air flow from the European Continent. Bad news for sun bathers, good news for the captain as this means no fog. Also good news for those in the cabins behind the bridge as we will not be bothered by the sound of the fog horn.

The old pool area now covered over for multi purpose functions

After scrutinizing the daily pro gram it became apparent that the on board activities are somewhat limited (shuffleboard, darts, church service) and that is tilted towards food and “Vergenugung” which loosely translates as “enjoying ones selves” which includes food and drink in a party atmosphere. For that purpose Phoenix Reisen had already closed in & covered over the midships pool in 2019 and installed a sort of multi purpose area with a stage and and large TV screen. The area can be used as a dance floor, for lecturing, movie under the stars or as for today a sort of “Bier Garten”.

The small buffet setup in front of the Lido Bar.

The ship laid on a small “Maritime” nibble buffet and the cast put on a small show with well known German shanty songs. As all the dining rooms venues would open later anyway, it was only a small food setup but just nice to have with a drink. The Germans call this “Fruhshoppen” and there is really no English word out there that catches the exact meaning. I would translate it as an “early morning knees up”. Chilly but sunny weather and the guests were out in force. Nothing better than to start the day with oysters and a glass of beer. Later on the cruise staff came around with complimentary shots of “Schnapps” (German Gin) and a good time was had by all. Once it was over, the tables and benches were removed and the space was ready for the next happening.

As mentioned before, we are in a “gold ” cabin, a suite on deck 11 & 12 with a total of 19 (it would normally be 20 but the “Kaiser Suite” or penthouse, takes up the space of 2 normal suites). Being “gold” meant we had a meeting with our Concierge Mr. Uwe Noster who in a previous life was a banker but since retirement has found out that there is more to the world then just counting money and was now with the ms Amera as Concierge and Port lecturer. The meeting was in the crows nest/observation lounge at noon time. Here we learned our first lesson of the “German cruise flow” and that is, that if it says 12.00 hrs. or 15.00 hrs. then you do not go to the party/meeting at 12.00 hrs. but you are there at 12.00 as it starts at 12.00 hrs. With HAL you come in at 12.00 hrs. get a drink and once everybody is sort of there, the proceedings can start. Not this time, we showed up at 12.05 and Mr. Uwe was already in full swing. Most of those present had shown up about 15 minutes before so at exactly 12.00 hrs. it could start.

We found out later in the evening with dinner that it works the same way. Opening time was 18.00 and 20.00 hrs. so we showed up at 18.00 hrs. and everybody was already there. The system is, you go in anytime between 17.30 and 18.00 hrs.(*), find a seat and exactly at 18.00 hrs. you get your menu in front of you. More about this further down. (*And in some cases, run for your favourite table and be highly annoyed if somebody is already sitting there. Heinz & Helga seem to like their routines)

While enjoying a glass of German champagne/sekt some of the cruise staff team and the hotel staff were introduced and the Hotel Director came over for a chat. He speaks fluent English, German and Dutch. The latter courtesy of being married to a Dutch Wife. (Best way to learn a language, is to court a foreign girl so you have to go the other way and you will get fluent, or more really fluent very fast if she starts looking deep into your eyes). He had been at sea all his life and worked for a whole range for cruise company’s so he was very happy to have a conversation about ships instead of just the regular “guest chat”. From him we found out that Phoenix Reisen does not have a “Repeater program”. No tiers with discount, no medals or pins. They prefer to keep the prices the same for everybody and if you want free laundry (big thing with Holland America guests), you book a silver or gold cabin and it is included. They do record your sailing days, so if you hit a milestone,, they will recognize you but in a different way. When you board the ship, the carpet says “Willkommen zu house”, “Welcome home” so the company creates a sort of we -all-belong-together-feeling in a different way. And I get the impression that it works. The party/meeting also had the advantage that we could book the “Pilchers Restaurant”. This is the old Holland America Line Pinnacle but with this company it is free of charge, you just have to stand in line at some time in the afternoon to speak to the Maitre. No pre booking, no reservations over the phone, you have to line up. Luckily for our cabins, the Maitre d’hotel was there and we avoided queuing. It pays to travel posh……

Then it was lunchtime then and we went to the dining room which has been greatly remodeled since the Prinsendam days. In line with the current taste of Cruise ship design, the colours were in grey and
brown, with more partitions than with HAL. I will have to count the tables in the coming days to see if they lost seats over it as it looks much more spacious than before. But they removed the large Captains table and put 4 smaller round tables in so they gained space that way. In the coming days I will post a few menu’s, as for Lesley they have an English version available and so far after 2 meals, I can only say that the food is fully comparable with Holland America, Cunard, Fred Olsen or Princess. (It is just less elaborate in choices) Our friends, really enjoy their food so each dish is posted on their family travel blog and they are also happy with what is offered, including the wines. Again the guests come in 20 to 30 minutes before the official opening so they are “in position” for when the menu’s come out. The stewards tend to start a bit earlier with the orders, because getting 400 appetizer orders in the kitchen at the same time is not easy for the cooks. Here on the Amera there is still the double kitchen, left over from the Royal Viking Days, so they have more capacity than a 800 guest ship would normally have but a smooth flow is still important..

We had scrutinized the daily program carefully and again, not many activities going on in the afternoon, although the line dancing in the show lounge was well attended, as well as the 15.30 tea in the Lido. The rest of the guests were in the bars or on the sun loungers around the ship. Tonight was the Captains welcome party and that is done in two regulated sittings. As the dining has open sitting, that does not work if you suddenly have to deal with two starting times for the captains welcome and the show. So what they have done here, is send you to dinner by deck. So decks 6,8,10 and 12 went to the welcome party at 1900 hrs. followed by the show and dinner and decks 5,7,&11 went to dinner at 1800 hrs. followed be welcome on board party at 2100 hrs. followed by the show.

Captains Introduction. The green jackets to the left are the Cruise Staff and the white, the senior officers. The captain is a rather small man and can be seen in the middle.

And it worked……. only with Germans you can do such a set this up and make it work. With the caveat that the Lido was extremely busy again but I could not figure out if this was because of the “seating” system or because of the dress code for the evening. The guests were invited to “dress up” but the result was very mixed. I only counted during our sitting 5 gents in full smoking (and that included the two of us) quite a few in jacket and tie but the majority of the gents found a jacket good enough or not at all. Ladies are always difficult to judge as they normally dress up a bit for each evening but it was not as “gala” as I think they company would have liked it. We also found out that free wine is served in the dining room, although they keep it very quiet as they want you to buy bottles. We inspected the table (Spanish) wine and decided to buy a bottle, giving the wine team (bar waitress and table waiter combined) the chance to make a little commission. The wine list is quite varied and this cruise there is also a promotion going on with South African wine. Our friends who are somewhat of connoisseurs declared the wines more than adequate. They had my favourite Austrian wine, so we had a bottle, but for the rest they have draft beer everywhere and thus I am a happy camper anyway,

After registering our credit car, picking up Lesley’s passport and being recognized by ever more crew as being “the old captain of the Prinsendam” we retreated to the cabin, got changed and joined our friends in their cabin, to drink the welcome on board champagne (the real stuff) that came to the cabin on embarkation day. We also get chocolate petit-fours on Formal the day but they arrived after we had to go for this early deck – by deck dinner. But then chocolate for breakfast is not a bad thing either. The dining room was waiting and we had a table at the window near the stern and when looking outside, we saw that Phoenix had built an outside bar under the overhang that HAL constructed in 2010 to make the back pool bigger and also stop it from overflowing. So we have to investigate that tomorrow. This is also a smokers area but if there is a bit of wind, it should not bother us. There is a 2nd smoking area on board, a real indoor smoking room (screened off with a glass wall), in the corner of the old Ocean Bar (now Harry’s bar) and that also works well.

Captain Valdes.

The Cruise Direktor. Herr Liemberger from Germany.

Then we had the party. Captain with photo opportunity on the portside and direct entry at the starboard side. Knowing that the side lines of the lounge are not that great, I herded our little group in as fast as possible to get the best seats / un-obstructed view, and where then ready for more complimentary champagne and nibbles. As it used to be with HAL and still is with Cunard and Fred Olsen. For a 4 star company this is shaping up as a really good quality product even putting some of the more pretentious companys to shame. The crew kept coming around with refills and “re-nibbling” and then the parade started. Because Phoenix is putting so much focus to direct service to the guests, there was a large cruise staff team on the stage and a large number of officers, making the stage a bit crowded to say the least. The master of the vessel is captain Dariel Valdes, who went through the ranks with Phoenix, (the company exists since 1993) and is a very affable man. I do not think he likes speeches very much as his little speech was completely rehearsed and very P.C. So the hotel staff were introduced by the Hotel manager and then all the cruise staff by the Cruise Director. Captain then came back with the champagne toast. This was followed by the Revue show who produced something called “Let us Entertain you” with songs by Elvis P, Tina T and a rock and roll medl. At certain moments a lady popped up to hang upside down from a rope from the ceiling. Unfortunately the ceiling of the lounge is very low so the effect was somewhat limited . Not all of the cast could sing that well and I have seen much better cheography on the small stage in Prinsendam days.. Let’s say the next show can only be better.

Nice touch and never seen before, your name on the petit-fours plate.

That concluded our evening as by now, we had had enough to eat and drink to last 3 days. Tomorrow we have the pilot at 04.00 hrs. and then a sail in to Flam with a docking time at 11.00 hrs. We were supposed to anchor, but a bigger ship scheduled to dock, cancelled and so we are going alongside. Our friends are going on the Flam- train excursion but as we have done everything and anything there is to do in Norway we will enjoy the ship and used the large ironing room on deck 6.. Weather for tomorrow, partly cloudy, partly sunny, chance of a rain drop and temperatures in the low sixties. (14 – 17oC) Not a bad start for this seven day cruise at all.

2025 July 25 Boarding the ms Amera in Bremerhaven

July 26, 2025 / Captain Albert / 17 Comments

Three days ago we left England and drove via the Hook of Holland overnight Ferry to Bremerhaven. Here we stayed for 3 nights in an hotel (Hotel Liberty at the edge of the old port) to have a look at the maritime museums before joining the ms Amera today.

The ms Amera of Phoenix Reisen. Seen here in what looks like sailing into Antigua. (Photo Courtesy Phoenix Reisen)

The Amera is the ex Prinsendam (II) and I was captain on her from 2009 to 2012. The daily stories are in the Blog archives see link on the front page of this website. I wanted to see the ship again as Phoenix Reisen had made a number of changes on board, some of them we as crew had asked HAL for, for years, but never got.

The ms Prinsendam of Holland America Line. Seen here sailing in the Bosphorus in 2002 just after she joined the company,

Phoenix Reisen is a German 4star segment operator and concentrates on the German market. It will be interesting to see if they are any other none Germans on board, except me, my wife Lesley and my two Dutch Friends who came with us. He is the son of Captain Van Deventer (see his biography elsewhere on the website) and we met for the first time on the Prinsendam in 2010 and have remained friends ever since.

The ms Royal Viking Sun. built in 1988 as the most luxury cruise ship at that time. Introducing cabins with balconies to the industry as a standard feature.

Phoenix charters only uses old second hand tonnage but maintains it very well. As a result all the ships are very individual in character which the managing director of Phoenix described in 2019 as an advantage for his public. “They come to a ship once and if they like it, they stay with the ship. If not then they try another one until they have found the right one and then they stay. This is a total different philosophy from most other company’s, including Holland America who want to have standarization of the product over their fleet as much as possible, and thus a similar lay-out as much as possible. It was one of the reasons for the Prinsendam to leave the fleet in 2019. She was just too different, although she made good money. She was then subsequently bought by a Phoenix Reisen. Phoenix has apart from 4 deep sea ships also a large fleet of inland river cruise ships.

The ms Royal Viking Sun ended up with Cunard who did not change anything except painting the funnel red. Then she was added to Seabourn Cruises and via Carnival Cruises, Seabourn ended up with Holland America. As the Sun was so much bigger then the other Seabourn vessels, the Sun fitted better with HAL and became the Prinsendam (II) (Photo courtesy unknown source on the internet)

Other ships in the Phoenix deep sea fleet:
ms Amadea built in 1991 as the Japanese Asuka
ms Amera built in 1988 as the Royal Viking Sun, later Seabourn Sun and ms Prinsendam
ms Artania built in 1984 as the ms Royal Princesss for P&O Princess Cruises
ms Deutschland built in 1998 for Deilmann Cruises (and became world famous in Germany as “Das Traumschiff” or “The Dreamship# in English. The German version of The Love Boat. The are currently still filming these series but now on the Amadea which is double the size of the Deutschland)

At 1100 we finished our stay at Hotel Liberty in Bremerhaven and left the car in the garage, at a cost of 18,– euro a day but it is the hotel garage and is locked overnight. By 1400 hrs we were at the terminal and the ms Amera was the only ship in port today. The terminal is very long and can handle 4 ships at the same time but if that would be the case it would be very crowded. The Phoenix Reisen system works similar to the rest of the world. There is a separate check-in, Gold for the suites, Silber for the mini suites and then the rest. As we had a suite, we lined up at the Gold line and were the first through. As most of the crew is philipino it was easy to do the check in in English something the check in lady, in normal life Bar waitress on board, found easier as well. Lesley had to hand in her passport as the UK is now a 3rd world country as far as the European Union is concerned since Brexit. When I asked for a receipt, it took just 2 minutes for the supervisor to write one. So apart from HAL, Phoenix is now only the 2nd company we have travelled on, who understands that you need to get a receipt when you hand in your passport , if it was only in case they lose it. (See other reviews on the website where we did have problems even on the six star level)

Security was a breeze with the machine being able to handle laptops and other devices still in the trolley and thus minimal fuss. Once through they had set had setup a welcome champagne bar with tables for a welcome on board drink. The photographer was there of course and we had our welcome on board photo taken, as we do that on most ships and also the prices here are very good. (7.50 a photo). Once on board, being the first ones, there was escort to the cabin. Since HAL time, the suites have been rebuilt and there is now a complete partition between the sitting area and the bedroom area. Gold service comes with a full stocked – free- minibar, 2 water bottles, two logo backpacks, 2 logo big coffee cups, two sets of “gift” toiletries, Welcome on board champagne (in cooler), bathroom slippers and umbrellas. Then it comes with 2 massage vouchers and a champagne breakfast in bed. Dedicated concierge and there is access to the Neptune lounge now called the Gold lounge with free nibbles and free non & alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and coffee. The nibbles are less elaborate than with HAL has in the Neptune lunge but HAL does not do free drinks so it depends if you have guests on board, who prefer to eat or those who prefer to drink. Sofar we are really impressed. This is the “longer cruise” setup HAL had on Prinsendam in the older days.

Boatdrill was at 18.15 and was the old fashioned routine, take your lifejacket, stand under your lifeboat be checked off and then wait for the captain and safety officer to march by. I prefer the post Covid setup where you find your way, at your convinience……… so you remember the route better…… to the lifeboat station and get scanned in. With so many people around and stairway guides pushing you on the way, you tend not to pay attention to your surrounding sand just follow the crowd until you see a lollipop person with your lifeboat station.

As none of us had never been exposed to a German cruise program, we had to find out the “German flow” of things. Tonight it turned out that all the Germans at once marched into the diningroom and the Lido once the doors opened (1800 hrs), so the 4 of us had both lounges (Harry’s Bar ex Ocean Bar and Piano Lounge (ex Explorers lounge and Java Cafe combined) to ourselves for a drink. Suggestion from the Cruise Director was already to show up a bit later. According to the dining room manager it was the bet thing to do until about day 3, when “things settled down”. Maybe the gGrmans have the same scare as we also see on North American ships, that the kitchen will run out of food. So we went in at 19.30 and some tables were clearing out. Food is good, mainstream and the same as on North American ships 4 or 5 star. We were too late for the show, which was a “Around Britain” revue show, possible as the Cast are English. By now we have already found out that although the guests are 95% German (with a few Dutch and Austrian and Luxembourgians thrown in) the crew is very international so for English speakers not much of a problem. There is a whole team of support staff on board and they are a mixture of host/hostesses, shore excursion, cruise staff all mixed into one in turquoise T shirts and jackets. The Captain and Cruise Director are the direct faces of the front of the house, while the hotel staff with the Hotel Director are slightly more in the background and dressed in regular uniforms.

After dinner we looked to have another drink but now all the bars and lounges were heaving with guests, so we decided to call it a day. Tomorrow is a sea day, with very good weather expected. Partly Cloudy, smooth seas and temperatures in the mid sixties. The ship only has to maintain an average speed of 16 knots to get to our first port of call Flam so nothing to worry about. The next day we are arriving at Flam Norway around lunch time. Thus time to enjoy a scenic drive sail in.

2025 June 06, Stornoway, Western Isles, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

June 7, 2025 / Captain Albert / 5 Comments

Today it was Stornoway and recently they have constructed a large dock here, big enough to receive the largest cruise ships. The surface had only just been finished and they are still working on developing the larger dock area which I assume will eventually be used for containers and maybe storing windmills as the latter is the up and coming industry in the area. Weather was supposed to be sunny, wind still and 12oC / 54oF but by 11 am. it clouded over and then it dripped water for the rest of the day. Like drizzle but in big drops. The wind went up from none to about 12 knots just adding enough wind chill to feel right Scottish.

The new dock when it completely finished. This is a design photo from the local authorities with a ship that vaguely resembles either a large P&O ship or one from MSC. The grey dock are has not been filled in yet and also the sheds were not there yet. (Photo courtesy Port of Stornoway)

In the good days I came here with the ms Prinsendam, and if there was no wind (seldom) I could float in the inner harbour and run a short tender service into the port. If the wind popped up I had to move to the area where they have now built this new dock. It is called the Deepwater Terminal. Once during such an anchorage, the anchor got fouled and when it came up some thick steel cables were stuck around the flukes of the anchor. It took well over an hour for the 2nd engineer to cut through the three inch thick wires. It turned out that in the 2nd World War, Stornoway outer anchorage was a place for the American air craft carriers to anchor. They were attached with wires to large anchoring stones and when they left, the wires were just left on the sea bottom. Just waiting for the Prinsendam to fish them up again. When I complained to the pilot later on, the answer was, I thought you would have known that. Obviously being convinced that I was intimately aware of Stornoway’s more recent history. While he was the one in the first place who indicated the corect anchoring spot to me. I assume now that when they filled in the whole area for this dock, all the 2nd world war hardware was left and is now buried under thick layers of rock.

This is downtown Stornoway as seen from the ship. Note the dark clouds. This is sunshine in North Scotland.

Instead of a short tender shuttle it is a now a 2 mile hike (they have laid out a very nice nature pad from the ship to the town) or bus trip into town. The town had laid on a shuttle service and they must be used to the larger ships by now as they had set up a “Disney swivel” in both waiting area’s to avoid mayhem in trying to get on the bus. They used double decker buses so each load was close to a 100 people. It worked well but they could not really schedule against the fact that everybody went ashore at the same time (11.00 after lunch) and coming back at the same time(12.30 for lunch).

Stornoway inner harbor. This were the shuttle bus stopped and also the ships tenders when a ship does not dock. The blue orange boat is the local RNLI lifeboat. Nearly every port in this area has one as this is a very dangerous coast.

Stornoway is for the area a large town but not that touristy so the number of special -tourist- shops was rather limited for cruise guests hunting souvenirs but the jewelry outlets did rather well. The locally made jewelry is all based on Celtic folklore and there are some well-known names such as Shetland Jewelry, Sheila Fleet, Ogham etc. etc. The designs are quite intricate an although I am not an expert (My Lord and Master is) I still think those are the best souvenirs to buy as it is something that lasts and can be admired for a long, long time.

A large number of tours leave from here, most of them focusing on the rugged landscape and ruins, left over from the Neolithic days (standing stones etc.) and churches. Of the latter there are lot, with downtown Stornoway already counting 7 of them. That was for use too many to choose from so we decided to go back on board and enjoy a Lido lunch. The Lido market was fairly quiet by 13.00 hrs. and thus I could get at the Italian station which is extremely popular but as all is cooked while waiting (one cook, one hot plate) it takes some time and thus I normally avoid it, as even now being retired, I still feel that guests go first. (I do not think that you can ever beat that out of a Holland America Employee)

At the shuttle waiting area in the town there was this fishing boat bridge standing, with the option for children to climb in and imagine they were a real ships captain. The Lady next to it was having a hard time getting her son out if it, so I think Stornoway has found itself another fisherman. Fishing is a very important industry for the area and it gives the ship the option to get fresh fish on board on most days,

We managed this evening to get a seat in the Ocean Bar (with the number of Dutch on board the ship does not have enough cocktail capacity) as a couple left and we squeezed straight in. A guitar /piano player from Tennessee was playing from 18.45 to 19.30. It was the second “dressy” night and the variation in dress code was even more apparent. We sat in a corner with an ex-hal employee couple ( from the 1970’s) and a group of Finnish all dressed to the hilt with two tables down a group of what I would describe as “summer labourers” in a nice way. Nobody took very much notice of the other but it dumbed down the glamour of the rest somewhat.

Dinner was “As You Wish” again and now we walked in at 19.30 which seems to be for the 2nd sitting flow the busiest time. Not much you can do about it as with the 2nd show starting at 21.00 hrs. there is not option to come in later. If they would start the show at 21.30 then I think it would take some pressure away from the Dining room as more guests would have another cocktail to avoid an over crowded dining room.

For us the good thing was that with so many tables taken, we were almost in the center of the dining room and thus it was far less noisy, than during the first night, as all the noise could disperse upwards towards the 2nd level ceiling. So if you decide on “As You Wish” dining (deck 2) try to wiggle a seat more in the center not near the windows. Service was friendly and fast but again not all the dishes or drinks were served as requested and there was not much attention to detail.

Then it was time to go to the Show. The 2nd cast show of the cruise and it was very good again. Now the 2 singers and 6 dancers had teamed up with the band of the Rock Lounge and thus there was a live orchestra. They just fell short of a standing ovation but they did run to the exit doors of the World Stage and received a lot of complements. Unfortunately I cannot show photos as any form of recording is prohibited although I saw some guests ignoring this.

If I had been able to do so, I could have showed you the “side show” during the show, performed by by two ladies on scooters who came in around 21.30 and rolled into the front area near the stage. Then they leisurely started parking themselves and then hoist themselves out of the scooters into the chairs. This caused some guests to have to re-locate as now the crutches, stuck in holders on the scooters, were marring the view. This was irritating but also quite surreal to watch. Again had the show started at 21.30 they would have probably rolled in on time and avoided hampering those sitting now behind them from enjoying the show.

Note: for those who read the “lemoncello” remark some days ago. We got to the bottom of it all. There was a bottle on board but it was stored in one bar as there were not enough bottles for the whole ship. (Full supply is supposed to come next call in Rotterdam) Somebody forgot to advise those in the other outlets were the bottle was.

In red at the top of Scotland, the Island of Lewis and Harris on which Stornoway is located.

Tomorrow we are in Belfast Northern Ireland. That means we will cross from the North West top of Scotland (Western Isles) down to the Green Isle. Then the day after we are in Glasgow which means we cross the Irish Sea back to Scotland. Then the day after we cross back again, now to Dun Loiaghaire for Dublin. Then we cross partly back again to visit the Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish Sea before we head southward and cross again to get to Cobh at the southside of Ireland, Why all this crisscrossing, well it is the easiest way to get a night at sea with the ship, so all the amenities can stay open. I expect that between Belfast and Glasgow the Casino will remain closed as you have to be 12 nautical miles off shore to comply with British gambling rules. The Irish sea near Belfast is only 20 miles wide so you cannot get 12 miles at either side,

2024 Sept 20. Review ms Celestyal Journey (ex Ryndam)

September 20, 2024 / Captain Albert / 10 Comments

Good morning,

our travels continue and after the Celebrity Apex, we have now tried a “trip down memory lane” sailing on the Celestyal journey ex Ryndam of Holland America with a 7 day cruise from Pireaus to the Greek Islands.

This review can be found to the right of this post under the header:

My Cruises and Reviews

Please click on it, and then go one more time to the right and you will see the name of the ship at the bottom and click again.

I hope you will find it interesting and maybe diverting.

2022 April 18; Holland America Celebrates 149th Anniversary

April 19, 2022 / Captain Albert / 10 Comments

Good morning, Yesterday my company released the below press release. We are 149 years young with 1 year remaining to our mile stone of 150 years. Also the naming ceremony of the Rotterdam VII is coming up in May.

Holland America Line Celebrates 149th Anniversary and Prepares for May Naming Ceremony in Rotterdam

Premium brand is getting ready to sail into its 150th year and prepares celebrations for Rotterdam, along with four more ships returning to service

Seattle, Wash., April 18, 2022 — Holland America Line is commemorating its 149th anniversary today as it moves closer to its 150th milestone next year. To mark the occasion, the day will be celebrated on board with grand desserts, special champagne toasts and festivities for guests and team members.

This is as far as I know the earliest poster which HAL published. Sometime between 1877 and 1880

In addition to the 149th anniversary, the cruise line will continue the celebrations through early June with the restart of Noordam (April 24), Oosterdam (May 8), Zaandam (May 12) and Westerdam (June 12) — bringing the entire fleet of 11 ships back in service — as well as the official naming ceremony for Rotterdam, which will be held May 30 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2022, Holland America Line also celebrates 75 years of Alaska exploration.

ms Eurodam in Rotterdam

“As Holland America Line moves closer to the 150th anniversary of our founding, these past couple of years have shown us the importance of celebrating our milestones,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “This April is an important month with Holland America Line leading the return to Canadian cruising, the restart of Noordam and our anniversaries of our founding and travel to Alaska. We are grateful to be moving along a positive path, not only as a brand, but as an industry.”

The ms Rotterdam VII arriving in Rotterdam as seen from the Northbank of the river Maas.

The ss Rotterdam (I) sailing for the new World. In size she would fit 62 times inside the newest namesake,

Sailing Toward Holland America Line’s 150th Anniversary

As one of the longest-serving and most experienced cruise lines in the world, Holland America Line has become known for its award-winning ships and service. Though transportation and shipping were the mainstays of its business in the 19th century, the company began to offer cruise vacations in 1895. Today, Holland America Line operates 11 ships that visit nearly 400 ports across all seven continents.

Rotterdam’s Official Naming in Rotterdam

Holland America Line’s newest ship, Rotterdam, was delivered in July 2021, but the official naming ceremony will be held May 30. Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands will be the ship’s godmother, carrying on a tradition that began in the 1920s.

Rotterdam will depart Amsterdam, the Netherlands, May 29 on a seven-day “Rotterdam Naming Celebration” cruise that explores the gorgeous landscapes of Norway. When the ship arrives at Rotterdam May 30, a private ceremony will be held for invited guests that will be broadcast throughout the ship. During the voyage, guests will enjoy special events exclusive to the naming sailing, including a celebratory Gala Dinner and an opportunity to participate in the blessing of the ship’s bell, along with surprises and commemorative gifts.

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

- Captain Albert's Website and Blog -

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