Holland America Blog
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Holland America Blog Has Just Posted the Following:
The cruise of the Zaandam terminates in Seward at least for those who go home or go overland. I found out during the changeover in Seward that we had about 200 on board who are making the cruise back down to Vancouver as well. That cruise is nearly the same except for calling at Haines instead of Skagway. *Holland America has been going to Seward since the early 1990’s when the Rotterdam V initiated the service. Our company opted for Seward because Whittier, just around the corner, was much more of a blowhole than Seward. It has not been unknown for the ships there to be delayed in arrival because the weather was just too inclement. Courtesy of the fact that the Whittier dock is much more exposed. Seward is located deep in a fjord and when it blows, then it is mostly north to south, that is in line with the dock, and that makes the chance of docking for 99% certain. I believe in all the years it has only been once that a HAL ship could not dock and that was with the old Rotterdam.* Being a steam ship she was still to a certain extent relying on tugboats and during that one call, the wind was just under the wrong angle, and just too strong for tug and ship together.* Luckily in Seward there is the option to drop anchor just off the dock and that is what we did. Then we just tendered everybody ashore.* Not an easy task in a turn over port, getting the 1000 guests ashore was just regular work but bringing approx. 3000 pieces of luggage ashore with the lifeboats was another thing. (And then of course the same amount back on board again) We managed the whole operation by having 4 big lifeboats in the water and towing them 2 by 2 with the motor lifeboats 1 &2 ashore. The good old Rotterdam still had rowing lifeboats by means of a Fleming gear system. Which meant that they had to be towed for this short of operation. Ashore we had […]
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The cruise of the Zaandam terminates in Seward at least for those who go home or go overland. I found out during the changeover in Seward that we had about 200 on board who are making the cruise back down to Vancouver as well. That cruise is nearly the same except for calling at Haines instead of Skagway. *Holland America has been going to Seward since the early 1990’s when the Rotterdam V initiated the service. Our company opted for Seward because Whittier, just around the corner, was much more of a blowhole than Seward. It has not been unknown for the ships there to be delayed in arrival because the weather was just too inclement. Courtesy of the fact that the Whittier dock is much more exposed. Seward is located deep in a fjord and when it blows, then it is mostly north to south, that is in line with the dock, and that makes the chance of docking for 99% certain. I believe in all the years it has only been once that a HAL ship could not dock and that was with the old Rotterdam.* Being a steam ship she was still to a certain extent relying on tugboats and during that one call, the wind was just under the wrong angle, and just too strong for tug and ship together.* Luckily in Seward there is the option to drop anchor just off the dock and that is what we did. Then we just tendered everybody ashore.* Not an easy task in a turn over port, getting the 1000 guests ashore was just regular work but bringing approx. 3000 pieces of luggage ashore with the lifeboats was another thing. (And then of course the same amount back on board again) We managed the whole operation by having 4 big lifeboats in the water and towing them 2 by 2 with the motor lifeboats 1 &2 ashore. The good old Rotterdam still had rowing lifeboats by means of a Fleming gear system. Which meant that they had to be towed for this short of operation. Ashore we had […]
Click here to view the article.
