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May 7, 2023 Seattle arrival and journey home

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     Early this morning Westerdam entered the Juan de Fuca Strait from Vancouver Island to Seattle and was docked by 7 a.m.   The sky was mainly overcast although patches of blue sky started to show after noon. The temperature was 10° C with a south wind at 12 km per hour.     We gathered the backpacks, made a final sweep of the stateroom and went to the dining room for breakfast. We walked a short time on Deck 3 which was partially closed. Our departure number to leave Westerdam was scheduled for 9:15, but it was called half an hour early which was fine.      Passengers were scanned off Westerdam and directed into the terminal to collect our luggage before boarding the bus for the transfer to the airport. The bus was on its way by 9:23 a.m. with passengers from both Westerdam and Discovery Princess ships. The driver gave some commentary on the 25 minute ride to the airport using the tunnel “freeway” under downtown Seattle. While above g...
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May 6, 2023 Sea Day #9

        After leaving Ketchikan before 6 p.m., yesterday, Westerdam was followed out of port by Nieuw Amsterdam on its way back to Vancouver. Shortly after 7 p.m., the pilot boat arrived to collect the harbour pilot from the ship, then it waited in the area for the Nieuw Amsterdam to offload its’ pilot when it got to the area.   Westerdam went south toward Dixon Entrance into Hecafe Strait with Haida Gwaii to the west. By daylight, she was in Queen Charlotte Sound going a little south west to start to skirt Vancouver Island for the rest of the day.        The Itinerary for this cruise at the beginning of April stated that the ship was to travel the Inside Passage weaving among the smaller islands from Ketchikan to Seattle. However the captain had calculated speeds needed to cover the distance. He altered head office in Seattle when he   realized that Westerdam could not arrive in Seattle at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 7 using that route. This ...
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May 5, 2023. Ketchikan, Alaska

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      Again today the Discovery Princess is in port as well as Celebrity Solstice (3,420 passenger capacity) and Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam (2,527 passenger capacity). The Westerdam is the smallest cruise ship here today. There were between 10,000 and 12,000 cruise passengers exploring the area.      Westerdam was scheduled to dock in Ketchikan at 10 a.m. The day was drizzly as Westerdam was docking. The temperature was 8° C and no wind. Clouds were hanging around the surrounding mountains. After a later breakfast we walked for about 45 minutes on the Promenade Deck 3 watching the gangway being secured and the approach of the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam arriving late. We accumulated over 7,100 steps   since we did not expect to add too many steps during today’s excursion. As Nieuw Amsterdam got closer to the docking area, we watched a float plane take off within sight of the ship.     Our excursion was scheduled to leave at 11 a.m. W...
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May 4, 2023. Sitka, Alaska

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    Westerdam was docked by 7 a.m. by the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal which is six miles from the centre of town.   Today the Discovery Princess, with a capacity of 4,402 passengers , is also in port sharing the port buses that shuttle passengers into town in less than 15 minutes. The temperature was 3° C, mainly sunny and a gentle breeze at east 7 km per hour this morning, but it had warmed to 5° C by 8:30 a.m. when we were boarding the bus into Sitka.    Sitka is situated on the central west coast of Baranof Island in Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago.   Sitka is known for its beautiful scenery, where visitors can enjoy fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Before the Russian fur traders arrived, the area was the traditional home of the Tlingit people for more than 10,000 years.   Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano, is visible from Sitka on clear days.      The Russian American Company controlled Alaska, with the blessing of the Rus...
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