Early this morning, I am a bit worried about not seeing the Hubbard Glacier later today, since when I’m out on the stern deck, there is a lot of fog. The ship sails past the very impressive St. Elias mountain range eastward through the Gulf of Alaska to Hubbard Glacier this morning, while another cruise ship is sailing westward. I attend the Mariner Society Welcome Reception at 11AM, where I meet some of the officers and chat with my fellow passengers with 3, 4, and 5 star Mariner status as we sip wine and snack on peanuts.
This afternoon, it clears up nicely as the ship turns into Yakutat Bay, with beautiful Mt. Cook visible. As we turn into Disenchantment Bay, I spot both Turner and Hubbard Glaciers, taking photos as we proceed. The ship eventually gets very close to the ice pack in front of the glacier face, slowly turning to allow all passengers to get views of this magnificent area.
There is commentary from the Explorations Lounge on Deck 11, which can also be heard on outside decks. I go down to the Promenade Deck to have a look, but quickly realize I will see everything from my verandah, with the added benefit of being able to duck inside my stateroom to warm up. This is the coldest day of the trip so far, with a cold wind coming at us from the glaciers, so I wear my toque, scarf and winter coat.
As the ship starts pulling out of Disenchantment Bay, I get dressed in a suit and tie for my dinner reservation in the Pinnacle Grill. I have a lovely Tanqueray 10 Gin martini to start, then crab cakes, filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and loaded baked potato, finishing off with creme brûlée. I have a sparkling French rose with my main course. Despite the daily program saying attire is “dressy” this evening, it’s obvious that HAL no longer enforces a dress code, since I see people seated in the Pinnacle Grill who are wearing winter coats and jeans, and all manner of dress that is certainly not even close to being dressy.
We don’t leave the hotel until 12:10PM, so I finish annotating my photos this morning, posting a new Denali-Anchorage album to my Flickr account before I leave. The hotel Wi-fi is pathetically slow, so I’m glad I have my mobile LTE roaming from Fido to work with.
I say goodbye to our Tour Director Cassandra Joy, encouraging her to look me up if she finds herself in Victoria. We board our bus to transfer to the rail station, and take an Alaska Railway dome car to Whittier, which is a 3-hour scenic trip. There is snack and drink service to the seat offered by each car’s attendant. We pass through a tunnel that is shared by road vehicles and trains – a unique approach to saving the expense of building and operating two tunnels!
The Nieuw Amsterdam is waiting for us at the dock. Check-in is slow due to the health check requirements before boarding, but it takes well under an hour before I’m in my lovely verandah stateroom on the ship. A short time later, my checked bag shows up, so I unpack and settle in.
First order of business is to find my Muster Station and register with the crew there, and then watch the safety video in my cabin. Gathering all passengers on deck at their muster stations is no longer done, in order to avoid crowding and risk of infection. I have a wonderful dinner with 4 others in the main dining room: snow crab cocktail, Alaska salmon fillet, and strawberries with ice cream. Since I have the drinks package, I have two glasses of Italian Pinot Gris with dinner. The ship leaves at 6:00PM while I’m still at dinner, which is earlier than the scheduled departure time of 10PM stated in my itinerary.
I can’t stop taking photos and video on this trip, and today is no exception. The train ride down was through a scenic inlet and moose flat wetland, and then the ship sails past snow-capped mountains and through a lovely channel with lots of islands as the sun sets behind us. I can already appreciate the charm of an Alaska cruise, and we are just starting out!
Ship’s route – sailing from Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
I make no journal entries and take no photographs for the two days it takes to sail from the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale, since by that time I am pretty well shut down mentally. I concentrate on surviving the ordeal of being confined to our cabin for nine days, so I am able to ultimately return home to Canada. As can be seen by the ship’s route map, both ships proceed at full speed on a northerly course across the Caribbean Sea, rounding Cuba to the west by Havana.
April 2, 2020 – arriving in Fort Lauderdale
9:15am – We are 22 miles offshore from Fort Lauderdale, and still awaiting permission to land, so we can start the pre-clearance process today. We put our main checked bags out this morning, which are taken to a holding area on board the ship, ultimately to be transferred ashore for us.
1:50pm – Both Zaandam and Rotterdam are approved to come alongside and dock at the cruise port terminal within the next hour. We sail up the shipping channel to the cruise terminal, with lots of friendly waves coming from people on shore, however under the watchful eye of the US Coast Guard (see banner image above). We are designated to disembark the ship tomorrow morning – the first wave of Canadians leaving the ship to return to Canada!
People ashore waving to us as Rotterdam sails up the channel to the dock (Shot through a dirty cabin window!)
Once docked, the pre-clearance process aboard the ship involves yet another health questionnaire and submitting to a health screening. We are then given the treasured “Approved to Disembark” card, walk off the ship into the terminal where we are waved through by US Immigration and Customs officers. We then walk back on board the ship, where we will stay overnight until tomorrow’s actual disembarkation. What a strange procedure!
The Rotterdam and Zaandam are at anchor in the bay just off Balboa today. At dinner this evening, the captain informs us we have approvals for a canal transit, so both ships raise anchor and proceed to the Canal entrance after dark.
I have transited the Panama Canal on three previous occasions, but I find this is without a doubt the strangest. First of all, apparently the reason we were approved to transit is that Panama considers this a medical humanitarian mission. Both ships are proceeding after dark with minimal external lighting – no veranda deck lights, cabin blackout curtains are pulled, and we are transiting using the more remote, but new Cocoli Locks. I’m speculating, however I think it’s likely these measures are in place so the Panamanian public and canal workers don’t see our ships. There is great fear of mass protests by governments during these strange times we now live in…
The banner image above shows a webcam view of the Zaandam passing through Cocoli Locks. Note there are no canal workers in sight, since these new locks are designed to allow ship’s thrusters to be used instead of the labour-intensive towing that is required in the old locks.
It is a lazy morning, but I’m finally motivated to get up and go to the Explorations Cafe for a cappuccino. I sit quietly in a recliner looking out at the flat seas we are currently sailing through off the northern coast of Chile. I try to calm myself and relax, as my mind races through all the scenarios the end of this ill-fated voyage might take.
At 2pm the captain comes on the PA system with an important announcement: “A higher number of passengers with influenza-like symptoms reported to the medical centre this morning. Until further notice all guests need to stay in their rooms, since it is well-proven that this strategy will slow the spread of the virus. All food service in public areas will cease and meals will be delivered directly to passenger staterooms.” This is dreadful news – we are in quarantine!
March 23, 2020 – Day 2 at sea – off the coast of Peru
We wait until 10:30am for our breakfast to appear, and considering the ship’s clock lost an hour early this morning, it was actually 11:30am! Instead of a pot of coffee, we just get two cups, along with eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, Cheerios and milk. There were also a couple of pancakes, which didn’t look at all appetizing. No doubt, food services staff are scrambling to deliver meals to all 1,300 guests three times a day!
Ship’s position off the Peruvian coast
After lunch, the captain announces that Holland America has dispatched the Rotterdam to assist us with any additional staff or supplies we might need until we reach Fort Lauderdale. Rotterdam loaded extra supplies (including COVID-19 test kits) from the now-idle Eurodam and Oosterdam, and is now underway towards us, meeting us on Mar 26th off the coast of Panama. All three ships were located near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Our lunch arrives around 3pm, and consists of chicken breast, rice, vegetables, spring rolls, and salad. A half dozen beer and bottles of red and white wine are also delivered outside our door. So we now have four bottles of wine in our stateroom. Too bad we’re in no mood to party!
A first-stage alarm goes off this afternoon, which turns out to be a small fire in the laundry. It doesn’t go any further, and the captain announces a stand-down for the crew shortly after, and reassures the passengers that the incident is successfully resolved.
The couple from across the hall are thrilled to see out our window while we chat with them (at a distance) with our cabin doors open. They occupy a windowless stateroom, but they seem to be coping pretty well.
Sunset over the Pacific Ocean offshore from Arequipa, , Peru
March 24, 2020 – Day 3 at sea – off the coast of Peru
Ship’s position offshore from Trujillo, Peru
The captain relates that thirteen guests and 29 crew members have fallen ill on board as of yesterday, displaying flu-like symptoms. New cases has fallen dramatically today, since passengers and non-working crew remain in their cabins for the second day. The captain continues to indicate they still want to give at least passengers in inside cabins with no window some brief outside deck access. We would also very much appreciate having access to some fresh air and be able to walk on deck, since our window doesn’t open!
March 25, 2020 – Day 4 at sea – off the coast of Ecuador
The meals being brought to us are very good, but neither of us have an appetite, so we just snack a bit. I can feel myself shutting down – both mentally and physically. I just sit doing nothing…it’s like I can’t achieve focus, despite having lots of tasks I could be doing on my computer, or listening to music or e-books, or watching TV, etc.
In-cabin food: beef stew, quinoa vegetarian, chicken strips, lemon cake, green salad with mushrooms
Today we get to leave our cabins for the promised fresh air break for those of us who don’t have verandahs. Each group gets 30 minutes outside on deck, which is very much appreciated, even though we have to wear masks and follow other quarantine protocols!
Although we were unaware at the time, it turns out the ship made a secret rendezvous with an Ecuadoran Coast Guard boat dispatched one kilometre offshore from Manta, resulting in some high drama. Three palettes of badly-need medical supplies including: oxygen, two ventilators, medications, medical supplies, and virus test kits were successfully transferred to the ship. These supplies had arrived on a Lear jet from Florida, and two critically ill passengers were taken off the ship and flown back to Florida, all happening under the cover of darkness. I read this information two years later in the book Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic, by Michael Smith and Jonathan Franklin.
March 26, 2020 – Day 5 at sea – no report
March 27, 2020 – Balboa, Panama
Both the Rotterdam and Zaandam are now anchored in a bay adjacent to Balboa (the Pacific entry point for the Panama Canal), where we continue to await clearance to transit the Canal. Rotterdam will refuel while at anchor.
The captain announces this morning that four passengers have died over the last couple of days. COVID-19 testing has revealed two passengers testing positive. A small number of healthy guests will be moved from Zaandam to the Rotterdam today, with priority being given to inside cabin occupants and those who are over 70. We qualify to be moved to the Rotterdam, so after passing yet another medical test, we’re all packed and waiting for our transfer to happen. We know everyone will continue to be confined to staterooms while on the Rotterdam, but it is still a more promising situation for us.
Later, the captain reports that transfers are delayed since the Rotterdam is still bunkering fuel, although he expects at least some guests will transfer this evening, with the rest of the transfers now delayed until tomorrow. He also reports that new cases reported to the medical centre have levelled off, but he urges all passengers to wear the personal medical masks provided. They are also suspending the fresh air program on the advice of the US CDC.
March 28, 2020 – Balboa, Panama
Our transfer from Zaandam to Rotterdam.
Wendy and I are transferred to the Rotterdam this morning, since we are both relatively healthy. They continue to transfer healthy passengers from Zaandam to Rotterdam all day using strict medical and cleaning protocols.
Our cabin on the Rotterdam ends up being nearly identical to the one we had on the Zaandam, right down to having the exact same number!
Now we wait for news of our ships being permitted to transit the Panama Canal.
Although Capt. Albert J. Schoonderbeek was not the duty captain on the Rotterdam at the time of our voyage, he was aboard the ship as an “ambassador”. He personally and cheerfully greeted my fellow passengers and I as we climbed the gangway into the ship when we were transferred from the Zaandam. If you are interested in the behind-the-scenes activities the crew carried out on behalf of the passengers, please read his blog.
We arrive in port this morning on time and anchor in the harbour. The fuel barge comes alongside and the bunkering commences. I have breakfast with four other Canadians: a couple from New Brunswick and two women from Orillia and Montreal.
It is a dull and rainy morning in Valparaiso, but I’m hoping it will clear a bit so I can take some panoramic photos of the city later today. Executive Chef Vinod attends the coffee chat this morning, which is proving very popular now that the passengers are bored and can’t leave the ship. He tells us there are 64 chefs and kitchen staff working for 11 hours each day, with breaks between the meals. There are also two chefs who take care of the room service meals 24/7. The kitchens produce 6,000 to 8,000 meals every day.
There is storage for: fruit & vegetables, meats, seafood, dairy. Corporate chefs determine the menus, depending on the ship’s route. In our case, he has full authority to determine our menu on this cruise. There is 15% wastage, especially from Lido. Vegan and vegetarian options are being featured more often. He is working on food planning for the upcoming Canada and New England cruises.
Sure enough, the weather clears in the afternoon, giving us a nice sunny 17°C day, so I spend quite a bit of time on the Lower Promenade Deck. A Sea Lion is sleeping on the bulbous bow of the fuel barge beside us, so passengers take lots of photos, including me!
Jamsheed Master playing piano on Main Stage
After dinner I go to see Jamsheed Master play a piano tribute to The Golden Age of Song in the Main Stage. It is a very good performance, and apparently this is one of only 12 live performances with a live audience that is running worldwide today, due to coronavirus crowd restrictions! They are live streaming the performance, but I can’t find the URL to share.
March 21, 2020 – reprovisioning and departing Valparaiso, Chile
I sleep in until almost 9am this morning, since there is nothing to look forward to today. We are still in Valparaiso harbour, and still waiting for the provision loading to complete. I have breakfast with a couple from Spain who are originally from Brazil, and an oriental couple from Australia. Wildfires in Australia and speculation on where we are headed next dominate the conversation. The Australians arrived a few weeks before the ship departed Buenos Aires and visited Peru and Igazu Falls, which they saw from both the Argentina and Brazil sides – on my bucket list.
Our provisions are being barged from shore, so it is a very slow operation, but the captain updates us at noon saying our remaining supplies are on their way and we should be able to depart today at 5pm.
This afternoon, our captain tells us that all our stores are aboard and the ship is full of fuel, so we weigh anchor and once again head north. He shares with us that Plan A will take us through the Panama Canal and onward to Fort Lauderdale with a tentative arrival of March 30th. Should circumstances change, Puerto Vallarta is Plan B and San Diego is Plan C. Complimentary wine is served to everyone at dinner this evening in celebration of our departure from Chile. The captain tells us no Chilean wine will be offered, which amuses the passengers!
I call home before we leave port to let my family know where we are and the situation in general terms. I assure them the ship is now sailing as fast as possible northward, with three possible ports currently in play: Fort Lauderdale, Puerto Vallarta, and San Diego.
I have breakfast in the main dining room this morning, and share a table with a woman from Calgary on a small group tour, and a couple from Florida who I shared the breakfast table with yesterday. They spend 6 months in Chicago and 6 months in Florida. He is a retired paediatric dentist.
Bridge report: The ship is on a northerly course offshore from land, proceeding through overcast, misty skies with very light sea conditions and mild temperatures at 14°C. We have 1,256 passengers and 586 crew aboard.
The Secret Language of Ships is presented today by our cruise director Kevin. He talks about hull markings, flags, and whistle blasts.
It is Gala night, so we get dressed up to go for dinner in the main dining room this evening. I have escargot and sea bass for dinner, and a meringue for dessert. We then go up to the Crow’s Nest bar for an after dinner drink. I have a martini, and my friend has single malt scotch.
March 19, 2020 – sailing north to Valparaiso, Chile
The captain updates us this morning on our situation. He tells us we are cleared to load provisions and fuel at Valparaiso, where we are scheduled to arrive at 8:30am tomorrow. Since we will be at anchor, provisioning will take at least 24 hours, considering we need 6-7 shipping containers for our food and supplies for up to a 3 week voyage, although the Captain is quick to point out that our cruise shouldn’t last that long. Once fully provisioned, we will then resume our northerly course, with our final destination still unknown, although I’m sure the captain has plans in place for a few alternatives.
When I join two couples for breakfast this morning, three possible destinations are discussed: Panama, San Diego, or Fort Lauderdale. I would prefer to see us disembark in San Diego, since that would make it relatively easy for my travel companion and I to make our way home by either driving a rental car, taking the Amtrak train, or flying through Vancouver. Fort Lauderdale also makes sense, since that is where the cruise was planned to terminate, and the ship is scheduled for a refit in the nearby Bahamas. Panama is the closest port, and has a big airport where we could likely find flights to return to Canada.
I spot some Juan Fernandez Petrels following the ship today. Obviously, we are not too far offshore for them to fly the distance.
Juan Fernandez Petrels following the ship
I can’t motivate myself to write a blog post for my JoeTourist.ca website. I think many of my friends would be interested in knowing more about my experiences so far on this cruise. I have posted regular updates to Facebook, but a significant number of my friends don’t use social media. We actually accomplished many of our goals early in the cruise, experiencing Buenos Aires, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands (penguins!), Punta Arenas and the Strait of Magellan, and scenic cruising through the Chilean fjords.
Lots of people are taking advantage of the warmer weather to sunbathe either beside the Lido Pool or the Sea View Pool. We have a beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean this evening, but no green flash was visible.
The captain updates us twice today. At 8:30am, he tells us that we are sailing through Summer Passage where there is only 2 metres sea depth below us, so we slow down to 14 knots as we proceed on a high tide. We sail through Passo Franco and then spend the afternoon sailing through very scenic Sarmiento Channel before entering into open Pacific Ocan waters this evening. Our destination remains either San Antonio or Valparaiso for reprovisioning.
At Noon the captain reports that our course will result in sailing 1,279 nmi to San Antonio. We have 50 kt winds on the nose right now while we are in Sarmiento Channel, which will switch to NW 15-20 kt winds by tomorrow, with 3 metre swells when we emerge into the open Pacific Ocean. He also mentions that passengers who are in need of critical prescriptions should fill in the form and present themselves with their prescription bottles to the medical staff this afternoon in the Atrium.
My travel buddy first thought of this, but I agree there is a distinct connection that the Netherlands flagged Zaandam feels like The Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship that never makes port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever. Of course, according to the story the Flying Dutchman’s crew were all dead, but the Zaandam’s crew are a long way from dead – they are very engaged, and very much alive and well!
As we sail through the scenic Sarmiento Channel this afternoon, I spend quite a bit of time on the Lower Promenade deck taking photos with my Canon EOS R, making good use of my zoom lenses. I also take a few panoramas with my iPhone XS. We meet the predicted 3 metre swells this evening, so some passengers disappear for the evening, while the St. Patrick’s Day celebrants party on.
Line up for temperature and health check questionnaire by Chilean authorities
There appears to be some progress this morning, since Chile has issued us entry visas after we have our temperatures taken and answer yet another health questionnaire. We also receive our passports, which the ship’s office has kept on file for this voyage to facilitate port clearances. Although we are still not alongside the dock, this is a very encouraging step to enable us to disembark in time to catch our flight to Santiago on Wednesday afternoon.
The Captain reports to us this morning that the Dutch embassy and US consulate are applying maximum pressure to get us alongside. He thanks us for our patience and cooperation, and he is hopeful we will tie up at the dock today.
Apparently there are 11 more ships heading to Punta Arenas, and we have already spotted a few more anchored in our area, so it is going to be a busy time for this town in the next while! Of course, that all depends on getting passengers and crew ashore.
Ship’s position at 11pm, heading NW through the Chilean fjords
Late this afternoon, the captain announces that Chile has closed all borders and imposed a 14-day quarantine on our ship. He states we will depart immediately and head north for San Antonio or Valparaiso, where the ship will have a service and provisioning call. He states that we will eventually disembark “well past Chile”, whatever that means. Most passengers agree that we will now proceed to our original destination, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The captain doesn’t waste any time getting underway by dinner time (see banner image above). A couple of hours later, we are almost through the Strait of Magellan as the sun sets, and turn north to wind through the Chilean fjords, which will give us some spectacular scenery to enjoy tomorrow!
The captain announces this morning that Chile has closed its ports to incoming cruise ship traffic due to the just-declared global pandemic (COVID-19), so we are at anchor in Punta Arenas awaiting further information. He made the decision to return to Punta Arenas and end the cruise here, since there are good transportation options for passengers to return home. We shall see how that plays out…I must confess, I’m worried that it has come to this.
Noon – The captain is working with Chilean authorities and he detects some movement with his requests to dock and to disembark passengers here, but he has nothing to formally announce yet. He assures us he will keep us informed.
I go for lunch to the main dining room where I have seafood poutine. This is a first for me, since despite being Canadian, I have never eaten poutine before. It is good, but there is no gravy on the fries. We spot a small whale beside the ship as my table of six eat our lunch.
I’m certainly depressed about this whole scenario. We are less than a mile from shore. The bridge is having to use thrusters to keep the ship from dragging anchor due to the strong winds and currents. When we were docked yesterday, special bracing lines were being used!
Chilean navy ship between the Zaandam and the Punta Arenas dock
We receive an official letter today from Holland America’s President Orlando Ashford, which offers a choice of refunds and/or credits for the cruise. After receiving this letter, I book flights leaving March 18th from Punta Arenas to Santiago, where we will spend three nights before flying Aeromexico on the 21st through Mexico City and Vancouver, arriving in Victoria on WestJet on the 22nd. Everything is confirmed, so now we just have to get off the ship by Wednesday afternoon. Apparently, Holland America will shuttle us to the airport.
