• TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    On our way to Kotor ... or so we believe — Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.
    Kotor is canceled and we turn tail to retrace our route — Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.Passing Perast — Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.Retracing our route through the narrow chanel to Tivat Bay — Montenegro.Fish farm — Montenegro.Bay of Tivat — Montenegro.Bay of Tivat — Montenegro.Leaving Kumbor Channel behind — Montenegro.Looking around Hercegnovski Bay — Montenegro.Celebrity Beyond deoesn't even attempt to go to Kotor and turns around in Hercesgnovski Bay.Tui's Marella Explorer makes an attempt ... and turns tail like we did to pass us in Hercegnovski.Mui waving down at me from deck 10 aboard Oosterdam — Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.I wave up at Mui from our deck 6 veranda aboard Oosterdam — Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.1Mui having fun with an "Oosterdam ears" selfie — Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.Leaving Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.Bye bye Montenegro!

    Montenegro & Out to Sea

    October 25, 2023, Adriatic Sea ⋅ 🌬 68 °F

    Having completed the medical disembark and collected the crew that was to have embarked in Kotor, Oosterdam was on the move from Hercegnovski Bay around 11:15a.

    As we moved out towards the Adriatic, Captain Rens came on the P/A and updated us on the plans for tomorrow, which will remain a day at sea as originally scheduled. But, the timing of our transit of the Strait of Messina has been moved from nighttime to daytime. And we are going to detour to the Island of Stromboli to take a peek at the volcano that makes up the bulk of the island. So, we get to do a bit of scenic cruising tomorrow.

    I spent most of our time at sea on the veranda … despite the rather gloomy weather. Mui joined me part of the time … going to the watercolor session to entertain himself mid-afternoon. The veranda is well protected from the elements. So much so that we even managed to sit through the squall Oosterdam went through … thunder, lightning, and sideways blowing rain notwithstanding.

    All in all, while we hadn’t planned on being at sea today, we didn’t mind it much either.

    I took no photos after we left Montenegro for the open seas, so I’ll share the ones I took while Oosterdam was transiting its way out to the Adriatic.    Read more