Ketchikan

We are in Ketchikan today and hoped to go for a nice walk somewhere.  Unfortunately Paul got stopped at the gangway and wasn't allowed off. 

A sailor has to have been through a foreign port before an i95 permit can be issued to step ashore in the USA.  Paul was issued an i95 at the first USA port of call in Portland while on the Volendam.  Immigration was satisfied with it when we arrived in Boston and permitted him to fly to Seattle to join the Westerdam.  The Westerdam says that it is not valid and that it is only ship specific.  Paul will have to wait until the Westerdam sails to Canada (right at the end of the cruise) before he can be issued a new i95 permit to be allowed to step ashore.  However, Paul's i95 permit doesn't have a ship's name - which Paul pointed out to the crew office and the H.R. Manageress (which they acknowledged).  He asked that this situation be looked at, at a higher level because, in his eyes - he has a valid i95 which was not taken from him when he went through immigration on arrival in Boston.  They are going to contact the documentation manager on the ship and the CBP.  I hope they will get back to him as soon as possible otherwise it will be sad that he cannot step ashore for almost a month. 

So, we've been sitting in the Crow's Nest today, catching up on paperwork and correspondence.  We managed to get a window seat with a view of a large ship in front of us, Ketichan pier to our right, and the rest of the harbour to our left.  There were 3 other ships at the pier, and the Noordam was at anchor nearby with her tender services running from ship to shore.  Town must have been extremely busy with so many ship passengers visiting.  It has been a pity that Paul couldn't get off because the weather has been beautifully sunny and not hot at all.

Our cabin steward is a bit of a "dragon" and I doubt he and I will see eye to eye. He wasn't happy that I returned to the cabin while he was cleaning. Well... he had stepped out of the cabin to deliver laundry to another cabin, and saw me going in. Our cabin door was open. He rushed back and told me in a rather angry tone of voice to return later as he wasn't finished. All I wanted to do was fetch some mini marshmallows. I grabbed the bag and told him that was all I wanted, and l left.

Tomorrow is another day....Leggi altro