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Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam
  • Lorna Spaas
  • Paul Spaas
  • Lorna Spaas
  • Paul Spaas

Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

Sailing with the Volendam from Iceland to Greenland, Newfoundland, and down to Boston. Then, sailing with the Westerdam from Seattle to Alaska & back to Seattle. En savoir plus
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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam
    People feeding the seagullsView from our hotel room

    Seattle, day 2

    5 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We took a walk to Pike Place Market and Seattle waterfront, where we clocked up a bit of mileage during our walk.

    Pike Place Market used to be a produce market, but it has changed over the years, and now there are other stalls as well. It was very busy. There was fish-throwing when someone ordered fresh fish at the fish stall, food stalls, flower sellers, arts and crafts, trinkets, clothes, and much more being sold.

    We stopped along the waterfront for fish, chips, and calamari. Where we sat, seagulls were lined up for their fair share of chips - if the humans would oblige. The seagulls didn't attack anyone and sat patiently waiting for someone to throw them a morsel. A nearby sign said that "seagulls are dainty eaters"!

    It was an interesting few hours, and we were quite footsore by the time by the time we got back to the hotel.    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    Seattle, days 3 & 4. Lake Bronson

    7 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We felt the need to get out of the city and into nature, so we decided to go to Lake Bronson Club Family Nudist Club.

    It is a campsite situated around a lake, but there are a few self-catering chalets, too.

    We had thought of driving into the mountains today, but it would have been a very long drive, so we decided not to and go back to Lake Bronson instead. Our visit yesterday had been very pleasant that we decided to go again today but leave early to drop the hired car off.

    We had a lovely time reading in the shade next to the lake, as well as going for a swim.

    Yesterday, we took a short walk down to the river to see a waterfall on the property, and today, we did a circular walk through the forest. It was lovely to feel free.

    All too soon, we had to make our way back towards the offsite airport car rental place to drop the car off. From there, we got a shuttle bus to the airport and got a tram back into Seattle.

    Tomorrow, we board the Westerdam.    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    On board the Westerdam

    8 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We finally arrived at the port, and the H.R. manager was at the port terminal to meet Paul. He could go via the crew entrance, but after a phone call, I would have to wait with the passengers to board. The manager ended up telling Paul he could stay with me and we could board together and later meet with him to collect our room keys.

    We had to wait quite a while before the check-in process started, and then there was an even longer wait until we could board the ship. The H.R. manager was nowhere to be seen, nor was he answering his telephone. In the end, Paul decided we should go to the ship's reception desk to see if someone could issue me a room key. As it turned out, the H.R. manager had left Paul's keys with the reception desk, and I was issued with a key.

    Having found our cabin (an inside cabin on deck 8 - small with no window), we went for lunch and had a walk around the ship before going to the Bridge so that Paul could meet the Captain and his team.

    The Westerdam has about 1,800 passengers and is about the same size as the Noordam- one of the first ships I've sailed on with Paul. Admittedly, I feel rather "lost" because it is so big and has many passengers on board. It is sensory overload with noise and activities. No doubt I will settle in and get used to it.    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam
    The Noordam. The photograph isn't good because i took it through a window in the Crow's Nest.I love towel animal origami done by our cabin steward.

    Ketchikan

    10 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    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....    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam
    Arriving in Sitka.
    A relaxation room in the spa area.Towel origami.An area between elevators.Light at the side of the staircase.Casino area.The Ocean Bar area.

    Sitka

    11 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Paul was not allowed off the ship again, so we sat in the Crow's Nest again and spent the day reading. We had a good view of Sitka and observed the tenders taking guests ashore.

    It was overcast and around 12C, so it didn't bother us that we didn't get off the ship. We have also been here in previous years. Usually, it is better to go off on a tour. The shops are still the same, selling touristy things and jewellery.

    Paul got a haircut in the salon this morning. He needed it!

    There were quite a few bald eagles flying around. It is a good sign that they are able to get food.    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    Valdez, Alaska

    13 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We got off the ship today. It was good to step ashore and go for a nice walk.

    Our walk took us through town and up a river, down the other side, and back into town. We visited a museum, and instead of heading back to the ship, we ended up doing a circular walk at Dock Point, a very small and narrow peninsula. By the time we walked back to the waiting tender, we had walked a nice 12.5 km.

    We are now feeling rather footsore!    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam
    A turtle today - thanks to the cabin stewards.

    Sea day, heading towards Dutch Harbour

    15 juin 2025, Gulf of Alaska ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Apart from doing a lot of reading, we attended 3 lectures.

    One was "Breaking the Ice Ceiling - Pioneering Women of Alaska." It wasn't what we expected as it had nothing to do with women in Alaska many years ago. This was about 3 modern-day women in Alaska. One is a small aeroplane pilot, another a fisherwoman, and another woman in the Alaskan Coastguards. Their stories were interesting but by no means pioneering!

    Another talk was "War Comes North," which was about World War II in Alaska, surprisingly enough. It was very interesting.

    The last lecture we attended was "How Glaciers Carve Landscapes." It was interesting and well illustrated, from snowflake to the formation of glaciers and their erosion down to their final end destination.

    It helped the day go a bit faster. Admittedly, we still haven't walked "a mile" on deck nor seen the inside of the gym. We do need some exercise!    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    Dutch Harbour, Amaknak Island, Alaska

    17 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    It was good to step ashore to get some fresh air, to feel the earth beneath our feet...

    We are docked out of town, and there was no shuttle available. So, a few people got a taxi while many others walked. The nearest place was a World War II Museum, to which many people made a beeline. The next closest thing was a supermarket, and then further walking was required to get to the small town and another museum.

    Paul and I went to the WW II Museum to get a permit to walk up Mt Ballyhoo. There are a few forts on the mountainside. The route we chose started near the small airport. We soon discovered that the track was steeper than it looked from further away. It was a 1:3 gradient. Also, we didn't see any forts or fortifications as we walked up, even though - according to the map - we were literally walking past or over them. They might have been dismantled....

    Anyway, we got 3/4 of the way up to the top of the mountain when we decided to walk back down. We are not as fit as we should be, and the steep path was no match for our knees.

    There is another path that starts closer to the ship, but we don't know what that would have been like, nor if there are visible forts either.

    Once back at the road, we walked towards the museum and to the supermarket. From there, we took a slightly different route back, which brought us back to the coastline and near the airport. An aeroplane was about to take off, so booms went down across the road, preventing drivers from entering or leaving the industrial area.

    We got back to the ship, rather footsore, and had a very late lunch. We were just glad to sit down to ease our steaming feet!    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    Sea day heading towards Nome, Alaska

    18 juin 2025, Bering Sea ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    Paul was on Foxtrot, Oscar, Golf duty (um... fog watch) during the early hours of the morning, after getting a call at midnight to come to the Bridge.

    He crawled into bed after 5am and woke up when his alarm went off. He had to go to a meeting at 10am, which went on for a good hour. There was no point him going to bed again because he was needed for duty at noon. Yes, Foxtrot, Oscar, Golf is set to stay for quite a while. The seas are calm, and there is no wind to blow it away.

    I've been reading and then attended 2 lectures in the afternoon. One was about what to expect in Nome tomorrow, and the other was "Ice, The Arctic Circle & Westerdam". The first speaker, Emma, was a geologist who talked about the types of ice and icebergs we would come across and how - especially - sea ice is formed. The Captain gave his part of the discussion - the weather forecast and what we can expect as we head up further North into the Bering Sea, and what the ship can and cannot do as and when we encounter icebergs and sea ice. Paul had some input as an ice pilot and had ice charts, but unfortunately, they didn't come up on the screen during his presentation. He could see it on the laptop, but the projector couldn't handle the file.

    During the Q & A session, one guest angrily asked why the 28-day Alaska Arctic Solstice Cruise is being sold, especially if we might not be able to get much further north than Nome. Emma, the geologist, gave a very nice answer, which was very well received by the audience. I can understand the guest's frustration, but I can also see the other side of the coin. Nature does what it does. Paul has seen both clear and icy seas in June.

    The fog horn is still going. I call it the fog horn's "fart" 🤭.

    Ohhhh! I see the horizon is clearing. Paul might be relieved from his duties if all goes well.    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam
    The hospitalOne very nice house we saw out of all the houses.

    Nome, Alaska

    19 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Paul was, unfortunately, woken up for fog duty. I say "unfortunately" because the call woke me up, and I had a hard time getting back to sleep again. Eventually....

    We are anchored just off Nome Harbour and tendering into the harbour to a jetty.

    Paul eventually woke up and had to see the Captain for a discussion about the sailing schedule this evening and tomorrow - to the Arctic Circle. The ice charts and satellite photographs are not helping and seem to contradict each other, so it will have to be a case of "wait and see" as to how far we can get.

    The fog lifted before we reached our anchoring point. The weather is lovely, sunny and warm - believe it or not! A balmy 17C.

    Paul and I went ashore for a bit. We had intended to follow a river as far as the path would go, but unfortunately, halfway along, we couldn't continue because the track became a mini lake. We couldn't get around it because of dense bushes on either side of the track and boggy/muddy ground on either side of the bushes.

    We cut our walk short and walked around the outskirts of town, past an airfield and near a hospital. We then walked down to the coastline and followed the road into town. We stopped at a church that is no longer a church - it is used as a meeting place. We then saw a monument - the world's largest gold pan. There is gold offshore, and many townsfolk dredge the ocean bottom for gold. Some of the dredging boats were in the harbour.

    Our impression of Nome? There is really not much to see. It was unkempt and bleak-looking. Many houses looked ramshackle and run down. They could do with repairs. Maybe the harsh winter conditions make it difficult, I'm not sure.

    When we got back to the harbour, there was a very long queue of guests waiting to get back to the ship. Paul wanted to visit the cemetery nearby, but I said I wasn't bothered, so we joined the queue. Needless to say, by the time we got a tender back to the ship, the queue was much longer.    En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    Kodiak Island

    24 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Back on board the ship, we relaxed for a while and then went to an interesting talk about an earthquake in Alaska on Good Friday in 1964. It was quite eye-opening. It was one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded. It was 9.2 on the Richter Scale. Unfortunately, Alaska is situated on the "Pacific Ring of Fire".En savoir plus

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  • Sailing: Volendam & Westerdam

    Kodiak, Kodiak Island

    24 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We took a tender to Kodiak and had a nice walk in a park on a small island off the main island, reachable by a bridge. It was nice to get out into nature.

    We walked back to the pier by a slightly different route. There isn't much in town. There was a small shopping mall which we passed through. It was called Bear Market, but there wasn't much happening.

    Due to the ship's short visit, we had to get back to the ship.    En savoir plus

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