All is well on the voyage north…

Sunday and Monday are sea days because of our delay in the Seattle harbor.  We will miss Sitka, but all other stops are still scheduled. 

The scenery turned from homes overlooking the sea to the rural forests of Canada.  It was a great day to spend time walking on the observation deck.  I think I set a record today … 77 flights of stairs, 12 miles, and 24,913 steps … and it’s only 3:30 PM.  It was great to walk in the early morning (view of Seattle) and this afternoon (view of the forests of Canada).

The view of the Canadian shoreline from the ship.

The media picked up the fire incident...

Holland America Line's Westerdam Catches on Fire
Posted on June 29, 2014 by Jim Walker

King 5 News in Seattle reports that the the Holland America Line (HAL) Westerdam caught fire this evening as it was sailing to Alaska and was forced to turn around and return to Seattle.  The news station is saying that the fire broke out in the engine room.

HAL released the following statement:

"There has been a small fire in one of the boiler rooms onboard  MS Westerdam as she sailed from Seattle earlier this evening which was quickly extinguished. All guests and crew are safe. Out of an abundance of caution and in coordination with the United States Coast Guard the ship has returned to Seattle. The ship is fully operational and there has been no impact on guest services. It is HAL Westerdam anticipated that the ship will depart again once the assessments are completed and continue her voyage to Alaska." 

HAL's statement does not explain exactly what caused the fire and omits the fact that after the fire was put out, it flared up again. Descriptive phrases like a "small" fire which was "quickly" extinguished can be misleading many times.

Back in Seattle Again (I keep singing the Gene Autry song in my head)...

Well, the folks finally got the boiler fire under control, discovered what was causing it, and we started moving again.  However, the US Coast Guard required that we return to Seattle for an inspection.  It’s 10:30 pm as I write this, and the president of Holland America (based in Seattle) and the captain updated us as we sit in the port at Seattle.  We’ll be on our way in a few hours or in the morning at the latest.  They’ve apologized, and they say we’ll have a good Alaska experience.  We’ll no longer be able to visit Sitka, but they’ve tried to compensate by giving everyone a $250 credit and 25% off a future HAL voyage. 

This is a great cruise line, and everyone keeps apologizing for the delay.  They say it’s never happened before, but I guess it’s best to play it safe. 

Stay tuned.  Let’s hope this doesn’t foreshadow any further problems with the journey.

Bon Voyage

I have a great room ... the Neptune Suite

The seating area and access to the verandah ...

The verandah is very large ... 

The Seattle harbor as we make our way toward the sea.

It was a little rainy this morning, but the sky cleared for our 4 PM departure.

As I was posting these pictures of our departure, the captain announced for the crew to take their stations.  There's seems to have been an engine fire.  After a few minutes, the captain announced it was under control and he would be making more announcements soon.  We've been underway less than an hour, so we haven't gotten out of the Seattle area.  Stay tuned!

The morning view from my hotel room

The view from my room at the Hampton Inn

I'm in Seattle...

My two flights today were all delayed, but no major issues.  When I went to pick up my checked baggage (one large bag), it never showed up on the carousel.  The folks with "lost baggage" were right next to the carousel, and I gave them my claim check.  It's amazing, but my luggage got to Seattle before I did.  She located it in storage, and I was off to the hotel.

My cab driver  is a Sikh, and, of course, our Governor is, too.  That was something to talk about as he drove me to my hotel.  The guy was so nice, and there was a great view of the city as we made our way downtown.  The sky was so clear.  My hotel is right around the corner from the the Space Needle.

I did get some good news prior to my departure for the airport:  I've been upgraded to a Neptune Suite on the trip with Holland America. It comes with lots of amenities (free laundry and butler service and a very large room).

I'm tired, and I think I'll turn in for the evening.