Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Apr 12, 2013 12:14:00 GMT -8
I will be on the Norwegian Jewel's first visit of the season to Victoria! Being from Victoria we won't be getting off the ship! In Nanaimo I might have to have my binoculars so I can see if I can spot Mr Bonkowski if he is out taking photos!
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simc51
Oiler (New Member)
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Post by simc51 on Apr 16, 2013 16:12:54 GMT -8
Two little tid bits about the 2014 and also 2015 season. Planning is done a long time ahead of vessel deployments. Approved for 2014 is Celebrity Solstice making at least one port call in Vancouver, even though she exceeds the air draught for Lions Gate Bridge which is 61 meters. The top portion of her funnel will be hinged prior to her arrival. She will round the south end of Vancouver Island stopping in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver then on to Seattle. She is too tall for the power lines at Seymour Narrows which has an air draught of 58 meters.
Under examination just now, is bringing a 350+ meter vessel into Victoria weekly during the summer of 2015. Seattle, Alaskan and Victoria authorities are looking at the logistics. An answer is expected in July. Oasis or Allure of the Seas maybe; can't think of anything else that large. Does anyone know?
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Post by gordon on Apr 16, 2013 19:21:34 GMT -8
So we will have 2 mega ships visiting us next season because the 3080 pax Crown princess home ports here next season
The Zaandam Arrives a Canada Place 7:00 Am Thuirsday than departsa on a 17day round trip Hawaiian Islands cruise prior to her ist trip to Alaska May 5th.
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Post by gordon on May 21, 2013 18:57:55 GMT -8
The Amsterdam was in twn today her destination according to Live Ships was Port Alberni. sounds like an port of call doesn't it?
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 21, 2013 20:20:31 GMT -8
The Amsterdam is doing a 3 day Pacific Northwest cruise from Vancouver to Port Alberni to Seattle and then back to Vancouver. I dont think anything larger than the Amsterdam could go into Port Alberni!
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Post by Cable Cassidy on May 31, 2013 20:43:46 GMT -8
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 31, 2013 21:31:03 GMT -8
awesome photos! Love the Norwegian Pearl. I would love to cruise on this ship someday!
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 16, 2013 17:55:21 GMT -8
Norwegian Sun is currently in Howe Sound, between Bowen & Gambier Islands.
- she just started a new cruise this evening, and tomorrow she will be in Nanaimo for the day. So she's doing an evening tour before drifting in the strait for the night.
Tomorrow, I'll be looking at seeing her arrive and depart Nanaimo.
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grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
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Post by grk on Sept 18, 2013 16:44:32 GMT -8
Last September we say diversions for these ships, and again this is occurring this week again. Those that watch the Inside Passage might catch a glimpse of a few vessels not seen this summer. The heavy weather is expected to hit Hecate Strait on Thursday and Friday. As a result the ships that normally sail along the west coast of Island are embarking pilots off Prince Rupert and will follow much the same track as BC Ferries does. The diversions are:
Westerdam-pilot on at 2030 tonight and expected through Seymour on Thursday early evening, heading to Victoria for 08:00 Friday. Star Princess-pilot on at 0900 Thursday heading to Vancouver, not Victoria. Norwegian Jewel-pilot on 1530 Thur heading to Vancouver. Norwegian Pearl-pilot on 0800 Friday heading for Victoria on Saturday.
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Post by DENelson83 on Sept 19, 2013 16:14:49 GMT -8
I thought all the Alaskan cruise ships went through the Inside Passage. Shows what I know.
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grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
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Post by grk on Sept 21, 2013 8:50:55 GMT -8
Many people think the same, but not one of the Seattle based ships do any of the inside passage; they stay out in Hecate Strait. Most Vancouver based ships also travel via Hecate Strait once they pass the northern tip of Vancouver Island. A few do use the Inside Passage route north of Vancouver Island, Zuiderdam for example does on every voyage.
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 21, 2013 9:06:25 GMT -8
We used the Inside Passage in 2009 on the NCL Sun when we did our Alaska Cruise out of Vancouver!
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 21, 2013 9:22:54 GMT -8
Here is a public service announcement for this thread:
When different people say "Inside Passage" the mean different things.
- I believe that GRK is referring to the Inside Passage route that is north of Vancouver Island. ie. from inside Calvert Island, through Lama pass to Bella Ball, out Seaforth Channel to Milbanke Sound, and back inside past Boat Bluff, Butedale, through Wright Sound, and up Grenville Channel.
Most cruise ships, except Zuiderdam as he's noted and maybe some others occasionally, bypass that part of the Inside Passage entirely and go outside and up Hecate Strait.
But they still likely go up the inside of Vancouver Island. ie. past Campbell River, Seymour Narrows, Port Hardy, etc.
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 21, 2013 10:02:52 GMT -8
Our ship sailed up the inside of Vancouver Island north to Port Hardy then out in the open then we sailed by Gil Island then up inside the rest of the way to Rupert! I don't remember southbound but I think we sailed Hecate Strait then we sailed pass Bella Bella then inside all the way back to Vancouver! My g/f mom and dad are on the Island Princess right now return out of Vancouver! Not sure which way they sailed!
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grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
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Post by grk on Sept 21, 2013 15:26:49 GMT -8
This Alaska cruise season is almost over, but there are still a few sailings left to operate. There is an easy way to determine which ships must use Hecate Strait. Go to the Pacific Pilotage web site ( www.ppa.gc.ca ), and select "Traffic" from the black bar across the top. Look for cruise ships scheduled below. If a ship drops of or picks up a pilot at Pine Island, the vessel must sail in Hecate Strait north of Vancouver Island as there is no pilot aboard. Those that show Triple Island will have pilots on board north of the Island, and thus may sail any portion of the Inside Passage between Prince Rupert and northern Vancouver Island. I hope this helps!!
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Post by gordon on Sept 23, 2013 6:23:05 GMT -8
The Zuiderdam , Volendam(HAL) celebrity Millennium Disney Wonder and The Norwegian Sun Use the Northern Inside Passage in one or both Directions.
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Post by gordon on Sept 23, 2013 8:10:36 GMT -8
Seattle based ships normally do not use the inside passage at all
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Post by Mike C on Sept 23, 2013 9:53:57 GMT -8
The Zuiderdam , Volendam(HAL) celebrity Millennium Disney Wonder and The Norwegian Sun Use the Northern Inside Passage in one or both Directions. Yes, but those are all based out of Vancouver, correct? This thread is talking about the Seattle-based cruise ships which typically do not use the Inside Passage until they get up into Alaska. When we took Holland America's Westerdam last year, the routing took us out the Strait of Juan De Fuca, up the west side of Vancouver Island, skirted the Charlottes, again on the west side, and entered Alaska between Baranoff and Kuiu Islands, then through Frederick Sound, and up Stephens Passage to Juneau. The return trip from Ketchikan had us going through Hecate Strait, then back down the west side of Vancouver Island the way we came up, stopping in Victoria before proceeding back to Seattle. That's the normal 7-day cruise routing for Seattle-based ships. When I travelled to Alaska out of Vancouver on RCL on the Serenade of the Seas (so you know this is going back a bit, 2007 I think), we did not use BC's Inside Passage, much to my chagrin. It seems to be a discretionary thing.
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Post by gordon on Sept 23, 2013 10:34:15 GMT -8
The cruise have decided that all Inside Passage cruises during the normal season are based out of Vancouver, this differentiates the products being offered from the 2 home ports .
The Randiance of the Seas also sails the Northern IP
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Post by northwesterner on Sept 23, 2013 22:00:07 GMT -8
The cruise have decided that all Inside Passage cruises during the normal season are based out of Vancouver, this differentiates the products being offered from the 2 home ports . The Randiance of the Seas also sails the Northern IP Also... the cruises that do the Inside Passage generally are the Vancouver-Whittier/Seward one way cruises. They have somewhat less ground to cover in the same amount of time as the Seattle RTs. I know that when I was on a cruise to Alaska on Royal Caribbean (a Vancouver-Seward sailing) in 2005 I woke up very early to see the dawn light on the inside passage; shortly after finding my perch on an outer deck I spotted the Queen of the North heading for Port Hardy. I have a fuzzy photo of that around here, somewhere.
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grk
Chief Steward
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Post by grk on Sept 26, 2013 7:49:58 GMT -8
Friday October 27 might be the last cruise ship call in Nanaimo for a few years. It was noticed yesterday in chats around the office that there is not a single cruise ship call scheduled in Nanaimo for the entire 2014 season. These things are usually "etched in stone" several years in advance, but there does the remain the chance of itinerary changes by cruise lines.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 26, 2013 12:05:28 GMT -8
Friday October 27 might be the last cruise ship call in Nanaimo for a few years. It was noticed yesterday in chats around the office that there is not a single cruise ship call scheduled in Nanaimo for the entire 2014 season. These things are usually "etched in stone" several years in advance, but there does the remain the chance of itinerary changes by cruise lines. Thanks for the heads-up on this one. Perhaps Nanaimo's cruise-ship dock will get use in 2014 and beyond for a Vancouver-Nanaimo passenger ferry.
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 26, 2013 12:48:30 GMT -8
Dident they build a big terminal in Campbell River too only to not have any ships now stop there?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 26, 2013 13:23:22 GMT -8
Dident they build a big terminal in Campbell River too only to not have any ships now stop there? True dat. (Yes) It's the same concept as Chilliwack building a multiplex for the WHL Chilliwack Bruins, and then having the Bruins move to Victoria to become the Royals. " If you built it, they will come. Then they will leave for somewhere else."
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grk
Chief Steward
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Post by grk on Sept 29, 2013 15:16:57 GMT -8
Westerdam and Statendam were to depart Vancouver on Sunday afternoon, however both have delay their sailings until 06:00 on Monday morning. This is due to the big storm due to hit the coast on Sunday evening. Zuiderdam sailed on Saturday for the Panama canal, and she hit very heavy seas on Cape Flattery. I was working last night and heard on the radios that she was getting "knocked around" and was running slow to ease the discomfort aboard. An inbound deep sea vessel reported swells approaching 40 feet in that area; no wonder the sailing today opted for a delay!
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