manbehindthecurtain

We will have a balcony on the port side of the Westerdam when we are docked in Aruba until 11:00 PM on a Monday night in March.

 

Right now I have a Sunset Cruise booked from 5:30 - 7:30 PM that is $59 a person which includes an open bar and snacks. We're doing a private island tour beforehand, and plan to be back at the ship at 4:45 PM.

 

Can we see the sunset from our balcony (or up on deck) as well as we will from a catamaran cruising along the coast? And will the Sunset Cruise be too crowded to enjoy? :eek:

 

Or is it great fun and a beautiful way to spend a few hours? :confused:

I can't give you info about the tour, but the ship should be docked with its starboard (right) side facing southwest.

Sun will set about 6:50pm local time in march, and will be almost directly west. If you have an odd number cabin you should be able to see it just fine. Otherwise just go to any of the outside decks on the right side of the ship.

Attached a picture of the port. Normally you enter from the north (top left inn picture). The dock in the picture fits 2 ships, you may also be on the container pier (top left corner).

John, the times when I have seen the tarps removed, I have not seen any windows, just what appeared to be open entrances to board and de-board. Oz is the authority here but it appears to me the single screw/single hull lifeboats only have a window on top to provide visibility to the quartermaster or sailor who drives the boat so the tarps are probably re-secured when used in rough seas.

 

Correct, under the tarps there is only a large opening for passengers to enter the boat in. No windows in the lifeboat (other than the one for the driver).

And, these are the ones I am asking about. The fuzzy part is the question I guess.

I cannot speak for the prinsendam, but suspect the arrangement is the same as for other holland america line ships.

Each ship has a certain amount of lifeboats (12 on s-class, 14 r-class, 16 on vista).

Of these boats, a few also do service as tender boats to bring passengers to shore in a port where there is no or not enough dockspace. As a tender the boat is usually rated by Lloyds ( a classification society by whose regulations the ships are built) for fewer passengers than as a lifeboat. (90-120 passengers for tender service vs. 150 persons as a lifeboat).

Construction of the tenders is different from the lifeboats: most tenders have 2 engines vs.1 for a lifeboat, it will have radar, an echosounder, and other safety equipment required for a tender.

In normal tender operations we do not even put that amount of persons in, normally between 60-75.

Hope this makes it a little less fuzzy?