Route of Inside Passage?

[luapram]

HAL's website has a blog written by Capt. Albert. The blog over the past few weeks speaks of sailing the waters between Vancouver and Alaska. I have found it to be very interesting. I am quite sure with your background it would be very interesting to you also.

 

You can find it here:

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/albert/

 

Very timely...Todays blog by Captain Albert....explains in detail the reason for 'outside' and 'inside' sailings..

 

Great blog from a great Captain.. so informative!!!

[SoCal Cruiser78]

You'll never know who you'll run into inside Grenville Channel - HMCS Saskatoon MM709, a Kingston-class coastal defence vessel of the Royal Canadian Navy, based out of CFB Esquimalt, BC (just west of Victoria, BC, Vancouver Island)

 

 

 

Thanks for posting this pic! The background is what I remember our inside passage looking like, although we were even closer to the trees at times. A truly beautiful part of the world.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[Copper10-8]

Too true, especially when you consider how prominently the Inside Passage is mentioned in the advertising.

 

Just a heads up; it is generally accepted that the "Inside Passage" also includes the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait located between the Canadian mainland and the east coast of Vancouver Island

[Davidson Duo]

From Captain Albert of the Volendam, June 26,2014. A very good description of the choices for cruising to Alaska.

 

 

 

There are several routes a ship can take to go to Alaska and the one that is taken, mainly depends on time available and distance to travel.* If the ship is going to Ketchikan from Vancouver and the Seymour Narrows tide is early, then a lot of sightseeing through the Inside Passage can be done and various routes can be taken, while still making it on time to Ketchikan. It then comes down to the weather and the captain’s preference of where the ship exactly goes.

 

Coming from Seattle makes the schedule a lot tighter as there is the additional distance from Seattle to the Vancouver area to travel. Then you still have to go for a slack tide at Seymour and have to arrive at your destination on time. Whether you can do much sightseeing will all depend on what time slack water is at Seymour Narrows. If it is not favorable then a captain will sometimes decide to go outside, sailing around Vancouver Island and catch the normal Inside Passage route near the Queen Charlotte Islands. If the weather is bad outside, then the Inside passage has to be taken but once being past Seymour Narrows, the shortest route possible has then to be used, to make it on time to the next port.

 

Then there is the 3rd situation and that is the one of the Volendam. She has to make Juneau as a first port of call after Vancouver. That is a very tight schedule and it means that the ship cannot do the maximum amount of sightseeing in the Canadian Inside Passage, which it could have done if going to Ketchikan. *But what it loses in the Canadian Inside Passage, it gains in the Alaska Inside Passage.

 

So last night we sailed through Johnstone Strait, after Seymour Narrows and then dipped into Queen Charlotte Sound once past Pine Island. This is an open area, with little land but famous for wildlife and indeed many whales, dolphins and flying fish were seen. The ship is booked to capacity with about a 100 children on board and they saw flying fish everywhere.

 

In the late afternoon, the course went west into Dixon Entrance, where the weather can be really bad with storms from the Pacific rolling straight in, in the winter. But we have wonderful weather at the moment and then taking the short cut into the Pacific Ocean is a nice option. This route avoids sailing by Ketchikan altogether. Ketchikan is on most cruises the first port of call and then you go through the Inside Passage to Juneau but by night.

 

We will pick up that Inside Passage tomorrow around 0500 when we will be in Chatham Strait.* Once we come in more confined waters, near the town of Kake, we will board the American Pilots who will be with us for the next 4 days.* Sailing from Kake is all the way in inside waters and here the guests gain what they lost today. Ketchikan ships do this stretch by night so they do not see very much, but as the Volendam will arrive at Juneau around 1 pm In the afternoon, there will be some glorious sightseeing in the morning.

 

 

By: CAPTAIN ALBERT

[auntjoy036]

Thanks to all who introduced, posted, and commented on the quote by Capt. Albert. The Volendam was on my short list for next summer's cruise with Mom (her 85th birthday). Capt. Albert's description of the Volendam's route makes me think she's the ship for me.

 

Vicki

[Laminator]

Thanks to all who introduced, posted, and commented on the quote by Capt. Albert. The Volendam was on my short list for next summer's cruise with Mom (her 85th birthday). Capt. Albert's description of the Volendam's route makes me think she's the ship for me.

 

Vicki

 

The Zuiderdam's first port of call is also Juneau out of Vancouver so you may also want to look into that ship.