Thursday – November 29, 2018
On Tuesday, we moved from our hotel in Sydney onto the Holland America ship The M.S. Amsterdam. The cruise ship began a “Grand Asia & Pacific Voyage” from Los Angeles two months ago. It circled the western Pacific Ocean with stops in Russia, Japan, China, Viet Nam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia. We joined the Amsterdam in Sydney for the last leg of its voyage across the South Pacific Ocean.
The ship will make stops at the islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Western Samoa, American Samoa, and Hawaii before ending its Grand Voyage in Los Angeles, California. We had two days in Sydney’s port on board, so we explored the Amsterdam and settled in to our home-away-from-home for the next 25 days. Here are some photos of the ship. It’s lovely. There were several comfortable seating areas:
The Main Theater:
The Dining Room:
The Amsterdam is the smallest ship we’ve ever sailed on, so it’s quite cozy and easy to get around. When we boarded, the woman at the registration desk told us that 150 passengers disembarked in Sydney and 70 new passengers embarked. We later learned that there are only 805 passengers on board cruising from Sydney to Los Angeles with a crew of about 600.
The weather deteriorated to strong winds and rain by the time The Amsterdam was ready to sail away from the dock on Wednesday evening. Jeff and I sat by a rain-splattered window in “The Crow’s Nest” in the forward part of the ship as we sailed past Sydney Harbour. We said our “Goodbyes” to the city we had enjoyed during the past two weeks.
The wind increased and it was raining harder. The Harbor Pilot was on board while two tugboats guided the Amsterdam out into the Tasman Sea. When we cleared the last buoy, I saw the Pilot Boat struggling to get closer to our ship to collect the pilot. Waves washed over the little boat and it rolled wildly side to side.
We marveled at the talent and abilities of the driver of the Pilot Boat. The Amsterdam, which was also rocking and rolling furiously, slowed its speed as much as possible, so the Pilot Boat could come alongside. The driver tried unsuccessfully three times to get close to our ship. A crewman was lashed to the deck of the Pilot Boat and finally with one quick maneuver, the smaller boat got close enough for the crewman to grab the Pilot and get him onboard. They very quickly went below decks. What an exciting scene to watch! Everyone of us cheered and sighed in relief for the Pilot and his brave crew.
The Pilot Boat returned to Sydney and The Amsterdam continued out into the raging Tasman Sea. We had a rough night ahead of us and it was difficult to sleep as the Amsterdam rolled and rocked in the surging water. Huge waves banged against the hull when the ship dipped forward. The wind beat against the windows. The ship shuddered and shook and the walls of our cabin creaked all night. The next day, Captain Fred Eversen, said the waves had been well over 20 feet high. It was an exciting beginning to our Pacific crossing!