Dave’s Live from Zuiderdam Voyage of the Vikings, July 30 – Sept. 3, 2019

[Krazy Kruizers]

I got behind on your reports and pictures.

 

The town and scenery are all beautiful.

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

We went to the bow to see the views from there.  We were not alone: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DW got a photo of me on the bow deck.  The weather is amazing, quite nice, warm but with a nip in the air (shortly after this, I returned to the cabin to get a stocking cap for my bald head).

 

 

 

Later, we went up to the forward of deck 6 and got some more photos:

 

 

 

More in next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

I will post fewer photos per post, to make sure the internet connections can handle the data without wonking out.

 

Here is a collection of photos from some of the most astounding scenery on the planet:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in next post,

Dave

Edited August 8, 2019 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

 

About 9:30, we came to the small village of Aappilattoq (I checked the spelling this time).  Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

I then went inside and missed when some villagers came out in a boat to greet us.  Oops.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[cat shepard]

Spectacular and awesome pictures, Dave! The colors of that sky!

 

Thank you for sharing.

[TeDaKi]

Amazing pictures - brings back great memories from when I did a similar Viking Passage cruise on Eurodam 4 years ago. For me, sailing through Prince Christian Sound was the highlight of the voyage. And seeing all those high mountains, glaciers and icebergs...awesome!
 

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, RetiredMustang said:

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

 

About 9:30, we came to the small village of Aappilattoq (I checked the spelling this time).  Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

I then went inside and missed when some villagers came out in a boat to greet us.  Oops.

 

 

More later,

Dave

Ah, that forlorn little village. I have always felt so sorry for the people who live there. They are probably happy, though.

[puppycanducruise]

So serene and lovely.

Someday, I hope to take that cruise.

Thanks for the dreams.

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

Internet connectivity has been on again, off again, but it is slow.

 

With so much beauty around, it is hard not to get jaded.  But, I keep finding something to photograph.  Here is another set:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[StartrainDD]

Dave, thank you for all your postings.  We hope to visit Greenland on a cruise next August so this is a terrific preview of what we hope to see.  So happy for you to see the blue skies!

Edited August 8, 2019 by StartrainDD

[*Miss G*]

Thanks to those who are posting their live threads.  I am wondering if someone could ask about future VoV cruises changing due to the new Ice Class regulations.  Will Greenland and Iceland be out of the picture once HAL’s certifications expire?  What about Norway?  

 

Thank you!

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

After the last post, I took a few more photos, and returned to our stateroom to do some editing.  I had the forward camera on the TV, and was listening to the occasional narration.  Suddenly I heard the word “iceberg” and “starboard” and looked up to see a huge berg just off our balcony:

 

 

 

Here are some of the other photos I was editing at the time:

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited August 8, 2019 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

Some time later, I was finally online to upload the post before the last one before joining DW on the bow, I head the narrator say some things.  Here is kind of how our “conversation” went:

 

She:  We are pulling in close to another large glacier.

Me:  Yes, we’ll be there for a while – I’ll be down to the bow in a few minutes after I post this.

 

She:  We have a special guest on the bow – Santa Claus.

Me:  Yeah, I’ve met him; he sits at the end stool in the bar during happy hour.  Nice guy.  Be there in a minute.

 

She:  We’re going to serve Dutch pea soup on the bow.

Me:  Whoa!  Sorry, CC, gotta run!  (Luckily, the post had just finished uploading).

 

 

I’m happy to report that I go there in time to get some soup:

 

 

 

I also took Santa’s photo, and then chatted with him a bit:

 

 

 

Then, DW and I took turns taking photos of the glacier and the area around it:

 

 

 

 

 

When we got back to the stateroom, DW noticed some small chunks of ice adhering to the ship just below our balcony:

 

 

More later,

Dave

 

[Mickb]

Amazing Photos! Thank you 

[aliaschief]

Just a gracious thank you for another one our your outstanding live reports.

 

Seeing our 32 days sailing on the Rotterdam is not until October your reporting helps with the wait and anticipation!

 

Again, thanks!

[paganwoman]

you had as beautiful weather as we did as we were on the last sailing ending July 30th. We were so lucky. That little village sent out two small boats of people to wave at us as we went by.....it was a wonderful cruise

[retiretwo]

What a Perfect day! Beautiful weather,  Awesome scenery,  splitpea soup and Santa Claus! Who could ask for more?? Thanks again for taking us along.

[aliaschief]

On our Eurodam cruise through Prince Christian Sund they sent a tender into the village with pizzas and other sundries and gifts. Did they do that this cruise?

 

Some beautiful scenic cruising. Great pictures thanks.

 

 

[St Pete Cruiser]

13 minutes ago, paganwoman said:

you had as beautiful weather as we did as we were on the last sailing ending July 30th. We were so lucky. That little village sent out two small boats of people to wave at us as we went by.....it was a wonderful cruise

Yes, I can second that.  Zuiderdam actually stopped off the village while the boats came out.  We wondered if there was something given to them? Maybe  a change of pilot.

The Staff Captain told me that HAL now has to pay for a pilot to be on board the entire PCS passage, unlike in the past.  That gets passed along to the guests in their port and fees charges.  Usually there is a partial refund at the end of the cruise, but not this last cruise, at least not for us.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Got caught up again.

 

Prins Christian Sund looks like a nice place.  But awfully lonely to me.

 

Love all the glaciers and ice berg pictures.

[penfolddt]

Dave, thanks so much for the pictures, the scenes have been beautiful and finally getting a candid glimpse of my two little ones exploring the sights today made Mom happy, (just as I was in seeing the cafe correto/foreign coffee offerings for those on the bow braving the elements.)

[dfish]

Thank  you for doing this.  Hopefully, I will be in Prins Christian Sund in 17 days!

[RetiredMustang]

3 hours ago, aliaschief said:

On our Eurodam cruise through Prince Christian Sund they sent a tender into the village with pizzas and other sundries and gifts. Did they do that this cruise?

 

Some beautiful scenic cruising. Great pictures thanks.

 

 

 

Eurodam did that on our last transit in 2013, but I did not see a boat go from the ship to the village today.  Also, there was no box to accept donations for the village (gloves, hats, school supplies, etc.) that we had seen before.

 

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Aug. 8, Prins Christian Sund (Cont.)

 

At about 2 p.m., we pulled away from the last glacier.  About 2:10, we passed Seabourn Quest on its way into the sound:

 

 

 

 

The ships passed horn greetings in passing.  About 4 p.m., we exited the sound.  The captain told us that we would run into clouds and fog again pretty soon, but by 7 p.m., we were under cloudy skies, but no fog, yet.  It was an awesome day in the sound.  It was our fourth time there, and the best, especially for the weather.  I hope those joining in Rotterdam will have the same on the way back … but I may have used up all the luck, kismet and karma there is to get today’s conditions.

 

We spent the afternoon getting ready for gala dinner and at happy hour.  We watched for whales, but alas did not spot any.   ere is the dinner and dessert menu.  DW had the brie and I had shrimp cocktail for starter.  She ordered an available-daily strip steak, while I had the tenderloin Oscar for main. 

 

 

 

And, here is the Lido dinner menu:

 

 

 

We put our clocks forward an hour tonight, which means we will be 3 hours ahead of EDT in the morning.

 

More later,

Dave

Edited August 8, 2019 by RetiredMustang

[smitty34877]

Thank  you   so  much   for   sharing  your  fabulous trip  and  pictures. It  is  just   so  beautiful.Our VOV  trip   several   years   ago  was   unable   to   enter   due   to   ice/fog  so   I   am  really  enjoying  this.