Peaceboat 120
I boarded the boat in Hamburg, having skipped the route from Yokohama (4/23) to Zeebrugge (6/13). For the next one and half month (14 June - 7 August), the boat (and I 😙) would sail from Hamburg to Yokohama, across the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal. En route, stopping at Bergen (Norway), Reykjavik (Iceland), New York City (US), Montego Bay (Jamaica), Puntarena (Costa Rica), Manzanillo(Mexico), Vancouver(Canada) and Sitka & Steward (Alaska).
North Sea
Hamburg faded into the distance as the boat sailed off into the North Sea in the evening.
The boat would arrive at Bergen after three days of sailing.
As we sailed northward, the day would become longer. <<From the newsletter, the sun would rise at 4:55am and set at about 22:48 the next day>>
As I settled into the routine of the boat, I was glad for the familiarity of the Deck 14 buffet, zumba (Ai Chan) and Japanese (by Remy) classes, deck 6 shop, and the passengers from 116 😊
16 June: Norwegian Southern Fjords - Lysefjord Scenic Cruising - Bergen
This fjord is one of the highlights of the cruise as the boat would sail through cascading waterfalls and towering cliffs.
It had been foggy and raining when the boat entered into the fjord. The high cliff were hidden behind mist and the landscape was shrouded by the fog. The gray and forlorn weather seemed to linger. By about noon and with continued poor visibility, the fjord cruising was shortened. <<Although the fjord has been listed as one of the cruise's highlights, but it was not mine... so, okay la 😶>>>
After leaving the fjord, the boat continued sailing north towards Bergen.
16-17 June : Bergen
The boat arrived in Bergen at about 8pm in the evening.
It rained almost the entire time the boat was docked in Bergen. Still, I visited most of the tourist spots, tried the recommended food and walked around the town.
The boat left Bergen at about 10pm the next day to set sail for the Northern Fjords. 18 June : Sognefjord Scenic Cruising (Northern Fjords)
The Sognefjord is the longest and the deepest fjord in Norway. The weather was slightly better <<but not sunny nor brilliant but at least not raining 😐😊>> than when the boat cruised the Lysefjords. The boat entered the fjord at around 1:00 am.
As the the boat continued sailing through the fjord in the morning, the landscape varied from low mountain ranges to soaring snowy mountain peaks. Cascading waterfalls and small towns dotted the coastlines.
The boat completed the scenic and charming cruise by early afternoon before heading to Reykjavik, the next port of call. <<Some of the coastal roads were visible from the boat, and I wondered if it would be interesting to drive along them?? 😉>>
21 June: Reykjavik
The boat arrived at Reykjavik after two days of sailing. It was drizzling for most part of the day and rained heavily before the boat's boarding time.
As the boat sailed off from Reykjavik, it would cross the arctic circle before arriving in New York. I look forward to reaching the next continent - North America.
22-23 June Iceland Sea - Arctic Circle - Labrador Sea
Sailing through the Arctic Circle was marketed as one of the cruise's highlights <<Hmmm - for crossing an imaginary line?! 😶>>
22 June : The sun <<did it set??>> was already above the horizon at 3am when I woke up briefly. <<it should be good weather ahead 😊 as I drifted back to sleep>>
But throughout the early morning, the clouds gathered swiftly and as the fog set-in, the temperature dropped too.
By late morning, the weather turned tempestuous; the wind picked up speed and the temperature dropped rather drastically. The boat rocked and pounded against the waves.
Drifting ice was spotted and I braved the freezing cold to be on the deck to enjoy the amazing view. <<What's the difference between Arctic and Antarctic summer ? Not much, right?! Then, why did I pack mostly summer attire (no downs, etc) for the Arctic regions?! 😟😵>>
The boat crossed the arctic circle after noontime. Drifting ice covered the oceanic vastness with sporadic iceberg of varying size and forms floated by. It was indeed a sight to behold. (Thank you for crossing the Arctic Circle 😊)
The boat headed south towards the Labrador Sea after crossing the Arctic Circle. Although the sailing to cross the Arctic Circle was short, I was profoundly impressed and awestruck by the vast changing vista of borderless sea, drifting ice and icebergs. <<My familarity with the Arctic Circle has always been the preferred latitude 66o33'44" for optimal aurora sightings. Having been to Ilulissat (Greenland, north of the arctic circle), I had not expected much from the crossing 😔 - how silly of me. Now, it is one of the highlights of my cruise 😍😘>>
June 23: The sky did not turn dark even after 3:15am the next morning.
Global warming is speeding up the melting of the icesheet, and altering the arctic environment. I hope the current effort to slowdown or even reverse some of the damage already done is effective. <<shall I add an arctic cruise into my travel list?! 😉>>
24-28 June. Labrador Sea - Gulf of St. Lawrence - North Atlantic Ocean
The boat would be sailing for five days across the Labrador Sea towards New York City.
25 June: The boat sailed through Iceberg Alley, a section of the Labrador Sea off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. These icebergs break off from the Greenland ice sheet and drift south usually between March and July. However, only sporadic icebergs can be spotted with a few large ones garnering 'Wows' from the passengers looking out for them. <<Not as many as I had expected, shall I attribute it to global warming too?>>.
The boat sailed into the Gulf of St.Lawerence in the evening (~9+pm), and small towns could be seen dotting the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). It was an alluring panorama against the sea of gold and crimson coloured sky with sweeping clouds. <<With the advance of technology, these towns are most likely connected into the global communities as I had been trying my luck to connect to my mobile plan. Suddenly, the book 'Anne of Green Gables" came to mind. I could not remember the content but it was the story about a orphan girl (without internet) living in the nearby Prince Edward Island>>
(Main extracts from Wikipedia - Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author L.M Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, the novel recounts the adventures of an 11-year-old orphan girl Anne Shirley in the fictional town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada)
26-28 June: Daily routines of talks, classes, walks, food, chats and watching downloaded dramas were 'curated' after getting the program sheets the prior evening.
Somehow, the days passed rather quickly and pleasantly. 😊
<<ha-ha moment: a few of us were having coffee break on deck 14 when Al said he needed to confirm dinner with someone and then walked off. I wondered the secrecy needed to text his friend out of sight from us. Then I saw him using boat's telephone near the lift. I had completely forgotten about such a mode of communication 😆>>
Yes, one of the challenges on board is trying to contact someone. Since the data plan is expensive (1 Gb US$10), few are connected to the internet constantly and thus WhatsApp, etc have limited usage.
29 June: Upper New York Bay, New York
Although the boat sailed into New York in the early morning (~4am), many passengers were up on the deck to take in the view of New York City
As the boat approached the port, the Manhatten skyline gradually came to the fore, and it was a magnificent spectacle.
29-30 June: New York
I enjoyed walking Manhatten - Broadway (detouring to Washington Square, Mercer Street, revisitng my favorite Japanese Restaurant - SobaYa), Korean Town (dabao-ing Gimbap from Woorijip), Central Park and Time Square and shopping along the way 😙😀 <<However, the weather was really hot and uncomfortable 😳>>
30 June - 7 July New York City - North Atlantic Ocean - Caribbean Sea
30 June ~11pm : The boat left New York City.
For the next four days (1 - 4 July), the boat continued its southward journey towards Montego Bay (Jamaica). The weather was warm and pleasant, ideal for sky and ocean watching. 😗😀
Talks, events, classes, meals and watching drama half-filled the days.
I also added dipping in the tiny sea-water pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steaming into my routine. With better weather, movies under the stars started screening again.
Afternoon coffee breaks at deck 5 with live performances by the boat's musicians were also an enjoyable way to pass time.
5 July : Montego Bay (Jamaica)
The boat arrived at Montego Bay in the early morning.
The boat left for Panama in the evening. <<Maybe the weather was hot and I am not a beach-goer, somehow Montego Bay did not charm me much - haha 😕>>
6 -8 July : Caribbean Sea - Panama - Panama Canal
After a full day of sailing, the boat arrived at Cristobal, Panama. I spent the day shopping at the Port's Terminal duty-free mall and took a half-day tour to the old city.
8 July : With eager anticipation, I woke up early to see the start of the Panama Canal. This is one of my two highlights for the cruise - the other being to sail in a westerly direction 😉😊.
End of Atlantic Ocean Crossing
The boat completed crossing the canal by late afternoon, and with that it marked the start of the cruise in the Pacific Ocean. It took almost a month (25 days) to cross over 10000km of the Atlantic Ocean from Hamburg to Panama.
It was a memorable experience as each city was a delightful visit with new discoveries; and the ever changing views of the seas and the sky continue to be interesting and alluring. Next, I forward to stepping foot on Central America.