BILL MILLER SCRIBBLINGS MAY 16, 2022

SCRIBBLINGS

                                                    From Bill Miller 

Apr 2022

Above:  the Nieuw Amsterdam at New York’s Pier 92 in Aug 1969

Sun Apr 24^th   At Home in Secaucus: Busy times!   Within two days, Norwegian Cruise Lines will have no less than 5 sailings from New York – and on 5 different ships.   Today, the Norwegian Getaway & Norwegian Gem set off for Europe and their summer cruise schedules;   the Norwegian Escape follows tomorrow, again to European shores;   on Tue, the Norwegian Joy sets course for a cruise to Bermuda; and finally, on Thursday, the Norwegian Dawn also sails off to European ports .

The Norwegian Escape berthed at Tortola in a photo by Andy Hernandez

But back to New York, on Sunday afternoon, Apr 24^th, and three cruise ships in port – Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Getaway &  Ocean Explorer

Contrast:   The giant Norwegian Getaway compared to the expedition cruise ship Ocean Explorer

The 93,500-ton Norwegian Gem was completed in 2007 and can accommodate 2,394 passengers

Commissioned in 2011, the Norwegian Getaway was completed in 2011 and can carry up to 3,963 passengers.   She is seen on the north side of Pier 88 and where the likes of the Normandie once berthed (and later burned & then capsized) and later welcomed the likes of the France.

The two NCL both had delayed sailings – welcoming over 5,000 combined passengers

On Tuesday, the gigantic Norwegian Joy was in port.  It’s capacity:  3,883.

Huge dimensions … afloat & in the skies above …

Looking east across the Hudson:  A moody, misty April morning … 

Mon Apr 25^th:   At Home in Secaucus:  More &  more ships are returning to the high seas.  As an example, the Noordam re-entered service for Holland America Line yesterday in Florida. After a 25-month hiatus, the 2006-built cruise ship is resuming commercial service with two repositioning cruises ahead of a summer program in Alaska. First, the vessel is offering first a Panama Canal cruise. The 17-night voyage sails from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego and features visits to eight ports in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. Once on the West Coast, the Noordam embarks on a four-night Pacific Coastal itinerary that links San Diego and Vancouver, with a stop in Victoria.

Earlier days:   Holland-America’s Veendam, the former Argentina, departing from New York in 1982.