August 25, 2023 Sea Day #15

   Today is the fifteenth and final Sea Day as Zuiderdam travels from Halifax to Boston. Clocks were moved back one hour overnight as the fog rolled in. The fog horn sounded throughout the night until close to 9 a.m. Once the fog lifted the sky was mostly cloudy, wind SW 9 km/ hour and temperature 16° C.

    We ate breakfast in the dining room then went to the World Stage for the City at Sea presentation about how the ship runs day-to-day. The presentation started with a brief explanation of the building of Holland America’s Rotterdam 7 ship. The staterooms are built as modules and fit into the structure like assembling Lego. The heat produced by the engines heats the hot water and the steam is condensed to produce drinking water which has some minerals added to it. The diesel engines produce electricity that powers the ship. At the end many crew from all departments ascended the stage for a standing ovation of the two level theatre audience.

   We started to pack for tomorrow’s departure. One of the people at breakfast had to buy another duffel bag to fit all their purchases from the 18 ports that we visited over the past five weeks. 

    At the Lido Market lunch time on the starboard side, the salad bar was converted to an arrangement of chocolate flavoured pastry. Our lunch was just dessert and coffee.  

   The captain’s noon announcement gave the ship’s position as North 43°07’57” and West 66°43’19”. He warned that a cold front was moving in during the afternoon with stronger winds and high waves and swells.

   On the World Stage this afternoon Tom Goltz delivered a presentation “The Dutch in the New World” about the exploration and trading of the Dutch from the 1500s to the 1800s. Then we wrote Thank You notes to stewards and waiters.

   We spent the rest of the afternoon on Deck 10 in Explorations Central Crow’s Nest Café playing Five Crowns and watch the watched the clouds darken, the swells get bigger and finally the rain lashing against the windows for a while.

   We had our Final dinner with Cee Kaye and Brad and distributed the Thank You notes. 

   The World Stage Theatre was only half full for The Alans magic and mentalist show.

   We finished packing and setting the luggage in the corridor to be picked up and stored overnight to be transferred to the cruise terminal in Boston when we arrive and collected when we disembark.

   We did not walk on Deck 3 today even though the high was 19. Total steps 6,666.


the City at Sea presentation


lunch was just dessert and coffee


view at the back of Deck 9



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