When Mother Nature creates a super typhoon and earthquake at exactly the same time and place your cruise ship is scheduled to dock, the intrepid traveler has no choice but to sit back and enjoy the adventure.
After 6 days at sea, from Juneau to Yokohama, guests were getting antsy. Ready to disembark at Kushiro and Hakodate, we could finally place our feet on land and explore Japan. The itinerary included visiting both ports and enjoying one more day at sea. In Yokohama, more than half of the 1,800 guests were planning to disembark, catch their planes, head home or spend a few days in Tokyo.
However, the weather gods had other intentions. After visiting Kushiro it became painfully clear that the ferocious Super Typhoon Hagidis was going to wreak havoc with our travel plans. This massive storm was heading up the east coast of Japan scheduled to hit Tokyo on October 13th, and our ship was to head south, reaching the port of Yokohama the same day.
Captain Mark Rowden, of Holland America’s Westerdam, had to make the decision to protect his guests, keeping them out of harm’s way.
Passengers were savvy to the impending storm before the official announcement, as they could access current news through the BBC channel. Consequently, rumors were rampant and information from the staff was fuzzy because of the uncertain nature of a storm like Hagidis.
It must have been agonizing for Captain Rowden to finally announce that our stop in Hakodate was canceled so he could use the time to maneuver to the west coast of Japan and avoid a direct hit. With ports closed and city evacuations ordered, he had to keep the ship at sea and race south to the Kanmon Strait.
Passengers were disappointed but the majority were experienced travelers who know how to roll with the punches.
This detour was a break from the endless horizon providing a needed change of scene.
Numerous activities and shows onboard kept cabin fever at bay, however, some entertainment had to be rescheduled in order to deal with the rough seas and swaying ship. Elaborate dance groups were at risk of falling so a comedian stepped in and filled the void. Never a dull moment on the Westerdam.
Another day at sea found us on the east coast again, eventually following the storm as it headed north and out to sea.
Arriving in Tokyo a day late meant flights had to be changed, hotels rescheduled, excursions canceled – a monumental task for ship staff, endeavoring to assist guests with a fear of the unknown. Excursion refunds were issued, shipboard credits were added and free WiFi was given to those guests who needed to notify family members of changes.
To his credit, the Captain insisted that his crew was not responsible for the delays, the decisions were on his shoulders and to please treat the crew with respect. So far no bad behavior has been witnessed, no mutiny at sea. We all knew the situation was unavoidable and we could deal with this inconvenience.
Looking at the big picture, we were all lucky to be on this fantastic itinerary with a top-notch leader in the cruise industry. It’s hard to complain while being served yet another creme brulee. Travel hiccups happen but, with a positive attitude, issues are resolved and worries float out to sea with the storm.