It’s 2:00am – Easter Island is straight ahead approximately 70 miles. Updated weather forecast is 60% chance of rain with a high of 80, & the Captain is “cautiously optimistic” we’ll be able to anchor in one of three designated locations around 6:00am – great news for us & for many first-time visitors! Yesterday was a terrific day – early breakfast, “Good Morning Amsterdam” at our usual 9:30, a travel lecture from 10-11 (French Polynesia) & a card game before lunch. Cheryl and I have now played 19 games of 500-point Rummy…she’s still ahead 10 – 9! We met a wonderful couple from Sacramento – Herb & Jane – I believe I’ve mentioned them before? We’ve been playing cards with them up in the Crow’s Nest every afternoon on sea days from 1:30–3:00pm. Our games consist of Hearts, Thirty-One, & Oh Hell. Great folks – a lot of fun – they both have a great sense of humor. We don’t play for money, but rather we bet the chocolate mints the room steward’s place on your pillow each evening. I’ve been eating the winnings so we may have to start using toothpicks pretty soon!
At 3:30, a pool party was held out back – a few hundred in attendance. We had no TV reception (& still don’t) for reasons I mentioned yesterday. Many football fans on the ship but obviously no playoff games could be seen. Our daughter, Renee, and her hubby, Adam, came to our rescue! While we were at the pool party, Renee would text me updates whenever a team scored – I would share the information with the Cruise Director and he would then make announcements on the PA system – it was a great party, and wouldn’t have been complete without the updates from Renee – (thanks, Sweetie, you made a lot of folks very happy).
The pool party ended about 5:30 – we were both feeling the ‘fun’ and decided to have a casual dinner on deck #8 (Lido) and call it a night. I was in bed by 6:30 – not sure what time Cheryl turned the lights out, and haven’t seen her yet this morning – after all, most NORMAL people are still sleeping!
Post Easter Island
First, the good news from Easter Island yesterday. We were able to anchor successfully (for awhile) and most people who were scheduled to go ashore made it off the ship. Because of our tour here last year, Cheryl and I elected to walk once we hit land (first exercise in several days) so we hiked at least 12 miles, though it felt like 20. Having just rained, the roads were water-soaked and with a reddish soil throughout the island and mostly clay roads, it was quite a messy stroll, but good exercise and very interesting. We stumbled upon several dozen Moai we missed last year and once in town, we were able to visit many more small shops & roadside stands than last year. We were back on the ship by 3:30pm.
Now, the bad news…but the more interesting news.
We hit the southern-most tip of the island at 6:30am – still quite dark – you could see a handful of small lights glimmering in the distance – we were maybe 1 mile off shore. We decided to go out on the bow of the ship for a better view of our approach (our room is on the port side) but once out there, it was much too windy. We climbed some stairs we hadn’t seen before and ended up in a location not intended for passengers but figured what the heck, we were not bothering anyone and didn’t see any signs posted. It was a great vantage point – still windy, but not nearly as gusty. We hadn’t been there 5 minutes and we felt a mist, & before we could collect our thoughts & rationalize, it started raining…not one of our typical ‘Arizona’ rains which often evaporate before hitting the ground, but a tropical downpour that whipped at us for several minutes. We managed to find a little protection & shelter in another outside stairwell, but going back the way we came across the bow wasn’t an option. The storm eventually passed and in its wake, the sun was now starting to beam through the remaining angry clouds. The ship had slowed to only a few knots by then, looking for the proper point in the harbor to drop anchor for the day. After another 30 minutes or so, we could hear the grinding & clanking of the anchor chains as it began descending. Finally, we were affixed to the ocean floor. The swells were such at that point that the aft thrusters were left churning to help maintain overall stability, and the Captain then announced over the PA system that we’d officially arrived and we were just waiting for the local authorities to arrive (via dingy) to board the ship and give us clearance. We decided to head back to our stateroom, get properly dressed, and wait for our turn on a ‘tender boat’ to go ashore. We started down this outside stairwell we discovered earlier and who should be at the bottom waiting for us? It was the Captain himself – he looked somewhat surprised as he stood there smoking his cigarette – he obviously wasn’t expecting passengers outside the door to the bridge – we exchanged ‘good mornings’ and then he immediately recognized us from the trip last year. He didn’t come right out and reprimand us for venturing into areas of the ship reserved for officers, but he didn’t ask how the kids were doing either! We could tell from his expression, that we probably shouldn’t go there again. We wished each other a ‘good day’ and sheepishly returned to our cabin.
Cracked Glass From Flying CLEAT!
It was nearly 11:30 before Cheryl and I were able to go ashore. The swells hadn’t subsided but in fact, were mounting as the day went on. The ‘tenders’ were bobbing in the ocean like toys in a bathtub and the trip to shore, although only a short distance, took an average of 20 minutes – actually longer, because it took just as much time to load passengers onboard – so nearly 45 minutes from the point you hit the gangway. In one of the photos taken from above the gangway, you can see several crew members assisting each passenger as they board the ‘tender’. While we were ashore, the Captain made the decision to suspend transporting any additional guests to the island – the swells were continuing to grow and there were now thunderstorms in the forecast. The ‘tender’ operations now concentrated on getting folks back to the ship safely, but only 45 per trip because they didn’t want to overload the boats given the height of the swells, many over 10’ by now, and the ‘tenders’ of course, are comparatively small boats. We were unaware of the suspended service until we ran into some friends who were on the last ‘tender’ of the day. They advised us to get back to the pier as quickly as possible and get in line for the trip back to the ship, which we did! The crew had set up a large tent, or holding area, with folding chairs, ice water, & cold towels. Each guest was given a number – we were fortunate – we were numbers 6 & 7 for the next ‘tender’. Our wait was only about 30 minutes. We ‘bobbed’ our way back to the ship in some pretty frightening swells, but without incident. What’s disheartening is the first-time visitors who were very much looking forward to going ashore – to come this far to see Easter Island and now to only be able to see it through binoculars is a tough pill to swallow. But as the Captain later announced, conditions were bad and only getting worse – he had no choice other than to cancel further operations. He obviously made the right call.
A Tender Loaded With Passengers
Made it to Shore!
The Amsterdam Churns in the Bay
Cheryl and I showered, and then ran upstairs for a quick cheeseburger & fries – we were starving after our long walk. The rainstorms had arrived by then, and there were still passengers on shore trying to get back. We could see the ‘tenders’ in the ocean, circling in the swells and waiting for the rains to subside so they could proceed to shore. The other hazard I haven’t mentioned yet – our ‘landing area’ on shore required the ‘tenders’ to navigate through some very sharp, jagged rocks – you can see them in some of the photos here. The high swells, pointed rocks, and narrow harbor entrance posed quite a challenge for the ‘tender’ pilots.
Any time Holland America inconveniences guests, they are quick to react, respond, & apologize. While clearly there was nothing that could be done about the weather & sea conditions, everyone was still very remorseful and additionally, free champagne was offered for the entire evening at all functions, and for all guests. We were nearly 3 hours late leaving Easter Island, but everyone made it back and as far as we know, SAFELY. According to one of the Officers, damage to many ‘tenders’ was significant – they’re estimating $48K in total – replacement parts have been ordered and will be picked up in Tahiti, which is another 2,200 miles west of here.
If you missed our visit from last year, please CLICK HERE.
A few closing thoughts on Easter Island as we now sail westward.
As the most isolated island in the world, you should consider putting Easter on your bucket list but would recommend arriving by air vs. sea. There are 20 cruise ships each year with the destination on their itinerary, but for every ten ships, only two are able to make landfall successfully. So each year, sixteen ships simply ‘sail-by’ and if you have a good telephoto lens on your camera, you might be able to snap a decent picture of a few Moai statues. We’ve beat the odds the past two years as we’ve been able to transport some passengers to shore but as you’ve read, not without incident each time. The uplift & swells around the island are relentless – the winds in the Pacific have nothing to slow or obstruct them.
Again, I would recommend traveling to Easter Island via air. Flights arrive on a weekly basis from both Chile (from the east) and Tahiti (from the west). There are a handful of commercial hotels on the island – nothing extravagant, but they appear clean & safe. I will warn you that while the crime rate is extremely low (no place for anyone to run) the residents are very passive, indifferent, and do nothing to promote tourism. Their demeanor is such that you feel like you’re in the way – little to no eye contact is made with tourists and very few greetings. If the Chilean government & citizens were serious about revenue generation, they would invest in some type of safe harbor port to properly accommodate cruise ships. The annual revenue potential to the economy is huge and could go a long way to help improve the infrastructure on the island.
We are now sailing toward Tahiti – roughly 2,200 miles west, & scheduled to arrive in 5 days. We have an interesting ‘sail-by’ of Pitcarin Island (should arrive tomorrow morning) and as I understand it, several local island families will be boarding the ship for a day to interact with passengers and sell their native goods. We’ll be attending a lecture later today to learn more and as we do, I’ll share the information with you. The history of Pitcairn is said to be quite interesting but at this point, I know nothing.
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