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| NEWS | NEWS |
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Hansa Flensburg and Rendsburg Passengers: 6 Containers: 1700 Deadweight: 23,579 tons Length: 175 m Speed: 21 knots Built: 2000 Officers/Crew: International Owners: Leonhard & Blumberg, German |
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Sailing on the following voyage every three to four weeks: Los Angeles, CA (Day 1); Tauranga, NZ (15); Sydney (19), Melbourne (22) and Adelaide, Australia (24); Auckland, New Zealand, (30); Papeete, Tahiti (36); Ensenada, Mexico (42); San Francisco, CA (46); Seattle, WA (49); Vancouver, BC (51); Los Angeles (54). |
| Three spacious twin-bedded suites, located on the Captain’s F deck. The Owner’s, facing forward may have its view partially obstructed by containers stowed on deck. It consists of a bedroom with twin beds (bed size 2.0 x 1.0 m each), separate sitting room and private facilities with shower, and has a total area of approx. 28 sqm. - €85 per person double or single occupancy per day. |
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Two suites, side and forward facing, forward views might be partially obstructed by containers stowed on deck, each consisting of a bedroom with twin beds (bed size 2.0 x 1.0 m each), separate sitting room and private facilities with shower, and a total area of approx. 25 sqm. - €80 per person double or single occupancy per day. There is an additional charge of €315 for port and vessel fees. |
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HS Scott Passengers: 3 Deadweight: 38,250 tons Containers: 2,846 Length: 213 m Speed: 23 knots Built: 2007 Officers & Crew: International Owners: Hansa, German Three single cabins located on the Captain’s deck, side or forward facing, each consisting of a bedroom with private facilities and shower, and sitting area with music center. €98 - €106 per day, depending on the duration of the voyage. |
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Sailing every three months: Hamburg, Germany (Day 1); Rotterdam, Netherlands (2); Le Havre, France (4); Marseille, France (9); La Spezia, Italy (10); Damietta, Egypt (14); transit the Suez Canal (15); Djibouti (18); Réunion, France (24); Port Louis, Mauritius (26); Melbourne (37), Sydney (39) and Brisbane (41), all in Australia; Auckland (45) and Lyttelton, New Zealand (48); Melbourne (52) and Adelaide, Australia (54); Jakarta, Indonesia (61); Port Kelang, Malaysia (63); Chennai, India (67); Colombo, Sri Lanka (69); Djibouti (75); Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (76); transit the Suez Canal (78); Damietta (79); Malta (82); La Spezia (84); Tilbury, England (89) and Hamburg (91). |
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Passenger cabins and shared facilities, such as the dining room, lounges, exercise room and swimming pool are located on various decks. Passengers must be fully mobile and able to negotiate the stairs. Self service laundry facilities are available. The electrical current is 220/50 AC. A two-prong round adapter and converter are needed for North American appliances. All cabins are equipped with air conditioning, and all have a mini refrigerator. A steward will clean the cabin once a week, or more often if required. A small onboard shop provides a limited selection of beverages, cigarettes and toiletries at duty free prices, which may be paid for with cash in €/US$. Tipping is at the passenger’s discretion; $/€3-5 per person per day is recommended. Telephone and fax connections are available for a fee. And while the Internet is not available, email can be arranged through the Captain’s office. The average port time is one day. Reservations can be made by completing a Registration Form and providing a 25% deposit. The balance of the fare is payable 65 days before departure. The fare may be paid for by check or wire (by exception only, credit cards may be accepted) in either the basic tariff currency, as quoted by the steamship line, or in EUR/USD/CAD/GBP at the prevailing exchange rates and subject to a final adjustment at the time the ticket is issued, a few weeks before departure. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the anticipated return date, and a visa for Australia and the USA must be obtained, depending on citizenship and voyage. A Medical Statement of Good Health and International Health and Accident Insurance are required. |
Capt. Merkel |
There is no age limit on the CCNI Altamira, while on the Albert Rickmers it is 75, and on other ships 79. Cancellation fees are as follows: over 60 days, loss of deposit; 30-59 days, 50% of the fare. No refund will be made within the 30 days from departure. To protect your investment, Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is highly recommended. Travelex Insurance packages, covering you from the moment you buy the policy - at no additional cost, are available to all Maris customers, worldwide, on our website page "Before You Sail". And if you buy the Travelex policy within three weeks of your initial trip deposit, pre-existing conditions are waived. |
My Australian Journal
By Beverly Wildish, Summer 2005
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“… Jill and I spent several hours sitting on deck chairs wondering how the rest of the world was managing to get along and debating which was the biggest whitecap and other weighty matters. Too bad, there are no whales in this region. However, according to the captain there are porpoises, and Jill claims to have seen them. I have what I like to think of as my own private patio where I drag the lawn chair from my cabin and commune with nature. It is just outside my own porthole and cabin. In reality, others may enter simply by climbing the outside stairs, which take you up or down to the other decks, and they do regularly and always say hello with a smile. |
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There is only one other passenger on board, Jill, a lady forest ranger from Orleans, California, recently retired and traveling to New Zealand for her yearly visit with her married sister. She will get off in Auckland and I will continue on to Sydney where the ship will go into dry dock for 10-14 days, they tell me. Once it is out of dry dock, I will board again and resume the trip home … I am enjoying the games and movies on the laptop I brought along. That decision is one of the best I made. I received good advice from many people about this voyage, some of which I actually took and all of which I appreciated. The officers and crew all wear Bermuda shorts, T-shirts and either flip-flops or sandals for the most part. Very casual. I watch the waves from my deck chair and see the flying fish and the few birds that visit. The captain says there are a few owned but uninhabited islands around this area and that is probably where the birds nest. There was a petrel interested in the flying fish as well as something that looked much like a very slim Canada goose. Surprising this far out from what I know of as land. The ocean is about five miles deep according to the nautical charts they use on the bridge. We travel at approximately 20 knots but when you are standing on the cargo deck (the first deck entered when boarding the ship) it looks like 45 miles an hour from the wake of foam the vessel spreads out. |
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As there is not very much wind, the bow is too warm for me and there are lots of huge appurtenances attached to the deck, which serve purposes of which I am not aware. The anchor chain is intimidating in its size. My private patio suits me better. You are encouraged to visit the bridge at any time (just walk in) or walk on the cargo deck to the bow of the ship, a la the Titanic, but you must secure permission to walk on the cargo deck to the bow because you cannot be seen and if you fall or are hurt, the officers in charge would never know. However, the sea is quite calm all the time and just a mention gets you permission and encouragement to go. I enjoy visiting the bridge as the view is spectacular all around except directly behind, where the superstructure gets in the way. Once out on the bridge wing, which is the outside extension of the bridge over each side allowing viewing behind the ship, the view is unimpeded. Unfortunately, there is really nothing to see right now. Jill and I were given certificates that we had crossed the equator during the night and I was given the sea name of “Mermaid” while she was called “Sea Nymph”. We should be crossing the International Date Line soon. Jill will be getting off in New Zealand and I in Sydney. The captain says that the Tasmanian Sea will be rough... it always is, but we’ll only be there a few days at most on the way from New Zealand to Australia. ... Sunrise is a sight to behold with neon colors lasting a long time and stretching half way around the horizon. Lovely! We have been through five time changes so far with another two to come, plus the International Date Line. They say we will be in Auckland on June 29. I plan to disembark with the other passenger and at least walk around a little. Then 2 1/2 days to Sydney and dry dock in Brisbane. We are approaching the Tasmanian Sea and the effect of its currents so today the sea is starting to get rougher. Nevertheless, no one is seasick and we just had lunch ... |
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There was a big storm all day yesterday, which kept me in my bunk reading for most of the day. Too difficult to be up walking around. The big dips and bumps were exciting, like a thrill ride at the carnival. It did calm down considerably later in the day and I had my dinner of pizza, salad, cold cuts and the most delicious chocolate meringue cake I have ever tasted. The cook on this vessel is very good and it is a wonder to me how he does such nice things while being tossed here and there. |
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Yesterday’s storm has gone but the wind is still fierce, causing the ship to roll and bounce. The stars in this hemisphere are completely different and I expected to see a sky full and not be able to identify any. But even so, I was able recognize the difference in the pattern I’m used to seeing. An hour later (5 a.m.) and the sky is overcast and the wind is still up. We have gradually gone through seven time changes, the last occurring last night. It is best to keep changing your watch and not try to calculate the difference in ‘here’ and ‘home’ time, especially with the International Date Line thrown in. It will drive you crazy and not accomplish anything. Best to adjust your living hour by hour as the changes occur. Luckily, I had downloaded quite a few CDs and can enjoy music at all hours. There is no live radio or TV here, only what you bring with you. I do watch my movies almost every night or read and jump into bed and let the ocean rock me to sleep. It’s part of what I came for, and I enjoy every single minute. Four o’clock and a curious sight. About 100 yards out my porthole I saw strange flat whitecaps. So I grabbed my binoculars and dashed out on deck. It appeared there were some fish being herded into a ball by bigger fish, driving them up to the surface where they were probably feeding on them. The smaller fish were jumping out of the water creating a big disturbance on the surface of the waves. I’ve seen this phenomenon before, on National Geographic, and assume this is what was happening here. The disturbance was more or less stationary and, as we continued on, we left the white water behind. The landing in Sydney harbor was smooth and several of the crew picked up my luggage and set it on the deck and waited with me for the shuttle to take me to the gate and my entrance into Australia. Here, while the ship was in dry dock, I spent almost three weeks touring Sydney’s harbors, the aboriginal villages, and the Great Barrier Reef and Rain Forest. |
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The port agents with whom I had kept in touch were competently watching out for me and kept me fully informed of the ship’s whereabouts and told me when to board. They advised me to check in with the office of the dock, take the shuttle to the ship and wait until someone tells you where and when to walk. I had learned that those were the best ideas to prevent any injury. Someone picked up my luggage and off they went. Would I ever see it again? Once I boarded the ship again, the Assistant Engineer on A deck greeted me with open arms and a beaming smile saying, “I missed you”. He asked about my vacation on land. They evidently do not get time off but work seven days a week for the length of the contract they sign. When I finally arrived at the ship’s office, who should be there but the same chief officer who was supposed to go home as soon as we arrived in Sydney. He didn’t make it. Instead, he says he will go home from Los Angeles. I hope he makes it that time. I’m secretly glad that he did not go home in Sydney. As I told him, it is too difficult to break in new first officers and I wasn’t relishing the job. And, there was my luggage sitting in his office. Soon, Roderick (the steward) stuck his head in the door to welcome me back with a big smile and to carry my luggage. Although he isn’t any taller than me and is probably 22 or younger, and he is a mess and cabin boy, not a dockworker, he was able to heft my suitcase onto his shoulder and pick up my heavy computer case and away he went. We are at sea. And what a sea! You get more motion in a bathtub. Forget whitecaps … there are no peaks to become whitecaps. The ocean is almost flat. The ship only vibrates from the engines, not the Coral Sea or the Tasmanian Sea currents. The sun is rising and the colors are, once again, beautiful. The temperature outside is just pleasantly cool. |
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There are a few clouds in the sky around the horizon and there have been islands denoting the long western arm of the ‘V’ leading into Auckland on the starboard side for some time. The pilot came aboard at 5 to take us in. He speaks in a loud voice. I guess all pilots have to speak that way to be heard over the engines, tugs, machinery, and weather and so there is no mistake about what they say. He sits in the captain’s chair and calls out orders from time to time: amidships, dead slow, 10 degrees to port, etc. The rest of the time he is free to engage in conversation, and does. But, he never forgets why he is here and how to go about his job. |
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Watching the tugs maneuver the ship around corners makes you want to cover your eyes with your hands. You just know there is going to be a big disaster, but it never happens. (Rather like taking a taxi in Sydney.) … Over breakfast, I visited with the new passenger who has been traveling for 2 years 8 months through Australia (learning English) and New Zealand. He plans to leave the ship in San Francisco and camp and motorbike south into Central and South America. He is the only German I know who speaks English with an Australian accent. |
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I notice the ‘fog’ obscuring the horizon and by now I know what that means - rain. Sure enough, it rained for a while, but no one really notices in this temperature. If they are working outside, they go indoors for a while and then back out again. It never rains much and it comes and goes quickly because it is usually heading south while we head north. There are whitecaps again and it is warm. Looking up from my private deck, there are crewmen standing and sitting on scaffolding painting the stack about 40 feet up while the ship rolls and the wind really blows! |
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The captain says he is leaving the ship in Vancouver and there will be a new captain from there to Los Angeles. I already know that Roderick will be leaving in Oakland. The chief officer is disembarking in Los Angeles. What a lovely, lovely evening. We all gathered just before the sun went down behind a few horizon clouds. The air was tropical and warm and the ship stirred up its own breeze, adding to what the weather was doing, so you didn’t get too hot, just right. One of the crew had a huge BBQ going and added more charcoal to it as people came and decided on their preferences. There seemed to be way more food than our 25 people could eat. One whole table was filled with rice, salad, rolls and cakes. I ordered the chicken but during dinner they also served plates of steak, ribs and sausages. And the roast pig was up there for anyone at any time. I fixed my plate and saw one Filipino crewman sitting off by himself at the corner of a completely empty picnic table. So I asked if I could join him and he lit up like a Christmas tree and was so gracious to me all evening that it was quite touching. For a while the chief engineer joined us as did the other passenger, and the captain. Mostly the captain circulated around on foot munching on a rib or piece of chicken and laughing with one person or another. But then he had to go to the bridge so the first officer could come down, where he also joined our table. After everyone had eaten and had cake, the karaoke started with a few of the crew taking turns singing over the microphone. Even the chief officer got into ‘I Did It My Way.’ Some were quite good and some were teeth grinders, but all were applauded loudly for their effort. We all talked and laughed a lot and people told funny stories and got philosophical and we enjoyed each other as well as the night. |
| On the bridge, the captain, the third officer and I spoke of the new paint job as well as the men who are up on the scaffolding cleaning and painting. I told them how much I appreciated the crew who were always kind and smiling and such hard workers. Normally there are four passengers; this time it was different, probably because of the dry dock, which worked for me, but presumably not for too many others. |
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... All members of the ship, regardless of their rank, behave toward me with consummate politeness and formality. Visiting on the bridge with Elias, I ask him what ‘amidships’ means since you hear it all the time in the old movies. He tells me that when wanting a change in heading or direction, 10 degrees port for example, the captain (or pilot) will wait until the ship is traveling in the direction he wants before calling ‘amidships’. Upon hearing this order, the sailor who is steering the vessel will bring the top of the wheel back to its mid point, in the middle of the ship, effectively stopping the turn and setting the ship on its new course. You learn something new every day … We are now in the Straights of Juan de Fuca heading for Vancouver. The first pilot will take us to the river and a second pilot will take us down the river to dock. He points out the local landmarks to us and tells us generally how he guides the ship into port and the navigational aids on land along the way which assists him ... This may be the last time I have any quality visiting time with Elias and will say good-bye just in case. I have already said my good-byes to the chief officer. I hate saying good-byes and it will be harder to do so with Elias and the bosun, but it will be particularly difficult saying it to Gheorghe who has kept our dinner table jumping and happy. They are all really sweet people and I’m glad to have them in my memory banks ... Back in a deck chair watching the ocean becomes hypnotic. You either think about what’s coming, what’s been, or nothing at all and end up with book in lap, glasses in hand and brain on hold. My outdoor session is cut short because the crew is out washing down the decks again. Off my own patio are dolphins/porpoises, dozens of them, cavorting over very wide area. Three California brown pelicans skim the water looking for food and are flying slightly faster than the ship is traveling. At 4:00 p.m. I go to the bridge and watch as the pilot, a very tall thin man, takes us in. It takes less than an hour. Now the customs and inspectors will board and do whatever it is they do and I will be called and questioned and released, I’m sure. I will rely on the captain to tell me when to disembark. I will close my laptop for now and end my journal to Australia.” |
| We are most grateful for the support, including comments such as the following, which we have been receiving from our valued customers and club members as well as from the steamship lines and media over the years: |
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