An Unfortunate Occurrence

They say tonight there is a “super-moon”, which involves the pock-marked planet passing the nearest to Earth as it will get during this calendar year. I’d like to hope this once-in-14-months occurrence might explain why I am sitting on my couch this evening instead of onboard Holland America Line’s Oosterdam, creeping slowly toward Seattle, Washington.

Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

My fiancée Kim suffers from anxiety. Difficult to pinpoint and even harder to predict, her condition is usually kept in check through the careful use of medication. Kim doesn’t sail on every voyage with me, but she did want to do this quick little jaunt down to Seattle. Unfortunately, she suffered a serious anxiety attack after being onboard Oosterdam for a little over an hour, and it became clear that we would have to disembark before the ship set sail.  (I should point out that the ship, line, and crew themselves had nothing to do with the onset of her attack.)

We disembarked Oosterdam just after 3pm. Because we had only been onboard long enough to have a quick lunch, I don’t have many photographs of the ship, but I can share the few I managed to gather during a quick run-around. If you’re slated to sail aboard Oosterdam in the coming weeks, I have good news for you: she looks just as beautiful and vibrant as she did when I first sailed aboard her seven years ago.

Lovely teak deckchairs aboard Holland America's Oosterdam. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Fresh flowers in the Vista Dining Room, Deck 2. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Oosterdam's Library is now located in the Exploration's Cafe, in the Crow's Nest. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Cooling faucets in the Thermal Suite, part of the Greenhouse Spa. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

I've always loved these door handles. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

While this Live Voyage Report has come to an unexpected halt, I’m hard at work securing my next Live cruising adventure to share with all of you here, on From the Deck Chair.  Details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

From the Deck Chair will return on Monday with more cruise coverage.