Turns out that Zanzibar ( a scheduled port visit that was skipped due to a local cholera outbreak ) was not to be the only scheduled port that the Norwegian Dawn would miss. While a public health risk was the culprit with Zanzibar, it would be the weather gods that wreaked havoc on our itinerary after Madagascar. There was to be one final stop prior to reaching Port Louis in Mauritius – the French island of Reunion ( which is very close to Mauritius ). Unfortunately Cyclone Garance had other plans. As we were departing Madagascar, the captain came over the PA system to advise that there was a dangerous cyclone just ahead of us ( it had all be so calm up until then ! ) and that, since Reunion had closed both its port and airport, we would take an extra “sea” day and navigate around the rough weather. This he managed to do and apart from one evening where we encountered larger than normal swells, the ship was unaffected by the cyclone. Reunion, though, was hit hard and very sadly at least 4 people were killed.
The cyclone we avoided was quite deadly.
The sea days were fine, always lots to do anyway, and the captain kindly threw us all a $100 on-board credit for the inconvenience – covered the cost of a few more cocktails to celebrate the imminent end of what has ( overall ) been a really wonderful cruise. We’d both had doubts about our ability to last for 17 days at sea but in reality it flew by. Norwegian did a spectacular job, the ship was great, the staff were outstanding and the ports ( mostly ) offered outstanding sightseeing options, if at times a bit rushed. Would we do it again ? Yes, in a heartbeat, although we don’t have any plans to do another for a few years. As mentioned before, this route ( and schedule ) just filled a very specific void in our larger “van” plans and we don’t think we could have found a better option to occupy the 3 weeks van transit time.
Our favourites – thanks to the captain for providing a few extra on the house !Cruise finale- the whole crew came up on stage and got a standing ovation ! They were outstanding.
Right on schedule the Norwegian Dawn pulled into Port Louis harbour in Mauritius. While most guests ( and a number of crew ) got off here, many sailed on to Cape Town and some even on to Lisbon, Portugal . We’d made some wonderful new friends and were sorry to say “au revoir” to them but at the same time we are looking forward to 4 days in Mauritius before flying on to Germany to pick up our van. Speaking of the van, I had been tracking its progress across the Atlantic- via Halifax, Liverpool and finally on to Hamburg where I could now see that it had been unloaded on to the dock.
The van is in Hamburg !Hardly surprising, I suppose, that the weather would initially be a bit ominous, arriving in Port Louis as we were, at the tail end of a cyclone. Fortunately it quickly improved, and 3 of our 4 days there provided clear, hot, sunny weather.Our hotel in Grand Baie, Mauritius. The roof- top terrace provided great views of the bay and beaches every morning at breakfast.View from the hotel.We did have a little drama one night. Lois slipped and fell getting some very nasty bruises on her chin and arms. An XRay revealed no breaks or fractures fortunately. Speedy and professional help from the medical clinic in Grand Baie.Downtown Grand Baie, where we spent most of our time.
First, Mauritius. Accommodations and stunning beaches virtually ring the entire island – ours was a little boutique hotel across from the beach in popular Grand Baie in the island’s northern west. Probably as nice a part of Mauritius as any if perhaps a little more “touristy” than some other areas. A two day car rental gave us ample time to sample most of the attractions, although a sudden downpour on our last day dashed any hopes of seeing the famous waterfall and “7 coloured hills” of Chamarel.
Typical scenery when driving across the island.
The west coast of Mauritius has more development and is home to Port Louis, where we arrived. Refreshing, after Mombasa and 2 Madagascan ports, to disembark in what one could honestly describe as a nice, historic and well maintained city. Throughout our time in Mauritius we mostly explored, driving all over the island, and when we came upon them sampled a selection of its famous beaches – Peyrebare, Flic en Flac and a few smaller east coast ones were our pick but a visitor would literally need weeks ( or months even ) to sample them all. Two things were consistent everywhere, the warmth of the water and the soft white sand.
Pretty La Cambuse beach near the airport.One of many wide open and almost deserted east coast beaches.A small east coast beach. A “fly in” beach obviously !Here at Flic en Flac beach.
Had a chance to sample traditional creole food and found it delicious, if perhaps a little spicy and also enjoyed some of their renowned craft beers. Some have said Mauritius is expensive – we didn’t find it to be at all, and would happily return here for a “sun and surf” vacation. Hot and humid, as one would expect, and although there are mosquitoes, the island is fortunately dengue and malaria free.
Mauritius is famously a country of many cultures, Indian, Chinese, Malay, African and European. Here one of many Indian temples.
All good things must end, as they say, and with our time here having quickly passed, we readied ourselves for the 12 hour flight to Germany. Fortunately it was a daylight one meaning we did not have to try to sleep sitting bolt upright. Hard to believe after a life of relative luxury on the high seas we will be back with our van in two days..!
We flew out on the German airline, Condor – quite the bold livery !
Day two in the stunning Seychelles took us to the nearby island of La Digue, famed for its especially white, sandy beaches and warm, turquoise waters. One of those beaches, Anse Source Argent, reportedly ranks among the world’s best by some rankings ( Lonely Planet, 2024 ) so much excitement accompanied our arrival there.
Main clock tower, Victoria, Seychelles. Supposedly a small replica of Big Ben.
Unlike our stop in Victoria ( the capital, on the main island of Mahe ) the previous day, the smaller island of La Digue had no port large enough to accommodate a cruise ship so we were tendered ashore using the ship’s lifeboats. An interesting process to watch as the lowering and lifting of them was all done with great speed and efficiency by the crew – in no time we were on the island and walking the track to Anse Source Argent.
It’s certainly a very beautiful, white, sandy beach, with beautiful warm water and some unique rock formations, which provide for a very picturesque setting and we enjoyed our day there. That said, I’m not sure I would rank it with the very best in the world – perhaps just a slightly enthusiastic piece of Seychelles’s tourism marketing. The snorkeling was not bad with some colorful fish but, like many areas of the world, the coral appears to be dying ( or perhaps we just were not in the best part for viewing it ). A memorable part of the La Digue visit was the La Nautique bar, set right on the beach overlooking our ship anchored in the bay. As is often on the case, it’s the people you meet that make the occasion and we enjoyed some wonderful conversation with fellow passengers from both the UK and US. While we will exit the cruise in Mauritius after 17 days, one of those couples will stay on through to Cape Town, and on all the way up the west coast of Africa to Lisbon, Portugal. Now, THAT is a long cruise !
Arrival in La Digue, Seychelles.Anse Source Argent, La Digue, Seychelles.La Union Estate, where vanilla is produced, and through which you walk to Anse Source Argent. On an extremely hot and humid day it was wonderful to be at a beach with shade, making it easy to move in and out of the sun.Yours truly…..Cold Heineken for me and a refreshing Gin and Tonic for Lois after lots of walking on La Digue. Really hit the spot !
Departing La Digue, the ship sailed due West for Mombasa, Kenya, our first African port. It was to be one of two African ports, the second being Zanzibar in Tanzania, just an overnight sail from Mombasa, but a cholera outbreak there meant we’d now be skipping Zanzibar. While very disappointing, everyone understood. Consequently the ship would now be making two stops in Madagascar, whereas the original itinerary called for just one.
The two days sailing between the Seychelles and Kenya passed quickly, filled with pool time during the day, along with lots of eating, reading, walking, before taking in some excellent shows in the evening. Must say, it’s a pretty easy life and one could very easily get used to this longer term ! Having. recently crossed the equator ( it’s just north of the Seychelles ) we noticed that the sink water was now draining in the opposite direction than it did just north of the equator, ( a phenomenon known as the Coriolis Effect, should you ever get the question in a trivia quiz ). I checked it in our room !
One receives a certificate as proof ( if any was needed ! ) of having made a surface crossing of the equator.No shortage of things to do on long “at sea” days.Occasionally we managed window seats when dining – but you had to be up early !
Had heard mixed reports about Mombasa – variously “interesting”, or “historic”, one even said “exotic”. While we certainly saw elements of all three, our general impression ( granted, from a very short stay ) would align more closely with the others who described it as “run down”, “dirty”, and generally somewhat “dangerous”. The cruise ship warnings ( prior to disembarking there ) probably didn’t help. It was a Sunday, lots of things were closed and there was generally an impression of lots of people standing around with little else to do. Also, a lot of street begging which we’d not seen anywhere else to date. It’s “historic” Old Town was a bit underwhelming compared to so many other such historic areas we’ve seen in other cities – run down, sketchy looking, and covered in litter. Less than impressive.
An “all electric” tuk-tuk. These were popular in Mombasa.The Mombasa Tusks, which commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 1952.Islamic influence, Old Town, Mombasa.Omani style historic doors, Old Town, Mombasa.
Mombasa has some great beaches but we’d had lots of that in the Seychelles so used the rest of our time exploring historic Fort Jesus ( a UNESCO historic site, dating from the Portuguese era in the 1600’s ). This was, despite pretty oppressive humidity and large crowds, well worth a visit and very interesting. Probably the highlight of the port call. No time, of course for any serious safari’s or the like.
Exploring Fort Jesus, Mombasa.Ditto.Ditto.Ditto.
Skipping Zanzibar meant we now had a day at sea before reaching our two Madagascan ports of call. Added to Antsiranana in the far north ( already on our scheduled itinerary, would now be the island of Nosy Be, famous for its wildlife, especially the lemurs and chameleons. Nosy Be would be the first of the two stops, and we enjoyed one of the most enjoyable and exciting days on the trip so far. Teamed up with a lady from Alberta and another from Florida and hired a driver/guide who took us to Lokobe National Park where the aforementioned animals (and a slew of others ) were to be found. Hot, sweaty, and muddy but it was fascinating to see boas, lemurs and chameleons in the wild.
Arriving in Nosy Be one runs the usual gauntlet of souvenir stalls, and pesky touts.Once in the park area it was extremely lush. Drove through beautiful forest/jungles to meet our boat.Arrived at the beach to see this boat waiting to make the 2km crossing. It must be ours………er, not quite. This was our “boat”, a still sturdy, but somewhat leaky outrigger. Bonus- we each got a paddle to help with the rowing, while the captain’s 12 year old son bailed water continuously to keep us afloat. We may have lacked the best boat but all agreed we had the best “adventure” !A chameleon.Up close. The colours are surreal.Hard to see, but look close and you’ll see the boa.Lemurs – impossibly cute !Ditto.
An easy overnight sail away was the northern Madagascan regional capital of Antsiranana. A fairly rundown place and rather than an attraction in itself, serves more as a base for for nearby sites ( including Nosy Be ). The people we met here were all super friendly and helpful, despite the grinding poverty and our tuk-tuk driver “Frankie” made sure we saw what there was to see. The unusual boab trees were probably the highlight, the filthy central market probably best avoided altogether ( sorry, but there’s just something super gross about seeing fly-covered raw meat sitting out on display in 30 degree heat and stifling humidity). Not what we’d call an “attraction” !!!
Frankie, our tuk tuk driver.We found the central market pretty filthy……and frighteningly unhygienic. Raw meat, sitting for sale in 30 degree heat!The unusually shaped Baob ( baobab ) trees. Of the 9 species in the world, 2 are in Africa, 6 are endemic to Madagascar’ and one in Australia.At every stop, mobbed by vendors.The French connection to Madagascar is everywhere- the language, building styles, and a lot of seriously old ( and heavily overworked) French cars still on the road!
And with that our two days in Madagascar was over. With only two days left in our cruise ( an “at sea” day and a day in Reunion ) we will soon be disembarking in Pot Louis , Mauritius, but more on that in the next edition.
More than anything our time in Doha had simply been a great chance to relax, the weeks preceding it being a time of continuous travelling – almost every night in a different place. There was an unexpected delight in simply resting in bed as long as we wanted, coming home to a freshly made up room every night and having someone (other than ourselves ) doing all the cooking. Our forthcoming cruise, fortunately, would offer more of the same.
Pulling out of the Port of Doha at night – quite the skyline !Live band playing as we boarded the Norwegian Dawn !
The cruise ship ( Norwegian Dawn ), now leaving Doha harbour, would be home for the next 17 days. We’d been on two previous cruises ( though long ago ), one ironically on the very same Norwegian Cruise Line we were travelling on this time. The check in was simple, and as scheduled by 8pm mooring lines were dropped and the ship pulled out into the Persian Gulf, destination Abu Dhabi, just an overnight away; along with Dubai, one of of two stops in the UAE.
Probably a bit lesser known than its flashier twin, Dubai, Abu Dhabi is nonetheless a strikingly impressive modern city- it seemed a little more spread out than Doha, necessitating a slew of Uber’s to reach the attractions we visited. The stop in Abu Dhabi offered a more modern ( though less impressive ) souk than that of Doha, allowed time for some downtown shopping and a visit to the impressive Founders Memorial, but little else. We quickly learned that sightseeing time on port stops was very limited indeed. Not a terribly “walking” friendly place ( Dubai, we were hoping, might offer better possibilities in this regard ), conscious as we were of the tendency to put on a few pounds by the end of any cruise.
First thing we saw in Abu Dhabi was what looked like a Russian oligarch’s personal motor yacht ( or perhaps it belonged to an Arab sheik …….) ! The city ooozes wealth.Driving through Abu Dhabi. The skyline was somewhat similar to Doha, seemingly on a smaller scale. Nonetheless some amazing buildings, all so modern.Founders Memorial ( Sheik Zaheed ), Abu Dhabi. Look closely and you can see the outline of his head in the hanging art piece.
Dubai also offered many more attractions than we could possibly squeeze into the “hours” ( not days ) permitted ashore. The world famous ( and world’s tallest ) building, the Burj Khalifa was seemingly on everyone’s list and the combination of February being high season and there being 3 large cruise ships in port meant that the line ups to visit it were incredibly long. It’s certainly an impressive building, the views are stunning 125 floors up, but I’m not sure with our limited time in port it was the best use of the time we had – what remained was barely enough to visit the Old Town ( souk ) and Dubai Creek, and then only briefly. Note to self: better time planning required with upcoming port visits !
Leaving the ship we figured it would be a busy day in Dubai ( we had no idea – sooooo many tourists ! ). By the time we returned to the ship we noticed a 3rd cruise ship had docked.One accesses the world’s tallest building ( Burj Khalifa ) from the opulent Dubai Mall. Lineups to the Burj were brutal ! Every imaginable famous brand is represented here…..and a well known Canadian icon !Surprised to see this Canadian institution in Dubai….!Outside Dubai Mall.The Burj Khalifa. Took the “To the Top” experience, very impressive.View from Burj Khalifa, 125 floors up.Lois, at the Burj lookout.View to below from Burj Khalifa, 125 floors up !The elevators are illuminated with the floor progress as you wait for them.
A full 180 from modern Dubai, here an entrance to the Old Town ( souk ).Ceramic ware, Old Town, Dubai.
The aforementioned next port visits, would however, be a bit down the track. Leaving Dubai, the ship exited the Persian Gulf through the Straits of Hormuz, hugged the Omani coastline and then began its longest “at sea” stretch – there would be no sighting of land now for over 4 days until we reached the Seychelles. Through the Gulf the sea was like glass with little wind and clear skies, and it continued this way all the way to the Seychelles, a great start to the trip. While we did have plenty of company early ( passing a continuous stream of large oil tankers in the Persian Gulf ), once out in the Indian Ocean there was only 1 other ship sighted in the next 4 days at sea. Heading further out beyond Oman, one passenger mused that we might (however briefly ) be in range of rockets from Yemeni Houthi rebels, and/or pirates from the Somali coast but a quick perusal of the local marine geography showed us to be far enough away from both coasts to be out of any danger. In any event they generally seek oil tankers, not cruise ships !!
One thing the cruise ships do well is keep you entertained ( and VERY well fed ), especially during the long continuous days at sea. Our 4 sea days passed by in no time helped along by beautiful 26-28 degree sunny weather and extremely calm seas. Days were spent lounging by the pools, reading, attending shows, regularly using the walking track ( the goal was at least 5kms every day ) and keeping our eyes peeled for the possibility of marine life or even other vessels. A highlight of the passage was crossing the equator, just north of the Seychelles, our first ocean crossing after two on land previously.
Poolside relaxing.Some stunning Indian Ocean sunsets.Selfie time……
Predictably perhaps, much excitement surrounded the ship’s arrival in Victoria, the Seychelles’ capital. The weather was great, hot and dry, and most guests were headed immediately for the renowned beaches and its famed botanical gardens. Managed to get to both and were not disappointed.
The port in the Seychelles was very different than those in the UAE. A very small island feel.The Seychelles architecture had a very South Pacific feel. Years of British influence were everywhere.Beau Vallon beach, Mahe. Warmest water, ever !A couple of exotic tropical plants.DittoGiant tortoises, Seychelles Botanical Gardens. Intriguing to watch – they move soooo slowly!
There would be 2 days in the Seychelles, the first in Mahe ( the main island ) and the second on La Digue, nearby, and reported to have the very best beaches in all of the Seychelles. Will report on La Digue next week, stay tuned !
There were a few different considerations for our own travels once we parted company with the van in Baltimore. Since it was now early February and it would not get to Hamburg until late February ( with port calls at New York and Halifax en route ) we could :
A) fly home to Kelowna, wait out out the shipping transit, and then fly to Hamburg when it arrived – this involved considerable backtracking with even more lengthy flights, and more winter time in Canada, so seemed somewhat pointless. But this option would save us precious “Schengen” time in Europe ( more on “Schengen” later). Or, we could:
B) fly directly on to Europe and wander around ( in winter ) with no van to live in – this also seemed a bit foolish; why spend a fortune shipping your vehicle to Europe then travel around Europe without it? It would have also burned up over 3 weeks of precious “Schengen” time, something we were loathe to do without our campervan. Or, we could:
C) fly on from Baltimore to somewhere ( outside Europe ), somewhere ideally hot, ideally interesting, ideally reasonably affordable and, in a perfect world, ideally somewhere we had not explored before. Oh, and if we could use this 3 week interval to celebrate our (just passed) 40th wedding anniversary, well, that would just be the icing on the cake. Hmmmmm…….
The Atlantic crossing taken by our van on the ACL ship “Atlantic Sky”.
Anyway, Lois got to work on option “C” and in short order came up with what we both decided was a spectacularly creative option. We’d make our way to Doha, Qatar, where Norwegian Cruise Lines had an amazing Indian Ocean cruise that stopped in 7 different ports, ending in Port Louis, Mauritius. We’d spend 4 days in Mauritius after the cruise and fly direct to Hamburg after that to meet our van. Ticked all the boxes in “C” and, we felt, made for an appropriate 40th wedding anniversary gift to each other !
Cruise route, starting in Doha ( Qatar ) and ending in Port Louis ( Mauritius .
So, back to “Schengen”. For reasons known only to the “Eurocrats” in Brussels, non-European residents can now only stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 days in every ( rolling ) 180 days. Such are the tourism rules now in place, named after a small town called Schengen where the scheme was hatched quite some years ago. Meaningless to the average visitor who might spend 3 or 4 weeks in Europe but an absolute logistical nightmare for longer term travellers/retirees who would like to spend 6-12 months ( or more ) roaming around Europe in a campervan. I’ll spare readers the sordid minutiae but let’s just say it’s a major headache with no easy workarounds. People have been screaming about it for years but so far no changes- one must just work with it. With our time in Europe thus rather precious as a result, you can see why we did not want to wait out the van transit “in” Europe. A Middle East detour and Indian Ocean cruise just made much better sense.
Very much looking forward to this…!
Route chosen, we flew out of the US the day after dropping the van at Baltimore port – first stop Iceland. Iceland ? In winter, you ask ? Granted, not the best time to be there but Icelandair offer a great deal to many cities in Europe with a free stopover in Reykjavik – time enough, at least, to experience its legendary Blue Lagoon. More importantly, Iceland is in the Schengen zone so even a 1 day stopover there starts the clock on the 180 day Schengen rule, a factor which could be very significant to us later this year when we want to return to Europe ( we’ll likely fly home for a summer break at some point ). Alas, the weather gods were having none of our plans and freak wind storms in Iceland caused the cancellation of our departing flight from Reykjavik, completely altering our onwards stopovers. It also very much limited what we could do while in Iceland – no rural drives like we had hoped, no “Golden Circle” loops, just the Blue Lagoon experience ( which was wonderful ) and some sightseeing in and around Reykjavik. The revised route onwards to Doha sadly also forced the elimination of a planned stopover in Muscat, Oman. Icelandair rerouted us via London and Frankfurt and eventually we made it to Doha still giving us 4 relaxing days to explore the city before the cruise. Finally somewhere warm – Doha was delightful and we enjoyed all its Middle Eastern charms !
Flight path to Iceland.Stunning view of New York City at night as we flew directly above it en route to Iceland.The Blue Lagoon – amazingly relaxing, includes a swim up bar !Around the Blue Lagoon. A typical winter day in Iceland, only very short hours of sunlight.Blue Lagoon. Remnants of the white “mask” are visible – a treatment given for the skin which is included in the admission.Famous Hallsgrimkirkja ( church ) in Reykjavik.Marine sculpture, Reykjavik.
After a very cold drive across the USA, followed by cold and extremely windy weather in Iceland, it was really nice to reach Qatar and have time to relax in some warm weather. One other advantage of taking the slow route is that we completely avoided any jet lag. With 13 days to cross 12 hours of time zones it’s the first time we’ve ever travelled this far and NOT been wiped out by jet lag at the end of it.
View out to the cruise port from our hotel which was right beside Doha’s striking National Museum building.Selfie time !Souq Waqif, one of Doha’s most popular markets.“Pouce” ( thumb ) sculpture. Based on a cast of his own thumb, Cesar Baldaccini’s iconic art work sits ( oddly enough ) right in the middle of Souq Waqif.Alleyway, Souq Waqif.Mounted security in traditional wear, Souq Waqif, Doha.Fruit vendor, Souq Waqif.Famed for its falcons, there is a falconry centre right in the Souq.Falconry centre,Souq Waqif.Doha has some impressive malls, one called “Villagio” with a Venice theme. Every luxury store imaginable for those so inclined !….and for the kid who has everything !Katara Cultural Centre, Doha.Ornate minaret, Katara, Doha. Always nice to listen to the muezzin as he calls the faithful to prayer.Like other Gulf states, Qatar has some impressive and unique high rise buildings.
After 4 delightful, relaxing days here, our cruise ship pulled into port. So nice to see it – excited to be jumping aboard !
Warning: This is a dry and rather technical read on the process of shipping out of the US and not likely of ANY interest to the casual reader ( you have been warned ! ). I include it in the blog series more for the benefit of those among our readership ( I know of a handful, but there are likely more I don’t know of ) who are planning to ship their vehicle abroad. I know I always found it hugely useful to have the benefit of someone else’s recent experience whenever I was shipping in an area I was not familiar with, so just “paying it forward” here.
ACL’s “Atlantic Sky” would take our van to Germany. The ship differs from past carriers in that it is a combination container/RoRo vessel. Containers on top, vehicles below.
The passage from Baltimore to Hamburg was certainly not our first rodeo, as they say. In fact this would be our 7th international vehicle shipment and our second one shipping out of the US (as well, our second experience with the port of Baltimore specifically) – it’s fair to say, then, that I felt pretty comfortable with what was in store. Little did I know that things would quickly, and dramatically go briefly VERY sideways !
The shipment booking with Sea-Bridge was very easy and I was instructed to visit their preferred freight forwarder near Baltimore port to present my passport and original vehicle ownership documents on the Monday prior to sailing. With that, and payment of $315 USD in port charges, I was to have received a “dock receipt” allowing me to deliver the vehicle to the port ( with an escort – always with an escort ! ). It would then be customs cleared before being loaded on the ship a few days later. Pretty much exactly as I had done before, both in the US and elsewhere. Or so I thought.
Not this time. Not even close ! The passport was fine, but upon presenting my original vehicle registration documents to the freight forwarder I was told ( in no uncertain terms ) that :
A) they were NOT originals, and
B) they were not even “ownership” documents, but rather “insurance” documents, and
C) there was no way customs (at the port ) would accept them.
Seriously ? They were original ( but did include reference to insurance – just the weird way things work in British Columbia ), had always been accepted before ( at 6 previous ports, including 2 in the US ! ) and in any case there were no other, alternate, documents I could provide. She was adamant and was ready to halt the whole process right there. There was no convincing her otherwise. I begged her to just charge me the $315, issue me the dock receipt and leave me to fight it out with US Customs. I was again assured I would be wasting my time, and that US Customs was very strict…..but hey, if I wanted to waste my time and money then they would happily take my money ( but “no refunds” if US Customs rejected my documents, I was warned ).
Stunned by the rejection of my documents I’ll confess to being more than just a tad nervous as I next met up with the port escort and proceeded to the port. I need not have worried- US Customs were ( as they always had been before ) fast, friendly and efficient and stamped my shipping documents “Approved for Export” without any drama at all. To say I breathed a huge sigh of relief would be an understatement – for a couple of stressful hours there I really was worried that our Europe campervan plans would come unstuck before we even left the US !
Following my port escort, Karen, through the massive Baltimore port to the loading area.
With that behind us, the rest of the day went exactly as planned and exactly as it had at the other US ports. The Ports America staff checked the VIN against my ownership documents, examined the vehicle for damage ( I took pictures at that stage to confirm it was damage-free when handed over to their care ), and applied a destination sticker to the windshield to ensure loading on the correct vessel. I was handed a “gate receipt” proving I had dropped the vehicle and, along with my escort, was now free to leave the port. Almost 4 hours in total but 1.5 of that was due to us just catching their lunch hour. Not the fastest, but in many places it takes even longer. Happy just to have it all done – now just to wait and hope it arrives in Hamburg in the same condition we left it 🤞🤞🤞.
Line up at Ports America RoRo office for vehicle documents.Documents are provided to enable us to enter and leave the port and to confirm US Customs has given “export” clearance. Kind of weird to think that taking a van to Europe counts as an “export” ! They also confirm that Ports America has received my vehicle in good order ( hopefully I get it back like that ).Once documents were issued, the Ports America agent comes out to match vehicle documents to the vehicle VIN and inspect for damage. They also put a sticker on the windshield indicating which ship it is to be loaded on and which port it is to be unloaded at.
Some other items of note for those reading this who may be using Baltimore to ship out from:
A) my port escort advised that they do conduct random full vehicle inspections, but if one was going to be done on ours it certainly did not occur while I was there. Of course they have access to it for the next 5 days so who knows whether it is done later or not.
B) we moved just about everything from inside the van to the lockable rear “garage” area of the van. That way no one has access until we collect it in Germany. While port security is good, the fact remains that your vehicle sits for days with the doors unlocked – better to secure your inner cargo in our experience.
When it was all said and done, I thanked the very patient Karen who guided me through the process in port. Must wear a Hi-Viz vest at all times in port !
Costs
———
So far our shipping costs to Europe have been:
Freight: €3,000
Marine Insurance: €300
Port Escort: $150 US
Port Charges: USA $315 US
Port Charges: Hamburg ( est ): €320
Total ( approx. ): $ 4,215 US
Since estimated port charges in Hamburg are included here this should cover everything barring any surprises. Given that we will be a bit late picking the van up in Germany there will be some additional storage charges but those are specific to our timing, and not a normal shipping cost. These costs are based on our van size being almost 43 cubic metres.
With the vehicle all checked in and now parked in the designated area, I checked everything over one last time, locked the rear compartment and took photos from inside and all outside angles just so I had proof that it was undamaged when I left it ( good tip from our shipping agent ! ). Next time we see it should be in Hamburg !
We were told to park near other vans – no matter which port, there are always a few intrepid souls doing the same thing as us…!I have an Apple Air Tag inside the van so I can track its movements ( as long as it is within a cell phone signal ). Handy to know if it actually gets loaded on the ship ( vehicles have been left behind ! )
So with that, the Baltimore port process was complete. Once the ship sails my shipper in Germany will send me a Bill of Lading and I will pay the freight charges, port fees and marine insurance. I’ll then track the ship’s progress until it unloads in Hamburg, late in February. I’ll provide a further update on the collection process in Germany when we get there.
Happy New Year to all our regular readers, we hope 2024 was kind to you and may 2025 be even better. After a 6 month hiatus, Lois and I are finally back at it, however the continuation of our ongoing global van travels required yet another long drive to kick things off; this time, a “return” journey of sorts. You guessed it – right back to Baltimore, Maryland !
Some background first. During a wonderful 6 month sojourn back in Canada, our 2025 plans were firmed up with the decision made to travel first to Europe. The plan was to focus on the Baltic states and Scandinavia initially, especially areas we had not seen in the past or had visited only briefly, and following that we’d head south through most of the states of the former “Eastern Bloc” towards Turkey, again with a view to exploring areas we’d missed in the past. Beyond Turkey, our plan remains open – the Middle East, Central Asia perhaps, or possibly even shipping on to somewhere further afield. But first, we had to get to Europe.
From Europe, so many onwards options……
From the west coast of North America ( where we live), there are really only two options for getting a vehicle to Europe :
A) put the vehicle on a ship in Vancouver or Tacoma, send it to Panama where it is offloaded to a dock awaiting a connecting ship from Asia (to transit the canal) which would pick it up and take it to Europe ( Hamburg, or Antwerp), or
B) drive it 4,800 kms ( almost 3,000 miles ) to the east coast ourselves and ship it to Europe DIRECTLY from there.
As tempting as “A” was ( much less driving and no duplication of the very same trip I had made just 6 months ago ), the theft and damage risk of trans-shipping in Panama, the considerably more complex customs requirements, the much higher cost and considerably longer total duration of this option made “B” the obvious choice – as such, the return trip to Baltimore ( in the middle of winter ! ) was just a cross we had to bear. At least this time there would be two of us to share the driving !
Saying goodbye to our family, especially our newest member – gorgeous little Hadley – was incredibly hard, but we’d enjoyed six months of pretty intensive family time, and even with that we still did quite a lot of Facetiming along the way. Facetiming it will have to be that will help us through the coming months away from her.
This was a tough day !!!!!!Last stop before leaving Kelowna.
Throughout the summer I’d firmed up shipping arrangements with the ever helpful folks at Sea-Bridge in Germany ( we had used them before, from Argentina to the US, so were happy to lean on them again ). SeaBridge specialize in shipping overlanding vehicles to all corners of the globe – the second image below shows our ship to Hamburg, the “Atlantic Sky”. We would depart Kelowna late January, planned on approximately a week to drive across to Baltimore, would put the van on the ship in early February and then we would find something useful to do for the three weeks it took the van to get from Baltimore to Hamburg. More on that in the next blog – but first, a long drive across the United States, once again !
Sea-Bridge probably ship more overlanders than any other company.The “Atlantic Sky” an ACL line combo container/RoRo ship.
While cold, the forecast for the first few days across the northwestern United States called for generally clear and sunny weather, which is what we experienced as we headed out from Kelowna down Highway 33, crossing into the US at Midway and then heading east on the US I90 through Spokane ( Washington), onto Billings(Montana), Rapid City and Sioux Falls (South Dakota) and on through Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and finally on to Baltimore. Below are a few images of the route, the weather and some of the scenery we experienced during the long drive east:
Found a new app to track our route – “Finding Penguins”. So far, so good.Crossing the US border at Midway, BC.Typical road conditions in Washington, Idaho and much of Montana.Not so nice by the time we got to South Dakota.On a couple of days we started driving before sunrise. Pretty to watch the sun come up !
Being the middle of winter, camping options were limited but since we are fully self-contained we only really need a relatively flat space to park and we can overnight almost anywhere. A mixture of Cabelas ( an outdoor store that welcomes RV’ers to overnight ) , the occasional Cracker Barrell (restaurant chain ) and a mixture of theme towns ( such as the venerable “Al’s Oasis” seen below, in South Dakota ), and a couple of State/National Parks provided suitable parking for all our overnights – a few images below:
A popular layover, Al’s Oasis.More states rolled by…..….and more…and more !By the time we reached West Virginia the finish line was in sight.Camped up at delightful Rocky Gap State Park in Maryland, the first of a couple of parks we stayed at.
Arriving in Washington DC ( very close to Baltimore ) just a bit ahead of schedule gave us time to do a little exploring however the weather, having been amazing all the way across ( considering it was mid-winter ), just did not cooperate. Howling winds, a colder snap and persistent rain really limited what we could do there – disappointing for Lois, especially as she had not been there before. Apart from driving around the city and seeing what we could from the vehicle, visits to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Washington Monument and a walk along the Mall were memorable parts of our very short and rain-soaked visit – oh, that and some vocal and zany 9/11 conspiracy theorists out on Pennsylvania Avenue ! See images below:
Washington Monument.The original Wright Brothers “Flyer”, Smithsonian, Washington DC.An All-American classic – original Corvette.It takes all kinds to make a world. Where do they dream it all up ? Near the White House, Washington DC.
With that our ( rainy ) stay in DC was done and we drove on towards our final destination, Baltimore, just an hour away. Here we chanced upon an excellent US National Park ( Greeenbelt ) which provided us time and privacy to repack, clean out and generally prepare the van for shipping the next day. Fortunately the rains eased, making things a bit more pleasant just when we needed it. Ready now to hand it over to the shipping line !
Van prep for shipping, Baltimore.Baltimore.
Stay tuned next week where I’ll document the first part of the shipping process ( delivery to the port ) and outline our plans for the next 3-4 weeks while our rig is in transit to Germany ( spoiler alert – there’s a bit of a twist ! )
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
