Today we were supposed to be in Antofagasta, Chile. I was looking forward to traveling from there to the Baquedano railway junction in the dry Atacama Desert. There old engines and rolling stock are preserved in the dry desert heat. A British/Chilean company built the railway to bring Saltpeter to the coast at the Bolivian town of Antofagasta. Bolivia charged a 10 cent per 100 kg tax on saltpeter shipped through the railway. Chile said this was in violation of a treaty and attacked. Peru, which had a secret treaty with Bolivia, was drawn into the war. Bolivia lost its entire coastline, Peru lost Arica and Britain continued to happily extract and ship saltpeter until the mines petered out in 1978. In 1983 the railway station and junction were declared national monuments. Being a rail buff, I had hoped this would be a highlight of the cruise. We were also to visit Chacabuco, the abandoned saltpeter mining town that became a notorious concentration camp under Pinochet.

It didn’t happen. We got up early for breakfast and noticed that we were traveling at a good clip, not the 8 knots the captain said we would need to reach Antofagasta on time. We also noticed no land around at the time we were to pick up the pilot. When I got out my navigation app, I discovered we were well south of Antofagasta and traveling at 18 knots.

At 8 AM the captain got on the PA system and told us the stop had been scrubbed and explained why with the promise to meet with us at 10 AM for a more complete explanation. Holland America made arrangements to dock at Antofagasta more than two years ago, but the Harbor Master had parked a container ship that blocked our normal berthing place. The Harbor Master said we would have to dock on the port side of our ship. The captain explained that, with the height of the dock, we did not have ports on the port side at the right height for the gangway and asked again to dock on the starboard side. The Harbor Master said no because the ship would have to turn inside the harbor and there was no room. The captain, backed by the Harbor Pilot said he could turn the ship outside the breakwater and back into the pier. The Harbor Master said no. The captain asked, “Well if I can’t turn in the harbor when I come into the harbor, how will I turn going out?” The harbor master said the ship would back out and turn outside the breakwater.

The captain pointed out that there is no real difference whether ship comes stern first or leave stern first. The ship with bow and stern thrusters is very maneuverable. The Harbor Master said no. Rules are Rules. The captain explained to us that while the pilot, who was on his side, was an experienced navigator, the harbor master was a military desk jockey. He actually used some stronger language than desk jockey.

To dock on the portside the captain would have to use a gangway from deck 2 which would be steep. He asked the Harbor Master if he had a long gangway that would not be as steep. The Harbor Master said no. The harbor master thought if crew could go up and down the steep ramp, why not passengers? The captain tried to explain the difference between able bodied seamen and elderly passengers. The Harbor Master said no.

This would have been the only cruise ship to dock all month and the town had prepared. It was Volendam’s first call ever at the port and there was to be a ceremony where the mayor, harbor master and tourism minister would receive plaques from Holland America, and they would present Holland with a plaque. That did not move the Harbor Master. So, the captain told the harbor master where exactly he could stuff his plaque, and we sailed off. So, we have an accidental sea day. We will arrive in San Antonio, the port for Santiago Sunday afternoon instead of Monday morning.

The extra sea day sent staff scrambling. There was a ship meeting with the captain, where the captain was funny and caustic at the same time. The Hotel Manager and Cruise Director told other port horror stories. Some of them we remembered from past cruises. Then there were extra lectures to arrange and concerts.

We had a great day. We went to the captain’s meeting and one of the lectures. I walked circuits around the Prominade Deck watching seamen (and women) replace chinking between the teakwood planks.

We also played cards in the game room adjacent to the library, where I took a picture of a curious sign.

And the food crew prepared fruit and veg carvings for the evening buffet.

This cruise has precious sea days. In fact, to create sea days, the ship, which has a cruising speed of 18 to 20 knots has been lazing along at 8. But we enjoyed the sea days we’ve been given. Suzi and I were invited to a wine tasting back when we were sick.

We politely declined so we were reinvited to one this week. We learned a lot about Prosecco, Chardonnay, a red blend and Shiraz. On another sea day we had a lecture on the ship’s officer hierarchy and how the bridge functioned.

And of course, I got in swimming and walking. I’m sad that I missed my opportunity to see a lot of old trains, but an extra sea day has its attractions.

(Running this through Word’s spelling and grammar check the AI objects to the term “Harbor Master” saying it is not inclusive, and it implies a perhaps inappropriate relationship. They suggest “Harbor Expert.” Duh!)