San Diego - Embarkation

One of our group, here Lieve's mother, arrives at LAX from Amsterdam and is driven to SD in style.
Your trip will start here, as you, and your baggage arrive, at the Port of San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal

The interior of the terminal
Holland America representatives will check you in, by cabin number. You will need your HAL cruise tickets, your passports, and the questionnaire completed prior to check in.

Once on board, you can take some time to explore the ship, and look at the fine views of San Diego. Here you see Anthony's Restaurant (with a sail boat at its dock), and behind it, the Holiday Inn Bayside right on the Bay (4875 N. Harbor Drive)
We watch our luggage being loaded, hoping that our bags will be found safely on board.

Here another view from the ship, showing the Star of India, just next to Anthony's Restaurant.
Right across the Bay from where the Statendam is birthed, is a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier - here is CVN-74 - John C. Stennis.

Before we leave, a mandatory Life Boat Drill - at 4:15 pm. This is one of two life boat drills that will take place while on board. Maritime regulations require one for every 7 days at sea.
At 4:45 pm, The Sail-Away Party

Guests collect on the stern deck around the pool . . .
. . . to select, if you  choose, a souvenir Sail-Away glass (actually - plastic)

At 5 pm - the Statendam starts moving away from the pier . . .
. . .  and begins to turn around to head out toward sea

Which permits you to see more of the San Diego skyline
Looking south in San Diego Bay,  you will see the Coronado Bay bridge stretching over the Bay

One of Hector's friends does a "sail by" to wish us all a bon voyage.

As we head out, we get some additional views of the John C. Stennis 
. . . and of the flight deck stretches wide &  high

If you look carefully, on the right is a nuclear attack submarine 
A closer view, of one of the subs as we pass by the U.S. Navy Point Loma submarine base.

Here, a view of a sub in dry dock at the sub base. (The drape covers the stern for security purposes)
Here, with Point Loma rising above, is the Ballast Point Coast Guard Station

We head out of the harbor into a heavy cloud bank just off-shore

We look back now at city of San Diego as we enter the Pacific Ocean.
Before long a boat comes along side to pick up the Harbor Pilot who assisted our bridge crew as we made our way out of the harbor

Getting closer, to pick up the pilot on the fly, so to speak, as the ship does not slow down for this transfer
The pilot has now jumped off our ship

And now takes the pilot back to shore . . .
. . . to assist the next ship in negotiating the channel.

We are now - At Sea, Hawaii bound !!