Yesterday’s embarkation was fraught with problems. I’ll be brief, but you’ll get the idea.
Normally by 11:00 AM, when Earl and I arrived at the ship, yesterday’s passengers are all off the ship. But for whatever reason, the departing guests were slow.
It created a domino effect. Today’s guests wanted to use the elevators, but many were commandeered for the luggage. The guests wanted to see their staterooms, but we were told they wouldn’t be available until 1:00 PM.
So what do most people do in a situation like this? Once they get an elevator, they head for the buffet and another major traffic jam.
Usually Sail-Away, that point where you pull up anchor and move away from the dock, is around 5 PM. But we were scheduled for 4 PM. Which means the lifeboat drill had to be accomplished before then. Which means all passengers needed to be on board before then.
Which means there were less than five hours to get everyone, and everyone’s luggage, as well as food and fuel, on board.
And so it went. We managed to leave at 4 PM and pull into the channel at Ft. Lauderdale that leads to the Atlantic Ocean. But for some reason we turned south toward Cuba instead of north toward Canada. I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed.
It was unusual to hear the Captain come on the loud speaker so soon after leaving the port. But he explained that we were turning around because one passenger had a medical emergency that required his being taken off the ship.
But here we are about twenty-four hours later and things are being to look like “Cruise Normal.” Everyone has found the proper stateroom, unpacked, and hopefully had a good night’s sleep. We’re off to Halifax.
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