Post by Prrromotion on Jul 22, 2006 19:10:21 GMT -5
Ok, time I told you guys (Shadow already knows the story) about how I was stuck in a category 3 hurricane on a cruise ship. Here's the story. (Yes, its true.)
My mom, grandmother, best friend (Kenny, or Yo quiero tacos), and me of course, had booked a 3-day cruise aboard the Carnival Fascination that left Port of Miami, Fl, for Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas. All was going very smoothly. We made it to Nassau, had fun, etc. As we walked back to our ship on Nassau's pier, little did we know what was in store for us.
We set sail, heading back to port of Miami. During said time, Category 3 hurricane Wilma was impacting the west coast of Florida.
The next day was a "day at sea". A day where one would expect to walk around the ship, watch the shows, and binge on the free food. So far, it was going beautifully. Around noon the cruise director came on the intercom; "Ladies and Gentlemen, as a result of Hurricane Wilma impacting Florida, Port of Miami has been closed down. As a result, we are adding one day to the cruise itinerary." Everyone rejoiced, hooped, and hollered.
Its lunch on the 9th deck (The Lido deck), the weather conditions were deteriorating quickly as Wilma began to climb over us, and the seas are quite rough. The ship continually shuddered every time it'd hit a large wave, always rising up...and dropping back down. I was in the sand which line waiting to get a turkey sand which. Grandma and Kenny were sitting at a nearby table, eating. Mom was in the room, sick, (Not seasick. Gastritis.). As I waited in the line, I noticed a slight listing of the ship to the port side (left side). Gradually it became necessary to keep one arm on a pillar so I didn't lose my balance.
"This tilt can't be natural..." I said quietly to myself. Boy, was I right. Suddenly, The ship seemed to quickly tilt further to port. Stuff began sliding off tables. Food, tequila bottles, everything was sliding. Figuring life was more important than a very delicious sand which, I joined Kenny and Grandma, and haste fully made our way to the stairwells.
People screaming. Chaos. I slipped on the freshly mopped floor and almost hit my head on a table. I quickly got up, and we made our way to the stairwells. (Balance during a 15 or so degree tilt on wet tile floor as the ship is rising and falling with the waves is rather difficult) We trotted down two flights and ran to our room, in an effort to grab our life jackets. Mom wasn't in the room. The room was in disrepair...everything on the counters having fallen onto the floor. Kenny got the life jackets out as the ship began to readjust its center of balance. I peeked out of our porthole and watched the scene, as nigh-hurricane force winds literally blew the white-caps off the 25ft swells.
Mom returns to the room, apparently having gone to look for us. The ship regains its composure. The cruise director comes on the intercom and announces. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have just made a maneuver. We have just made a maneuver. Thank you" Some maneuver.
What a night...I was seasick the whole time (I didn't vomit. Kenny was sick as well, but he kept lunch down too). I decided the only way to escape reality was to sleep. I fell into a dreamless, uneasy sleep. I prayed to God for this cruise to be done with...
The next day, the conditions were the same. It was a dark day, the sun unable to penetrate the thick clouds of a powerful hurricane. The seas...rough as ever.
Around late noon. The ship is swaying back and forth. I was very nervous. We stayed in the room most of the day. The swaying continued...until...the ship started to list again, this time to starboard. It was even more extreme than the first time. I grabbed things on the counter preventing them from falling. The ocean and horizon were no longer visible, we were staring at the sky. Then the ship swung back around, now swaying to port. The horizon disappeared. We were staring now at a stormy sea. We could here things in neighboring rooms crashing and rolling. The ship swayed heavier still back to starboard, and back to port, repeating the pattern at least a half dozen times. It felt like we'd capsize for sure. Eventually, it evened out, still swaying, but not nearly as much. That night, Kenny and Grandma, feeling brave, went down to the Riviera deck (Deck one). The floor, they reported, was damp. They heard the lower decks (Deck zero, Deck A and B [The latter two off limits to passengers]) were ankle deep in seawater.
2 days later, the port of Miami opened, to the relief of everyone on board. Kenny and I now refer to it as the Crazy boat. We laugh now at that terrifying time. Something to tell our grandkids someday.
Don't believe it? Someone on our ship took a picture of the Carnival Ecstasy that was very close behind us. Here you can see it battling the deadly surf.
My mom, grandmother, best friend (Kenny, or Yo quiero tacos), and me of course, had booked a 3-day cruise aboard the Carnival Fascination that left Port of Miami, Fl, for Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas. All was going very smoothly. We made it to Nassau, had fun, etc. As we walked back to our ship on Nassau's pier, little did we know what was in store for us.
We set sail, heading back to port of Miami. During said time, Category 3 hurricane Wilma was impacting the west coast of Florida.
The next day was a "day at sea". A day where one would expect to walk around the ship, watch the shows, and binge on the free food. So far, it was going beautifully. Around noon the cruise director came on the intercom; "Ladies and Gentlemen, as a result of Hurricane Wilma impacting Florida, Port of Miami has been closed down. As a result, we are adding one day to the cruise itinerary." Everyone rejoiced, hooped, and hollered.
Its lunch on the 9th deck (The Lido deck), the weather conditions were deteriorating quickly as Wilma began to climb over us, and the seas are quite rough. The ship continually shuddered every time it'd hit a large wave, always rising up...and dropping back down. I was in the sand which line waiting to get a turkey sand which. Grandma and Kenny were sitting at a nearby table, eating. Mom was in the room, sick, (Not seasick. Gastritis.). As I waited in the line, I noticed a slight listing of the ship to the port side (left side). Gradually it became necessary to keep one arm on a pillar so I didn't lose my balance.
"This tilt can't be natural..." I said quietly to myself. Boy, was I right. Suddenly, The ship seemed to quickly tilt further to port. Stuff began sliding off tables. Food, tequila bottles, everything was sliding. Figuring life was more important than a very delicious sand which, I joined Kenny and Grandma, and haste fully made our way to the stairwells.
People screaming. Chaos. I slipped on the freshly mopped floor and almost hit my head on a table. I quickly got up, and we made our way to the stairwells. (Balance during a 15 or so degree tilt on wet tile floor as the ship is rising and falling with the waves is rather difficult) We trotted down two flights and ran to our room, in an effort to grab our life jackets. Mom wasn't in the room. The room was in disrepair...everything on the counters having fallen onto the floor. Kenny got the life jackets out as the ship began to readjust its center of balance. I peeked out of our porthole and watched the scene, as nigh-hurricane force winds literally blew the white-caps off the 25ft swells.
Mom returns to the room, apparently having gone to look for us. The ship regains its composure. The cruise director comes on the intercom and announces. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have just made a maneuver. We have just made a maneuver. Thank you" Some maneuver.
What a night...I was seasick the whole time (I didn't vomit. Kenny was sick as well, but he kept lunch down too). I decided the only way to escape reality was to sleep. I fell into a dreamless, uneasy sleep. I prayed to God for this cruise to be done with...
The next day, the conditions were the same. It was a dark day, the sun unable to penetrate the thick clouds of a powerful hurricane. The seas...rough as ever.
Around late noon. The ship is swaying back and forth. I was very nervous. We stayed in the room most of the day. The swaying continued...until...the ship started to list again, this time to starboard. It was even more extreme than the first time. I grabbed things on the counter preventing them from falling. The ocean and horizon were no longer visible, we were staring at the sky. Then the ship swung back around, now swaying to port. The horizon disappeared. We were staring now at a stormy sea. We could here things in neighboring rooms crashing and rolling. The ship swayed heavier still back to starboard, and back to port, repeating the pattern at least a half dozen times. It felt like we'd capsize for sure. Eventually, it evened out, still swaying, but not nearly as much. That night, Kenny and Grandma, feeling brave, went down to the Riviera deck (Deck one). The floor, they reported, was damp. They heard the lower decks (Deck zero, Deck A and B [The latter two off limits to passengers]) were ankle deep in seawater.
2 days later, the port of Miami opened, to the relief of everyone on board. Kenny and I now refer to it as the Crazy boat. We laugh now at that terrifying time. Something to tell our grandkids someday.
Don't believe it? Someone on our ship took a picture of the Carnival Ecstasy that was very close behind us. Here you can see it battling the deadly surf.
