And Another One Bites the Dust

It’s rarely a good thing when the ship’s Captain addresses the whole ship over the speakers, but that is what happened last night. We are no longer going to Darwin, Australia because the weather was getting too bad. The Port Authorities in Darwin suggested the ship not dock so, in the interest of safety, we’re on to Indonesia.

There have been many more sea days than scheduled on this portion of our trip, due to storms. We won’t get to Komodo Island for three days now and the ship’s crew is working hard to keep everyone occupied. Sea days blend one into the other and passengers can get grumpy.

Living this long on a cruise ship is like living in a small city. There are about 2,000 passengers aboard along with the crew necessary to support the operations of the ship. That is a lot of people! The crew members have been wonderful without exception, doing everything possible to make our trip great. I can’t say the same for the passengers.

Like any city, there are the grumps, the complainers, the entitled, and the just plain miserable. These people we do our best to avoid. Luckily, they are in the minority.

Everyone seems to have developed their own routines and places to be. As Brian and I wander around the ship following our own routine, we greet the same people daily. We are not sun worshippers, so we don’t know the folks who spend their days by the ship’s outdoor pool. Even with all the people on board, we never have to look too hard for a seat in the buffet or by the indoor pool. The elevator usually appears right after we push the call button. We rarely have to wait.

Of course, with all these people, there are emergencies and instances of bad behavior. Evidently, a couple of men got into a fight that turned physical in one of the laundry rooms. Laundry is serious business around here! They were put off at the next port. More seriously, we have had two mid-ocean medical evacuations by helicopter in the last month, which is very usual. The helicopter hovers over the ship and the patient is lifted up on a gurney. All the outside decks are closed for everyone’s safety. This is another time the Captain speaks to everyone.

As I write this, I’m sitting in Crooners Bar—our morning go-to place. Not for an adult beverage, but for the quiet.

In the spirit of full disclosure, we have been known to have a drink or two here before dinner.

Brian has been fighting a cold, so I think the enforced rest will help him get better. I have choir rehearsal later this morning and then we’re going to try to arrange a rousing games of Five Crowns this afternoon with some friends. The weather is worsening outside now, so remaining indoors is a good bet!