April 27, 2023

We didn’t see it happen, but something took place on board today that we’ve never experienced on a cruise.  We’ve seen similar needs, but nothing like this.

When the Captain was giving his 10 a.m. summary of position, weather, sea conditions, etc. – and interrupting my talk – he said that there was a medical emergency on board and he had changed course to be able to get the person to land and to the medical attention they needed.  We’ve detoured to other stops before to get someone off – starting for Europe once and turning for Puerto Rico because that was the best option; going back to a port we had just left to get someone medical attention; dropping a port altogether and putting the proverbial hammer down, arriving back home 18 hours early; and there have been others.  But this is the first time that a cruise ship we were on stopped in the middle of the ocean to allow a helicopter to land on the foredeck and take someone off.

Like I said, we didn’t see it – we think we know when it happened because for about 30 minutes the seas were rougher than they’d been for the whole cruise, as the ship stopped for the helicopter to land.  No announcement was made for security and for the privacy of the person involved and for his or her family.

I did “Lady in Gold” this morning to an appreciative audience, and the first part of the Ghent Altarpiece story is tomorrow.

Last night’s “Cruise Compass,” the ship’s newspaper, said that this evening’s dress was formal – and the Captain and the Cruise Director both said it – and at dinner tonight in the main dining room, I saw 3 sports/suit jackets, mine being one of those.

I told you earlier about the snafu at the hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  Yesterday I gave my receipt to Luciana, the Cruise Program Administrator, my contact in the entertainment department, to give to the finance people.  This morning when I checked our balance, the full amount of the hotel had been credited to us.  Thank you Royal Caribbean – that was class (and I remember it taking 4 months to get my stipend from Carnival).

Well, our clocks are going ahead again tonight – for the 6th night in a row – so we are just 10 minutes away from lights out.

Stay safe.  Hug each other.

TTFN