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Published: April 1st 2023
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March 27 – 30 - What could possibly go wrong.....
We had a wonderful evening after leaving Madeira, first dinner, then the main show and we strolled through all the piano bars sipping our wine.
We will have a day at sea and then arrive in Casablanca tomorrow morning. This is why Kirsten picked this cruise. Everyone on the ship is buzzing around and talking about Casablanca and where to go and what to do. Lots to see.
The ship’s captain is Italian, the cruise director is British, we’re sailing to Southampton (by the way...this is where the Titanic launched from). What could possibly go wrong.......
It’s noon the next day at sea, Kirsten and I are having a wonderful lunch in the pizza café. The captain comes on the announcement system updating us on our position, speed, and weather. I am taking a bite of my pizza when the captain announces the stop at Casablanca port has been cancelled.
Kirsten squeals, I’m choking on a piece of pepperoni and there is a roar of upset people in the café.
I finally cough up the piece of pepperoni; Kirsten’s looking at me asking did you
hear the captain? I’m trying to get my coughing under control, and she asks again ...did you hear that? They are cancelling Casablanca!
I reach for my beer; Kirsten looks at me and says what’s wrong with you? I take a swig of my beer and try to compose myself and I make the first mistake on the cruise.
I asked... what did the captain say?
Everyone in the café turns and looks at me like I’m the antichrist, WHAT!
Kirsten looks away like she doesn’t know me. About that time the captain comes back and continues his announcement. Again, he apologizes that we will be skipping Casablanca and it is due to extreme weather that he is having to sail the ship around.
Me... I grab my beer and slip out of the café before I’m accused of anything else.
It gets worst......
By evening the captain again comes on the announcement system, everyone goes silent with bated breath, hoping, praying that maybe we would be stopping at Casablanca.
NO!
The captain now announces that Santiago has now also been cancelled. In addition, the captain has
decided to try to outrun the storm.
I grab my drink and I run to my room squealing like a girl we’re all going to die......
Yes, all further stops have been cancelled, Kirsten is upset to say the least.
We watch a movie, drink a bottle of wine, and finally fall asleep.
The next morning, Kirsten wakes up throws open the curtains and there is land out the window.
It’s Lisbon, prayers have been answered.... We can visit Lisbon; we’ve never been here.
NOT even NO! but, Hell NO!
The captain came on the announcement system; someone on the ship required emergency medical care and was being dropped off in Lisbon.
After waiting until the tender returned from dropping off the sicko, the captain cranked up the ship and we’re beelining it to Southampton.
After multiple let downs, the natives are getting restless.
So, the captain returns and announces that the weather will now begin getting worst, and that the swells will be in the 10-15 ft. range. In addition, the captain went on to explained that if we don’t get a head of the storm, we will be
in the middle of 30 ft plus swells.
My question... who is out there measuring the swells?
So, we have spent the next couple of days at sea, everyone on board received a $100 credit on whatever they wanted to spend it on. This seems to have calmed the natives.
Kirsten and I hung out in the hot tub, played cards, snacked throughout the day and bar hopped till the late hours.
Well, the weather continued to get worst, the ship is swaying and rocking; it’s time to go to bed.
I rollover to Kirsten and say... here we are in the middle of the North Atlantic during a storm, a tropical depression without the tropics and we’re falling asleep on a ship rocking and creaking built by the lowest bidder.
What else could possibly go wrong....
Good night, dear, As I rollover Kirsten punches me in the kidney, Ouch!
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Keith
non-member comment
Sorry about Casablanca.... hang in there!
I'm sorry about Casablanca. I'm sorry about the swells. (what a horrible word to start with!) I'm sorry you got to England a whole day ahead of time. I didn't understand how y'all did that, but now I get it. (I. had read some of your entries out of order, so I was confused by this entry today, but NOW I get it!!!) Well, you are on a cruise together, and I'm happy for y'all. ENJOY YOUR TRIP! Even without Casablanca, it still sounds like an amazing adventure!!! Hugs, Keith & Jim