Monday, July 21, 2008 Sea Day

Monday, July 21st, 2008

OK so at about 4:30, Megan comes into our dark cave and she’s trembling – her voice is scared. She tells me that the power is off. I wake up to say – huh? Then realize we are utterly still. Seriously, it was the freakiest thing. No engine sound, lights off and Megan is scared. I go what are you doing up? They came in at 3:30. She says that she had gone to bed and woke up to go to the bathroom only to discover that – ok – sorry folks, I’m cracking up here. – Andrew is sitting on the toilet in total darkness. Has been for the last 45 minutes. (Andrew has a condition which requires a bathroom whenever excess eating and drinking has occurred – medical issue – I’m not making this up) anyway, I’m sure he probably had fallen asleep – he tells her to wake me up – yeah me – not dad so she does. I’m dead asleep but instantly I recall a scene from the TV mini-series – The Langoliers, based on a short story by Stephen King, where some people fall asleep on the plane and when they wake up – they are alone in mid-air? Ok if your not familiar with this, flash back to the opening Left Behind series. Yeah it was like that.

So Steve decides to be funny and say – oh wow – I wonder if the crew has disappeared to which, of course, starts Megan whining – that is not funny ( I thought it was but then again – sometimes I have a cruel sense of humor) so I get up, get my ipod and turn on the backlight for a light. There are no lights on at all in the room and having an inside cabin – it is pitch black. So I creak open the hallway door and some tall man comes flopping down the hallway which is only ½ lit – every other light is off. It’s so weird. The quietness is too eerie. Right behind him about 5 feet is a ship’s officer following him. I manage to croak out – what’s going on – he tries to answer me but the officer hurries him off. So I tell Steve and Megan that I was going to send a text message to Pam. I’m thinking ok – its 4:30 am – so its 6:30 Pam’s Time. Forgot we had moved forward one hour. Poor Pam – SORRY Pam! Not sure if I woke her up but I asked her to check to see if anything was going on or was on the news or anything.

So Megan and I get dressed, she’s almost worked herself into a worry state, we go to deck 4, its pitch black and the engines and ½ the deck lights are off too. We stay about 10 minutes – another guys is there too and he mentions that the ship has been still for about ½ hour. We notice one ship on the port side with lights on. We hightail it to the starboard side, have to manually open the door – you all know which one – swing door from the inside then an automatic door which you push a button. Well, I slid them open. Notice another cruise ship on this side. Remember that the Royal Caribbean will be doing the same ports as we are so we will be on the same route. So, I look at my phone – no signal. About 10 more minutes and I catch a land signal. I managed to send it to Pam. Then a couple seconds later – Cingular at Sea comes back on. You can hear the engines trying to turn over. I liken it to a flooded engine in a car. You smelled fuel – gagging and then nothing. So all in all, about another ½ hr and then the engines proceed. What was weird is those crew members working – continue on as though nothing has happened. I didn’t expect an announcement then but I was hoping to get one during early morning update. Nothing, Nada, Zip, Zilch.

Then about 1 I go down to Guest services – which was not answering their phones during the engine trouble but go figure – room service did – they told us we were having engine trouble and should be back online soon – if all else fails, find a peon who will more than likely spill the beans. As the saying goes – there’s more than one way to skin a cat – LOL

So I finally go to sleep after catching the sunrise and managed to block out Steve’s snores. I wake up about 12:15. Take a shower, decide that I am going to torture Megan with the Tequila & Margarita tasting seminar. I go and get the tickets and then head to Parrot Cay for the American Buffet. BTW, did I mention that when we were in Topsiders yesterday, we were not allowed to serve ourselves? I told Steve that they probably had a problem on the last cruise and he said it could be CA regulations. Turns out I was right – I dragged it out of our stateroom host – JoJo by the way, that last week, several guests got the stomach flu and it was a precaution – and they weren’t kidding – they chastised Steve and my tablemate for trying to serve themselves. No problem here except when no one is at the station – I’d gone all morning with food there and so I was a bit cranky. LOL

Anyway, we eat at the buffet which had some surprisingly good tacos and then headed off to the Tequlia seminar. Managed to go through that and hopefully introduced Megan to the good types. BTW, I also plied her with my mystery tequila (which I don’t drink – I’m a bit of a tequila snob) and other ones – I did however, drink my Don Julio Reposado, turns out they have a Super Patron which runs $55 DOLLARS a shot. Dang – was it Patron or Don Julio’s? Not sure – ended up having some extra drinks. Then, after Yesenia wanted to try a Naughty School girl but they no longer carry the Parrot Cay Mango Rum so we had to settle for a Mesam’s Original drink. It was actually pretty good – I’ll post the ingredients later if anyone is interested – I’m on deck 9 in Quiet Cove getting some sun for a bit. I’ll get sick if I stay indoors all day. I need some sun or fresh air. So we have around for a bit, shoot the breeze with Mesam and Noella, who will be waiting for the EB PC crew in August – she said – she’ll be ready and waiting for us! I take that as a challenge folks! ;-)

Anyway, the girls totter back to the room along with Steve and I and Steve and I decided to wander the hall from side to side to trick the girls into thinking they are drunk. As Steve said, I thought they were fine until they started to talk. I really think Megan is testing her limits with me – she’s an adult now – told her I would introduce her to Ralph later. She wanted to know who Ralph was. Didn’t give her his last name – Porcelion King. She’ll figure it out later. Anyway, that girls has always been a daredevil from age of 3. She’ll soon figure it out – her headache not mine. Only stipulation is that if you sick – don’t call me. Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out ways to ply her with more alchohol.
Andrew meanwhile has totally disappeared after being stranded on the toilet for an hour this morning he gets up early and meets his female friends. Ok with me – less hassle this way.

By the way, did I mention that the engines stopped again about 1 pm? The Cpt – not sure if its Thor, Tom or John – I can’t hear the intercom system too well came on this time to say we were experiencing engine problems. Well, this time they were only off for about 5 minutes before we were on our way again. But that is just too weird. Twice in one day. Wonder what’s going on? I told Pam, OH No! People are going to think I’m a jinx – I board and the ship breaks. Not my fault folks – she’s aging! LOL

OK – so my battery life is almost gone so I need to wrap this up – tonight is Lumiere’s and formal night so we have to go and get the free drinks they are offering (according to Megan – my little lush – and BFF, Yesenia) so we will be at Lumiere’s tonight and tomorrow. Weird huh? Ok – going to go and juice this up and I will hopefully update later on. I need to figure out another way to further embarrass the boy tonight. I may decide to stay in Rocking Bar D since I have no plans for Cabo tomorrow. Too afraid to get off – in fact, wonder if we will be able to tender? Heard their may be a hurricane going thorugh soon. Thunder storms are forecasted for all three of the ports so I hope not. Although my right hand has been killing me for the last 3 days. That’s usually my barometer. No folks, I’m not crazy, its usually about 2-3 days ahead of bad weather.

So tonight I will be wearing my 40’s style long dress in the hopes I pass as elegant. Won’t know until I get there but I’m hoping if I pray to God, my hair will cooperate. Go figure – both Steve andI did not bring our anniversary gifts – mine because its too big and him because he forgot. Oh well, there’s always Cabo tomorrow. Besides, we renowed our vows in the church on the 22nd so that technically too is my anniversary! ;-) He brought that one up – not me. Stay tuned for my present – I’ll say later.

Gotta go – its getting chilly!

Laura