WEEK 6

 

30/08/23 NEW YORK

I closed our porthole window last night to keep the light out of our cabin I call it a window maar is n baie swaar ronde metaal ding wat jy inhak en inskroef , assume it is there to keep water out in rough seas, just in case!

After our wakeup call at 23h00 we went to sleep at about 01.30 and only woke up this morning when the alarm went off! Think we are both tired after being woken up in the middle of the night at different times, so geen rem slaap nie. Told hubby in the next season of our lives no more night calls and weekend work, been there got the T shirt, time for the young ones to take over.

The terminal was busy this morning with 2 cruise ships docked next to each other and when we got off it was raining hard, so people were hanging around to stay out of the rain and that caused congestion. So, the porters were screaming and shouting at the people to keep moving to try and keep the flow going, was a bit chaotic at times, I just sat quietly watching this all go by from my seat on a big cement pillar.

We were lucky by the time hubby joined me the rain had stopped, and we walked to Starbucks for breakfast and Wi-Fi business. I was impressed to connect to the swimming with the pig’s photos and glad there were some nice phots of me swimming with them so have ordered a few as mementos of this amazing experience.

Did not go too far today for we were leaving at 16h00 and with the rain decided today was the day for my visit to the Intrepid Museum where I got onto the Submarine “Growler” that was used in the 1960s to carry nuclear missiles and patrolled the coast of Russia.

Was amazing to be able to get onto it and see for myself what it looks like and feels like. Had to move through a few small openings from one area to the other and must say at one stage the row of visitors stood still for a while and that made me feel a bit anxious!!Really is a very small space in which the crew work, operate and live, would never be able to do it.

Did not have enough time to spend at all the different exhibits to read all the info about this submarine. This ship sat hidden in the fidget waters off the coast of Russia between 1960 and 1964.The year I was born! Its crew of 90 men, all volunteers, waited for a signal to draw and fire their terrible arrows nuclear tipped missiles named Regulus. The crew knew that doing so would not only mark their targets for destruction, but also doom themselves.

Took photos and a few videos to share this incredible experience, what are my chances of ever doing this again! Then I went on to view the hangar deck, flight deck and pop in at the space shuttle pavilion.

Some of the aircraft I got to see up close and personal are:

A12, F14 Tomcat, E1B Tracer, MiG, TBM-3E, Helicopters, Kamikaze, Beyond the Fire and a lot more. The Enterprise in the Space Shuttle Pavilion was amazing to see, it is huge. Just so much to see and experience did not have time to try out the Simulators, think that would have been cool. Then it was time to get back to our ship. We left 30 minutes late and are on our way to Bermuda, looks like the hurricane is not going to be in our path, so just hope it stays that way!

The captain has warned us that they are keeping an eye on them and if things change, he will let us know and that we are expecting a little bit of swell due to the hurricanes. We are at sea for tomorrow and then arrive in Bermuda on Friday morning.

1/09/23 @SEA 

We left New York a little later than scheduled due to another medical emergency, someone with kidney failure and shortness of breath that was disembarked before we left. Always feel so sorry for the guests that get disembarked before there trip even starts but like hubby says they can always come on another trip but if things go wrong and no hospital to send you too that would be terrible.

Have lots count of the Code Alphas for another 2 during the night and early morning. A Crew member that fainted and the other a lady that fell and cracked her patella in her knee. During the night a man fell and hit his head, so he was sent for an MRI scan due to a painful neck, with a neck you never take chances! A big group of passengers from the South of the States are on a group tour and it was so entertaining to sit and listen to all their stories and chirps. Think they were going to have lots of fun. Such nice people, you just like them.

Toe weer nog n drama met n gas wat lyk my haar varkies verloor het en wragtig van een balkon na die een langs hulle geklouter het en die arme gaste in die kamer aangeval ,klink soos n nagmerrie verbeel jou jy is rustig in jou kamer en word aangeval en gekrap deur n persoon wat jou aanval en dit terwyl jy op die see vaar.

Hoef seker nie te se wat hulle met haar gedoen het nie!! Dadelik skip tronk toe na mediese ondersoek vir die res van die nag en toe deur die polisie opgetel en weggevat toe ons in Bermuda aangekom het. Het glo in die sel ook vreeslike dinge gedoen maar darem deur die loop van die nag, kalmeer. Wat n vakansie! Party van die stories dink jy kan mos nie moontlik wees nie maar lyk my so gaan dit hierso,enigiets moontlik.

Ons het eers laat afgeklim en die weer is maar omgekrap, it rained on and off right through the morning and just after we left the ship it started raining hard, so we were ready with our umbrella and our plastic poncho. Today we each had our own ice-cream, no sharing! our spoil for the day. Wanted to take the ferry to Hamilton but decided against it when I saw the strong wind blowing and we are coming back this way end September, so will rather go on a nice day.

Did watch a bit of TV and was not good to see that the hurricane is coming this way but so far looks like it is going to miss Bermuda and be downgraded to a tropical storm. Spoke to a crewmember’s sister that came to visit her brother works on the ship, and she said that their houses are built to withstand the hurricanes, so that was good to hear. Looks like we are going to be leaving Bermuda 6 hours before our scheduled departure tomorrow morning at 10h00. Planning on going out tonight if the weather holds up. Each week we try and do something special after work, then hubby has something to look forward too.

My man se baas het laat weet hy wil graag met hom gaan uiteet terwyl hy en sy vrou op die skip is volgende week, so eks bevrees hy sal moet gaan maar gelukkig is ek nog off the hook! sover. Nou ja tot more en wie weet wat wag vir ons.

2 /09/23 BERMUDA

Well, we got off after hubby had finished with the clinic and went to a restaurant for a night out. This time I tried something else and decided on some red wine, they also had a guy singing which was great. On our walk to the restaurant the wind was pumping and raining so i had to hang onto my umbrella for dear life, is n paar keer omgedop en het vir my skoene/sloffies weggeloop met my nat voete.

During the night I woke up with the ship rocking and when I peeped out the porthole my goodness, there were huge waves, that is when I realized the storm had arrived and we were not going to get away in time that is for sure. Battled to go back to sleep and was worried about sailing in these conditions but thank goodness just after breakfast the captain announced that we would not be able to leave Bermuda and would have to wait for the storm to pass.

The hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm but even that was not enough for my comfort! Decided to go to the gym just to get my mind of the storm and while on the treadmill started watching a beautiful movie that had me going on the treadmill for more than an hour for, I wanted to see the end, it was called Mrs. Harris goes to Paris, really enjoyed it.

I decided to see for myself what it looked like outside and o my goodness the wind was pumping, and the swell was crazy, waves were crashing against the stone walls of the fort and crashing over the cement walkways in the port. The poor Jolly Roger Ship looked like it was on a roller coaster ride I hope it makes it I took a video to show you what it looks like. If this was a tropical storm don’t even want to think what it must feel like to be caught in the hurricane that must be very scary.

I was just praying that the ships mooring ropes that tie us to the docking area were strong enough to hold the pressure from the wind and sea for has been relentless since yesterday and had not stopped for a minute, suppose part of living on a ship the good and bad weather. So far, no announcement have been made and it is 18h00 and like I said before you may not sail in or out at night due to the dangerous reefs around Bermuda, so assume we are only going to leave tomorrow.

 

 

3/09/23 BERMUDA

I went to the gym and after breakfast the captain made an announcement that we were going to be leaving after 12h00 to me the wind was still strong, but the sea was much calmer than yesterday. Also said that once we had dropped the pilot, they would be putting the stabilizers out and that should make a huge difference. Well, off we went but to me the sea is still very rough with high swells and see another hurricane on its way but thank goodness we are on our way up the east coast of America hopefully away from the hurricanes but last year one did come up all the way to Canada which was unusual, and we had to get out of its way. So tomorrow another sea day and then we arrive in New York on Tuesday morning at 7. If the weather is good, I want to try and go on the horse-cart ride around Central Park so we will see, hubby will not be joining me so will have to do it on my own. Our first port of call this next itinerary is Portland in Maine, but we will be giving it a skip due to our late departure on this next cruise.

4/09/23 2SEA

The sun is out, and the sea has calmed down I am so glad for the passengers, hope they enjoyed the ship but there first day in Bermuda it rained and the second day we were ship bound and no shore leave was granted due to the storm and all Dockyard Yards shops were closed. The third day they did not know what time the ship was going to leave so no one was to get off and we had to leave as soon as the weather cleared. This just reminds you again that we have no control over the weather, and you need to remember this when going on a trip or cruise anything is possible. I am very thankful we are safe and survived the tropical storm. See there is a lot of activity in the Atlantic Ocean just hope we don’t hit another storm.