Day 111, 112 & 113 ~ A Fake Sea Day, a Sickie Land Day, & Another Sea Day

 April 30-May 2, 2022

60's, windy with a lying sun--it doesn't warm nearly as much as it promises.

Seasickness: at first you are so sick you are afraid you will die, and then you are so sick you are afraid you won't die. — Mark Twain

We had an overnight in Barcelona and could've disembarked for another adventure ashore today, but all the ship's excursions were full and we're less brave about private exploration than we used to be. Besides, the Star was scheduled to leave port a little after noon. So we declared a fake sea day, and used the morning to do some laundry, claiming our machines very early because the launderette becomes a popular place later in the morning. 

While we lingered over breakfast on the fantail, we watched the MSC Firenze do a pirouette and back into her berth v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w-l-y. With three cruise ships in port (The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas, a massive vessel that holds over 10K people guests and crew was tied up just ahead of us), a Spanish naval station, a sub station and a working container port, things are a bit tight in this little stretch of water. 

Later, we were so glad we stayed aboard. For the first time on this voyage, our cruise director Katie called over the ship's speaker system for a certain passenger from a certain stateroom number to contact guest services immediately. She did it twice. 

Generally, this means the person has either not returned to the ship or somehow they weren't checked in properly by ship's security at the gangway. We haven't heard which it was, but if they weren't accidentally allowed on without having their ship's card scanned, we sailed away without them. In these cases, the person's passport is given to the Viking agent on shore and is returned to the guest when they arrive at the port. They are responsible for their own travel, lodging and food until they can meet the ship at the next port of call, which in our case will be Porto, Portugal on May 3rd. 

What a nightmare. 

Whoever they are, I wish them well. I pray nothing bad happened to them ashore. It's so easy to trip and fall and end up in hospital like one lady did at the pyramids in Egypt. And if this person was wandering by themselves, would they have received the help they needed in a city where they didn't speak the language?

Given the demographic of longer cruises, cruise companies expect to lose a few guests during the voyage, though not because they miss the sail away. We are older, sicker, and less fit than cruisers on two week jaunts. Two have died on the Star, during this voyage, both suddenly of medical problems they boarded with. Which says to me that they likely would've died at home if they hadn't been here. It's terrible for the partner who's left, but for the one who disembarks before the rest of us, at least they were doing something they loved to the end.   

Then in the night as we sailed toward Murcia, Spain, the Star began to shimmy, just a constant little jiggled because we were cruising almost directly south while the waves were running east to west. I hadn't been wearing a patch for a long time, though I was expecting to put one on before we reached the Atlantic Ocean. 

This turned out to be a mistake. Even though I rose at about 2 AM to put one on, it  was too late. I became very sea sick. And as Mr. Twain suggests, it's a situation to make one pray for death!  

Murcia breakwater

I felt too weak to go on the excursion we had planned for Murcia, so we stayed on board, hybernating in our cabin. We binge-watched Downton Abbey and called out for room service when I felt like eating again. By the time supper rolled along, I was feeling up to joining our friends in The Restaurant.

The Rock of Gibraltar rising from the mists of the sea...

The mountains of Morocco off our port side. Someday I hope to visit more of Africa... 

Then after my sick day, we had another sea day, but it wasn't the usual lay-about schedule. Since Katie, our new cruise director, came we've been having choir practice and today the passenger talent show was this afternoon. So we had a rehearsal at 1:00, the show at 2:00. The DH and I opted not to do a solo act and instead sang with the choir. We did The Rose, Somewhere from West Side Story, and a riotous What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor!

A good time was had by all.

Roger and David are in the foreground, our new Aussie friends!

Then at 5:30 we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness for our friends Roger and David's 21st anniversary party. They've been instrumental in organizing our weekly church services, arranging for different people to speak and help out with the readings and such. They are lovely people and we've enjoyed getting to know them. 

Then Katie did a solo show at the Star Theatre last night, showcasing her talents at singing, dancing and comedy. She's a firecracker of a performer and a delightful person. 

More soon...