Cruising Like A Norwegian

  So a few of you know we went on vacation after Christmas to celebrate my birthday, New Years and Riley's birthday. We had planned this for a while and were really looking forward to it. As a family, cruising works for us as we all get the vacation we want under the same roof. But this one ended a little differently than most.

  We were on the Norwegian Breakaway, a ship of 5000 passengers and crew, give or take a few. It sails out of New York City and we have been on it twice before. We enjoy the ship, the food and the entertainment. No complaints what-so-ever. This time though weather played a huge factor...one of the many challenges of winter travel.

  A "cyclone bomb" storm was brewing in the Atlantic Ocean. Quite far south and moving north.  It made for some choppy seas in the Bahamas, on the forth day. Someone, either the captain or the brains at Norwegian Cruiseline in Miami, decided to continue on course home. Through the worst of the storm. Right or wrong the decision was made.

  To say that the next 36 hours were rough would be an understatement. We experienced very high seas, wind and rain. At one point John said it was snow but that was when we were much farther north. But these ships are designed to weather storms much worse than what we encountered. That is fact not an opinion. Myself or John never felt we were in any sort of real danger of capsizing or sinking.

  Our room flooded as did many others. Water could be seen flowing down stairs and through ceilings. Elevators were shut down and the entire outside of the ship was sealed off...for passengers and crews safety. Some of the shows were cancelled. And we were repeatedly reminded to use the handrails at all times. 

  People congregated in the main atrium because it was the calmest spot on the ship. In fact it didn't seem as if anything was happening outside most of the time when there. The occasional shudder or wave. Nothing too drastic. In fact some folks slept there. Our cabin was in the front of the ship, where the most impact was felt, and even I considered sleeping there but two chairs pushed together was not as appealing as you might think.

  By Thursday evening things were much calmer. The storm had moved on and we were just experiencing the tail-end of it. However we were hours off schedule and the early morning arrival in NYC the next morning was pushed back to four in the afternoon. That was going to add an extra expense for us as we drove the seven hours and were not going to start home at such a late hour in the winter. 

  Friday afternoon we arrived in NYC. Bruised. Battered. But in one piece. By supper time we were off the ship and settled in a surprisingly cheap hotel a few blocks from Times Square. We were safe and with a whopper of a vacation story to tell!

  I've waited a few days to write about this for several reasons. One, I have been in touch with the customer relations center for Norwegian and am submitting our experiences to them. I wanted to have a few days to process the events in my mind and to give a true and accurate account to them and to you. And I needed to focus on Riley who didn't handle this as well as the rest of us. He is ten after all. Oops eleven now as his birthday was during the adventure.

  Part of travelling is putting yourself in someone else's hands. We had no say in whether we went on or not. Just like you have no say when a pilot lands at a different airport due to weather or mechanical issues. We have to trust in them making the right decisions that will keep their guests safe. No matter what you think about the decision, we all came out the other side safe and sound. 

  Unlike some people, this will not make us think twice about cruising. Nor will it stop us from travelling in the winter or with Norwegian for that matter. We know and accept the risks both of winter travel and of giving control over to someone else. 

  Mistakes were made. The biggest, in my opinion, was not giving clear information to the passengers. Many were panicking because they did not understand what was going on. They had no idea what was normal and what wasn't. This lack of information caused panic and anxiety at very high levels for many. And yes I believe some passengers, my family included, deserve compensation. 

  I'm sure Norwegian Cruiseline and others will re-evaluate their decision making process about storms. Maybe next time the Captain and crew will keep the passengers informed of what is "normal" in bad weather conditions. Fingers crossed there won't be "another" time.

  This is probably the longest blog in my history!! And I edited lots out! Long winded might be the trend of 2018!

  Ang