This was definitely the strangest day of our current winter at sea.
The captain announced that there was a 46 ft. catamaran in distress nearby, and the Coast Guard had requested that the Emerald Princess respond. This kind of excitement doesn't come our way everyday (thank God), and we were quickly propelled out of bed and up to the jogging track on Deck 19 with its 360 degree views around the ship. Just before 8am, we saw one of the Emerald Princess rescue boats launch and, looking as tiny as a speck on the big blue sea, it started making its way at an angle toward the back of the ship and beyond.
What we didn't see, ever, was the sinking catamaran, nor the dingy into which Captain Forteeze had told us the boat's passengers were using to stay afloat until help arrived. Whatever was happening was happening well out of the vision of anyone in the ship not using high powered binoculars. We later learned that there is a very large coral reef in that area just off the coast of the island of Hispaniola, and that is why the Emerald Princess could not navigate closer to the distressed boat. I don't know what we had imagined we were going to see (G mentioned the Emerald Princess orchestra on the Promenade Deck playing My Heart Will Go On as the catamaran sank into the abyss), it wasn't going to play out quite that way.
Captain Forteeze kept us updated every step of the way (every step, God bless him), but we eventually lost a bit of interest and went down to breakfast in the DaVinci Dining Room. As soon as we had finished, we went out on the Promenade Deck, and it was amusing to see people lined up on both sides of the ship, all swearing that theirs was the side where the action was playing out. Honestly, we had no idea where it all was, but G finally got on Google Earth and determined that the catamaran was most likely In that huge shallow reef area and so it was west of us.
Then came the announcement that the engine on the rescue boat had quit when it was within a mile of the dinghy, and now the rescue boat was also in need of rescuing. We watched as a tender boat was launched (Captain Forteeze said they were sending out a couple of engineers to see if they could repair the rescue boat engine), and the ship's second rescue boat was also launched. We were told that this was all playing out a few miles from the ship, which you would think we could see, but, probably because these were such small boats, we didn't see anything. Captain Forteeze later told G that they were able to see all this from the bridge using high powered binoculars.
We spent the morning going from one vantage point on the ship to another, front to back, up to Deck 19 and down to Deck 7. I did take a few minutes to trade in the crystal I had received at last night's Captains Circle party for another (Suzan!), but, other than that, we, along with many on the ship, were in a waiting mode. Captain Forteeze eventually made the not unexpected announcement that we would not make it to Grand Turk today, which is always a disappointment but for what better reason?
Around 1pm, we went for a quick lunch, and during it, Captain Forteeze announced that a Coast Guard helicopter from Puerto Rico had rescued the four people from their dinghy (three Americans and a South African) and everyone in the dining room cheered. We think it was a chartered Daydream catamaran from the US or British Virgin Islands. After that good news soon came more: the tender boat was starting to tow the first rescue boat and the second rescue boat was staying with them back to the ship. They were still about three miles away.
All this time, the thrusters were being used to keep the Emerald Princess off the reef, and the back of the ship was doing its usual shimmy-shake. Sometimes it felt like the ship would rattle itself apart, and then it would be less intense. Members of the security team were on the Promenade Deck through all of this with stacks of blankets and robes, which must be the protocol during rescue efforts. We later learned that ten pizzas were sent to the bridge because this whole thing lasted nearly eight hours (hopefully the officers in the Entine Control Room and those security officers were also fed).
It was after 2:30pm before we finally spotted the two rescue boats and the tender boat nearing the ship. Captain Forteeze said they would first load the distressed rescue boat and then turn the ship to load the other two boats, all on the leeward side. We went up to Deck 19 to watch as the tender boat towed the rescue boat as close to the side of the ship as it could, and then the second rescue boat acted as a tug, pushing it into position and holding it there until it could be picked up. That's not something they practice everyday! Once again, everyone cheered and applauded and then ran to the other side of the ship to watch the remaining two boats get picked up.
It was after 3pm by the time Captain Forteeze made what he promised would be his last announcement of the day, that his crew was all safe and that the Coast Guard had notified the ship that their helicopter had landed and the four rescued people were all safe and thanked the Emerald Princess for its efforts. Whew! Honestly, we hadn't done even one thing and we were exhausted by it all.
The Cruise Director's staff had put together a revised schedule of activities for today, but most people seemed to want to either watch all the excitement (or at least keep an eye on the horizon for a sign of anything), or lay in the sun by the pools. After it was all over, I went back to the cabin to get out of the sun and watched another episode of Downton Abbey (I'm still not through them all). G eventually returned to the cabin saying he had just run into Captain Forteeze and asked him (among other things) if our arrival in Fort Lauderdale would be affected. The next thing we heard was Captain Forteeze making another announcement he promised would really be his last, assuring everyone our arrival in Port Everglades would be on schedule. Harious.
The day just seemed so turned upside down that we had no desire to get dressed for dinner in the dining room. Instead, we stayed casual and went to the Horizon Court Buffet for dinner with a view of a gorgeous sunset. We even skipped all entertainment tonight (Magic To Do) in favor of sitting on the Promenade Deck and watching the ocean go by. I imagine it is a lot more comforting to do that from the deck of the Emerald Princess than what those four people in that dinghy had to deal with last night.
I have several photos from today to post, but am once again internet constricted (150 minutes over 7 days does not go far). I will upload them from Fort Lauderdale when we arrive on Saturday.