Today we are on our way to Aquaba, Jordan. There was a mandatory briefing for all passengers regarding our transit through the Gulf of Aden where on the south are the Somalia pirates and on the north the Yemen terrorists. The ship has taken extraordinary measures to ensure our safety. All outside decks are closed and guests are asked to stay off their verandahs. There are guards posted 24 hours all around the ship and barriers have been placed in areas that could be accessed (like on the stern). There are no guns and the only weapons the ship will use are the fire hoses and evasive action. We were told that the best defense for our ship is her speed and high freeboard, and if for some reason there is an attack, the captain will steer the ship in a zigzag fashion and we better hold on. That would be something to experience, although I really don’t want to. There are war ships from many different countries stationed at 50 mile intervals. If needed, a helicopter will fly over the ship during the transit. This will be in effect for approximately 36 hours.
During the presentation, the cruise director and captain explained all the safety procedures for the ship and answered questions from the passengers. One person asked how the pirates board a ship, and we were told they use ladders. We were told not to worry because the Mogadishu Home Depot was fresh out of them! LOL
We had 6 tables today for the bridge game. Lots of good lectures today and just regular life at sea. My knitting is going nowhere as I have had to knit and rip the same two lines four times. I guess I need to concentrate on the knitting instead of listening to the lectures and trying to do lace work.
My phone has been a wonderful tool. We are receiving most emails and I can somewhat surf the net. We are husbanding our ship computer time as it is expensive even with our discount.
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