Force 8

I see by Sky News that bad weather has hit or is about to shut down the UK. Please spare a thought for all of those souls on board the good ship Oriana. We have had Force 8-9 winds and swells up to 8-9 meters causing the ship to alter course to miss the centre of this deep depression. Quiet a few people are feeling under the weather, luckily not yours truly, made getting about a bit difficult with the deck rocking and rolling but also made for great people watching conditions!!! You know its going to be rough when sickbags are put in dispensers in all the stair wells on the route back to the cabins and the air is full of the unmistakable aroma of Jayes Fluid. One unfortunate lady on her first ever cruise has had enough and booked a flight to Gatwick when we reach Antigua in a couple of days time. I have strategically found a seat in the coffee shop that covers the entrance to the Coffee Shop that everyone on that deck has to use to get anywhere else on this bucking bronco of a ship, the more sprightly have no problems, some pass in a sequence dance routine,one forward, three back, four to the side and repeat. The most interesting are those in zimmer frame with wheels, who very nearly break the land speed record if the conditions are right, it is all that I can do not to offer a round of applause. The reverse of this game the ascent is also interesting, although not as quick it is still a good spectator sport because it is a team sport some time with three or four participants pushing a standard wheelchair up this Mount Everest of a slope.
The seas are starting to settle as we approach St Marteen or first port of call, I envisage some Pope like moments when people are able to get on dry land again, with kissing of the Tarmac. I hope to report on other incidents as they occur, don't get me wrong there are great slabs of normality on this trip and some very pleasant company, especially on the table I share for dining a real good cross section of solo travellers, with an oddity thrown in (Not me for once) more on that later.