The passengers did not appear panicked but they did seem worried and anxious. Many carried suitcases or bags. Some carried belongings in pillow cases. “What’s happened?” Jeff asked one of the passengers.
“There was a fire in the ship’s electrical system. They told us to abandon ship for tonight while they see if they can fix it or if they need to fly us home in the next day or two. We are to go and find whatever lodging we can for tonight and to report back here tomorrow at noon to find out what is going on.”
“I wonder where my husband and your wife are right now,” Katrina asked.
Jeff called to another passenger, “Do you know if anyone was hurt?”
“The woman replied in her very Bostonian accent, “On the PA they told us that one crewman had serious burns and was in the ship’s hospital, but no passengers and no other crew were injured. As of twenty minutes ago, some cabins had lights, some didn’t and none of the toilet or other water systems are working. We are to keep receipts for any expenses and work everything out with the cruise line once all this is sorted out.”
“Thanks and good luck,” Jeff said to the woman. Turning to Katrina, Jeff said, “I doubt if anyone is going to allow us back on board for clothing and so we may have to buy a few things. First though, I want to call the hotel where we stayed last night and secure a room for us. Hotel rooms are going to be scares with more than four thousand guests and possibly another thousand crew members hit the streets.”
Jeff tried his cell phone but the network was choked by passengers all trying to call whomever. “Let’s go back to the pub, Kat; I saw a pay phone there.” After making the call, Jeff turned and said, “Good news, they have a room for us and as a bonus they are sending their shuttle to pick us up here at the pub.”
“That’s good for us but what about your wife and my husband?”
“You are a better wife than your husband deserves,” Jeff said with genuine admiration for Katrina. “What say we take a seat on the wall right over there? The passengers are walking by it and we can watch for them and figure something out? At the same time, we can try their cell phones every few minutes as long as out batteries hold out. Just be sure to watch for the shuttle van.”
After about ten minutes, Katrina saw her husband and called to him. Jeff thought the guy looked like hell. His gait was unsteady and his eyes rheumy and bloodshot. The man walked up to Katrina and immediately began yelling at her in a very slurred voice. “Wheere the fffuck have you been all phucking day dear wife?” Looking askance at Jeff he added, “And who in phuck is this douchebag?
“John, please do not speak to me or to my friend like that. Are you okay?”
“Am I okay you ask? Are you fucking stupid Katrina? Those morons kicked me out of the bar and then they kick me out of my fucking room! I can’t find my fucking wife and when I do find her she is with some asshole.”
“John do you realize that there was a fire aboard ship? Everyone is evacuated, not just you.”
“For fuck’s sake, don’t you think I know that? Look at all these people!”
“Well what do you want to do about a room tonight John?”
“I don’t need a fucking room, I need a bar and there is one right behind you with a bench in front of it for closing time.”
“John, please don’t do this.”
“Fuck you, fuck whoever this guy is and fuck` em all. I need a goddamned drink.”
“Good night John,” Katrina said sadly.
Jeff said nothing but gave Katrina a sympathetic look. He also felt sorry for the bartenders at the Frog and Onion. Katrina spoke first, “Jeff, I’m sorry you had to see and hear that.”
“Not as sorry as I am that you’ve had to live it. Oh, there’s the resort shuttle Kat, let’s get out of here.”
The shuttle threaded slowly through the mass of evacuating passengers. Many carried blankets and pillows and it appeared that they were going to sleep on lawns in the immediate area. The van driver told them that police were posting themselves to provide security. Arrangements had quickly been made with business in the immediate area of the wharf to provide bathroom facilities and water. A newscast on the van’s radio reported that the second ship at the wharf was from the same cruise line. Reportedly, the Purser had brought over a USB drive with the ship’s manifest so that displaced passengers could access that ship for food, water and the like. Apparently, many were spending the night on deck chairs or seated in the ship’s theater.
Jeff saw something in the crowd and asked the driver to pull over. “Audrey,” he yelled into the crowd; “Audrey!”
Audrey and Donald approached the van and Jeff said, “Thank God you’re okay. Where are you going?”
“We don’t really know Jeff.” Audrey replied. “Where are you going?”
“I, uh, we, we have a room reserved at a hotel near here.”
“We?”
“This is not a discussion for here in this craziness. If you want to go to the hotel with us, we can see what can be arranged. This is my friend Katrina, Katrina this is my wife Audrey and her, uh, her friend Donald.”
Audrey and Donald boarded the van and Jeff asked the driver to radio in to see if another room was available. None was. An awkward silence punctuated the short ride to the resort.
Arriving at the reception desk, Katrina checked them all into a room which the hotel upgraded as a courtesy to the displaced cruise ship passengers. Apparently, the line uses many suites in their hotel for VIPs and their own executives when in port.
The room had a king bed and a queen size pullout sofa and Katrina made a point of sitting on the bed immediately upon entering to silently stake her territory. Audrey gave her a funny look and then sat upon the sofa.
Avoiding the obvious, Jeff said, “Katrina, you and I are in beach clothes, what do you say we visit the resort’s gift shops for a set of clothing to get us through a day or two while the cruise line gets its act together?”
“I think that’s a good idea Jeff.”
Turning to his wife Jeff said, Audrey, Kat and I will be back about a half hour.