The temperature had dropped noticeably since yesterday. Not that it was cold, but it far less hot and sticky, which was fine with us. It was only 75 degrees when we checked the navigation channel at 10:30am. And it sure felt like the ship was flying…..it was, doing a fast clip of 20.4 knots. Wonder why?
At 10:30am, the Captain came on all of the speakers to announce the upcoming anti-piracy drill for the entire crew. The letter we received yesterday went into more detail. So here they are:
The Amsterdam will be reporting to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization, the people that coordinate all of the coalition warships in the anti-piracy area. Although we may not see them, we are being tracked during the entire transit of the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal.
A close radar watch will be kept on the bridge.
Extra security guards are on an anti-piracy watch on a rotating 24 hour shift.
Four Long Range Acoustical Devices (LRADS) are rigged, manned, and ready for immediate use.
Charged water hoses are ready for use on the lower promenade deck.
Razor wire has been rigged on the freeboard deck (deck three), in case a boarding would be attempted. We have been told repeatedly that this deck is too high for such a boarding, but they are taking no chances. If nothing else, it makes the passengers and crew feel safer.
So this drill began with one long ring of the ship's alarm, followed by the Captain saying…testing, testing, testing. In a real drill, we would all head into the center parts of the ship, away from all windows, including the staterooms. However, today this was a drill, and we were informed that it was not mandatory to participate. The Captain did say previously that he requested everyone to stay clear of deck three, and by all means, please do not take photos or videos. Not a problem, as we have already seen the activity on that deck over the years.
As we had just gotten situated on the aft pool deck, we made a decision not to participate. Doing their job, the deck stewards all came to tell us to go inside, however we chose not to participate. We let them know we were notified, but we were staying put. A handful of other long-time cruisers did the same thing, although they were sitting under the overhang.
The drill lastly almost ½ hour, but many of the sun lovers began coming back outside within 15 minutes. Sure hope this never happens for real, because it would be frightening to say the least. At least, we are prepared.
The wind was blowing a gale across the decks, but we figured that had something to do with the speed of the ship. It made more sense when the Captain gave his PM talk, and said we would be arriving to the port of Muscat earlier than expected. Instead of arriving in two days, we will be getting to the bay to pick up the pilot at 5pm tomorrow. The Amsterdam will be docked by 7pm. No wonder we are going so fast. Our theory is that we are speeding to get across this area of the Indian Ocean, as it is a hotspot for pirates. And by maintaining this speed, we can outrun the much smaller terrorist's boats. Only a theory, because we have to be using a massive amount of fuel to keep up this clip. Although the Captain did say getting to Oman might make up for the delay we had with Immigrations in India, anyone who has ever visited Muscat will know that it might not be the most desirable place to get off of the ship at night. Just our opinion, though.
For the wine lovers among the readers, an open wine package was offered yesterday, just in case the folks were running low on their bottles from their original packages. Don't know if this is a good price or not, but the Navigator 24 bottle package is $734 including the 15% beverage service charge. The Admiral 24 bottle package is $971, also including the 15% service charge.
There was a special Pinnacle Grill "Tiffin" Dinner this evening at 6:30pm. Tiffin refers to the metal containers that the dabba-wallahs (food carriers) transport to offices in the downtown area of Mumbai, and all other large Indian cities. The tiffin boxes stack, and are placed in bags with the tins full of lunch food. It is estimated that there are 4000 tiffin box delivery people, distributing fresh, home-cooked meals made from 100,000 suburban kitchens. Anyway, the dinner this evening had a list of Indian cuisine with 9 courses, that included wine pairing. The cost was $79 per person. Perhaps if you were nervous about trying the food in Mumbai (sometimes you should be), then this dinner was a good and safe alternate choice.
We had unexpected company for dinner…..Susie and Woody joined the six of us, since half of their tablemates were sick (too much Indian food, or the bug on the ship, we guess). We certainly had a nice time, and they blended in well with our tablemates. And the traditional turkey dinner was a great choice for our entrees tonight. The BBQ ribs were a good second choice, although Woody ordered the steak entrée, and it was really tasty he said.
Another good way to end the night was going to listen to the singers of the Amsterdam in the Queen's Lounge. Better yet, was the stroll on deck three in the complete darkness. Most all of the lights had been turned off, and the deck was manned with two security guards, who will be on watch all night.
But the best news was that we had one more hour back on the clocks tonight. These little things do make us happy. Good friends and more sleep……
Bill & Mary Ann
