Denied Entry: Stuck on a Cruise Ship

 Stuck at Sea on a Cruise Ship

Cape Town Harbor

  In a little over a week I have gone from the satisfaction of a job well done as the end of the Antarctica season drew to an end, to having to do circles with the ship off Cape Town while being told we weren't allowed in to dock, to elation that we got permission to dock, to trepidation that neither us nor the passengers were being allowed off, to hurrah!, the passengers are allowed off, to over joyed that the expedition team may be allowed off, to the ultimate denial from the South African government, and a quick 'get off the dock', to where my current predicament finds me now.

  I am still aboard the Silver Cloud, the expedition ship I've been working on this winter down in Antarctica. It was an amazing experience, a great ship, and a wonderful crew. I met lots of interesting passengers from all around the world. And of course built a bit of a ship board family as this style of living and working together usually fosters. Little did I know the kind of bonding experience we all would be forced to be a part of. After the quick casting of lines and de-docking in Cape Town we have set sail north. Our 'destination' is Gibraltar, however we aren't sure what that will look like. But those are the orders, as well as to sail economically when it comes to fuel consumption. So it will take a little over three weeks to travel the entire length of Africa to get there.

Expedition Team aboard the Silver 'Lining' 

   During that time it'll be a big part of my job to keep the expedition team going and with high moral. And it'll be part of the team's job to keep the moral of everyone on board happy. We have food, it is a corona virus free area, and we have a rare chance to really get to meet everyone else who works here. There are some engineers that I have only met once or twice all season. And other staffs work opposite hours to us when the guests are here so we don't get a chance to mingle unless we stay up very very late. With my optimistic attitude I've even gotten some onboard to change the name of the ship from the Silver Cloud to the Silver Lining.

    Luckily the team is full of exceptional people, because even with all of this going for me I can't help but think that what I truly want is to be at home with Heidi and the kids. I was already at the max time away from the family just with my regular contract, now it looks like it'll be at least another three weeks before I even have a chance to fly back. So i'm hoping that flights from Gibraltar exist when we get there, and that in the meantime Heidi, and Catalina, and Fisher all keep their health out in Hawaii.

    Now we are hundreds of miles out to sea, off the vessel tracking systems, to help avoid pirates that are infamous along the coast of west Africa. There are a few birds like yellow nose albatross and white chin petrals around but not much else. The sunrises and sunsets give us a little bit of change to look forward to as the rest of the view doesn't change much. Everyone onboard is getting more into the groove of life at sea, as we are all resigned to the fact that none of us are going anywhere fast.

Sunset on the open sea