Friday, August 12, 2022
We listened to the piano player/singer in the Ocean Bar until it was time for our dinner in the Canaletto. The dinner was a surprise reservation courtesy of the Casino. They also provided a very nice bottle of Chianti.
I had the spaghetti with shrimp and clams and Chuck had the beef tips and gnocchi. We also split a piece of the veal Florentine at the server’s insistence. She was right – it was delicious. For dessert, we again had the gelato sampler – chocolate, rum raisin, and pistachio.
I would have gladly gone back to the room and collapsed into a food coma, but Chuck reminded me that we would be putting the clock back an hour and it was our last chance for a late night out. I persevered and we had a fun night at the Ocean Bar.
I woke up at 5:00 and thought about getting up but common sense prevailed, and I went back to sleep until 6:30. We were in the middle of another foggy sea day.
The Captain came on the loudspeaker at 9:00 to let us know that we didn’t leave Halifax until after 11:00 because the Princess ship that had left before us had to turn around and come back to port because of a medical emergency. Halifax only had one pilot boat available, so it had to be dispersed to help the Princess ship and we had to wait. He assured us that we would still arrive in Boston tomorrow at the assigned time.
After a nice breakfast in the main dining room, I started the packing process. Since we would be going directly to the airport from the ship, I had to be sure that we had the correct items in our carry-ons and that the checked baggage wasn’t too heavy. Chuck had selected the clothes he wanted to wear tomorrow but just knows it’s best to let me organize the suitcases.
I took a break for a Lido lunch and then helped one of my fellow passengers get checked into her Southwest flight out of Boston for tomorrow by using my laptop.
While we were logging into the laptop, the Captain came on the loudspeaker and said we were turning back toward Nova Scotia for a medical emergency. We had to reach a point that a medivac could meet us and airlift the passenger. I felt so sorry for the unnamed passenger and the family.
After she was able to complete the check-in process, I went back to the room to finish the packing. Just as I was finishing up, I heard a helicopter approaching. I went out on the balcony and finally saw it emerge out of the fog. It had to make 4 circles around the ship, each approach getting closer and closer to the ship, before it finally descended in front of the ship when we were completely stopped. The medical center is on deck A in the very front so I assume the patient was coming out that forward gangway. All I could see was the water churning around the front of the ocean.
As the helicopter lifted off and disappeared back into the fog, I said a prayer that the passenger would make it to the hospital and recover completely. I don’t know if any family is allowed into the helicopter or not, but I have been told “not” so that poor family (if there was any – we had a number of solo passengers) would have to make their way back to Nova Scotia once they arrived in Boston. HAL does have a Care Team that assists families with emergencies, but it still has to be so scary.
Hard to believe that this was the 2nd helicopter rescue this trip plus we have had at least three ports where people were picked up by ambulances. To me, travel insurance with medical evacuation is a must.
The Captain came on the loudspeaker and said we would be turning back to Boston. He said that he expected to still reach Boston on time but would have to sail faster than planned. We still had the fog but at least the sea was calm.
It was soon time to find Chuck for our last evening on the ship.
Fondest Travel Memories 