Technically, it was a sea day. Peter and I got up early to get breakfast and set up the room ready for the first class. We were in the Amalfi restaurant as usual and quickly fell into routine. The captain announced we were going to leave about 10.30am and told us that although the ship would stay close to the (English) coastline, to expect choppy seas and a moving ship. This captain is called Kim and is quite cheerful and chatty, which sort of disuades any worries in the passengers.
Actually, the sea wasn't too bad, the class went ahead as usual in the afternoon. At lunch the captain told us that we had yet to drop off the "seasick" (joke),pilot who had guided us out of Southampton, and we'd do that at Falmouth (the Southampton pilot station was closed). We could expect a lull in ship motion whilst that happened and then we'd venture out from the shelter of land into deeper water. We were told that the waves would get bigger and the ship would move in a "corkscrew" motion.
Peter and I were tired at the end of the day, and went to bed relatively early, before the Falmouth drop off and rocky seas. Tucked up and dozing off nicely, the Captain's voice came into the room, announcing to the crew to prepare for a helicopter evacuation! Then he woke us again with an announcement that the passengers at the front of the ship would have to evacuate their cabins. We hoped that didn't mean us, (in cabin D004, not right at the front), and we started to doze off again. Then came a gentle knock at the door. Yes, we would have to leave our cabins.
So we pulled on some clothes and joined many other weary looking passengers in the lounges, some in pajamas and dressing gowns, and we all waited. It was around 11.30pm. At the front of the ship, a helicopter arrived, and some poor patient was winched up to be taken to hospital. Our cabin evacuation was necessary due to the fact that this sort of winching off the front of a ship by a helicopter is one of the most dangerous manoeuvre's a pilot will undertake, if something goes wrong, a helicopter with all its fuel could really do some damage to the ship and the people on board, which is why the fire crew were also mobilised and were stood ready, in full gear, at the top of the ship.
After about an hour, the evacuation was successful and we were able to go back to bed and sleep. That was until the ship went out into deep water and started to pitch and roll. The movement woke me up, and kept shaking me awake every time I started doze off. So when the alarm went off at 7.30am, I felt like I'd hardly slept at all.
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