Cranes, Cruises, and Cancellations…Oh, my!
I haven’t shared all the details of our itinerary because I know that changes are inevitable. Sure enough, we haven’t even left for our trip and we’ve been thrown a massive crane curveball.
Last week, news broke that Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas was damaged by a crane falling onto it. This was the cruise ship we have been dreaming about to take our dreaming-selves over to a dreamy part of Europe to live a dream.
Obviously, this was sad news for lots of vacationers planning to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and everything in between. Not only was it a long-overdue vacation for us, but also our method of transport to the other side of the Atlantic. It was our way to avoid a red-eye flight with the kids and start our adventure by slowing down. When we received the email, I thought it was an April Fool’s joke one day late. Alas, it was no joke, and our cruise that we’ve been counting down to has been cancelled.
Can we just pause for a moment and visualize the poor man/woman who was directing the crane that kerplunked into the side of the ship? It’s so terrible that it’s almost humorous. Let’s call him Timmy. Timmy decides to take a sip of his Big Gulp, spills a little due to being startled from the fizz on his lip, and whoops! Down goes the lever…and crane. I also envision his boss looking up from the main deck, his hand shielding his eyes from the sun, witnessing this all going down. “DARN IT, TIMMY!” The rest is history. I doubt Timmy still holds the position of crane director for Royal Caribbean.
I have to say, I’m quite impressed with the way Royal Caribbean handled this mishap. Not only did we get a full refund, but we got credit toward a future cruise. Let’s look at this silver-lining here—WE GOT A FREE CRUISE!
Those who know me know that I was ecstatic to avoid taking a cramped overnight flight with two toddlers only to face jet lag on the other end of it. I’m aware that parents do this on a regular basis and that it’s survivable, even if not ideal. Friends, if you have ANY advice, message me. I want all the tips. Assume I know nothing and that I’ve never done this before. Oh, wait. I have NEVER done this before. Thank you in advance.
More info on the start of our trip once we’ve booked a flight. Until then, we’ll just toss our Set Sail passes in the recycle bin and cross off April 21st as our departure date.
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