It happened one Sunday. A fire broke out in a cruise ship at sea. The ship lost power. The boat was plunged into extreme darkness. And worse, the boat stood still, right in the middle of the sea.
Indescribable fear seized the passengers. Four thousand, two hundred twenty nine! Yes, that was the number of passengers in that boat – more than a thousand of them were crew members; about three thousand were guests.
I can just imagine how those people felt. I had been in five cruises in the Iast twenty years. A cruise is like a floating village. It is usually docked during the day and passengers get off to take a tour of the land’s sightseeing spots, do some shopping and enjoy some sports the area had to offer.
Those who did not want to join the land tours could just bask in the sun by the boat’s swimming pool and binge on the enormous feast available all day and night. Many people take cruises during winter time to escape the cold.
At night, in the boat, it is continuous revelry with presentations and dancing. The merrymaking lasts until early morning.
With the power gone, all these forms of entertainment are also not possible. You cannot even possibly see the person next to you.
Darkness makes the brain work overtime and beyond all possibilities. What if the boat sank? How could one contact relatives and friends? How long will this last? Where are we? How far are we from land?
I had not been in a boat that had mishaps at sea. I just know from what I have heard from news like that one that happened to the Concordia and from films like the fate of the Titanic. In those times
when I was in those cruises, I would wake up in the middle of the night and look out into the waters. It was not really total darkness because the boat had search lights but beyond the light was nothingness. Was that where one went in death?
The news of the stalled boat was in the papers, radio and television. Modern technology made it easier for the passengers to communicate with family. Fears were expressed, complaints started piling up.
Air conditioning was gone; it was intolerably hot in the cabin. Toilets were not working; sewage was overflowing. Water in the bathtub was cold; one could not take a shower. Food was scarce; it took three hours to line up for food. How long will this last? It seemed like eternity.
By Tuesday, there was news that the boat would be towed to Alabama. But the complaints kept on coming. Why does the cruise administration not send another boat to rescue the passengers? Why more food can’t be made available? The news of the mishap had already spread throughout the world. Future cruises of the company that owns this boat canceled their trips until April.
Meantime, everything is being done to have this boat towed to Alabama. It was expected to reach its destination Thursday evening. But the whining and complaining continued. Threats of taking their damages to court had started. The promise of generous refunds and substitute trips to compensate for this ruined one does not seem to satisfy some of the passengers.
The vice president of the company that owned the vessel appeared on television apologizing for the inconveniences suffered by passengers and informing the public about the steps being undertaken to facilitate the rescue efforts. There were some expressions of dissatisfaction among listeners. “Where was the CEO of the organization? He should be the one making those announcements!”
In the evening of Thursday, it was announced that the boat being towed would arrive in Alabama before midnight. Some other passengers were asked to talk to the TV commentators and some silver linings appeared in their remarks.
They were very appreciative of the services of the crew members during the emergency. They were attentive to the passenger needs. They took care of the elderly and organized games for the children. They brought food for the families who could not line up to get them. “They are the heroes of this disaster, I am going to give them as much tip as I can!” one passenger exclaimed.
I could not help thinking that some of those crew members may be Filipinos. In the five cruises I had taken, only one did not seem to have many Filipinos – the cruise of the Nile. All the others were predominantly our “kababayan”.
They are really very helpful and accommodating. They go out of their ways in helping passengers. This is a natural Filipino trait. That is why they are well appreciated in other countries. Sometimes they are so accommodating to the extent of being abused.
Many caregivers, for example, work beyond the eight hours and sometimes do jobs beyond their assignments, like tutoring their employer’s children.
The conditions complained about by some passengers are common in the way of life in the Philippine rural areas. There is no electricity in some places. They cook using wood or kerosene stoves. Many do not have running water in their homes. They get their water from wells dug in the backyard or from artesian wells. They take a bath using the cool and refreshing water. Very few have refrigerators. They drink water straight from the wells.
Our way of life in North America takes for granted many things that we awfully miss once we lose them. Many who have lived all their lives in this land are quite unaware how other people exist without our usual amenities.
The incident of this boat that lost power had served us a trial to the crew members who lived up to the expectations of the guests. The tribulations of the guests are hoped to serve as reminders to these people how others of less economic blessings live in this world****.
