Shirley and I were invited as special guests of the Pacific American Lines to cruise aboard their cruiseship, the Experience. On January 9, 2012, we embarked from the port of San Diego. That afternoon, we took a walk about the ship and attended a mandatory lifeboat drill. Later we enjoyed predinner cocktails at the Ocean View Bar and dined at 5:45 p.m. Finally, we returned to our suite, retiring at 9:00 p.m. Thus began our journey, a much expected routine. It had lulled us into anticipating this was the way our cruise would continue . . . However, our disillusionment would soon become evident. If you would like, you are welcome to join us!

Somewhere In Time

A Cruise To YesteryearBy Frederick Dale Mitchell

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2012 Frederick Dale Mitchell
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4669-5782-4

Contents

PREFACE.........................................................xiiiChapter 1. THE BEGINNING........................................1Chapter 2. THE HAPPENING........................................9Chapter 3. THIS IS THE CAPTAIN SPEAKING.........................39Chapter 4. WHERE ARE WE?........................................45Chapter 5. LAND HO..............................................53Chapter 6. MAZATLAN.............................................59Chapter 7. MAZATLAN DAY.........................................275Chapter 8. THE GIFT.............................................99Chapter 9. SAN JOSE DEL CABO....................................105Chapter 10. LOOK OVER THERE.....................................127Chapter 11. THE STORM...........................................139Chapter 12. HOME AT LAST........................................147Chapter 13. PLANNING THE RETURN TO MAZATLAN.....................165Chapter 14. PRESENTATION AND THE MAR AZUL.......................203Chapter 15. DAY 2 AT MAZATLAN...................................221Chapter 16. TOPOLOBAMPO AND CABO SAN LUCAS......................229Chapter 17. THE CORONATION......................................247Chapter 18. SAN DIEGO, WE ARE HERE..............................259Chapter 19. PEARL HARBOR........................................269Chapter 20. SAN DIEGO, HELLO AGAIN..............................301Chapter 21. TORTILLA FLAT AT LAST...............................309EPILOGUE........................................................323

Chapter One

THE BEGINNING

In March 2000, Shirley and I took our first cruise down the Mexican Riviera, and from that time on, we were hooked. It is now January 9, 2010, and we are about to embark on cruise number 30, a special cruise once more to the Mexican Riviera. Shirley and I were invited as guests of Pacific American Lines (PAL) as a reward for our many prior cruises with them. We were anticipating this cruise to be twelve fun-filled, relaxing days.

We were up bright and early to prepare for our fifty-minute flight from Phoenix to San Diego. From the airport, we had only a short bus ride to our ship, the Experience, the "old lady" of Pacific American Line's fleet of fifteen ships. She was relatively small, with a capacity of only 970 passengers and a crew of 400. She was vintage by cruise ship standards, built in 1993; however, she had class and attracted a devoted following of dedicated cruisers. The Experience had recently been refurbished and updated with the latest navigational, communication, and engine room gear. This was to be a special shakedown cruise before returning to her normal cruising.

We were ushered aboard the Experience and escorted to our suite, where we unpacked our carry-on baggage. Later, we took a walk around the ship, noticed many updates, attended the mandatory lifeboat drill at 4:00 p.m., enjoyed predinner cocktails, and then had dinner at 5:45 p.m.

The Experience embarked at 6:00 p.m., and that evening, we attended a "welcome aboard" show where the senior officers and the ship's staff were introduced. Afterward, we returned to our suite, unpacked the rest of our baggage, and retired at 9:45 p.m.

The next morning began promptly at five-thirty with our wake-up call. I nudged Shirley. "Let's be up and out." Shirley replied, "You seem unusually lively this morning?" I retorted, "That's easy, me lassie, I be hungry." Rubbing her eyes, she mumbled, "That's nothing new."

We took our copy of the Update (daily schedule) to breakfast with us and made our plans for our first full day at sea: a morning presentation about the Sea of Cortez by tour guide Linda Britton in the Show Lounge, afternoon duplicate bridge, cocktail hour, dinner, and a Mozart concert in the Show Lounge presented by the ensemble Adagio.

There were a plethora of activities available aboard the Experience on sea days: enrichment speakers, the casino, bingo, dancing, swimming, library, fitness classes, culinary presentations, golf contests and lessons, Ping-Pong contests, a variety of board and card games, several audience-participation games like Trivial Pursuit, Name That Tune, plus many others.

On days in port, there were guided shore excursions to choose from, or one might just go ashore and find something to do on his or her own. Shopping and eating, of course, were always an alternative.

In keeping with our desire to learn more about the early Spanish Missions, at 9:00 a.m., we attended Linda Britton's first lecture on the "Sea of Cortez: The History and the Development of the Jesuit Missions." Specifically, Loreto would be today's study with Guaymas and San Jose del Cabo to follow on future lecture days.

Linda, a neat-looking young lady of about twenty-eight, five foot six inches with long brown hair, obtained her master's degree in Mexican studies at the University of Monterrey in Mexico and had been with PAL for two years. She had a very pleasant voice and after introductions began her presentation.

Linda welcomed everyone and thanked us for attending her lecture. She began, "Mission Nuestra Señora De Loreto was established in 1697 by a small group of intrepid Spanish Jesuits who erected a makeshift tent at the mouth of the Arroyo San Dionisio River, and the first European settlement in Baja California was born. A sturdier mission, church, and fort were later needed, which required fifty years of dedicated work to complete. Over the years, hurricanes, earthquakes, and Indian attacks took a toll on the mission, which was restored several times.

"The church's last renovation took place in 1976. However, it still today contains the original Virgin de Loreto brought ashore as the icon of the mission in 1697."

Linda next showed slides, some which depicted the original layout of the mission. At the conclusion of her talk, she thanked us and said she hoped to see us all the following morning. Everyone gave her a very nice applause.

After lunch at the grill on Lido Deck, we returned to our cabin and discussed duplicate bridge. At 1:30 p.m., we went to the card room and sat north/south. The couple who joined us at east/west was Julie and Ed Madison from Tempe, Arizona, a pleasant couple of about our age.

Our first round was quite uneventful, as both sides seemed to bid and play their hands well. Anyway, it was fun, and as the Madisons left, we told them how much we enjoyed playing bridge with them. They thanked us, offering perhaps they would see us around the ship. At the end of play, we stayed for a few minutes to see our results. Pretty good—we were second, only a half point out of first place. The Madisons placed fourth.

Next up was the Ocean View Bar, where pianist Peter Miles was holding forth, and I asked him to play "Memory" from Cats, which he graciously did. Ana, our waitress, was quick to usher us to her area and asked if we would have the same as last evening. I replied, "Perfect." I noticed Julie and Ed at a table across the room and told Ana I'd like to buy them a round, which they accepted with a smile and lifted their drinks in thanks.

Dinner this evening was particularly up my line: New Orleans Crawdads (crayfish). Shirley just said, "Ugh." Our dinner wine of choice, German Riesling, was iced and waiting for us to arrive. Following our meal, it was off to the Show Lounge to be entertained by a concert pianist who specialized in Gershwin favorites. She was outstanding, and we looked forward to her next concert.

At 10:00 p.m., it was "call it a day" time. It had been a great day at sea, and we looked for yet another one tomorrow. Before retiring to bed, we sat for a while on our veranda to breathe some fresh sea air. The air was warm, the sea calm, and the sky was like a sheet of black velvet covered by little twinkling diamonds. I remarked to Shirley, "Well, I don't believe things could be any better." She replied, "Yes, Fred, it is remarkably beautiful." We said our good nights and, after dialing in our usual wake-up call, hit the sack.

Chapter Two

THE HAPPENING

On day 3, we awoke to another glorious day at sea. The water was calm; I opened our veranda door and went outside in my bathrobe. The sun was slowly rising above the horizon. Rays were cast in all directions, and they pirouetted playfully among the small whitecaps, which occasionally broke up the otherwise-mirror like effect of the smooth sea.

I commented to Shirley on how truly peaceful and serene this trip was. Although the ship was traveling at about twenty knots, the resulting sea breeze was comfortably warm at seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. At 6:30 a.m., on the bridge, Captain Mattson and Second Officer Bellis were completing their morning navigational and weather checks. Bellis commented everything was in good order, and he transmitted his first report of the day to the Pacific American offices in San Diego.

Breakfast service had begun at 7:00 a.m., and by 8:00 a.m., passengers were enjoying their meals and the unobstructed views of the beautiful Pacific from the Lido on deck 12 and also from the main dining room windows on deck 5. Everyone was in a festive mood, with a lot of chattering and laughing ... these were signs that this cruise was off to a fun start.

At 8:00 a.m. in the control room, chief engineer Manny Lusano and assistant chief engineer Onaka Hedake had completed their morning checks; all the new gear installed during the Experience's refurbishing was working to specifications. Their reports were forwarded by Bellis in his second transmission of the morning to San Diego. On all decks, passengers were in a relaxed mood, ready for an "easy" cruise.

Security director Steve Feldman and the medical department also reported everything was functioning properly. It appeared to everyone that "all lights were green."

I said to Shirley, "Honey, this cruise is going to be something special. You know, I can just sense it." She replied, "Great, I'm ready for a little something special too." We were enjoying our breakfasts, which room service had delivered to our suite veranda. The weather continued perfect, and the ocean remained calm.

* * *

At 8:50 a.m., Second Officer Bellis turned to the navigation officer on duty and in an excited voice exclaimed, "What's this?" Together they looked dead ahead at what appeared to be a monstrous fogbank ... yet moments ago, it was not there, and no weather anomaly was indicated on either the radar or satellite weather monitors. Bellis said, "Man, is this strange or what? The fog seems to be closing in fast, and its density is increasing." Bellis turned to one of the lookouts and said, "Notify the captain that he is immediately needed on the bridge."

He then notified chief engineer Lusano to report immediately because he wanted to assure himself that everything was functioning properly.

Mattson and Lusano arrived almost simultaneously, and Bellis said, "Look up ahead, sir ... Whatever that thing is, it's not indicated on either our radar or weather monitors."

By now, the fog had grown both in size and density; fierce, jagged flashes of lightning could now be seen extending the entire length of the storm front. The fogbank now covered an area as far as the eye could see both to the north and south of the Experience's heading. Mattson ordered, "Change course ten degrees starboard (right)." Then told Lusano to work quickly on checking all navigational gear and told Bellis to call First Officer Davis to the bridge fast.

As the Experience answered Mattson's course change, it was evident ... that as it changed course ... so did the storm which Mattson had concluded was an electrical storm of unknown origin, and he noted the damn thing just stayed to our front and continued to close.

Mattson ordered Radio Specialist Hawes, "Contact San Diego and Honolulu; see what they can tell us about this confounded thing." Shortly, Hawes replied, "Sir, our signals are breaking up, both San Diego and Honolulu acknowledged my first signal; but now, suddenly the reception from Honolulu just went dead, and nothing except a low level hissing sound is incoming from San Diego. I have it recorded, but it is unintelligible." In a few seconds he exclaimed, "Sir, oh, oh, sir, San Diego has ceased transmitting. What's happening, sir? This is beyond scary!"

Lusano interrupted, "Captain, I've completed my first check of our navigational equipment and can find nothing wrong or unusual ... except, I can see that damn fogbank, but it is not showing on any of our navigational gear ... I don't know—" He never finished.

The watch officer at the helm position was first to notice a critical alarm signal appear on his monitor. He yelled, "Captain, problem here, sir ... we are losing power on all engines." As he spoke, all monitors went blank; all lights on the bridge dimmed twice and then went out. Mattson looked at his watch, and though he could barely see it, he noticed the second hand had stopped. On the bridge, it was growing quite dark as the fog had arrived, and it was now enveloping the Experience like a thick blanket.

On the Lido Deck, for the first time, the passengers began to notice the fog, and as the lights flickered out, they sensed something of major proportions was at hand. Initially there was no panic as they assumed the condition was only temporary and would soon pass.

Meanwhile, in our cabin, I had just gone onto our veranda when I first noticed the storm approaching. I stuck my head back into our room and said, "Shirley, come here!" I pointed, "Look at that!" Then all our room lights and our television went out. It was getting darker by the minute, and within the storm, we could see brilliant lightning flashes as the wind began whipping up the seas.

Waves were capping at what I estimated to be twelve feet, with the ship pitching and rolling ominously. A loud whirring sound, like that of a huge electrical generator, was so intense we could barely react.

I said, "Shirley, close the veranda door fast, pull the drapes, and lay down on the bed." I then covered us with the bedspread and placed pillows over our heads.

On the bridge, Captain Mattson tried paging hotel director ConnieTate and security officer Steve Feldman; however, by now, all communication systems were out. Even the ship's clock had stopped at 8:58 a.m. Mattson glanced at his watch ... the second hand was not moving, and the time also showed 8:58 a.m. Absolutely all power reserves had been drained by something ... he did not know what.

The Experience was now engulfed in darkness, almost pitch dark; it was very scary. One could only discern faint objects ... And due to the intense noise created by the storm and the uncontrolled movement of the Experience, the officers on the bridge were becoming disoriented ... No one was in control.

In the restaurant areas, passengers were beginning to react in various ways. Some sat rigidly at their tables, some were crying, and others were screaming while dangerously running out of control throughout a darkened ship. Since the ship was gyrating badly, any movement was extremely difficult. To everyone aboard the Experience it seemed as though the storm was lasting forever. The ship was obviously foundering out of control. Huge waves, screeching wind, intense lightning, and debilitating noise served to add to the mayhem. It was creating a sensation like an out-of-body experience. Passengers were petrified with fear ... Then ...

* * *

Suddenly, everything became intensely quiet as most everyone aboard had lost consciousness. No machinery noise, nothing. Then just as suddenly as the storm had arrived ... it abated and stopped!

Passengers and crew began to slowly recover. It was unearthly silent. The lights first flickered, then slowly came on. The waves and the wind had stopped; the sun was again shining brilliantly as though it had really never been gone. The fog had now completely faded away.

Everyone seemed to be in a state of comatose shock ... What happened? How long were we unconscious? Will the storm return? Everyone was obviously afraid of the unknown and this certainly qualified as a definite unknown. They will soon be demanding answers from Mattson. It's as if people are almost in a state of suspended animation, but soon they will thaw out and life will slowly return.

On the bridge, as he regains consciousness, First Officer Davis notices the second hand on the ship's clock is moving ... it reads 9:02 a.m. Somehow, four minutes have been recorded even though all power had been lost at 8:58 a.m. Captain Mattson and Second Officer Bellis are now fully recovered, and Mattson says, in a rather high pitch, "My god, the storm is gone, and the ship is under power and moving ahead on her original course."

The officers on the bridge begin checking all the ship's controls and monitors, which appear to be in perfect working order ... except nothing appears on radar, and the GPS (global positioning system) is not sending us any information. Captain Mattson now assumes the duration of the storm was approximately four minutes, and we had lost consciousness for only a part of that time ... But he too needed answers to the same questions the passengers had.

What has occurred and where are we now? Mattson, though still shaken, quickly regains his composure ... He turns to the radio room and instructs the radio operator to raise Honolulu and San Diego. In a few moments, the radioman reports, "Sir, our transmitting power is normal, but I am not receiving anything. It's just plain spooky quiet in all directions, sir."

The captain thought, Radar is working, but we cannot locate anything in the air or on the sea. GPS is on, but there is no signal reaching us from our satellites; and now no radio reception ... It is very much as if we are alone in another world. Mattson's heart skipped a beat as if he had just awakened in a far-off land.

He asks if the ship's communication lines are operative and receives an affirmative reply. He asks that hotel director Connie Tate, security officer Steve Feldman, and Dr. Jorge Carlson be summoned to the bridge. He realizes that he has to make a general broadcast to all compartments of the ship. Even though he doesn't know what to say, he has to immediately advise the passengers and crew that all is under control ... At 9:25 a.m., he switches on his microphone and broadcasts ...

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Somewhere In Timeby Frederick Dale Mitchell Copyright © 2012 by Frederick Dale Mitchell. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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