Titanic Lady

In March 2018, my family and I cruised the Carnival Vista. Below is one sliver of life on the ship that week.

March 18, 2018

Lady next to me on the cruise has a Titanic lanyard. I’m not kidding about this. She’s old like Gloria Stewart but her name isn’t Rose. She was on deck dancing to Timber. “It’s going down....”. This could be a problem. #TitanicLady

March 19, 2018

Just saw #TitanicLady at the breakfast buffet. She had a blue necklace. And bacon.

March 19, 2018 · Cabañas, Cuba

Just saw #TitanicLady at the pool. Wearing a Fisherman’s Wharf T-shirt. As in California. As in Cal. As in Cal Hockley from the movie.

March 19, 2018

Brewery tour on #Vista. #TitanicLady nowhere in sight. Might be shuffleboarding.

March 19, 2018

Pretty impressed with the photography services on Carnival. Staff is kid friendly. Lots of options. We did a family studio shoot. Hopefully we get at least one good pic with everyone smiling. Of note...#TitanicLady was signed up for a solo photo shoot.

March 19, 2018

Everyone takes a picture here. Except her. #vista #TitanicLady

March 19, 2018

#TitanicLady just entered the dining room. With an iced tea. No ice. Suspicious. #vista

March 19, 2018

So these 2 somewhat intoxicated guys were in the casino bragging about the bellyflop contest today and were laughing about this lady who dropped a camera in the pool. And I wondered ... maybe it was #TitanicLady and maybe it wasn’t an accident. #vista.

March 20, 2018

In Cozumel today. What’s the over-under on whether or not #TitanicLady gets off the ship to buy cheap prescription drugs, or stays onboard to watch the lifeboat drill? #vista

March 20, 2018

This stuff finds me. Got off ship in Cozumel only to be greeted by a red haired woman named Rose. #TitanicLady. #GoHoos

March 20, 2018

Back on the ship from Cozumel. Sent the kids to the pool for ice cream. You know... the soft serve machines where you can get chocolate or vanilla or swirl.

They come back like 20 minutes later saying this old lady was holding up the line complaining to a crew member about wanting pistachio ice cream. Pistachio? Really? From a soft serve?

I ask them to describe her for me. And I’m like, it’s #TitanicLady. But when I went to see if she was still there and get a pic of this, she was gone. #vista

March 20, 2018 · Quintana Roo, Mexico

We’re in Cayman tomorrow and have to take a tender to get to port. If #TitanicLady refuses to tender, do you think she knows something?

I did manage to snap a pic but I think she saw me doing it. I’m hoping I’m not turned on to ship security. I will post pic when I can. Spotty internet at the moment.

March 20, 2018

At the Piano Bar in the #vista. Billy Joel’s Piano Man is *the* song for this type of venue. Second best ... up for grabs but the guy just did a great rendition of Cats In The Cradle. Someone requested a Celine Dion song. It wasn’t #TitanicLady.

PS: ship mgmt reports internet speeds will be spotty as they repair an issue. Pic upload will be delayed.

March 21, 2018

Went to the gym this morning on the #vista. They always have classes going on. Kick boxing. Spinning. Yoga. And Tai-chair ... which leverages martial arts and stretches but from a seated position. It’s aimed at an older population who may have difficulty balancing. I didn’t see #TitanicLady at the gym. I saw that there was a defibrillator there and couldn’t help but hope she’s OK.

Note. Spotty internet here. Can’t upload pix. IT aware of issue.

March 21, 2018

No sighting of #TitanicLady today in Grand Cayman. Stingray City, however, was great. At dinner, I asked for my baked potato naked and got this. No skin. If Jack’s picture of Rose looked like this, James Cameron would not have had such a good movie.

March 22, 2018

Ship’s Log. #vista. Day 5, Thursday. Food. More food. And even more food. The breakfast buffet is an exercise in gluttony. Ham. Eggs. Bacon. Hash browns. Cereal. More bacon. Coffee. Fruit. Melon. Sausage. Bagels. Lox. Pastries. Yet no one has touched the prunes. I guess #TitanicLady is sleeping in.

March 22, 2018

Among other things, Jamaica is known for spicy food. Jamaican Beef Patties. Yum. I’m not thinking #TitanicLady will get off the ship today. Plus there is a mahjong tourney and bingo onboard today. Unless she’s seeking some #MedMar for her glaucoma.

March 22, 2018

Back from an afternoon of tubing on the White River in Ocho Rios. After a 45 minute bus ride into the mountains, traversing pothole laden roads which were clearly 100 plus years old, 50 of us headed down the river. It was generally calm with patches of rapids. We had 2 guides to keep us safe. A few of the guests were thrown from their tubes and the guides stepped in to help. One of our guides was Marley Brown. #TitanicLady would have approved. This was as close to Molly Brown as we would get. Our excursion was late getting back but Carnival held the ship. Off to find a happy hour.

March 22, 2018

So my kids always bring books on vacation. It’s a good habit we’ve instilled in them. This is one of the books my daughter brought. Coincidence? #TitanicLady

March 23, 2018

Day at sea. Starting the day with a Dr. Seuss breakfast. Green eggs and ham. Thing One. Thing Two. All that jazz. I’ll be OK as long as they have hot coffee. #TitanicLady not likely going to be here. She’ll be at the Dr. Scholl’s breakfast. #vista

March 23, 2018

Dagnabbit. Music trivia. Wouldn’t you know it .... yep... *that* song from *that* movie. Bet we get more points than #TitanicLady. Full disclosure.... She’s not playing trivia. She’s probably fighting with the other yentas at bingo.

March 23, 2018

I was talking to the cruise staff today. Get this.... Apparently #TitanicLady has been on the ship for months. Back to back cruiser. Like the guy on Royal Caribbean known as Super Mario. (You can Google him) These cruisers earn a bit of celebrity status. And as much as I’m sure I’d like someone else cooking for me and making my bed for me every day, there are downsides. For me, it’s probably the size of the cabin and the small shower. For #TitanicLady, it’s probably the daily PTSD about hitting an iceberg. #vista.

March 24, 2018

Saturday. Exodus. Shortly, 5000 people will depart the #vista and head home. Whether by land or by air, but not before one final meal so that they can brag about how much food they consumed. On day 1, the capacity of the lifts was 18 people. Today, it is 13. You do the math.

As we prepare to leave, I have one final task. Find #TitanicLady. Explain this storyline. Get some response. Some commentary. A pic. Brag to her about her newfound fame.

And then we disembark.

As I contemplate the 50 or so miles I am away from the loads of laundry to be done and the 15 pounds to be lost, I look to the great memories made over the last week. The time away to relax and recharge. And the joy I will have tonight at sleeping in my own bed.

March 24, 2018 · Miami ·

So #TitanicLady wasn’t as enthused as I’d have expected. Maybe it was because of the memories of that night. Or did she think we laughed at her expense. I’ll never know.

But I did sneak a pic of her. She wasn’t wearing her lanyard. The one that brought her to me in the first place. But I did photoshop in her necklace.

Until next time, sweet lady. #vista

Fin