As the crew readied themselves for departure, passengers were now more than settled in; even stragglers had had their chance to board in the last precious moments leading to departure. Pools and other such services may not have been open and available yet, but that wasn't going to stop passengers making full use the facilities that were, not leaving out the bars of course.
The horns of the ship sounded, alerting all to impending departure and the vast anchors raised, lumbering the ship to the dock no more and signalling the beginning of what would be a glorious nine day voyage away from dreary Southampton, across the Atlantic and over to the luscious heat of the tropics.
The ship pulled away from the docks, a magnificent 371 meter long, 73 meter high and 227,141 tonne feat of modern engineering, the largest ship in the world, taking over the title that once belonged to the MS Harmony of the Seas. From the highest point it was difficult to not feel on top of the world and looking down at cheering spectators, ship enthusiasts and those cheering on the first departure of a ship now known worldwide for its sheer size, didn't exactly diminish that feeling.
The lucky ones able to board and sail upon a ship like this for the first time were probably amongst the most envied people in the world right now; besides ordinary passengers were celebrities, politicians and more. With tickets selling out like water in the Sahara, it was with tremendous luck and patience that Christine was even able to get her hands on any and for the hefty price tag, of which she dare not disclose, she expected nothing but an exceptional experience, with no doubt did she expect it to live up to its name.
It was said that the cooks here were the best, the personal trainers were the best, the masseuses were the best, the onboard mall was the greatest and most exquisite to be found on a ship, the theatre was comparable to the interior of the Royal Albert Hall, albeit smaller in scale, the dining hall was said to be astounding and if the cabins - or suites - were anything to go by, more jaw dropping awaited them, things mentioned not even in the leaflet and on the website.
The bar, formerly occupied by only the couple, had drawn quite a number of newcomers in the past hour; no longer quiet and personal an experience, the couple found themselves shifting further and further away from the bar to allow for others to order their drinks, but being the first there did grant them the additional perk of being able to pick from the best seats and table available and so, as anyone would, they picked a table perched right next to the railing rails looking down over the side of the ship. There wasn't a great deal to see from this side of the ship other than the sheer size of the port itself, bringing to memory the extensive history of what was once a thriving industry of shipping imports and exports, all the way back to 1843 to be exact, to present would become the busiest cruise terminal and second largest container port in the UK. The port was hardly a glamorous view, but its fame alone demanded awe, known for being the port of departure for such famous vessels as the RMS Queen Mary, the RMS Queen Elizabeth and most notably, the RMS Titanic, a ship much like this one once hailed as a statement of modern engineering at the time, before it sank, killing 1,500 of its 2,224 passengers after hitting an iceberg. Morbid though a thought, it was because of that horrific tragedy that such rigorous measures were put in place to ensure nothing like it could happen again, it was because of that tragedy that Christine could fully assure both her mother and her husband that they were completely safe and that nothing would happen.
"What's up?" Edward enquired, noticing the vacant searching expression on her face.
The gentle breeze caressing her cheeks and her mind captured by the thoughts of days in her life gone by, Christine returned her attention to him.
"Oh nothing, just thinking about how much we needed this getaway".
"You do too much thinking, isn't this supposed to be your chance to forget about everything?"
YOU ARE READING
Cryptophobia - Hell & High Water
Horror(Book 2 of the Cryptophobia series) Just before London falls to its knees, the largest cruise-ship in the world, the MS Heaven of the Seas sets sail on its long 9 day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Southampton towards the Caribbean. Having to...
