A Central Alberta couple never factored the threat of pirates, volcanic ash, civil unrest or labour strife into their plans for a seven-week vacation to Malaysia and the Middle East.
But all these troublesome aspects combined to make Mel and Irma Stickland’s cruise to India, Dubai and Greece an extra memorable holiday.
The Sticklands, who run a grain farm and seed-cleaning business near Penhold, returned on Tuesday from an “absolutely fabulous” trip to Malaysia that included a cruise that stopped in Thailand, India and Dubai.
But the couple experienced some tense days after their 700-passenger Azamara Club Cruises ship turned into the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea, northeast of Somalia, where pirates had expanded their control to 10 million square km of ocean, up from five million square km
Irma said the threat of passengers or crew members being taken hostage was considered so great that the U.S.-based cruise line for the first time had to hire a private armed escort boat to accompany the tourist ship through the four-day portion of the cruise near Somalia.
It wasn’t an empty worry — as many as five small pirate vessels were spotted in the distance by people from the cruise ship deck during that hair-raising portion of the journey, she recalled.
Somalian pirates typically use long ladders to board larger ships at night. As a result, vigilant crews on the Sticklands’ cruise ship conducted extra watches using night-vision binoculars, and passengers were not allowed to wander the decks between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m., lest they be targeted by pirate snipers, said Irma.
As well, passengers had to practise “safe haven” drills so they would know what to do in case of a pirate attack, and Irma recalled fire hoses were left out on decks to blast any pirates that might try to board.
The ship took on military personnel and stuck to an internationally recommended travel route, which was more protected by various naval vessels.
Outside lights were switched off at night and passengers were told to draw their curtains.
“This was a drama I hadn’t experienced before and I’ve done a lot of travelling,” said Irma, who credited the ship’s captain for “making everyone feel secure.”
She and Mel later let off some steam during a “pirate party” on the ship, where each passenger received a certificate of survival in pirate waters.
The Sticklands might have had a premonition of difficulty when they had to re-book their flight to Malaysia in March because of a British Airways strike.
Because their new Cathay Pacific Airlines flight took a different route, the Sticklands ended up losing money on a short connector flight they had already paid for. Then, after boarding their new flight, they were told the Cathay Pacific plane couldn’t take off because of a mechanical problem. Irma believes there was an oil leak in the engine.
This led to a 29-hour delay, in which the couple were given meal tickets and put up in a hotel by the airline. “Thankfully the cruise wasn’t leaving right away,” said Irma.
On their way back to Canada, the couple had to catch a flight from Athens, where violent civil unrest and labour stoppages caused stress this week. Irma figures they avoided the major strike in Greece by about 18 hours — but their plane still had to alter its route somewhat because of residual volcanic ash from the Icelandic volcano.
Despite all the hiccups and near-misses, Irma, who was most impressed with Dubai, said the holiday was the second best she’s ever taken — her favourite was a cruise through Russia.
“I love the sights, the cultures and people you meet,” she said, but one of the best aspects of any vacation is “you realize how blessed you are to live in Canada.”
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com