"Bravo. Bravo. Bravo. APR. Emergency Deck 1". A nervous voice echoed through Azamara Quest shortly before 8:00 pm on Friday March 30. We were just finishing our appetizers at Windows Cafe on Deck 9. Initially we paid no heed, until we saw thin wisps of white smoke wafting from the galley door. We assumed it was a kitchen fire, but the smoke quickly billowed into a dark cloud and began filling the room. So we, along with other passengers, began our exit. As we crossed the threshold from Windows Cafe to the Pool Deck, the ship shuddered and went completely dark for a brief few seconds until the generator kicked in and emergency power came on. It was surreal seeing those little green track lights guiding our way along the corridors and into the stairwell. People were calm, but fair to say, concerned. We headed outside onto Deck 5 to be near the lifeboats, just in case. When we arrived, I glanced over the railings to the calm ocean below. Quest was dead in the water.
But let's start at the beginning ...
BACKGROUND