May 11th, 2008. What a way to celebrate Mothers Day as poor Mindy Jordan went over her balcony railing, plunging to her death. From our nearby cabin on the same deck, we could see the flashing light on the floating life jacket someone had tossed to the seas in an attempt to reach her.

We watched in awe from our own Balcony as the ship dispatched a rescue boat and quickly recovered the life jacket, with no-one attached. As hope began to dwindle, the Captain (along with the Coast Guard) made a valiant effort for several hours circling the area in the wake of increasingly stormy seas.

Just one announcement was made from the bridge that evening. Read more