It turns out that the week Meta and Paul visited me on the ship was the busiest I have ever had. I worked over 28 hours last week! (I know, I know...).

Still, we had time to have some fun and do a little exploring. We visted Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica together (a cab driver calling himself 'Big Ears' took us there). And we rented a car in Cozumel to do a little sightseeing. I was hoping to have more time in Cozumel, but my schedule forced me to stay on the ship until after lunch. Usually I'm free all day in Cozumel, but not last week. In any case, we had enough time (barely) to have a nice, if a little rushed, dinner at La Choza, a favourite restaurant of mine.

Other than those two excursions, I was unable to join them off the ship. But that was OK. I spent some time with them lazing around in the sun on deck 13, which was nice, and we had a little quiet time back on deck 5 aft, a crew area which was deserted while we were there. We shared a couple of meals up in the buffet restaurant. And I suspect they had a good time just generally hanging around the ship on the sea days.

Meta was tortured by the availability of so much appealing food. She inscribed “NO” on the back of her hand, in bright red ink, to remind her not to eat too much. I don't know if that worked or not, but I hope she didn't deny herself too much.

Paul felt a little out of sorts for a while. He thinks maybe it was sunstroke from his visit to the beach at Labadee, but I don't know. In addition to a troublesome GI virus, a mild flu has been circulating throughout the ship. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he got.

For me having Paul and Meta visit was a really nice change and quite refreshing. The timing was good – around the four month mark for me, or about two-thirds through the contract. The four-month mark is a known hump, and their visit has helped me get over it.

***

Our regular musical director, whom I shall call Neil, returned the day Paul and Meta left. He's grown a beard since I last saw him, and I think he looks good in it. Our new trumpet player, Rob, also arrived on Sunday.

We were supposed to pick up a new saxophone player on Sunday as well, but something happened, and she returned to England. It's kind of a funny story the way I've heard it so far. I hope to hear more.

According to Neil, he met the new sax player by chance at the hotel in Miami, but she was 'hysterical' when he first met her (he recognized her by her saxophone case). She was 'freaking out' at the hotel desk, having just learned that she had to pick up some RCCL forms at another hotel somewhere before she could check in. But she was really, really tired and fed up.

Neil tried to calm her down, and asked her what was wrong.

As is the fashion with this cruise line, her transportation from England to Port Canaveral was not optimal. Her route jogged from London to Paris, then from Paris to Detroit, and from Detroit to Washington before the final leg from Washington to Miami. She had been enroute for over 30 hours.

It gets worse.

Neil says after all that (and a three-hour bus ride from Miami that left the hotel at 5:00 a.m.) when she finally arrived at the ship she was denied boarding because she didn't have the appropriate medical documents. She was told she would have to join the ship later after getting her medical tests in order - at her expense. Maybe in St Thomas.

It was all too much for her, and I assume she must have demanded to be sent back home, because from what I hear that's exactly where she went, at the expense of the cruise line (perhaps she threatened them with a lawsuit).

As I said, I'd like to know more about this little episode. I'll let you know what I find out. We've never had anyone quite before even getting onboard before.

Neil says it's probably all for the best.

***

I saw the Belgian doctor this morning, having coffee in the SOB. He was not in good spirits, which is unusual for him. In fact, he was exasperated almost to the point of quitting, having just been threatened with yet another lawsuit by an American patient. I asked him if this really happens often.

“It happens all ze time viss zees Americans. Zey are alvays zooing, or treatening to zoo. And today vas my day off. Zuppose to be, anyvay. Goddam American bitch!”

I told him that suing doctors is a popular passtime in the USA. Maybe not popular like baseball, but getting there. He knew all about it.

“I reminded her zat ve are not in America, and zose games don't vork at zea. I told her to go ahead and zoo me. Hundred millions dollars. I don't care. Go ahead! I refuse to help her any more. Ze company can fire me, I don't care!”

Well, it's been a rough few weeks for the medical staff, what with Norwalk and the flu coursing through the ship. Overworked, I guess. My job as a musician and chronicler is looking better all the time.