The August 30, 2004 Majesty of the Seas four
day cruise ended a day early when
the ship returned to Miami to avoid Hurricane Frances. Guests were given the option to leave the ship or stay aboard while Majesty went out to sea for a "Cruise to Nowhere" until Frances was finished doing her dirty work to Florida. 
The weather was beautiful, yet windy when we arrived
about 7:00 AM, September 2.  
It was unusual to see Biscayne Bay so empty.
Beyond the white roof of the cruise ship terminal
you can
see busses lined up to transport passengers. The Port of Miami parking garage appeared empty. 
At 4:30 PM, the deck chairs had been lashed down
and the forward pool was empty. Majesty was prepared to sail out of Biscayne Bay and into safer waters until the storm had passed. 
The wind was getting stronger and stronger so a tug
boat arrived
to help us out of the Bay. 
All of the players
moved into place.
It was finally time to leave.
The bow thruster helped push us away from the dock
 and the tug pulled from the other side.
Approximately 700 guests had elected to remain onboard for this cruise to nowhere. 
We moved toward the center of the channel.
with a few more "tugs" from the tug.
We could see sailboats anchored. No one was
out sailing this day.
Homes were boarded up,
deck furniture was stowed,
and the high winds began to take casualties.
Traffic was extremely light
and the Fisher Island Ferry that was usually packed
at this time of the day had only one customer waiting. 
There were no ships at the U.S. Coast Guard dock.
Parking lots were empty.
A single fishing boat was returning to Miami.
He needed encouragement from Majesty's horn
to move to the side of the channel. 
Most of South Beach was deserted.
However, there are always a few
who don't heed the warnings.
These folks were waiting until the last moment
to leave.
The wind was heavy
as the clouds rolled in.
Light rain began to cloud my camera lens.
And a rainbow appeared overhead. It was hard
to believe there
was a hurricane just beyond this beautiful sky. 
The sun was bright at this moment, but that would soon change. Click here for the rest of the story. |
Background Image: Miami Beach September 2, After the Evacuation Notification
Image and Special Effects by Lois A. Evensen
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Front Door - Personal Home Page - Quick Reference/Archives
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View the Visitors Comments Page. Add your non-travel comments.
No part of this web site may be reproduced in any form without written permission from its owner.
You are welcome to link to this site at http://www.Evensens.net. Do not link directly to images.
If you have other questions or comments related to this web site, links, or would like to purchase any of the Evensen images, contact the Webmaster.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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