Ship of (April) Fools

Every cruise line tries very hard to fulfill their passengers' expectations, so when "oh ship" happens, there can be frustration all around. Bad weather, mechanical problems, political unrest, and a timing glitch can set the most well-made arrangements adrift. That timing thing appears to be what happened during a recent Silversea Panama Canal crossing. At least one passenger couple was so upset with the inability of the ship to transit the length of the Canal in daylight that they alerted Britain's Telegraph to share their displeasure.

While the cruise line expressed their regret and offered the couple a sincere apology and discount on a future cruise, it appears there were circumstances in play beyond their control. Ships cannot enter the Panama Canal without a pilot and there's nothing a ship's captain can do except wait until one arrives on board. The Canal is a marvel of engineering, but it's also operated by humans and sometimes even the most precise schedules can be thrown out of whack.

Take this advise from Cruise Diva to heart: when you decide to take a cruise, any cruise, remember... occasionally, Ship Happens.