Drama in the theatre

The captain took the stage alone, wearing his working uniform rather than the dress uniform he usually wears for theatre events.  He had two pieces of bad news.

All of the controls on the ship are indicating satisfactory measurements. The divers had examined the propellers and the hull. Nothing had been found, so the cause of the vibration was still undiagnosed. The captain thinks that software is probably to blame - he seems to include electrics and instrumentation in his definition. The vibration seems to be associated with particular speeds.

The weather is deteriorating and he, in conjunction with Silversea Head Office, has decided that it is unwise to leave the safety of Tromso harbour at present. So the departure will be delayed for about 24 hours and it will no longer be possible to call at the port of Alesund.

The questions from the guests leavened the drama with unintended humour. One person suggested that as the vibrations only occurred at certain speeds, perhaps this range could be avoided? As if the highly experienced captain had not thought of this!   People asked whether, if the Silver Spirit  arrived late in Copenhagen, Silversea would make necessary on-going travel re-arrangements. He assured everybody that Silver Spirit would not be late in Copenhagen. Obviously not, as the compensation bill would be horrendous.