Oceanos Survivor Interview

Thank you so much for participating in this interview. 

Find a quiet place in which to reflect and concentrate.  Have a snack or beverage nearby and get comfortable.  If you feel more comfortable speaking than writing, you might consider recording your thoughts on a mini-cassette or computer drive and having them stored as an .mp3 file.  Or have someone else type your memories as you relate them.

As you begin to think back on your experiences aboard the Oceanos, try to remember the smallest, even the most insignificant details—textures, aromas, sounds, temperature.  Was the deck slick?  Were children crying?  Most importantly, reach for your real emotions at each moment.  Feel free to share frustrations and insecurities, doubts, annoyance, fears, disgust, or hurt.  These are emotions that give substance and dimension to positive emotions like relief, admiration and bravery.  I will need positive and negative in equal measure in order to craft a complex and stirring timeline.

Use these questions as a catalyst to stirring up the details of these moments and days.  If you have an occurrence you would like to relate in detail that is not covered by these questions, please feel free to tell your story in your own fashion.  These questions are meant to help you go back in time and recall the complete texture of your experience.

 

Where do you live?  Do you have family? 

Why did you decide to go on this cruise?

Why did you choose the Oceanos?

Who were you traveling with?

How old were you at the time?  Your companions?

What preparations did you need to make before departure?

What was your impression as you boarded and went to your cabin?  What details did you observe?  Approve?  Disapprove?

What were you wearing?  What were you carrying?

What was the weather like?

Did you meet the captain?  Which crew members did you meet?

What were your initial impressions of them?

Can you recall your conversations in detail?

On the cruise, what was your favorite activity?  What room was it held in?  What was that room like?

What was your favorite single moment?

Did you meet other guests?  When and how?  What did you think of them?  Can you recall your conversations?  (You may repeat this question for multiple encounters, if you like.)

What were your encounters with the staff like?  Did you have a favorite staff person?  Did this person leave the ship without contacting you?

On the day of the sinking, how did your day start?

What were you wearing?  Who did you talk to?

When did you first become aware of a problem?

What was your first reaction?  Who were you with?

How were people around you reacting?

Did you see the captain or crew leaving or preparing to leave?

What did you do over the next few hours?  What was most memorable?  (This does not need to be a momentous event—sometimes the quirkiest details haunt us later.)

When did you become aware of the severity of the problem?  What were you told?  Who told you?

What was your innermost reaction?  How did you respond outwardly?

What were people around you doing and saying?

Were you confused, uninformed or ‘in the dark’ about anything?

What was happening to the boat?

When and how did you begin preparing for rescue?

Did you change your clothes?  What were you carrying?  What did you do with your possessions?

What was the weather like now?

How long did you wait?  What were you thinking? 

Were you hungry or thirsty?  Was there food or water or liquor available?  Did you sleep?

What was the worst part about the waiting?

When and how were you rescued?  Did your rescuers introduce themselves?  What do you remember about them?  What did they look like?  What were they wearing?

Was your rescue terrifying, comforting—or both?

What were you told to do?  How did the rescue proceed?  Please be as specific as possible—take your time, break action down into short time segments, and describe each segment.

Were you concerned about anyone else—on the ship, in your care, or at home?

Once on ship or on land, did you contact family and loved ones?  When and how?

What did they say?  Did they cry?  Did you?

How did you get home?

Afterwards, did you have nightmares or bad dreams?  Fear of cruise ships or ferries?

How did you feel about the captain and crew?

Do you have any mementos or photos you would like to share?

 

 

 

 

Please provide your complete contact information. 

Name

Email

Mailing address

Facebook ID #

(Only your name will be used in any stories or published information.  Contact information is requested only so that I can contact you for further development, to return original materials, or send news and updates on the book project.)

 

 

 

 

 

Please send your answers and stories to:

Mary Baker

mary@solid-communications.com or marywine@charter.net

3200Waterview Drive

Paso, Robles, CA  93446 USA

Facebook ID:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1378505802

 

 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me any time.