Above and below the surface of the ocean mighty forces are at work. In such a restless and unpredictable environment, strange things can happen.

And frequently do.

Ghost ships steered by phantom mariners, undersea monsters with ridiculous amounts of teeth or sirens and mermaids who lure gullible sailors to their death – these are the stuff of fantasy and legend. Or are they? Who can know for certain.

Baffling

But there are also many baffling sea mysteries that perhaps have a stronger basis in reality, one of which – as we’ll see shortly – you may be able to solve yourself.

Over the centuries investigators have struggled to find answers to these great maritime riddles. For example, what caused the crew and passengers of the Mary Celeste to abandon ship in December 1872, leaving a perfectly seaworthy vessel as it headed towards the Straits of Gibraltar?

Going back a few thousand years, was there ever an island or indeed continent, called Atlantis and did it fall into the sea? If so, where is it now located? Could the ruins of an ancient civilisation be lying somewhere below the waves, just waiting to be discovered?

Strange silence

Then we have that other great mystery that makes people fall strangely silent whenever I raise it.

Why is it that every island I visit is entirely surrounded by water? Co-incidence or conspiracy? You decide. And let’s not forget the one that keeps me awake most nights. Why is the Red Sea not red? I mean, what’s that all about?

You may be interested to learn that the world of cruising is not immune to inexplicable goings on, either. Two immediately spring to mind.

Biggest mystery

Why do crew members on casual cruises still have to wear uniform? Surely that makes no sense. And why is it impossible to make bookings for last minute cruises one minute before they sail? Believe me, I’ve tried.

But perhaps the biggest cruise-related mystery is this.

If you are at all familiar with the industry, you’ll know that many elements of modern cruising are now ideal for the under 40s.

That includes: onboard sporting and leisure activities as well as highly challenging and adventurous excursions ashore, plus the fact that many ships offer a host of family friendly facilities to keep children and parents entertained throughout.

Action and excitement

With all these youth-oriented features on offer, why do so many people still assume cruise holidays are the preserve of the middle-aged or retired? To my mind that’s totally mysterious.

People in their 20s or 30s, unlike their parents or grandparents, often find it harder to take long holiday breaks. That means they need to cram a lot of action into a relatively short space of time.

How better to achieve that than on a cruise holiday. With so much happening both afloat and ashore, there’ll be no shortage of things to do or places to visit.

One for you to solve

Now comes the moment of truth. Earlier I mentioned two well known mysteries that have been researched to death: the Mary Celeste and Atlantis.

Well here’s a brand new nautical mystery. As far as I’m aware, no one has addressed it before. Top prize for being the first person with the right answer is . . . the satisfaction of knowing you beat everyone else. So here goes.

My friend Lockie Hughes runs a holiday business in Cardiff, known as Hughes the Cruise. Unusually for his industry, Lockie’s business is open only one day a year. He likes to spend the rest of the time at sea.

Puzzling

But here’s the really puzzling part. Lockie states upfront on his website that the service he offers is only available on one day of the year. Despite this his phone rings constantly – weekdays, weekends and even bank holidays. In fact people try to contact him all year round, right around the clock. How annoying is that!

My question is: what is the one day of the year when Lockie’s business is open?

Please post your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. I’ll confirm the correct answer in next week’s blog.

And finally

If you’re intrigued by the stories of the Mary Celeste and Atlantis, and fancy sailing close to where these mysteries occurred – or are supposed to have occurred – then you might wish to take a look at some Mediterranean cruises.

Bruce Beckett

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