TEMECULA -- Cruises are usually memorable experiences in themselves, but when the ship sinks the cruise tends to leave a more lasting impression.
Bob and Diane Munday of Temecula were ready to take in the sights of Greece earlier this month aboard the Sea Diamond cruise ship, which sailed through the Aegean Sea. But the last full day of the four-day cruise was interrupted when the boat hit submerged rocks just off Santorini Island on April 4, causing the ship to take on water and eventually sink.
"You could feel when the boat struck the rocks," said Bob Munday, 79. "I thought for a minute that it was the anchor being dropped, but the boat stopped rather quickly, and we were so close to the rock. And then the ship began to tilt."
Six crew members of the Greek-flagged ship, including the captain and the chief mate, have since been charged with negligence. The captain has told investigators he was caught in a sea current that swept his vessel onto the well-marked and charted rocks just minutes before it was due to dock. Two French tourists are believed to have drowned, though their bodies have yet to be recovered.
The Mundays said one of the most difficult parts of getting off the ship was traversing the stairwells in darkness to get to a deck where rescue boats could reach the passengers.
Diane Munday was separated from her husband for about half an hour as the evacuation call for "women and children first" was given.
"It was like 'Titanic,'" she said. "But we were all pretty cool, though my heart got pounding a bit."
None of the passengers were allowed back to their cabins once the evacuation began, so as the boat sank so did all the passengers' luggage and belongings. But the passports were saved, as each passenger had previously given them to the boat's stewards and were guarded carefully.
The ship had 1,156 passengers and 391 crew members. Only Frenchman Jean-Christophe Allain, 45, and his 16-year-old daughter Maud were unaccounted for. It is thought by investigators the two were trapped in their flooded cabin.
Bob Munday said the passengers were given 200 lira -- roughly $280 -- by cruise officials to purchase clothing and toiletries. But since the accident occurred on the eve of Easter weekend, the stranded tourists found that stores weren't open.
"We went for more than three days without toothpaste and brushes," Bob Munday said. "Once I was able to purchase new slacks, I think the jeans I had been wearing for days were still able to stand on their own."
The passengers formed a camaraderie and locals began to refer to them as the "survivors" and almost always offered them shots of ouzo, a classic Greek spirit.
While some might have viewed the end of the cruise as a signal to end their trip, the Temecula couple who have been married for 54 years traveled on with the remainder of their two-week vacation. They didn't return to California until April 21, when they discovered a new obstacle -- their car keys had sunk with the boat and were now 230 feet beneath the surface of the sea.
Now at home, the pair have had time to reflect on the trip. Bob Munday said the cruise company has offered to compensate him with approximately $1,900 -- and a free cruise on one of the company's other ships.
"I've always wanted to go to Italy, and they have a cruise there," he said. "We'd be willing to go."
"But maybe we'll wait until next year before we travel again," Diane interjected.
While the experience was unexpected, the couple said it was one of the most memorable trips they've ever taken.
"It was really something," Bob Munday said.
-- Staff writer Nicole Sack
-- The Associated Press
If you were aboard the Sea Diamond when it sank, contact our maritime lawyers for a free consultation.