My Watertube Slide Experience on the Getaway

[Wedgie Wedgie]

This is a little diddy about my water tube slide ride I attempted on our recent cruise onboard the NCL Getaway. I'm mid 50's and fit.

 

This was our second cruise this year on the Getaway. They have two huge tube slides with running water that are "thrill rides" on the top deck of the ship. On the at sea days the lines are very long mostly with anxious children at least 48" tall. I did not attempt this on the first cruise although I was tempted.

 

This time around I was determined to give the scariest one a try- you get in the tube and the floor you are standing on disappears and you drop quite dramatically almost straight down, rise over a vertical hump off of the bottom and then explode down again into a collection pool. I decided that the first port day in St. Thomas would be the best time to go for it. Most of the passengers would already be off the boat and the lines would be minimal.

 

I coaxed my wife to take pics of me getting in the tube from below and to wait at the bottom to grab footage of my certain dramatic ending.

 

As luck would have it I was correct in my timing. There was only me and a rather obese middle aged lady behind me in the line, we both zigzagged up the stairs to the top. I had elected to wear a tanktop with my bathing suit which proved to be a huge mistake...

 

When I reached the top a crew member welcomed me. I peeked over the railing down at my wife from many stories above and waved. She was snapping pics furiously and waved back.

 

I entered the tube. The crew member smiled and told me to cross my arms and be "ready". I was not sure what to do but I crossed my arms and gripped myself as tightly as I could.

 

The door closed. An electronic voice suddenly came on a hidden speaker and counted down:

 

3.

 

2.

 

1.

 

The floor slid out from under me and I whooshed downwards with amazing velocity. I know I screamed, "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" all the way down to the bottom and then started up to the final rise. Only I did not make it to the top of the rise. I came close. There is water rushing down along with you throughout the ride. You are supposed to flow with it. Only now I was sliding backwards back to the bottom against the current!

 

Now I'm on the bottom of the initial drop. Suddenly a thought occurs to me. The fat lady behind me is gonna come down the tube any second and my head will be deeply impaled somewhere amongst her rolls of flesh or even worse!

 

I contorted myself like Houdini and managed to maneuver to now be headfirst within the tube. I slowly crawl to the top of the hump in hopes of completing this now terrifying plastic tube journey. Only I slip back down again to the bottom and I was oh so close. Will this nightmare ever end?

 

Suddenly a hatch opens from above and a smiling crew member says, "come on out sir". The sun is shining, what joy!

 

Despite my adrenal rush I managed to convey, "I thought the next person was gonna come down and crush me."

 

"Oh no sir. We have sensors that monitor you so we know when you are completely out. Next time don't wear a shirt."

 

Now they tell me.

 

I found my wife. She looked at me in disbelief. "I heard you screaming and then you never came out, what happened?"

 

Don't wear a shirt.

[triptolemus]

tl;dr: OP got stuck mid-way on a waterslide.

 

The story represents 60 seconds of my life I can't get back.

[A1SusieQ]

Too bad about those sensors.....

[Son of a son of a ...]

tl;dr: OP got stuck mid-way on a waterslide.

 

The story represents 60 seconds of my life I can't get back.

 

Ha, ha! I was thinking the exact same thing! :)

[jb456]

Great story :)

Edited July 29, 2015 by jb456

[Leavethekidswithmom]

Too funny

[LrgPizza]

Come on, meanies! It was a nicely told story.

 

Based on OP's username, I expected it to end differently.

[youngestof9]

I want video !!!!

[Wedgie Wedgie]

Too bad about those sensors.....

 

Were you behind me?

[A1SusieQ]

Yes that was me. [emoji1][emoji1] I had the best laugh of my life watching your aged "fit" body struggle to free itself from a slide that 99 percent of others glide through easily. You made my vacation.

[Sizzlechest]

The other thing that people do is panic and put their arms out to slow themselves down. Bad idea.

[ejnsb]

I've been reading this board for years but this is the first time I ever read a post out loud to my wife. Great stuff.

[AndyT3]

Yes that was me. [emoji1][emoji1] I had the best laugh of my life watching your aged "fit" body struggle to free itself from a slide that 99 percent of others glide through easily. You made my vacation.

 

Oh boy, this thread just got interesting :D

[peg013]

I think it was 60 seconds well spent. I'm still laughing. Luckily I made it the whole way out and didn't even scream. :)

[61bluesman]

I've rode this same slide on Getaway at least 20 times, one time I came to a complete stop at the high point in the tube. I too was wearing a shirt (as I always do thinking it will be less drag than my skin). I'll have to try it bare-back and see if I go faster.

[Vacationlover2]

Awkward!!!!

[momckb]

OMG......seriously.....I just totally belly laughed! Thanks so much!

 

......as for you grinches who are worried about your wasted seconds.....laughter will improve the quality of your life......lighten up!:rolleyes:

[justhappy]

"I say nay-nay, it was a medium tube at best!"

RIP John Pinette, you are greatly missed.

[kenlyn]

Thanks for the giggle! I will warn my hubby to not wear a shirt because he is mid fifties and not fit! Lol

[xriva]

This is the reason my idea of a thrilling ride is spinning on a barstool. Thanks for the laugh!

[jimswims]

Haha! That is a great story. Thank you for sharing it. I always go down the slides on ships! My kids are not amused but I still do it. Now you have another excuse to go back on the Getaway and to do it again without the shirt.

[TardisDance]

The same thing happened to me. I'm in good shape and was wearing a tankini. The attendant at the bottom that let me out said that the top guy should have given me a board with the suit I was wearing.

[russianmom]

This is the best thread all week!!! :D:D

[SeaWatcher65]

Thanks for sharing your story! Being a little claustrophobic, closed tube slides are hard for me (especially a long one like that). Was the free fall part (at the start) scary at all? The pictures don't look like it's a big high drop or even very much of a vertical drop. I only went on the other slides last trip but might get up the courage on one of our upcoming cruises.

Edited July 29, 2015 by SeaWatcher65

[Wedgie Wedgie]

Was the free fall part (at the start) scary at all?

 

Did you see the part where I mentioned screaming? That was the free fall. Although the scariest part for me was not knowing for sure if the very large suzyQ was not coming down the chute at any moment behind me.