"could it be the boat is loaded--that we made our bets along time ago--that all that is left is the final announcement?????"
Thanks for the honest reply. I can only surmise that this boat took on some water early on, losing some cargo and discharging some passengers. Some stalwart sailors have stayed, even with a few arguments each one anticipates what fate awaits. There's a lot of optimism and even expressions of certainty.