NEWSLETTER
If you browse regularly, you will hear fabulous and emotional stories. Maybe you know a couple who got married after meeting on a cruise, or maybe you find yourself sailing with a person celebrating a clean bill of health after a battle with a deadly illness.
It is not uncommon to be on a cruise where a large group puts on t-shirts to share their special occasion. Maybe someone graduated or grandma just turned 90. There are often bachelorette parties or groups of friends on a guys' trip.
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Sailing on familiar lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises lends itself to celebration. The atmosphere is already festive, and whether you want to dance, have a few drinks, sit by the pool, or simply enjoy connecting with family and friends both old and new, there's usually something to celebrate.
Sometimes, however, a cruise has a deeper emotional meaning, often because of who isn't there. Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) Brand ambassador John Heald recently shared a story on his Facebook page about a group of cruisers who sailed to support each other and find joy in miserable circumstances.
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Carnival brand ambassador shares a story of hope
Heald often shares personal notes (with permission) that passengers share with him. Sometimes people say thank you or thank a crew member and very often they complain. But every once in a while he posts an inspiring story that shows the magic that can be found on a cruise.
I am delighted to be able to take my first cruise in 10 years. (Dream, May 4) Before that, my husband and I went on cruises as often as we could, but his leukemia diagnosis and bone marrow transplant temporarily (we hoped) put a stop to our fun.
Unfortunately, he died recently. My travel companions and I will call the next cruise 'The Grief Relief Tour'. My cruise buddy Stacy just lost her mother. My friend Lin unexpectedly lost her husband a month ago. We decided we NEED this cruise! Carnival to the rescue!”
That post generated a number of emotional responses.
“My late husband and I took 15 cruises together. His last words to me were: I want you to keep sailing,” Dana Demaree Wilson wrote. “I've had 21 since then and have 5 more booked. Some have been completely alone and some have been with friends. I feel a lot of peace and comfort being on the boat.”
Many other users shared similar stories about how a cruise, or the promise of a cruise, helped them overcome grief.
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“Immediately before FFS4 (an annual cruise hosted by Heald), I lost my husband of 30 years. My adult children pushed me out the door and onto airport transportation. Yes, there were some difficult emotional feelings, but also some rejuvenation “I'm glad I went,” wrote Susie Hirscher-Linde.
Many posters shared how they have used cruise ships to help cope with crushing losses.
“I lost my daughter in October 2022. She had just returned home from a trans-Pacific cruise two weeks earlier. Since her loss, I have spent another 12 weeks at sea, all on Carnival. Those beautiful cruises have been my saving grace,” shared. Marg Elliot.
And while she's sailing alone, Elliot made it clear that she's not alone.
“The salty sea air is a perfect accompaniment to tears. And the joy-filled event of a cruise lifts my spirits. I have her with me, a small amount of her ashes on a necklace that I never take off. I know she is enjoying herself by my side,” he added.
Heald shared why he posted the original story which prompted hundreds of people to wish cruisers well and many others to share their own stories.
“I'm not really sure why I felt the need to share this. I just thought it was inspiring that through all the sadness that comes with life, the light at the end of that dark tunnel is the excitement of having fun with us. on a cruise,” he wrote.
