Has Your Love of Cruising/Your Pleasure with HAL Helped You?

[sail7seas]

A different thread made me think of this and wonder if anyone has a story to share.

 

About 3 years ago, I had to undergo an extremely serious surgery and we were forced to cancel our plans to travel to Netherlands for Eurodam's Inaugural and Maiden Voyage because I would still be recovering. My doctors would not permit travel to Europe three months post op.

 

I knew I would need very few personal items when I went to the hospital but among the few things I brought was a postcard of Maasdam and one of Noordam, ships with which we have a very strong attachment. I placed them in the nightstand drawer and in the days after my surgery when I was struggling or feeling really down, I brought out my postcards and looked at them.

 

I promise you they helped me get over the rough spots.

I had lots more cruises I wanted to enjoy with my DH and friends. :)

 

Do you have any stories of that sort?

[3rdGenCunarder]

Here's mine. We "taught" very good friends to cruise (her words), and have cruised with them many times.

 

She had ovarian cancer--the good news was that it was an early diagnosis with fast surgery and an excellent prognosis. (she's still cancer-free, 9 years later)

 

I was her first lunch "date," other than her husband, after chemo started and she had to wear a wig. She knew that if she started to freak out for any reason, I'd yell "check, please!" and get her out quickly. all went well, and we talked about how long until she would have hair again, and maybe be ready for a cruise. We discussed a few possibilities, including a panama canal cruise that winter. I didn't push her, we just kicked it around.

 

While she was driving home, I called her husband to tell him what we'd talked about. he said we should go for it, so we all booked the cruise. It's one of my favorite cruises because of what it represented, and because she and I spent most of the canal transit swilling champagne to celebrate.

[Cruising-along]

In February of 2010 I lost both my sister and mother within a 6-day period. Although both deaths were "expected" (cancer in my sister's case) and very poor health plus extreme old age in my mother's case) it was devastating.

 

We had booked a Hawaii cruise the year before for April of 2010, not really knowing if we would be able to go. We did go, and it was the best therapy possible. All those glorious days at sea, not to mention the very good friends we made, so therapeutic. Of course the pain is still there, but I truly believe that a cruise or even planning a cruise always helps. :)

[world~citizen]

A different thread made me think of this and wonder if anyone has a story to share.

 

About 3 years ago, I had to undergo an extremely serious surgery and we were forced to cancel our plans to travel to Netherlands for Eurodam's Inaugural and Maiden Voyage because I would still be recovering. My doctors would not permit travel to Europe three months post op.

 

I knew I would need very few personal items when I went to the hospital but among the few things I brought was a postcard of Maasdam and one of Noordam, ships with which we have a very strong attachment. I placed them in the nightstand drawer and in the days after my surgery when I was struggling or feeling really down, I brought out my postcards and looked at them.

 

I promise you they helped me get over the rough spots.

I had lots more cruises I wanted to enjoy with my DH and friends. :)

 

Do you have any stories of that sort?

 

I am of the opinion that people are not so much looking for the "meaning of life" as they are for experiences that remind them that they are alive. Whatever resonates with people in that respect is generally fine with me.

 

If when you are on those ships you feel the joy of just being alive, you belong there. The same for anyone else.

 

Personally, I believe travel and exploring new places are therapeutic. And HAL makes it oh so easy.

 

Smooth sailing...

[world~citizen]

...We did go, and it was the best therapy possible. ...

 

Sorry for your loss, and couldn't agree more.

 

Smooth sailing...

[sail7seas]

I am of the opinion that people are not so much looking for the "meaning of life" as they are for experiences that remind them that they are alive. Whatever resonates with people in that respect is generally fine with me.

 

If when you are on those ships you feel the joy of just being alive, you belong there. The same for anyone else.

 

Personally, I believe travel and exploring new places are therapeutic. And HAL makes it oh so easy.

 

Smooth sailing...

 

world~citizen,

What a lovely post. What a message. :)

 

Thank you everyone who is sharing stories. I think they are very stirring.

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

I think it even goes further though.... Just thinking about the next cruise improves my mood. Planning and researching help make rough days better. Booking a cruise they day before the family pet is put down helps to focus on the future. (just had to put down my ewe yesterday) Booking the cruise is uplifting and you share your good news and good mood. Planning and researching helps you to remember the good times on the last cruise, ect ect. Bravo for the post!

[shandryl]

Not everyone has the means to travel/cruise/visits the places I have been blessed to have seen.

 

Same could be said for the people that work and live at the ports the ship visits. They will never get to see where I live or if ever get off the islands/country.

 

Cruising has humbled me. Made me realize just how fortunate I am to Cruise. There are alot of people who never leave the town they grew up in. Their idea of a big trip is going into city to pick up groceries or shop.

 

When people complain and say negative things on CC boards about how they received poor service or the room was not as tidy or what attire they wore in the dinning room bla bla, I roll my eyes and think Really?? thats your big problem today?

 

Cruising has taught me not to worry about the small stuff and live life to the fullest. :)

[airlink diva]

For me it's the wonderful people that I've met on some of my HAL sailings.

I often tell people about Ron, a WW II vet. He wore his medals on formal nights. I have a pic of them and show it to others and talk about him.

[sapper1]

Not everyone has the means to travel/cruise/visits the places I have been blessed to have seen.

 

Same could be said for the people that work and live at the ports the ship visits. They will never get to see where I live or if ever get off the islands/country.

 

Cruising has humbled me. Made me realize just how fortunate I am to Cruise. There are alot of people who never leave the town they grew up in. Their idea of a big trip is going into city to pick up groceries or shop.

 

When people complain and say negative things on CC boards about how they received poor service or the room was not as tidy or what attire they wore in the dinning room bla bla, I roll my eyes and think Really?? thats your big problem today?

 

Cruising has taught me not to worry about the small stuff and live life to the fullest. :)

I can identify with what you said very much and would like to add the fact that cruising has made me realize how very lucky we are to live where we do and as we do. A trip to the Caribbean is all it takes to reinforce the idea that we have nothing to complain about----well, maybe winter-----:)

[lastlook]

Absolutely. Last July (2010) I was recovering from surgery and preparing for radiation followed by 6 rounds of chemo. After discussions with DH, we decided to roll the dice and I booked the 12 day Med cruise for May of this year, which was to sail on my birthday. We were hopeful that all would be okay with my health and that we would be able to celebrate on the cruise.

 

My goal was to continue working and complete chemo by the end of December. I managed to do that and finished my last treatment on December 23rd. I looked forward to 2011 and having my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes growing back in time for the cruise, so I wouldn't have to wear a wig.

 

Then came January, and we lost my DMIL unexpectedly. Still dealing with all that follows the death of one mother and my own health issues, my own mother passed on just hours after she left my home following a two day visit in April.

 

My small home became "Grand Central Station" as the rest of my family came East for the funeral. When the dust settled, we had about two weeks to get ourselves together for our long awaited Med cruise.

 

Somehow we did it and it was just what we needed. We enjoyed it so much that we left a FCC before the end of the cruise and are now looking forward to our next HAL cruise in March of 2012, and hopefully a less stressful year.

[sail7seas]

Oh my goodness, Lastlook.

 

What a horrible year you endured. Hopefully everything is much brighter for you now. Best Wishes.

[Two@Sea]

Not everyone has the means to travel/cruise/visits the places I have been blessed to have seen.

 

Same could be said for the people that work and live at the ports the ship visits. They will never get to see where I live or if ever get off the islands/country.

 

Cruising has humbled me. Made me realize just how fortunate I am to Cruise. There are alot of people who never leave the town they grew up in. Their idea of a big trip is going into city to pick up groceries or shop.

 

When people complain and say negative things on CC boards about how they received poor service or the room was not as tidy or what attire they wore in the dinning room bla bla, I roll my eyes and think Really?? thats your big problem today?

 

Cruising has taught me not to worry about the small stuff and live life to the fullest. :)

 

Excellent post. I agree with, and thank you for sharing, your thoughts.

[Cruising-along]

Sorry for your loss, and couldn't agree more.

 

Smooth sailing...

 

Thank you, world~citizen :)

[Live4cruises]

Yes, cruising is something that created a special bond between my mother and me. We cruised to Alaska together three times between 1983 and 1990. Mother loved Alaska and had no interest in a beach cruise; I was fresh out of school, single, and loved to travel. In the mid-80's, Mother developed breast cancer, eventually losing her battle in 1991.

 

Early in 1990 she said that she'd like to make one more trip to Alaska - but this time she was only up to the cruise part, not the extensive land tours we had taken previously. That cruise was on the old Pacific Princess, the original Love Boat, and we had an especially wonderful time.

 

Her illness progressively made her home- then bed-bound, but whenever we were together she wanted to talk about and see the pictures of that last cruise.

 

My husband and I now cruise about once a year, and our first toast on the balcony is to my mother, who started it all.

[lastlook]

Oh my goodness, Lastlook.

 

What a horrible year you endured. Hopefully everything is much brighter for you now. Best Wishes.

 

Many thanks for your good wishes. So far so good with follow up check ups. Wishing you a great year ahead as well.