Acts of kindness you've experienced while cruising

[yourbuddykate]

Four years ago we took a cruise (on RCCL) at Christmas time with our almost 2 year old son. Cruising with a toddler is not easy (but hey, still on a cruise!) so we really appreciated how nice the crew was to him and us throughout the trip. This was especially true in the buffet where we had most of our meals with him. There were a few crew members that really doted on him and repeatedly offered to refill our drinks and plates so we could stay seated with him. I know some of them had children his age at home and they were thrilled to spend time with him. That made me sad, of course, I can't imagine having to leave my child behind with family in order to take care of him financially. We talked to them at length about their families at home and honestly they seemed thrilled to have people who were interested. And it was lovely for us to see our son enjoy their attention.

[seacat66]

does anyone else have any to add? i hope so...i'm enjoying reading them.

[annf]

I took my mom on her first cruise and she was so excited to start planning another one immediately. Unfortunately, right after we got back from the 1st cruise, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and given 18 months. I promised her that if she got through her surgery and 1st round of chemo - I would take her on another cruise.

 

So she got through chemo, surgery, etc and a week before we were leaving - was in ICU with pneumonia. I took her - just the two of us - 3 days out of the hospital and against medical advice. She used a wheelchair to get around the ship most days and people were wonderful about helping.

 

I was so thankful for the time to take her on one more cruise and the many cruise employees and guests who went out of their way to talk with my mom, help me with the chair - hold elevators, etc.

[lbow2006]

These stories are wonderful and really make me excited to go on our first cruise in two weeks! Let's keep 'em coming! :)

[blessedwith12]

This is a wonderful thread! My story involves another Cruise Critic couple. Prior to our November 2011 cruise on the Miracle, I was active in the Roll Call. Once onboard, though, I didn't meet up with any of the other posters.

 

That would change when we made our stop at St. Lucia and took an excursion to Jalousie Beach. On board the motor boat on the way there, I met a very sweet couple from the Roll Call. At the beach, the husband realized I wanted to go snorkeling but my husband is not interested in snorkeling at all. Additionally, I'm a pretty pathetic snorkeler - not extremely coordinated getting in and out of the water and I have a tendency to panic when my mask fills with water. He offered to take me out snorkeling and was extremely patient - not seeming to be annoyed with my fears. He let me use some of his wife's equipment and she was extremely gracious about me borrowing her husband. I had the best snorkeling experience and eventually relaxed and enjoyed myself. He continually checked on me to make sure I was doing okay. It was amazing snorkeling next to the rock walls of the Pitons and we saw so many wonderful fish.

 

Now whenever I look at pictures from that day I am so thankful for this couple's generosity that allowed me to have this great experience and wonderful memories. We enjoyed the couple so much that the next day we shared a taxi and went to Shipwreck Beach Bar and Grill at St. Kitts. This couple was a class act all the way and I loved watching how they treated everyone they came into contact with.

 

Like many of you have said, I love cruising and I find that I have wonderful experiences and meet great people while cruising.

[Almost Packed]

On my first cruise, I found a little girl crying near the pool on the Lido deck. It was still pretty chilly outside and she was soaking wet. She couldn't find Daddy, and all she knew was daddy's name was "Daddy". We looked around and could not find him. Thankfully, camp was nearby. I was not turning this little girl over to just anyone. I figured camp may know who she is as she had a bracelet on.

 

While we were there trying to get her warmed up, she was clinging to me and so scared. i felt awful for her. The other kids were doing some craft that required a purchase. The man in line behind me stepped up and wanted to pay for this little girl to participate in the activity. Camp placed a large t shirt over her, we got her a towel and she went on to build her bear, make art t shirts or whatever it was. Camp recognized the little girl (who would not even tell her name) and I felt confident leaving her there. I heard them later paging dad (i assumed) I later returned to check and sure enough dad was located.

 

I just wanted to beat dad for leaving such a young kid unattended near the pool. but i never saw him to get the chance. :mad:

 

but the gentleman behind me was so kind to offer to pay for the little girl's activity. I thought that was very sweet of him.

[Mikel1733]

When our kids were quite young we were on a tender from the ship over to the Dominican Republic. Sitting across from us was Marcelino Lopez who was a retired major league pitcher and his wife. Trying to not be obvious I pointed out to my kids he was wearing his World Series ring. He noticed took his ring off and handed it to us so we could look more closely at it. It was a conversation starter and each time we saw him the rest of the cruise he went out of his way to be extra nice to my kids. He was a very nice man.

[jolyn928]

I took my mom on her first cruise and she was so excited to start planning another one immediately. Unfortunately, right after we got back from the 1st cruise, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and given 18 months. I promised her that if she got through her surgery and 1st round of chemo - I would take her on another cruise.

 

So she got through chemo, surgery, etc and a week before we were leaving - was in ICU with pneumonia. I took her - just the two of us - 3 days out of the hospital and against medical advice. She used a wheelchair to get around the ship most days and people were wonderful about helping.

 

I was so thankful for the time to take her on one more cruise and the many cruise employees and guests who went out of their way to talk with my mom, help me with the chair - hold elevators, etc.

That made me teary-eyed! How wonderful that you were able to give her that gift!

[Beth]

All I can say is what a wonderful thread. It is too easy to see the bad in things rather then look for the good. We all have alot of blessings we should be thankful for, including me.

[Catrin]

In Cozumel my son, daughter and I decided to do something that sounded so dumb I couldn't believe we were doing it!

 

We went to play miniature golf when Sally, an expat, still owned it. Just outside the minigolf the sidewalk was in very bad shape and my son tripped scraping his knee badly. I had a few tissues and did what I could, not much.

 

When we got inside Sally cleaned him up, put some antiseptic on his knee and covered it with a bandaid. She was so sweet! She didn't give me the stuff to do do it, she just busied herself cleaning up my 11 y/o.

 

We had so much fun there! Iguanas were everywhere and the place was a garden delight.

 

Sally sold the place which is no longer in operation. She now gives massages and I hear she is wonderful.

 

Cozumel Mini Golf was a terrific place when Sally Owned it!

We went there in 2003, when my boys were 8 and 4. They are now 17 and 14 and still talk about Mini Golf in Cozumel!!

 

I love this thread!!!

 

Catrin

[foilman2002]

I love this thread. Its great to hear all the good things that happen to people.

 

My story isn't a heart warming one as so many of these are. We and another couple were on the Carnival Legend in 2003 and I had been very active on the Cruise Critic Roll Call for the ship, talking to a lot of people who we eventually met on board. I had also made sure all four of us had lanyards for our S & S cards as I had a bunch in the house that were promotional samples, and even brought two extra on board.

 

At the Roll Call group meeting a couple saw the lanyards and said it was a great idea. I decided to get two of the ones I had brought with us and carry them until we met that couple again, and when we did, I gave them the lanyards.

 

That evening in the MDR the couple came up to us and he put a pair of cufflinks on the table telling us that he made these at home as a side business. He had made a special pair for the captain, plus he had brought another pair with him and wanted me to have them.

 

To this day I wear them, and think about the trip every time.

[MichelleChell]

Cool thread

[bobmal99]

What a wonderful thread.

Keep these stories coming!!!!

[winddawn]

While on a beach excursion in Jamaica, we enjoyed local food served to us on the beach, drinks, and the locals performed Jamaican dances for us on plywood laid on the beach. It was a really fun day, and of course lots of passengers were tipping the servers and performers. There was an old building behind the party area where the bathrooms were located. There at the ladies' room, was a Jamaican lady tending to the facilities. It was her job to keep the ladies room clean and stocked for us. I decided to tip her $20 since she wasn't out on the beach among the other servers being tipped. You would have thought I had given her $1,000! She was so tickled to receive that $20 tip. I guess I made her day, but truthfully, her smile made my day more than I made hers.

 

One other act of kindness I can think of gives kudos to Carnival for organizing a beach clean up in Grand Turk. I can't remember which ship I was on, but it was scheduled to be the first ship to call in Grand Turk after a hurricane had gone through. Passengers and crew members alike went out to the beach and beyond to pick up debris off of the landscape. It is nice that Carnival gives back to the ports where they call. We all get to hear about the things that people do not like about Carnival, but rarely get to hear about these good things they do.

[askimdog]

This past January someone spilled a good amount of food on the floor in the buffet. 1, then 2 and eventually 4 staff workers argued over who would/should clean it up. The argument got a bit heated and loud. Folks sitting at tables were watching the discussion, and perhaps wondering if the escalating discussions would lead to security being called.

 

Through an act of kindness, my wife got up, grabbed a napkin and plate and cleaned up the mess which was 7 feet from them. The surrounding tables applauded her.

 

How kind of my wife to do the work of the crew.

[madamerkf]

A number of years ago we were cruising with

a friend of the family who was very sick

with cancer although you would not know by looking

at her.

 

We wound up sitting at MDR with a lovely

couple. He was a pastor and although conservative,

laughed with us as our friend could talk

quite a "blue" streak at times.

 

One night our friend was too sick to come to

dinner and we let it slip how sick she was.

 

Fast forward to debarkation: thousands of

people trying to get off and go home and we happen

to see the pastor off to the side waving us over. He

grabs our friend and asks if he can pray over her.

 

Mind you we are Jewish and he knew that from our

conversation. Of course, our friend agreed and

in the midst of this chaos they went off to a corner,

closed their eyes, he put his hands on her head and

said a silent prayer. It was as if time stopped

for a brief minute for all of us.

 

His wife who was standing with us told us

that he had waited there for quite some time

hoping to see her as he wanted to give this

gift of prayer.

 

She died a few years later but I will never forget this couple

and how they reached out to total strangers with

the most precious of gifts.

 

That is my cruise story!

[jtm22372]

in 2006 my wife and i had just lost our fist child (10 m0nths old)to a very rare disease . we decided to go on a cruise to get away from everything and everone for a while.

we boarded our flight in boston heading to philly then onto miami . well our flight was delayed in boston for over a hour while they tried to find a large group of japanese buisnessmen that were supposed to be on our flight , needless to say when we arrived in philly our connecting flight had already left and there were no more flights to miami till the next morning.

so knowing we are now going to miss our cruise we approached the customer service desk to see what we can do. This very nice jamaican lady helped us so much . she put us up in a hotel that night and flew us to jamaica the next morning , put us up in a beutiful all inclusive resort in montego bay for 3 nights awaiting our ships arrival to ocho's rios.

our luggage was lost during this whole ordeal and she gave us $250 in vouchers to buy some clothes while in jamaica .

we had a great time in jamica and i really wish i could thank this woman for going out of her way to help us . she really turned what would have been a disaster into a great getaway which was exacltly what we needed at the time .

[gamecockinnc]

I was sailing on RCI Freedom of the Seas with my parents and sons. My mother had a stroke 9 years ago at the young age of 53. She is paralyzed on her right side. She can't use her right arm or hand and can walk short distances dragging her leg. She uses a scooter-hover style electric wheelchair. She spent a long time in rehabilitation and can speak clearly and has regained most cognitive skills. She does fluster easily especially when tired. We have cruised as a family several times. She literally pushed my dad to join my sons and I on our excursion in Jamaica. She wanted him to enjoy the cruise even though she is somewhat confined depending on the port.

 

My mother stayed on the ship and had plans to enjoy a empty ship ;). We had planned ahead and she knew her way to the dining room and her cabin. She was in a handicap cabin so she was able to enter and leave on her own too. She can't go to the buffet by herself because she can't negotiate getting food onto a plate and getting it to a table etc. She planned to go to the dining room with her book and enjoy her lunch. We were so proud of her. In the past she would have chosen to order rooms service and read on her balcony.

 

She went to the nearly empty dining room and said from the moment she arrived no one helped her so she transferred to a chair on her own. She had to leave her wheelchair by the table because no one offered to move it. The waiter was upset with her and told her to move it. She offered to sit in it at the table to move it but explained she couldn't move it to the entry and get all of the way back to the table by herself. Finally another server moved it.

 

The waiter treated her horribly the entire meal and left her in tears. Let's just say he made fun of her, didn't get her anything but water and when she wanted to leave he did not help her get to her wheelchair.

 

She didn't even eat she wanted to leave before she broke down in public. At this point a older couple seated nearby came over and offered assistance. She was embarrassed but took it. The gentleman went to get her wheelchair and they helped her transfer to it. They then escorted her back to her cabin and made sure she was safely inside.

 

They even went back to the dining room and found out what she had ordered and demanded that it be sent to her cabin because they saw she had not eaten. They were angels.

 

We found her sitting quietly on her balcony when we returned. I could tell something was wrong. When we found out what had happened and I went directly down to guest services. There was a couple in front of me having a heated discussion with the manager. They were upset because the manager had not gotten back to them. I could not help but hear what they we saying but it was about my mother!

 

They were so upset. They shared the same story my mom had told me. They said they didn't know why the staff would treat someone like that. I joined the discussion and put in my two cents.

 

Let's just say RCI apologized but never owned the problem. They blamed it on a language barrier

 

We knew the story must have gotten around because our servers at dinner went above and beyond to take special care of my mom. They even pulled my dad aside and apologized on behalf of the staff that did it. They were truly mortified and they had been great to us.

 

My mother is a very proud and a very strong woman. Her stroke was devastating but she has made lemonade out of lemons. She is a remarkable woman. I will also say that until you have had a loved one with a disability you just don't get it. You may be the most compassionate human being in the world but it takes the experience to really comprehend it. I have been shocked at the people that stare, laugh, shut doors on her etc. but I have also been thrilled by those who offer to assist. There are always a few bad apples

 

This couple saved my mother and we will always be thankful. They even had lunch with my mom and dad a few times that week. To all of you who go the extra mile thank you! Just because she is disabled doesn't mean she deserves to be treated differently. The next time you see someone help them. It could be your loved one in the future. I know I will always strive to conduct myself like the "angel couple"!

[crusinpsychRN]

gamecock, I loved your story. My mom had strokes and used a wheelchair. My brother took her on cruises and to Europe. He's the best brother and son in the world! He always took such good care of her.

[dwightnwynonia]

This is the best board ever

[bonnys]

My story is a bit different in that the act of kindness was really a humbling act of remembering love. In 2004 DH and I were married on the Glory. During the Newlywed game we were chosen as the newly married couple to play. We were asked what movie would describe us as a couple. I chose Armageddon because we went to see it on our first date and we had gone through some tough times to get to our happy ending. DH on the other hand chose Driving Miss Daisy. Why, I have NO IDEA (and neither did he...it was just the first thing that came to him), but he did and it had the entire audience rolling with laughter. For the rest of the cruise, random people would see me and say "Hi Miss Daisy". And it happened all the time. This one particular man seemed to have made it a challenge to himself to do this at least twice a day, and we would normally end up spending 20-30 minutes with him. On the last day of the cruise he came up to me and thanked me for being such a good sport, and for not only not getting mad, but for laughing with him. He then handed me a box with a daisy pendant inside. I was shocked and confused. He then explained that his wife had always been the one to make him laugh and that she had passed away earlier that year. He was on the cruise that they were supposed to take together and he felt like a part of her was there with him in spirit, still making him laugh. And one more detail......her name was Daisy. I felt then, and still do now, so honored that something in me gave him such joy.

[SadieN]

Sat at a 6-8 top one breakfast and couldn't decide what I wanted, neither could the gal next to me. By the time the waiter took our ourder we figured it out. She ordered pancakes and I ordered Eggs Benedict and shared them. I got a pancake and she took one of my Eggs Benedict.

 

Another cruise there was halibut and chips on the menu. We ordered one entree then decided to share the halibut and chips. eventually the whole table decided to do the same. The waiter brought out half orders for everyone. ( it was easy for the kitchen to do on this cruise, only 188 pax onboard)

[jolyn928]

My story is a bit different in that the act of kindness was really a humbling act of remembering love. In 2004 DH and I were married on the Glory. During the Newlywed game we were chosen as the newly married couple to play. We were asked what movie would describe us as a couple. I chose Armageddon because we went to see it on our first date and we had gone through some tough times to get to our happy ending. DH on the other hand chose Driving Miss Daisy. Why, I have NO IDEA (and neither did he...it was just the first thing that came to him), but he did and it had the entire audience rolling with laughter. For the rest of the cruise, random people would see me and say "Hi Miss Daisy". And it happened all the time. This one particular man seemed to have made it a challenge to himself to do this at least twice a day, and we would normally end up spending 20-30 minutes with him. On the last day of the cruise he came up to me and thanked me for being such a good sport, and for not only not getting mad, but for laughing with him. He then handed me a box with a daisy pendant inside. I was shocked and confused. He then explained that his wife had always been the one to make him laugh and that she had passed away earlier that year. He was on the cruise that they were supposed to take together and he felt like a part of her was there with him in spirit, still making him laugh. And one more detail......her name was Daisy. I felt then, and still do now, so honored that something in me gave him such joy.

 

Absolutely beautiful! I just can't find the words....this made my night.

[BeneClone]

Eva in Bon Voyage aboard the Legend - I put my tux shirt on for first elegant night and realized I had no cuff links. Eva had some and loaned me a pair - no charge. Small, but, important to me and a nice gesture on the part of a Carnival employee. On the same cruise Eva made an attractive corsage for my wife - very short notice and with little to work with. Kudos to Eva.

[crusinpsychRN]

My story is a bit different in that the act of kindness was really a humbling act of remembering love. In 2004 DH and I were married on the Glory. During the Newlywed game we were chosen as the newly married couple to play. We were asked what movie would describe us as a couple. I chose Armageddon because we went to see it on our first date and we had gone through some tough times to get to our happy ending. DH on the other hand chose Driving Miss Daisy. Why, I have NO IDEA (and neither did he...it was just the first thing that came to him), but he did and it had the entire audience rolling with laughter. For the rest of the cruise, random people would see me and say "Hi Miss Daisy". And it happened all the time. This one particular man seemed to have made it a challenge to himself to do this at least twice a day, and we would normally end up spending 20-30 minutes with him. On the last day of the cruise he came up to me and thanked me for being such a good sport, and for not only not getting mad, but for laughing with him. He then handed me a box with a daisy pendant inside. I was shocked and confused. He then explained that his wife had always been the one to make him laugh and that she had passed away earlier that year. He was on the cruise that they were supposed to take together and he felt like a part of her was there with him in spirit, still making him laugh. And one more detail......her name was Daisy. I felt then, and still do now, so honored that something in me gave him such joy.

 

What a wonderful story!