Until today, no truer words have been spoken; Home Sweet Home

Marrying the Love I Asked Out Nineteen Years Ago

I married the love I had asked out nineteen years ago. We reconnected three years ago and eloped nine months later. I had never been married before. He wanted me to have the wedding I never had.

A Belated Celebration with Family and Friends

One year later, we held a ceremony for our family and friends. Our guests gave us enough money to book a trip on what we were told was the best cruise line. We booked it but had to wait six months.

Anticipation Builds for My First Cruise

I was nervous since it was my first cruise. Would I be okay in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? As the trip approached, my excitement grew. A month before, I started counting down the days on a chalkboard—two weeks, one week, three days.

The night before, we packed carefully. I researched what to wear, so we packed for a fancy captain’s dinner and bought Hawaiian shirts for the flower party. We planned to attend the light-up lighthouse party. Unfortunately, none of that happened.

Early Arrival: The Best Part of the Trip

We just got back today. We arrived home at 8:30 a.m., much earlier than the three hours we expected to disembark. That was actually the best part of the trip—getting off the ship earlier than anticipated.

Dealing with Anxiety and Rude Passengers

During the four-day trip, we had to endure rude people constantly. I’ll get to more of that shortly. My anxiety was overwhelming; I desperately wanted to leave the ship. But people walked slowly down the middle of the aisles, and we couldn’t get around a lady blocking our way. I couldn’t breathe; my chest was pounding, and so was my husband’s.

After finally getting past her, we turned a corner and got stuck behind a couple also blocking the aisle. When we reached the gangway, my husband asked, “Isn’t that the area we passed where we need to get the thing that was confiscated?” I turned around and accidentally rolled over his toe with my luggage.

Frustrated, I asked a cruise line employee, who said, “No, that’s downstairs.” I knew where I was going, so I was annoyed. My husband was mad that I hurt his toe, but I was having an anxiety meltdown. I yelled, “I’ve dealt with your anxiety for three years. Now it’s my turn!” I nearly broke down in tears.

Mealtime Madness and Buffet Disappointment

Mealtime was another challenge. Unlike other cruise lines with 24-hour food options, this ship only served meals during two-hour windows. This meant everyone ate at the same time in narrow corridors. People were rude, bumping into us and acting like it was our fault.

If I compared their buffet to Golden Corral, it would be an insult to Golden Corral.

The Few Bright Spots: Pool, Lagoon, and Casino Win

But there were some highlights. We spent a peaceful half-day at the pool while most guests went ashore. We also enjoyed the lagoon at the cruise line’s private island.

The best moment was at the casino. I brought $45 in cash and won $100! I paid for souvenirs and got my money back.

Sleepless Nights and Noise Complaints

Back to the negatives—we didn’t sleep well at all. Parents left their children unattended in the room above us. Every night we heard thumps and bangs as if kids were running and jumping. The uncomfortable bed didn’t help.

Health Struggles and Cutting Back on Drinks

We tried to enjoy ourselves with drinks from our premium package. Unfortunately, I suffered a gastritis attack, and my husband had a pancreatitis flare-up. We were sick for a day and a half. I vomited violently from early afternoon until late the next night. My husband was bloated and in pain.

This was our fault, no one else’s. After that, we stopped drinking for the rest of the trip.

The Lingering Stench and Other Discomforts

I had to use a Neti pot as soon as I got home to get the horrible smells from the cruise line out of my nose. The ship had some areas that were hot and smelled of wet towels, and the hallway to our room smelled of sewage. The buffet area also smelled of wet towels, and we had the misfortune of entering the hot elevators after someone had obviously let one loose and never have been surrounded by so many people that didn’t care if they offended anyone with their farts.