Would You Accept This Gift?

Well done, hope she accepts and the two of you can have a great cruise

*Living large one week at a time*

Can't wait to hear the update!

Well, my friend and I got together for lunch today at Noon and she just left my condo about 15 minutes ago! She was very touched by my offer and a little overwhelmed by the thought of a week-long cruise (it would be her first). She likes that I have cruised many times and know the ropes. She is a little worried about seasickness, but she is not prone to motion sickness and I told her that Bonine works like a charm. So, she is going to discuss it with her husband and sleep on it (which I encouraged her to do). She loves the idea of sailing out of NY harbor. The itinerary appeals to her very much. It is really all good. She just needs to digest it and wrap her brain around it.

 

Thank you all for your kind words and good thoughts. I have high hopes that it will happen and I will let you know when she makes her final decision. I don't think it will be long.

I hope she takes it and you both have a wonderful trip!!

Maybe she did indeed accept and lunch is just running on and on while they make all their plans!;)

Rochelle

A little background -- My best friend (Nancy) and I have been best friends for 60 years. Yes, you read that right. When our parents moved in next door to each other, I was three years old and Nancy was two. I am also close to her husband, as we all went to school together and they have been married for almost 44 years. My husband passed away six years ago.

 

I like to travel, but it is hard because I am a fairly young widow. Most of my friends are married, older than me or have some physical limitations. I was thinking about taking a cruise by myself, but that really doesn't appeal to me. I got to thinking about that and decided that because I would be paying the single supplement anyway, that I should take someone with me. Nancy and her husband have had some financial difficulties and she would not be able to do this with me unless I pay for it. We are having lunch on Friday and I am going to offer a cruise on the Gem in September to Canada/New England. I would pay for everything except her gratuities and, of course, her spending money. We would have the UBP and would eat in the complimentary dining rooms.

 

So, if you were my best friend, would you accept this gift from me? Would you be insulted? That is the last thing I want. The way I see it is the trip is a gift for both of us. She is giving me the gift of her time and companionship and I am giving her the gift of travel.

 

What do you think?

What a good friend you are. Absolutely I wouldn't be offended, but I know, everyone feels differently about some things. I hope you offer it to her and hope she accepts. My best friend for over 50 years died 7 years ago. I would do almost anything to cruise with her.

What a good friend you are. Absolutely I wouldn't be offended, but I know, everyone feels differently about some things. I hope you offer it to her and hope she accepts. My best friend for over 50 years died 7 years ago. I would do almost anything to cruise with her.

Thank you. I am sorry about the loss of your dear friend. I am sure it is a huge loss. That is something we talked about yesterday. We would never regret taking this trip. We spent yesterday catching up and when we looked at the clock it was 6:00 p.m. So, we ordered Chinese carry out! It was nice to spend some quality time with her and it just confirmed that this trip together could be big fun for both of us.

I have high hopes. I think it is going to happen.

Antmaril, I bet that that your friend says yes. Please keep us posted. After my husband also died from pancreatic cancer I too realized that an experience is much better than a gift wrapped box. I took my college roommate who is a two time breast cancer survivor on a cruise. I wanted to go and if I was paying the supplement I might as well pay a little more and take her. We had a wonderful time. She was not insulted at all when I asked her. It took her 5 seconds to say yes.

Glad she said yes and I bet your friend will too!

Let us know.

Bonni

I wouldn't be insulted. And given that you will really only be "out of pocket" for the taxes and port duties, given the 100% single supplement, it's not that *huge* of a gift -- a couple hundred dollars at most. I would stress that it wouldn't be costing you all that much over you going on your own.

 

The only other consideration I can think of is that Nancy is still married. Presumably you know them well enough to know whether her husband will be okay with him being left behind while the two of you enjoy your cruise.

I have gone on "girlfriend" cruises on occasion, and my DH is fine with it.

Antmaril, I bet that that your friend says yes. Please keep us posted. After my husband also died from pancreatic cancer I too realized that an experience is much better than a gift wrapped box. I took my college roommate who is a two time breast cancer survivor on a cruise. I wanted to go and if I was paying the supplement I might as well pay a little more and take her. We had a wonderful time. She was not insulted at all when I asked her. It took her 5 seconds to say yes.

 

Glad she said yes and I bet your friend will too!

 

Let us know.

 

Bonni

Bonni - I am so sorry for your loss. It is devastating, I know. How nice that you took your friend on a cruise and that you had a great time.

I think my friend will say "yes". I think the idea of a cruise is throwing her just a bit. It is not something she ever considered doing because it wouldn't be her husband's thing and, of course, the cost involved. I told her to just go home, talk to hubby and think about it. I told her there was no pressure, but if I didn't ask her, it would never happen.

One thing that seemed to concern her was clothes for the cruise. I told her that it was my understanding that NCL is very casual and she doesn't have to stress about that. It is one reason why I chose NCL this time. I have cruised HAL, Princess, Disney and Carnival. My late husband and I cruised on NCL 33 years ago, but that probably doesn't count - ha!

Anyway, thanks for the kind words.

My husband and I offered a cruise to his elderly aunt on a fixed income. We were staying in a very large cabin and offered she could share our room on the pullout. We never did line out to her exactly everything we would pay. But in the end, we did not want to financially burden her, so we covered cruise fare, dsc, airfare, hotel, excursions and trip insurance (mostly because of health concerns). The only thing she had to cover was any onboard spending and trinket shopping in ports.

She was hesitant to accept but polled other family members who told her to accept the gift and enjoy.

She did accept and had a ball. She and we have special memories of the trip.

My husband and I offered a cruise to his elderly aunt on a fixed income. We were staying in a very large cabin and offered she could share our room on the pullout. We never did line out to her exactly everything we would pay. But in the end, we did not want to financially burden her, so we covered cruise fare, dsc, airfare, hotel, excursions and trip insurance (mostly because of health concerns). The only thing she had to cover was any onboard spending and trinket shopping in ports.

 

She was hesitant to accept but polled other family members who told her to accept the gift and enjoy.

 

She did accept and had a ball. She and we have special memories of the trip.

Very nice! Glad she accepted your offer and had a good time!

,I am looking forward to an update, hoping she says yes.

I can't imagine that she would be insulted, but a way to insure that she would definitely not be would be to arrange it with her husband as a surprise for her, as a 'thank you' for being such a wonderful friend for the last 60 years.

I can't imagine that she would be insulted, but a way to insure that she would definitely not be would be to arrange it with her husband as a surprise for her, as a 'thank you' for being such a wonderful friend for the last 60 years.

She was not insulted or offended at all -- she was touched. It is all good. She was going to discuss it with her hubby and sleep on it (which I encouraged her to do). I will have an answer in the next couple of days. Maybe even today. We shall see.

Okay Folks -- drumroll please -- she said "YES"! She said that when she was talking about it with her family last night, she felt like she should have gotten up in the restaurant where we were having lunch and started running around like she had won the lottery - LOL! I assured her that I wasn't expecting that. I wanted her to think about it and be sure.

So, we are both very excited.

Thanks again to all who offered their thoughts on this. I do appreciate the support.

Let the planning begin! :-)

WOW How nice for both of you. I hope you both have a wonderful cruise and enjoy your special time together.

I have been following your thread and I cant tell you how happy I am for you and your friend..I know you will have the best time!!

Jancruz1

I'm so glad she said yes!! I know you'll both have a wonderful time together.

My father is in ill health and so on my last cruise (and I'll do it again this time) I had my sister check on him and then I bought an internet package on the ship and would email my sister each day to make sure everything was okay. And my dad enjoyed hearing about what we were doing on the ship.

Okay Folks -- drumroll please -- she said "YES"! She said that when she was talking about it with her family last night, she felt like she should have gotten up in the restaurant where we were having lunch and started running around like she had won the lottery - LOL! I assured her that I wasn't expecting that. I wanted her to think about it and be sure.

 

So, we are both very excited.

 

Thanks again to all who offered their thoughts on this. I do appreciate the support.

 

Let the planning begin! :-)

Awesome! I am so glad she said Yes. Have fun planning your cruise together. Don't forget to introduce her to Cruise Critic and your roll call.

That's great news.

I hope you have an amazing cruise together and make some wonderful memories to add to all the others you have accumulated during your long and lovely friendship with one another.

Happy Planning indeed!

Rochelle

Wonderful. You both won the friendship lottery years ago. Have a lovely time.

Thanks, everyone!

So happy for you! When I read that she was going to go with you I let out a big "Yay!" My husband and daughter were looking at me like I had horns.:rolleyes:

Now I'm looking forward to the review you two will write. Right?:D

So happy for you! When I read that she was going to go with you I let out a big "Yay!" My husband and daughter were looking at me like I had horns.:rolleyes:

Now I'm looking forward to the review you two will write. Right?:D

Right!

Okay Folks -- drumroll please -- she said "YES"! She said that when she was talking about it with her family last night, she felt like she should have gotten up in the restaurant where we were having lunch and started running around like she had won the lottery - LOL! I assured her that I wasn't expecting that. I wanted her to think about it and be sure.

 

So, we are both very excited.

 

Thanks again to all who offered their thoughts on this. I do appreciate the support.

 

Let the planning begin! :-)

Congratulations. I hope you both have an absolutely wonderful cruise! :)