Cruise Nightmare

[ecowen]

How many of you dream about cruising? I have some really scary recurring nightmares about being on a cruise during REALLY rough seas.

 

The other night I dreamt that I was on a cruise for 7 days, but never received the daily newsletter and I missed out on EVERYTHING. :eek:

 

Okay, if this doesn't prove that I'm a total cruise nerd, I don't know what does!:D

 

ECO

[garykool81]

"I have some really scary recurring nightmares about being on a cruise during REALLY rough seas."

 

Well, you are going to Bermuda, right? I am sure you'll see plenty of rough seas on the period you spend in the North Atlantic :-)

 

Though, I am not sure it'll be any worse than that one night we spent aboard Galaxy between St. Maarten and Nassau. That was quite rough.

[betsyrossapk]

Just saw a preview last night of the movie "Open Water".

A couple goes on a recreational scuba diving expedition while they're on vacation, but when they re-emarge from the depths, they find to their shock and dismay that they have been accidentally stranded in the middle of the ocean in shark-infested waters.

Yikes.

[excitedofharpenden]

Ed

 

You got it bad!:D And I thought I was in trouble. Thanks for making me feel a whole lot better;)

 

Phil

[ecowen]

You just reminded me of another dream I had (probably because I saw the same movie preview):

 

I'm swimming in the ocean, and I look up and see that my ship is sailing away. . .and the current is against me so I can't swim after the ship.

 

Then there's the one where I'm on the ship and the water is too shallow and the bottom of the ship starts scraping against ocean floor.

 

Anyone know a good psychoanalyst?;)

[flagger]

Just saw a preview last night of the movie "Open Water".

A couple goes on a recreational scuba diving expedition while they're on vacation, but when they re-emarge from the depths, they find to their shock and dismay that they have been accidentally stranded in the middle of the ocean in shark-infested waters.

This is based on a true story. I cannot wait to see it.

[betsyrossapk]

I'm not so sure I want to see it. Sounds a little too real to me. I can't believe that could happen. Scarrrryyyyy

[mmp13]

I have the recurring dream where i come home from the cruise and never did anything and can't remember anything about the cruise! Have also missed the ship several times in my dreams

[Desertbelle]

I can't recall ever having a cruising dream. Now what can that mean??

[brigittetom]

I don't have cruise dreams either except for one on a really, really, really, rough cruise on the Zenith. I dreamed that I was in bed rocking and all of a sudden the ship was rolling over. I remember thinking that my worst fear is actually happening. Luckily it was morning so I was able to leave the cabin and be around non traumatized people. I can still remember the exact view out of the porthole as the ship was going over. Ugh

[JoePDX]

Just saw a preview last night of the movie "Open Water".

A couple goes on a recreational scuba diving expedition while they're on vacation, but when they re-emarge from the depths, they find to their shock and dismay that they have been accidentally stranded in the middle of the ocean in shark-infested waters.

Yikes.

We saw that preview yesterday too. Needless to say, we won't be seeing that movie! :eek:

 

Joe

[gagirl789]

I don't have cruise dreams either except for one on a really, really, really, rough cruise on the Zenith. I dreamed that I was in bed rocking and all of a sudden the ship was rolling over. I remember thinking that my worst fear is actually happening. Luckily it was morning so I was able to leave the cabin and be around non traumatized people. I can still remember the exact view out of the porthole as the ship was going over. Ugh

 

Did I read this correctly? Did the Zenith tip over? What?

[RSteele]

OK...I'll tell my "cruise nightmare dream". I dreamed my cabin was like a Murphy bed...one that the bed came out of the wall....right beside the Purser's Desk...no bathroom...no storage...just a bed in the hallway. It was really weird...and on top of that, I couldn't find anyone that I was suspose to be cruising with...it was the longest dream I've ever had!

[Happy ks]

gagirl, the poster was dreaming, it did not really happen.

 

I have the strangest cruise dreams, like being on a pirate ship, or DH on a small boat rowing next to the cruise ship. Then there are the packing dreams, the getting to the airport dreams. Fortunately, they are all funny and not nightmares.

[nealberk]

Did I read this correctly? Did the Zenith tip over? What?

Never!!! But it was so bad on one trip that the ship got a dent in the bow and (I think) the captain was fired for endangering ship and passengers.

 

My bad dream, waking up on a ship bound for the Caribbean - and I had packed for Alaska! :rolleyes:

[hebeeast]

I once had a dream that my husband and I got on two different ships and the one I was on left without him. Humm -- maybe that would not be a nightmare for some people but a fantasy.

[jezzdogg]

My worst cruise dream was real--------the roughess seas in any of ou 14 cruises on the way to and the way home from Bermuda. If that was my first cruise, I would have never stepped foot on another cruiseship again. To make matter worst we lost an engine?? on the way back, suppose to be back sunday morning, did not make it back until 2-3pm, not off ship until 4. Really sorry for those about to embark, as they did not think they could fix the problem for that cruise, so they would have to have less days in Bermuda(happenned last year on Empress) WILL never, ever, never sail to Bermuda again or on a small ship......I for one have learned my lesson

[alcpa1]

Boy did your post take me back! We were on the same ship, sailing to Bermuda on September 28, 2001. The trauma of flying into NYC after 9/11 and taking a bus to Philly to catch the ship was more than enough. We were greeted with a handout from the "front" office offering 25% off on our next cruise because we were going to hit some rough seas....to put it mildly! Well, we hit two tropical storms - going and returning AND we lost an engine. But, it was not our worst cruise to be sure. We would have loved to have had more than a day and a half in Bermuda. And, I felt really bad because we had talked three other couples into going with us. It did give us the opportunity to check up on our youngest ( a student at NYU living just 7 blocks from the WTC). When we got to LGA to head home, we were greeted with the news of our invasion of Afghanistan. Nightmare and reality merged.

[mjarens]

Having been on 15 cruises, and having traveled to Hong Kong several times, we figure just about anything can happen while traveling.

 

Then came February 2000: We had earned a free 7 day on Carnival's Destiny, sailing from Miami. We cashed in miles and booked first class tickets to Miami a week ahead of the cruise, planned on renting a car and driving to Key West and paid for 6 nights at a private home with a pool in the back yard. After Key West we would return to Miami and catch the ship for our 7 day cruise.

 

On the Monday before our Saturday flight out (from Seattle), the Alaska Airlines flight plunged into the ocean off California. My DH had turned on the TV to set up the recorder for a show, and was paralized by the newcast. He had been having a tough time flying for several years, and this put the brakes on for good. He couldn't talk, eat, or comprehend for three days after that fatal flight. By Wednesday night he was having such nightmares we knew flying to Miami was not an option.

 

On Thursday we took the car in for servicing, stopped at AAA and picked up 13 books for the states we would travel through, and on Saturday morning (instead of checking in for our first class flight to Miami) we started our drive from Seattle to Miami. We had one week to get to the pier. 4,000 miles and 6 1/2 days later we arrived on Saturday afternoon in time to do laundry and lay by the pool for a couple of hours. The next day we drove to the pier and embarked for our cruise.

 

Sunday night and all of Monday were uneventful, you know, checking out the ship, enjoying our upgrade to a penthouse suite (our anniversary gift to ourselves). Tuesday early about 3AM I get up to use the bathroom (marble, mirrors, jetted tub, dressing room and all) and on my way back to bed I realize it is awfully quiet - to quiet in fact. I pull open the drapes to our verhanda and see that we are not moving, as in "dead in the water".

 

And we do not move under power for all of Tuesday! Just drifting. None of the three engines are running. Finally about dusk a small boat approaches our ship and off loads about six men with their laptop computers. Sometime in the middle of the next morning they manage to get one of the engines running and make the announcement at 7AM that we will turn around and motor back under 1/3 power to Miami - never having made one stop of our itinerary. This is Wednesday morning.

 

It takes over two days to return to Miami and we limp into port late Friday afternoon. What a media bizarre that docking was! News helicopters "escorting us" into port - how embarrassing for the cruise line!

 

Full refunds all around, etc, etc. However, now DH and I now have to drive 4,000 miles back from our "cruise to nowhere". We finally arrived home on Thursday afternoon. Many other "crazy road stories" could be added to this long recap, but I won't bore you.

 

So now I have NO NIGHTMARES pre-cruise. Mine has already happened - For Real. I guess it was our "Destiny".

 

As a side note: We took car trip vacations for two years after DH decided he could not fly again. I took flying vacations with my daughter during the same time period. DH was advised by a friend to take the "Fear of Flying" classes sponsored by local airline pilots, psychologists, etc. Since he did not always want to be left behind, he decided to try the classes, and he flew with success on the last day with his classmates. We have since taken shorter, then medium, then longer flights, all with success for him. Although I am sure he would never fly again if it wasn't for me, he has overcome his fear and is actually enjoying our travel days more than he had for several years before the grips of death nearly sufficated him. For this I will be forever gratefull.

 

Loving wife,

Marta

[Cathy Laz]

Marta,

 

What an unbelievable nightmare! I am glad of the outcome, however.

It is very difficult to overcome some of those fears. Your husband is very brave in making the attempt and then sucessfully finishing the class. I applaud him.

 

I do not have dreams about cruising, however, I had a very real fear while sitting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean heading for Nova Scotia on 9/11/01. The fear, panic, pain, and sadness all rolled into one was horrible.

Our ship left from New York City but we were not able to return. Those with cars parked there took days after our return to recover them. We did not know if we were next or if we would get out of Canada for a while. I never want to have that feeling again. Talk about a nightmare. Not nearly as bad as the nightmare of those in New York and their families, but one I will never

ever forget.

 

Cathy

[10s nut]

Cathy...You have spoken all of our worst nightmares. I have dreamed of terrorists attacking "my" cruise ship. 9/11 has changed our lives forever. I hope that we all can go on with our GOOD memories, trying to learn from our "nightmares". Some have REAL nightmares, that unfortunately, when they awaken, are NOT dreams.

 

Marta, I am impressed with you tenacity to go on with life. Kudos to your husband for overcoming his fear.

[excitedofharpenden]

Ed

 

Now you have me at it! I have never had a dream about a cruise and last night I had one about our CC party on board! I can remember that they were all Swedish and wearing Swedish flags and I could not make myself understood. To make matters worse there was this big Swedish chap who was kissing my girlfriend with a really guilty look on his face! What's that all about:confused: One of the Swedish ladies was carrying a Celebrity Tote bag and the strap broke and her shopping (yes it was shopping!) went all over the floor. That is as much as I can remember.

 

I think I need a holiday!:D Or a therapist!

 

Phil

[excitedofharpenden]

Marta, just read your story. Wow! That is a major disappointment and dangerous if the weather is poor. I have stopped myself watching those Air Crash Investigation programs now (although did see the one about the Alaska Airlines tragedy) because it worried me so much. I am better on a plane now than I used to be. I used to have so many negative thoughts, no matter what people said to me, "Oh it's safer than crossing the road" etc. Funnily enough, I have never had a nightmare about being on a crashing plane though. If my above post is anything to go by, I better be prepared!:eek:

 

Phil

[mjarens]

Thank you for all of your kind words. Although I am sure our experience is not unique and certainly not the worst that can happen to a couple, it was very difficult for a while.

 

My husband is truly amazing. For several years before this happened he would get physically sick for days, or over a week before any trip that involved a flight. Discussions would be useless, me asking him a question and him staring in response. We just carried on by me taking the control of all details and him doing what I told him. I would make lists of what clothes he needed to include in his packing. All planning was left to me. Some trips, while driving to the airport he would look at me and ask "Where are we going again?". Travel day he did not eat, drink or talk. Flight attendants would ask him questions, and he could not answer. But being a trouper, he would go because I wanted to go.

 

After his "Fear of Flying" classes (all day Saturday and Sunday for two weekends in a row), he was like a changed man. He was anxious to try a short flight every 8 - 12 weeks, and keep going until he could finally fly across the country and then finally to Hawaii twice this past winter. The information he learned at these classed mentally empowered him enough to understand the mechanics of flying, weather, safety of airplanes, etc.

 

I still arrange all of our trips, but DH is enthused about deciding on them too. I make lists for what clothes to pack, items to pack, and we start laying everything out 2 to 3 weeks ahead of time so there is no last minute stress for either of us. DH can actually eat a meal on the plane now, and enjoy reading or napping. His hands still are ice cold and sweating at the same time, but he can carry on a few conversations with me and really seems to be "with me" instead of "gone". He has made remarkable progress. He will even fly to alone to visit his son (an hour and a half flight) once or twice a year.

 

9/11 did not make his fear of flying return. As horrific at this event was, it was caused by terrorist activity - not a common event of flights. DH had had more of a mechanical distrust for flying and he overcame it during his classes.

 

I don't know wether we will ever make it to Europe or back to Asia. But his efforts have been spectacular. I had dreaded always having to leave him home, because quite simply - travel is my hobby. That is what I "do". And I want to do it with him!

 

Marta

[Cathy Laz]

MJARENS.

 

Hang on to that man. He obviously wanted to travel with you too!

 

I love a happy ending. :)

 

 

PHIL,

 

No more champaign and cranberry juice before bedtime for you, my friend. ;)

 

Cathy