The most heartwarming stories as crew rally to help vulnerable passengers in need

Cruise Passenger readers always have plenty to say about what’s going on in the Australian cruise industry, and in the broader cruise community. In Your Say, Cruise Passenger looks at the issues our readers are writing to us about on our blogs, posts and newsletters.

‘Your Say’, Cruise Passenger focuses on the comments of our readers; however, for this week, we want to centre in on a beautiful cruise ship story that made the rounds on Reddit. A cruiser shared the touching story of a cruise ship crew member who had a beautiful and very human reaction to hearing that the cruiser’s mother had passed away.

The cruiser wrote: “I get asked a lot why I like to take cruises,” and mentioned that they actually felt the cruise ship experience was declining in some ways, before offering more background on their cruise experience.

Read the extremely touching story below.

“My father and mother were avid cruisers after they retired, often taking three to five trips a year. Last year, my mother passed away, and this was the first cruise my father was taking without her. My sister and I took our families along so he would have company throughout the trip.

“When my father told him she had passed, the waiter’s reaction was as if a friend of his had died. He sat down next to my father and talked about the last cruise he served them on, remembering some details with crystal clarity.

“After that night, a special empty table setting was placed next to my father at every dinner. It had a flameless candle and a flower in a vase. Each night, they filled her water and cleared the extra utensils after every course.

“This is the reason I cruise. These are people who, in every moment, go above and beyond whenever they see a chance. You don’t see this kind of service almost anywhere anymore.”

This beautiful tale serves as a reminder for the kindness and closeness that the cruise community holds. Friendships made at sea can last a lifetime and in this case, were able to offer a beautiful moment of human connection for a family suffering from grief.

Other Reddit users joined the conversation, appreciating the beautiful moment and gesture, as well as adding their own stories.

A Reddit user wrote: “My husband had a nearly-life-ending health crisis. He never expected to leave the hospital let alone embark on a cruise. As we walked into Harmony of the Seas a year to the day later, his emotions got the better of him and started sobbing. 

“A wonderful gentleman, a member of the crew, named Adrian, came over to us and calmly and quietly spoke to him. I don’t remember word for word, but it was among the line of welcome, you are here now and we are so glad. He embraced my husband and me and wished us a wonderful cruise. And it was.”

Another Reddit user added their appreciation for crew members in general: “This is the sweetest story. I am so glad your family had this experience. Such an honour to your mother’s memory.

“These crew members work so hard while being separated for months from their own families. And yet they take the time to do something so special for another family. It’s lovely.

“I always have to fight tearing up when the crew fawn over and spoil my littlest ones. You can just tell who has a small child back at home that they are missing. I always try to ask about their families & often have watched a crew member light up talking about their own babies. Love to hear about them.”

If you’ve got tissues near and you’re ready to cry a little more, another Reddit user, who actually used to work on a cruise ship, shared an equally devastating yet beautiful tale from their time at sea.

“I have worked as a musician on cruise ships for a few years. My partner and I are a duo, and we have a policy where we try to connect with everyone who comes to our sets and we offer to create musical arrangements for them based on their suggestions if it seems practical. There ends up being many who return loyally day after day, and they all have different stories and experiences with music.

“A woman came to see us perform and said she was going to bring her husband next time. We get promises like that all the time but we don’t usually hold people to that or expect it. She actually did return with him, and we made a particular connection with them and they kept returning night after night, and after speaking with them a little, the husband mentioned some music that was really important to him. 

“We created it and performed it for them and they were emotional even though it was simple, and in my opinion, we didn’t do it great justice. I had also noticed the man always wore a hat and would frequently leave at intervals. At the end of the cruise, the wife revealed the husband was dealing with late-stage cancer and the only thing he would leave his room for was to visit us.

“We were literally in tears, and that reminded us why we do what we do on the crew side too. Getting the chance to change someone’s experience and perception and connect on a deeper level just reminded us that you never know what someone is going through, or why they are choosing to cruise. It was a last-ditch effort on their part to bring some semblance of adventure and peace back into their lives. We will always remember their story and every time we play the music we arranged for them we think of them.”

Please keep those comments coming!

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