thinkoflaura
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2010
In a couple months, we'll be sailing on the Magic again... exactly one year since our last family Disney cruise... that one was aboard the Wonder in Alaska. 7 nights, we were celebrating my parents' 50th anniversary. My husband, daughter and I treated my parents as well as my sister, brother in law and their two kids to the trip.
My parents' health was rocky before the trip, but it was my mom we were most worried about in the days leading up to the cruise. Surprisingly though, it was dad who got sick the day after we set sail... he's diabetic and basically an infection in his foot had gone undetected, and things declined pretty fast. We didn't know what was up, but he wasn't himself, wasn't eating (DEFINITELY not like him!) and about 3-4 days in, in Juneau, at the recommendation of the ship doctor, my husband took him to the ER. They never got back on the boat. Dad (with DH) was airlifted from Juneau to Anchorage (where there was a more equipped hospital). At the time we didn't know how serious it was OR what our travel insurance would pay for, so the rest of the family stayed onboard, disembarked in vancouver, and flew back to Los Angeles to get mom home. My sister, daughter and I then flew to Anchorage (with the intent to join DH and coordinate with the travel insurance/hospital to transport dad back to LA), but dad passed away 12 hours after we got there.
Dad was the one who wanted to go to Alaska... but it's my mom who is happiest aboard ANY Disney ship period. In fact, the day "before Juneau," I announced to my parents, "I'm booking our next cruise today... who wants to come to Europe next summer?" Ever the optimist, mommy said, "I do!" Dad though, who was sicker than we realized, shook his head and said, "I need a break."
So now it's upon us... the trip we planned to take without him, but never imagined it would be because he was no longer around, you know? Mom, DH, DD and I had done a cruise like this w/o him before, so we know what to expect -- one accessible cabin for the 4 of us, we'll drag mom out for a few easy ports, but like I said, she's perfectly happy staying on the near-empty ship, using her scooter to get around, flirting with the cute cast members in the dining room and at the cove cafe. But now that I'm finally starting to focus on planning, etc., I'm an emotional wreck.
I called DCL today to request that we are not seated with anyone at dinner, that we have our own table for 4. They were very understanding and made that note, but I completely lost it on the phone. I think there's a lot of unresolved pain (and shock) about what happened. Suddenly being on the ship without dad/DH was surreal and agonizing. Our servers cried with us, I'm sure mostly because they missed their own families so much.... We were at a giant table (to accommodate the 9 of us) so they took the extra chairs away and spread us out there wouldn't be two empty places. The guest services team was amazing, too... a lot of checking up on us, giving us unlimited wifi for all the emails/internet calls to the insurance company, dh and the hospital. We tried to go to the shows, but every reference to wishes and dreams cut so deep. Sheesh, I am hysterical just typing this, I can only imagine what it's going to be like sitting in the theater when, during Disney Dreams, Tinker Bell sprinkles pixie dust on the ship....
I guess I am writing this now because I need to fortify myself for what's in store. I want to be cried out or at least at peace before we get on the ship June 18th. I want my mom to be able to laugh and flirt and eat mickey bars and take pictures with princesses without crying... or at least without ME CRYING. I want DH to have a freakin' vacation since his last cruise imploded as he was the one to take my dad to the Juneau ER... I want my daughter to be like the other 11 year olds and run around and make memories. I am usually the "planner" for these trips, so even if this cloud wasn't hanging over us, they'd be looking to me for direction. This time, I really feel like they're also going to be looking to me for strength or comfort and to set the tone... does that make sense?
Anyway, I don't have many people to talk to about all this... at least no one who really understands how a family could even consider going back on a Disney cruise after what happened on our last one a year ago. Here, I'm hoping that makes sense to some of you... DCL IS OUR HAPPY PLACE. My dad wouldn't want to think he ruined that for us, especially not for my mom. But I gotta get my emotions in check before we set sail. Somehow.
My parents' health was rocky before the trip, but it was my mom we were most worried about in the days leading up to the cruise. Surprisingly though, it was dad who got sick the day after we set sail... he's diabetic and basically an infection in his foot had gone undetected, and things declined pretty fast. We didn't know what was up, but he wasn't himself, wasn't eating (DEFINITELY not like him!) and about 3-4 days in, in Juneau, at the recommendation of the ship doctor, my husband took him to the ER. They never got back on the boat. Dad (with DH) was airlifted from Juneau to Anchorage (where there was a more equipped hospital). At the time we didn't know how serious it was OR what our travel insurance would pay for, so the rest of the family stayed onboard, disembarked in vancouver, and flew back to Los Angeles to get mom home. My sister, daughter and I then flew to Anchorage (with the intent to join DH and coordinate with the travel insurance/hospital to transport dad back to LA), but dad passed away 12 hours after we got there.
Dad was the one who wanted to go to Alaska... but it's my mom who is happiest aboard ANY Disney ship period. In fact, the day "before Juneau," I announced to my parents, "I'm booking our next cruise today... who wants to come to Europe next summer?" Ever the optimist, mommy said, "I do!" Dad though, who was sicker than we realized, shook his head and said, "I need a break."
So now it's upon us... the trip we planned to take without him, but never imagined it would be because he was no longer around, you know? Mom, DH, DD and I had done a cruise like this w/o him before, so we know what to expect -- one accessible cabin for the 4 of us, we'll drag mom out for a few easy ports, but like I said, she's perfectly happy staying on the near-empty ship, using her scooter to get around, flirting with the cute cast members in the dining room and at the cove cafe. But now that I'm finally starting to focus on planning, etc., I'm an emotional wreck.
I called DCL today to request that we are not seated with anyone at dinner, that we have our own table for 4. They were very understanding and made that note, but I completely lost it on the phone. I think there's a lot of unresolved pain (and shock) about what happened. Suddenly being on the ship without dad/DH was surreal and agonizing. Our servers cried with us, I'm sure mostly because they missed their own families so much.... We were at a giant table (to accommodate the 9 of us) so they took the extra chairs away and spread us out there wouldn't be two empty places. The guest services team was amazing, too... a lot of checking up on us, giving us unlimited wifi for all the emails/internet calls to the insurance company, dh and the hospital. We tried to go to the shows, but every reference to wishes and dreams cut so deep. Sheesh, I am hysterical just typing this, I can only imagine what it's going to be like sitting in the theater when, during Disney Dreams, Tinker Bell sprinkles pixie dust on the ship....
I guess I am writing this now because I need to fortify myself for what's in store. I want to be cried out or at least at peace before we get on the ship June 18th. I want my mom to be able to laugh and flirt and eat mickey bars and take pictures with princesses without crying... or at least without ME CRYING. I want DH to have a freakin' vacation since his last cruise imploded as he was the one to take my dad to the Juneau ER... I want my daughter to be like the other 11 year olds and run around and make memories. I am usually the "planner" for these trips, so even if this cloud wasn't hanging over us, they'd be looking to me for direction. This time, I really feel like they're also going to be looking to me for strength or comfort and to set the tone... does that make sense?
Anyway, I don't have many people to talk to about all this... at least no one who really understands how a family could even consider going back on a Disney cruise after what happened on our last one a year ago. Here, I'm hoping that makes sense to some of you... DCL IS OUR HAPPY PLACE. My dad wouldn't want to think he ruined that for us, especially not for my mom. But I gotta get my emotions in check before we set sail. Somehow.