A Harmonious Family Life
The Wilson family aboard Ruby Princess. From left, Sean, Amy, Ashley and Megan.
June 5, 2012
by Amy Wilson
It’s customary in the military to throw a big party when you retire. Commanding officers, shipmates, family and civilian friends come together to toast the new retiree on his years of honorable service.
When my husband, Sean, retired as a lieutenant after serving for 20 years in the U.S. Navy, we talked about throwing one of those big retirement bashes. But the more Sean and I discussed it, the more uneasy he became.
Sean didn’t want to toast himself, he told me. He wanted to thank us, his family, and especially our daughters, Ashley, 11, and Megan, 9, for all the pain and loneliness they had gone through while he was serving his country. Through their earliest years, Sean was often overseas in precarious places including on the USS Shreveport to the Middle East to guard Iraq’s oil platforms and North Africa to Yemen, site of the USS Cole incident, Somalia and Ethiopia and on the USNS Comfort to Haiti, bringing emergency care immediately after the tragic earthquake.
The way to thank us, he said, would be to go on a great family vacation. We’d take a seven-day cruise aboard Ruby Princess through the Caribbean. Such a cruise would treat the girls with the things they love the most—the beach, snorkeling, kids-club activities and dressing up for fancy dinners.
Because Sean was upending Navy tradition by not throwing a party, he had to put up with a lot of grief at work. But it was more important to him to thank his family instead. What a great husband and dad!
We went the week after Thanksgiving. Sean was technically still in the Navy but he’d accrued plenty of leave, so he packed his dress blues for the ship’s formal night.
The girls were so excited. They got to go on a ship with their dad for once, a huge contrast from before, where we’d wave tearfully on the dock as Sean departed for the better part of a year. One time, as Sean departed on the U.S.S. Shreveport, Ashley screamed in tears, making the people around us start crying. So, this departure was absolutely glorious, to actually be somewhere on a ship together.
For Sean, relaxation and food were two of the big things he enjoyed most. It was so nice to see my husband relax and not have to do a thing on the ship but eat, sleep and play (and he wanted me to say, thumbs up for the endless, amazing pizza!). He didn’t have to worry about an extra pound putting him outside the PRT (physical readiness test) standards anymore.
We all love to snorkel and we made sure to do that off the shores of every island we visited. The girls loved the kids club where they’d hang out making crafts and meeting new friends.
Formal night was great. Sean donned his dress blues and we girls all felt like princesses. The girls ate duck and escargot for the first time and liked it!
Now home, Sean has a good job that his Navy training prepared him for as a medical physicist—he’s the guy who makes sure the imaging machines are not over- or underexposing.
By leaving the Navy, Sean gave up a way of life and the honor of an impending promotion. What we all gained was a different kind of life, a stable and harmonious family life without extended leaves, abrupt moves and tearful goodbyes at naval dockyards.
Amy resides in Frederick, Maryland with her family. They’ve enjoyed three cruises with Princess.
Enjoy spending more family time together! Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Princess if more formal and its more like Holland America which is for older plpeoe. On all the ships they have stuff for kids to do, but Carnival has a ton more with the waterslides and you could find out what all the Freedom of the Seas has besides rock climbing walls and etc at their website. It also depends on what time of year you want to vacation and what area you want to go to. Some cruiselines only go to certain areas at certain times of the year. For instance most cruise lines only go to the Caribbean in the winter and fall months while Carnival goes year round. It really depends. Princess to me seems more formal and more older like adults and elderly plpeoe. It also depends on what kind of atmosphere you want Princess is kind of more relaxed and Royal Caribbean is upbeat with lots of fun things to do. Another thing to consider is do you like younger or older plpeoe because of who you might be sitting wiht as your table mates. Since you will be eating dinner with them your entire cruise. It also depends on price, and how long the cruise is going to be. Some cruise lines have 3-4 days cruises and then 5-7 day, 10-12 day cruises as well. Some other cruise lines also have like 15 or 16 days cruises. It all really depends on you but I would personally recommend Royal Caribbean and I haven’t been on either cruise line but I hear wonderful things about it along with Princess but thast just my personall opinion. Another thing to consider is shore excursions and everything dont want till the last minute to do them and I would highly recommend passports even though the official regulation of having one doesnt take effect until January 2008 but it makes it so much easier otherwise you need a birth certificate and a photo id even for kids. You can even have a phot copy of the birth certificate just make sure you have everything you need. Also depending on where you go is about what type of room you may want. Inside no view, horrible but cheap, oceanview, a bit more but different categories and are very nice, balconies have a great view during all time of day, then you get into the sweets and depending on where when and price range you could maybe afford them or maybe not. It all depends on you. Hope this long answer helped.
And with Carnival, you might even be lucky enough to have a captain who varies the ship’s course to wave at someone on shore, tips the boat……OOPS!
My family has been apart so long they call or skype but they don’t know each other deep down anymore. I would like to see the healing this European cruise could do for all of us. My husband and i have been ill for awile and need a break from thinking about it. it would be nice to heal our relations, fresh start over and enjoy the countries we visit. your page is excelent and what an offer it is. I pray I win . But it’s up to GOD if you would accommodate three of us on wheel chairs. Not to hard to work out but I’m sure you have easier families to help. Thanks for a minutes dream…Lillie Ozment
Grammy & Grandpa really enjoyed being with them on their first Princess cruise. Here’s to many more wonderful memoris!
Grammy & Grandpa really enjoyed being with them on their first Princess cruise. Here’s to many more wonderful memories!
Excellent advice. Wehave a Holland America boiknog for this April. I was just searching Silversea for ideas for the 2012 vacation and a nice dream it was too. Silversea have amazing ships and the service is like nothing else but it all comes at a price I cannot justify. A 7 night cruise on Silver Spirit would cost almost double our 16 night vacation on Westerdam (superior verandah suite too).Maybe one day if I become wealthy!!But you do recommend Holland America, right?
I’d like to thank the entire Wilson family for their service. We too often forget that the spouses and children are also serving while the parent is deployed. Here’s hoping this family gets to spend a LOT of time together over the coming years!!
What an awesome dad and husband. I am sure he has been on a lot of Navy Cruises — and to think he takes his family on a cruise. I was married to someone in the Navy and I couldn’t get him to go to the beach!!!
Congratulations to your family and my thanks for your husband’s service while “Standing the Watch”. Sea/Shore rotation and getting underway are a sailor’s life so CINC- House write the orders for your next deployment on a Princess big white boat. LT, a well deserved BZ for keeping your family first. Fair winds and following seas!
Thanks for sharing your story. I teared up. It reminded me why I love to cruise. Having left Camp Stoneman near Pittsburg, CA and under the Golden Gate bridge in 1952 bound for Yokahama, Japan and then on to Korea with 5000 troops aboard and a crowded sweaty “cruise’, I vowed to myself that someday i would take a much better cruise if I survived the war. I did, and My wife and I have taken 12 cruises now to different parts of the world and Princess is my favorite way to cruise.It is truly an elegant ride.
What a great story!! Thank You Sean for serving our country and being the reason all US citizens enjoy the freedoms that we do. I’ll bet you looked awesome in those dress blues on formal night. Reminds of the song “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top. I’ll bet your wife and daughters were “crazy about their sharped dressed man”.
Wow, what an amazing story. This brought a tear to my eye!
Thanks to the entire family for your sacrifices.
Congrats on achieving the balanced life. The hardships of military life on the family are great .. many sacrifices! Thanks for your service and kudo’s to you and the family for staying strong throughout and choosing an awesome way to celebrate your 20 years of service and, just as important, your next phase of life .. on board a Princess Cruise.
US Navy ’71-’75
What a great story! Brought tears to my eyes. My late father was in the Navy from 1945-1975 and I had the privilege of doing two big cruises with him – one on a Navy ship from San Francisco to Yokohama for his first tour of duty in Japan in 1960. I was young, and remember him being at sea for months at a time for 5 years. The second cruise with him was when he returned to Japan for his second tour there, but this time it was onboard the SS President Cleveland in 1970. I was a teenager and that cruise got me hooked on cruising. My husband and I have been on 80-something cruises since that time. I will always remember the memories of that cruise on the President Cleveland with my parents. We all had a great time and it was a real privilege. Strangely enough, once my dad got out of the Navy, he never went on another cruise – military ship or otherwise! He had seen it all in the Navy – everything from mine sweepers to aircraft carriers – and said his cruising days were over. Mom and dad have passed on, but I still tear up when I read stories that I can relate to. I remember dad in his dress blues also on formal nights. I hope you have started the first of many family cruises to come!! God Bless You, and thank you for your service! God Bless all of our troops!!
Thank you for all your very nice comments! Our girls think this is “so cool”.
The Wilson Family
wow what a story, it was so sad that your girls had to miss their Dad like that. im proud to have such a great man sering our country, tell him thanks for my family,we an leave in peace and saftety thanks to your Husband. my Husband and I are going on the sea princess on uly 22 to Alaska. Weve been dreaming of this for 17 years. I almost cant wait. my only worry now isow will I feel when its over!
SUCH A LOVELY UPLIFTING STORY WAR IS SUCH A TERRIBLE THING ,I GREATLY ADMIRE ANYONE WHO GOES TO WAR,LEAVING YOUR FAMILY MUST SE SOOO SAD, GLAD YOU ALL ENJOYED THE CRUISE ,I ENJOY A CRUISE EACH YEAR AS WELL AS OTHER HOLIDAYS ALL MY LOVE FROM AUSTRALIA
Wow! What a story. We often forget the families that are left behind . It’s so great that the family finally all got together. I have enjoyed two cruises with princess from Australia and hope to enjoy more in the future.
Thanks for serving our country. We will be on our cruise from Los Angeles thru the Panama Canal (where we spent our first two years of marriage) and then to Fort Laurdale. Hope you have many more fun trips.
My wife, Brenda, and I recently cruised on the Emerald Princess on the Baltic journey route. it was our 40th anniversary a few months ago and we decided to celebrate it in style. We were joined by two couples, friends of ours for decades, with whom we enjoyed our dinners and our daily visit to the International Cafe. if only, I could have access to such a wonderful ‘escape from reality’ every day. This was our second cruise with Princess, having done an Alaskan journey in 2009 with our children and their spouses, on the Diamond Princess.
We have come to cruising after having travelled extensively on self guided vacations to Europe, southeast Asia and Australia. We dont want to give up the latter type of vacation but
we know that when we are serching for a vacation that offers us the great food, the great service, the fabulous comfort and the opportunity of seeing so many places on one vacation, we will continue to cruise and our first choice will be Princess.I
Estamos muy agradecidos con “Coral Princess” y el Capitan Nicolo Binetti, por el viaje a Panama, siendo el destino en Florida,Miami. Lo disfrutamos mucho y en un futuro volveremos a salir con ellos, (posiblemente Alaska) fue un servicio exelente y recomiendo a toda gente Hispana que logre sus suenos con “Coral Princess”, esa es la razon por lo que escribo en “ESPANOL”.
My sister, who was widowed last year. and I joined the Ocean Princess in Singapore in November just as I was celebrating my 70th birthday. We were made to feel very welcome and the Maitre’d was most helpful in allocating us a table in the restaurant with people of a similar age. The food and service was excellent and to my surprise we had the same waiter we had had the year before on the cruise. WE had a problem with the cabin and were moved to another cabin without any fuss. We enjoyed all the ports , entertainment especially Sammy Goldstein who made a point of getting to know not only our names but everyone who sat with him in the Casino Lounge. Not fogetting the lovely Ocean Princess. In October 2013 , once again my sister and I will be cruising but this time on the Diamond Princess so we hope that this cruise will be as good. Thank yuou to everyone on the Ocean Princess for your xourtesy and excellent service