Almost everyone I met early in AA warned me I would lose anything I put in front of my sobriety and not to spend time in places where people drank. But I enjoyed cruises so much. I knew from years of going on cruises that most of the space was bedrooms, bars and restaurants. And the bedrooms and restaurants all had their own bars. I made good use of those bars and the all inclusive drink packages the cruise lines offered. No matter what cruise day I always averaged between 23 and 26 drinks a day. Many of those were doubles.  

What was I going to do about my favorite thing to do in the world? I was addicted to cruising. But I was also addicted to alcohol. My memories of cruise days were almost all about the drinking. I was 100% committed to the AA guide for living from day one. With all the earnings I was scared and didn’t want to tempt fate. I considered my moment of clarity as a gift from heaven and there was no way I was going to risk slipping back into drinking and the warped reality that came with it. So I read very carefully. In my first year I had already been invited to events with alcohol. On each occasion I book ended the event by telling everyone where and when I was going and what happened. For each event I went to I was armed with phone numbers and an early exit plan. The AA tools worked well. When I’m on the phone with my sponsor or other alcoholics I feel a sudden relief with the embrace of AA. I booked a cruise just as I approached 1 year. I had to know. I had to try. I was worried though. I found out there were meetings on cruise ships but they thought they might be sparsely attended. I made note of the meetings and started planning the rest. I managed to find a non-drinking friend to go on the cruise with and my wonderful mother booked decided to join us as she was a bit worried for my well-being so early in sobriety. The first day on the ship a sudden panic and dread fell over me as I felt that pull of alcohol. I wondered if I would survive. I retired to my room to sulk but started reading the literature, the AA stories. Every word jumped off the page and into my heart. My emotions left me very vulnerable but I kept an open feeling. I felt restored and at peace. The next day I went to the meeting on the ship for a great experience of fellowship. Since then I’ve done three more cruises and never experience anything similar to that first day. I’m writing this to let everyone know how powerful the AA tools can be. We are all different. Some would not have the same experience as I did or put themselves at risk for a relapse. Our experiences are as varied as we are individuals so it’s important that we share them.