This cruise didn’t begin in February — it started last summer.
Tim and I were already planning a January sailing aboard Celebrity Apex with Barb and Bob and began reaching out to other couples to join us. When we called Lisa and Michael, Lisa laughed and said they couldn’t add another cruise — they already had six booked — but suggested we join one of theirs instead.
“Consider joining one we’re already doing. In fact, Rosemarie and Craig, Debbie and Steve are on this one. You might like it.”
Four couples. Friends. Neighbors. Winter escape. We were in.
So in addition to January on Celebrity, we added late February aboard Brilliant Lady, part of Virgin Voyages.
We were scheduled to sail February 20 through March 1 — a true winter escape.
From there, planning began.
Lisa and Michael had already been on Virgin before — they even had a Halloween sailing booked — so they knew what to expect and got us excited about the vibe, the dining, and how different it was from traditional cruising.
Rosemarie and Craig, although they’ve probably been on around 70 cruises in their lifetime (and show zero signs of slowing down), had never been on a Virgin voyage. They had the exact same ship scheduled for January.
“Stay tuned,” they told us. “We’ll have insider tips.”
So we had cruise veterans on one side and Virgin returners on the other. We were in good hands.
When excursions opened in the fall, we coordinated. A catamaran in Turks & Caicos for everyone. A smaller outing between Nevis and St. Kitts for a few of us. Some overlap, some flexibility — it felt balanced.
When restaurant reservations opened mid December, Debbie and I stayed up past midnight to secure our dinners. First night together. Last night together. A few sprinkled in between. We divided and conquered — and honestly, we nailed it.
We felt organized. Prepared. Ready.
Then February changed everything.
Ten days before departure, I landed in the ER. Pericarditis had progressed to pleural effusion. I was put on steroids and told no drinking and gluten-free. Not exactly what you want to hear before boarding a cruise.
One week before we left, Lisa and Michael had to cancel due to a death in the family.
The trip we had carefully planned shifted overnight.
And just before departure, Michael sent one more message:
“Good news. My favorite diva is going to be on yours cruise. You’re going to love it.”
For Virgin, the onboard “diva” is a high-energy performer who hosts events and shapes the vibe of the sailing. The diva on ours was Kara Kature.
Michael said she made their first Virgin cruise unforgettable.
It was a small bright spot in a complicated week.
Happiness is Possible 