An Unforgettable Trip

I was so excited! My friends and I were going on a cruise together. We had been planning it for years, and we were finally doing it. We were going on the Royal Caribbean International cruise.  

I was going with my childhood friends whom I had known since kindergarten. We all went to the same school except college. Even though we all went our separate ways, we were still very close. I was in medical school at the University of Florida studying to be a surgeon. My parents were both surgeons, so I grew up around people in the medical community.

I had finally gotten the last text from Emma that she was able to go. All four of us had to leave a week after Emma’s confirmation. We were staying for two weeks. That was until something bad happened that tore us apart.

I was going on the cruise with Emma, Liv, and Ava. Emma was my closest friend. She was short and hilarious. She always made me laugh no matter what mood I was in. She was studying to be a lawyer. Even though she had a great sense of humor, she had a serious side as well.

Liv was the wild one. She loved to party hard. She was wonderful to talk to, always there for me, and was absolutely fun. She was an interior designer. She designed my apartment and it was beautiful.

Ava was the shy one. She had a beautiful voice, but never liked to show it. She was one that always hated drama which was the best thing about her. She was a math teacher. She was so good at math when we were younger.

The day before we left, I was stressed out about packing. I didn’t own two weeks worth of outfits. Well, I probably did, but a girl always needs more clothes. I thought about shopping before the trip but then decided to just pack a new credit card and shop on the cruise.  

I woke up the next morning all packed and ready to go. Liv picked up all of us and drove us to the port. We were all dancing to “Party In The USA” by Miley Cyrus while we were still in the USA. It was my first time going on a cruise, so it was really exciting. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

After we boarded the boat, we went straight to our room. It was number two. There were two beds and a bathroom. It didn’t even feel like I was on a boat. There was also a balcony off of our room with an amazing view of the ocean. I couldn’t wait to drink my morning coffee on the lounge chair on the balcony.

After we moved into our room, we went and sat next to the pool. There was wind blowing onto my face as well as the burning hot sun. There was also water splashing on my legs from Liv and Emma trying to get me into the pool. I was fine where I was. It felt like the perfect vacation. I was so excited to spend the next two weeks on this ship with my best friends.

The next morning, we were on our way to Mexico. I could barely see the moon, and it was almost pitch black out. There were two breakfast places. There was one at the front of the boat, which was very close to us. There was also one at the back of the boat, which apparently had better food out of the two. In order to get to the back of the boat breakfast place, we had to go outside, which was freezing. I had to wear sweatpants and a thick sweatshirt.

The food was amazing. I got Belgian waffles with a fruit plate which was beautiful and colorful. I also got a strawberry smoothie which was probably the best smoothie ever. The service was amazing, and we were almost the only people there. There was an older couple, and the wife looked sick. I wanted to help her. Since I was studying to be a doctor, I knew a thing or two about medicine.

“Hi. My name is Chloe. Are you feeling ok?” I asked.

“She needs help. She’s been puking all morning. I thought breakfast would make her feel better, but she won’t eat. I’m pretty sure she has a fever,” he responded.

“Help me…,” the sick wife said quietly. I could tell she needed help. She was not in good condition.

We went back to her room, and I checked her temperature and it was at one hundred and three. That was super high for a fever. I gave her some medicine and it put her to sleep. I wanted to enjoy my vacation, but I couldn't stop thinking about this sick woman. I became concerned about everyone on the boat since we were living in very close quarters.

A few hours later, we docked in Mexico. It was still very dark out. Even though I was still worried about this sick women, I still managed to have fun in Mexico. We enjoyed ziplining, Alpine sliding, and laying out on the beach. We had the best lunch ever with the best salsa I had ever tasted. I was having a great time.

We had to come back to the boat around 3:30pm. We got acai bowls on the cruise, which tasted so good. When we sat down to eat the acai bowl, a worker started puking which made Ava puke. I could sense an illness going around.

It was now 5:40 and it was still cloudy. It was very windy with very little sunlight. We decided to do a little shopping before dinner. The mall was small but amazing. It had all my favorite stores. As we walked in the store, we saw more people puking. I was becoming more and more concerned.

“Can I meet up with you guys later?” Ava asked. I could tell Ava did not feel well. Ava ran to the closet bathroom, covering her mouth. “Don’t follow me!” Ava had gotten sick and I wanted to help her. However, I was worried that she would spread the illness to all of us.

“We should buy soap and cleaning supplies and maybe even masks,” Liv said.

“I agree. We need to stop the spread of the disease and help the sick people.”

After buying a bunch of cleaning supplies, we left the mall to go back to our room to shower. When we got outside, it was pouring rain. It was very windy, a lot of thunder, and you could barely see. We were running so fast back to our room. It was crazy. We were soaking wet.

When we got back to our room, Ava wasn't there. It didn’t even look like she came back to the room. Liv and Emma stayed in the room while I looked for her. I went back outside and it was hard to see anything because of the dark sky and pouring rain. I saw a person lying on the deck beside the pool. As I got closer, I recognized Ava’s long dark hair. She wasn’t moving. She wasn’t even breathing.

I know that being a doctor, you have to deal with death, but this took me completely by surprise, and my heart was broken. I felt so helpless. I couldn't save one of my best friends even though I had a respected medical school education. This trip was supposed to be a  be a fun reunion with my childhood friends. Instead, it turned into my worst nightmare.

          Liv, Emma, and I did not get sick but many people on the ship were ill and a few died. The cruise ended immediately and the ship returned to port in the United States. My friends and I went to Florida where Ava’s parents lived. We stayed for the funeral and then all went our separate ways.

I will never go on another cruise. The memories will haunt me forever. I still talk to Liv and Emma, but we are all busy with our own lives. I miss Ava, but I am really happy that she was my friend. Her memory has become my motivation become the best doctor that I can possibly be.