Traveler's Tales: Cruising with Nuns

We took a cruise with nuns, once.

Avid travelers, my parents loved cruise ships. Unfortunately, when my mother died, my father had a series of health issues and couldn’t travel alone.

One spring break my husband and I invited him to take a simple cruise to Mexico with us and our two youngest children. We hoped to encourage him that his life hadn’t completely narrowed to just southern California.

Reason to cruise?

We weren’t all that keen on a cruise ourselves, but  he was very excited–he hadn’t been to sea in several years.

When our abbreviated family joined him on deck aboard the large Carnival Cruise liner, he rubbed his hands in glee. “I can’t wait to set sail. I’m going to gamble and chase women.”

“Then why am I on this cruise? I’m not interested in gambling or chasing women.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Dining with the nuns

Our family had never been on a cruise before, though my naval officer husband certainly was familiar with ships and going to sea.

We bounced on our narrow bunk beds, inspected the various decks and found our seating assignment. On this cruise line, we ate at the same rectangular table set for eight people, the entire five days.

My heart sank as I examined the place names. In addition to our five spots, three single women would join us at the table. I hoped my father would not be too outrageous.

We wore our nice clothes that first night and arrived at the table early. My optimistic dad took the head seat with the four of us sitting two on either side.

I’ll never forgot the stunned look on his face, however, when our table mates joined us: three nuns dressed in full habit; white wimple, black crepe veil and all.

I confess, I laughed so hard I had to put my napkin in front of my face until I could compose myself.

My father had the good manners to greet them in a tight voice, “good evening, Sisters.”

They smiled politely. Middle aged and serene, they spoke in pleasant tones.

My eight-year-old daughter hadn’t seen a nun before. I explained they were nice ladies married to Jesus.

She liked the idea.

What were nuns doing on a cruise?

The nuns were teachers pleased to be on a spring break, just like us.

Another nun who had always wanted to take a cruise had planned the trip; this wasn’t their idea. At the last minute, she broke her leg and sent them on without her. They had never been on a cruise before either.

As we set sail that beautiful evening headed toward Santa Catalina Island 26-miles across the sea, I wondered what the trip would hold and if my father would find some peace with his circumstances.

Unfortunately, Dad suffered a mini-stroke the next morning. The Coast Guard airlifted him back to Los Angeles.

He recovered within a few days, but the experience proved his cruising days were over. I don’t know which of us was the most crushed, Dad or me. I so much had wanted him to have a fun trip.

He told us to continue without him, but every day I wondered why we were on a cruise filled with drinkers, gamblers, raucous high schoolers, and three very sweet nuns.

The advantage of vacationing with nuns

Lovely women and out of their element, the nuns spent a lot of time with us.

We took off-ship tours to spots in Mexico with them, dined nightly at their table, sat with them during the shows, and waved when we saw them walking the top deck in black track suits with white trim.

I don’t know how many times they asked about my father and told us they were praying for him.

I’m sorry my dad didn’t get his cruise. I still feel a guilty about how hard I laughed when my father realized the single women at his table were nuns.

But I will always be thankful that in an incongruous place at a difficult time, God sent three of his special agents to minister to my family. It just goes to show, you never know when you may end up entertaining angels, or even nuns, unawares.