The people you meet on cruises are what make it special. You have usually got hundreds or thousands to choose from and you're bound to find a gold nugget amongst them.
I have met some great people over the years and still keep in touch but my "gold nugget" was a guy called Dennis.
He had been an active man in his time: a fireman with an eye for the ladies by all accounts. He was with his partner and they sat on the next table to us at dinner but didn't speak much. We thought they had fallen out. But no.
Dennis was suffering from a wasting disease. He walked with difficulty and spoke with even greater difficulty. It was sad to see.
Eventually, we got talking and we decided to go for a drink and what a lovely man he turned out to be. It was their first cruise and he was determined to take his partner on it while he could.
I'll be honest: it was hard to make out what he said at times but his companion - an equally lovely person - helped out with that.
We got on like a house on fire and he really took to me as I did to him.
He even tried to dance in the disco and at the party by the pool night but could only manage a couple before he flopped down exhausted. He had a heart as big as a lion's
We enjoyed their company for the rest of the cruise and we dreaded when it came time to part but we vowed to keep in touch.
Dennis squeezed my hand as it was time to go and the tears rolled down his cheeks.
The inevitable email arrived from his partner a few weeks later. She said he had gone into a swift decline and died.
What an impression he made in those few days we spent together at sea.
You will always be remembered Dennis. You made that cruise a joy and it was a privilege to meet you both.
Which cruisers have you met who made an impression on you?
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