Who knew I would be a cruiser? My first cruise years ago was not my favorite trip, and I thought, Well, I must not be a cruiser. You know the cruisers, right? In fact, you may be one! They love the boat, the buffets, and the beaches at each port. The cruisers have it down to a science and look forward to it all year.
We used to have a cruiser on our Lifeway Women’s Events team. She and her husband did a cruise every year for their anniversary, and we always knew it was coming up because EVERY DAY for two weeks her lunch would consist of plain boiled chicken and steamed squash to get her “cruise-ready.” If becoming a cruiser meant eating that bland chicken, it was not for me.
My taste changed, though, when I went on a cruise produced by Lifeway that combined everything I love: beautiful scenery, being with my people, yummy food, fun activities, great Bible teaching, worship, and a challenge to go deeper in my faith. When I experienced it, I wondered, Why haven’t I done this before?
My favorite part of being on a cruise was the retreat-like atmosphere it created. We got to start our days together with early devotions and then went our separate ways for whatever adventures we had planned for the day. At night we came back together for dinner, fun, worship, music, and Bible teaching.
We 350 attendees got to know each other throughout the week. We prayed together, dined together, and laughed together. Faces on that big boat became familiar. New lifelong friendships were forged, and families on vacation made memories together. It was really the best of both worlds—an in-depth Christian retreat and a family, couple, team, or friend vacation at the same time.
I remember one family of parents with two adult kids and their spouses were on board, and the mother of the family was facing cancer. They came on the cruise to be with each other, be in God’s Word, and worship together. After the Big Daddy Weave meet and greet, the guys in the band prayed over that sweet mom. It was a powerful, intimate time.
A single woman from a small town in Idaho boarded the cruise on her own. Incredibly, there were two other women from that same small town on board from a different church! We connected them, and she left with two new lifelong friends.
The Caribbean cruise holds such beauty, warmth, and fun. The food on our boat was fabulous, and there were so many options. The excursion my friends and I took of snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking was stunning and great exercise. I went horseback riding, too, and saw such incredible scenery. There was surfing and zip lining ON THE BOAT. I even dabbled in a little karaoke. Sorry, I’m not sharing that video (nope), but it was a fun memory and a daring moment for me. Who needs to be brave zip lining when there’s a karaoke stage?!
So as it turns out, I am an unlikely cruiser. The Lord used that week to refresh me and teach me, and it gave me an opportunity to gaze upon His wonders and beauty (see the sunset below) and worship Him. I had time to just BE in His presence and fellowship with those dearest to me. Are you an unlikely cruiser like me? You’ll never know until you try. Join me for this year’s Lifeway Cruise to the Caribbean October 22-29 and become a cruiser, too!
Paige Greene is the Director of Adult Live Events for Lifeway where she manages a team of event planners who implement some 30 Bible study, enrichment, and simulcast events for women, men, married couples, college students, and senior adults each year. She came to Lifeway in 2006, but prior to her work at Lifeway, Paige managed domestic community relations for the Operation Christmas Child project with Samaritan’s Purse. She is also working on a Master’s in Professional Counseling. In her spare time, she is a fun Aunt to four teenage and young adult nieces and loves traveling, singing, and spending time with her family.