ECSTASY at Sea

In 1997, I was 29 and was reaching a turning point in my life. I had completed my MBA in May, and my 2.5-year marriage had come to end.

What a perfect time to book a cruise with my two sisters and two best friends! Party of 5, ALL ABOARD! We set sail aboard the Carnival cruise ship ECSTASY on Nov. 16, 1997, headed to the Bahamas.

We had a most memorable vacation! We met so many people and partied to the max! It was a trip that will be remembered by us all forever!

The next year, I was living alone in a two-bedroom duplex. On July 20, 1998, I awoke from a dream. I remember lying there thinking about it. In my dream, I saw that the cruise ship ECSTASY was on fire. It was a surprisingly vivid dream.

I thought it was odd but proceeded to get up and start my day as usual. I took my shower, then turned on the TV to watch the news. To my horror, I saw on the news broadcast that the ECSTASY cruise ship was ON FIRE! It was burning after departing the port of Miami, Florida, en route to Key West, Florida.

The fire was believed to have started in the laundry room as a result of welding. Several crew members and passengers suffered minor injuries. Losses from the fire exceeded $17 million. The ship’s damage was repaired, and it continued to sail until its final voyage taking place from October 10-15, 2022. The Carnival Ecstasy carried nearly 5.5 million guests in its 31 years of service.

I’ll never forget this dream and seeing it on the news the next day!