Eight residents of Presbyterian Village North (PVN) just returned from an active and exciting weeklong cruise aboard The Navigator of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship. The residents enjoyed breathtaking views aboard the ship, as well as top-notch food, entertainment and amenities, and they explored during stops in Cozumel, Belize and Honduras. The trip was planned by Lisa Englander, independent living life enrichment manager at PVN, along with Celebration Magazine and Celebration Senior Travel. This was the first time that PVN planned a cruise for residents to partake in an invigorating adventure together. The trip furthered the community’s goal of embracing new and exciting activities to engage residents.
“It was just so refreshing to get away with some of my friends,” said Mary Bonno, resident of Presbyterian Village North. “The shows and stuff like that are what I remember the most. The entertainment at night was really good. Of course, the food and the atmosphere were spectacular. Lisa did such a phenomenal job planning this for us.”
This was the first trip Bonno has taken in 10 years. A frequent traveler in the past, her husband Frank had gotten to a point where he didn’t want to travel anymore. After his passing, she reconsidered travel and because of the ease of having the trip planned for her with a departure from Galveston and not having to take an airplane, Bonno decided to go. She especially enjoyed a bus tour of Cozumel and spent time walking the decks of the ship and the promenade on the ship, which offered lots of shops and places to stop and visit.
Bonno was able to share a cabin with a good friend from Presbyterian Village North, Shirley King. The two stayed in a balcony room where they could admire the beautiful views from the ship. Bonno was not seated at the same dinner table as her friend, but that allowed her to get to know a couple from PVN whom she really enjoyed, as well as to meet some new friends.
“We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,” said King. “It was wonderful to experience this trip with others from PVN. And it was such a treat that Lisa made all of the arrangements. We just got to show up and have fun! It’s hard to choose my favorite part since everything was so nice.”
King frequently travels with her family, and while she has taken many cruises in the past, this was her first one without a family member. She had a wonderful time with Bonno and many other friends. She would consider taking another trip with the community in a few years. In the meantime, she plans to stay busy traveling with her family and participating in the variety of activities that PVN has to offer.
“We are thrilled that our residents took a spectacular cruise together,” said Ron Kelly. “I’m thankful for creative team members like Lisa, who are always looking for ways to engage the residents and provide amazing opportunities. I look forward to hearing more about the residents’ travels, and I’m sure we will offer more trips like this in the future.”