Crusing with an alcoholic

[donaldsc]

I have a cruise booked with someone who has realized they are an alcoholic and should stop drinking. Does anyone have suggestions that may help them stay sober? I was wondering if they can request their card to be turned off for alcohol purchases or anything like that? Thank you in advance!

 

Should stop drinking or has stopped drinking. There is a big difference.

 

DON

[sanger727]

 

1. We/you didn't CAUSE the drinking

2. We/you, CAN'T CONTROL the drinking

3. We/you can't CURE the drinking

 

 

 

Yes, these things are also true. And of course if the alcoholic wants a drink they will get a drink. However, it sounds as though the person in question is a social drinker who takes it too far. I would guess that if the OP and their friend were mindful not to spend time in the bars or order drinks with dinner/show or go on shore excursions that offer free drinks that it would be much more likely that the friend will stay sober. It puts OP in an unfortunate position if that’s not how they want to spend their vacation however.

 

I have a friend who is similar and was required to sober up following a DUI. She ended up just not spending time with friends for awhile since all her friends hung out in bars. She hangs out with them again but not sure if she’s drinking or not.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[bEwAbG]

Yes, there are definitely grades of abuse. Same thing with smoking. At the time I quit, I would smoke a lot when in a bar (when you could still do that sort of thing). To make it easier to quit, I stopped going to bars. I also told the coworkers who I would take a social smoke break with what was going on and basically didn't talk to them for the next six months. Of course, I could have gone to the store to buy a pack and started at any time I wanted, but in the process of changing my habits, I really had to take a break from some places that would have been more of a trigger than others. Binge drinking is much different than being drunk 24/7. If you avoid being in a situation where you can binge, it's easier to not do it.

[hmorrow]

It's unclear to me and evidently the OP if the person is in the program. He or she has just declared they are stopping drinking.

 

But in concert with your advice, do you think it would be good to point out there are support meetings by AA on board? He or she may not know who Bill W. is, or why he has so many friends. He or she could end up in a Friends of Dorothy meeting and be very confused.

 

HI

I do believe other people mentioned AA and that Bill W started it, and as that is for the Alcoholic, I thought I'd mention Al Anon for the person writing the original post, who is not the Alcoholic......Helaine

[hcat]

HI

I do believe other people mentioned AA and that Bill W started it, and as that is for the Alcoholic, I thought I'd mention Al Anon for the person writing the original post, who is not the Alcoholic......Helaine

 

Your post was helpful..I copied parts of it for someone who l think might find it useful!

[hmorrow]

Your post was helpful..I copied parts of it for someone who l think might find it useful!

I’m glad to hear that....

Helaine

[RodPat]

Firstly, I want to clarify that I do not do any alcohol, as a preference as well as for health reason. I am just thinking aloud, in addition to all the advice given here, maybe it will also take a bit of sacrifice for OP to not drink on this cruise. I can imagine that if I am an alcoholic and being with a friend who drinks in front of me would make it harder for me to not want a drink.

I have a friend whose husband has not had a drink in over 34 years. He never minds if we all have a drink but we have trouble going to a honky tonk bar as those are the places he drank. He just tells us this place makes me feel uncomfortable and we all leave. I think it has to do to mutual respect on both sides. If the bar is like the martini bar we choose to sit at one of the tables instead of at the bar. Certain situations tend to set an alcoholic off.

I also was on a Royal Caribbean cruise with a friend who was an alcoholic and he drank way too much and threw up at the blackjack table. They had to take him to the doctor in a wheel chair. The next night he went to the table and asked for his second drink they told him he could only have one drink an hour, so I know they watch what people do. My friend who did this is now in recovery and his life is so much better. We should never judge these people as they definitely can be rehabilitated.

 

Pat