What is Friends of Bill W.?

[AZjohn]

that's very cool!

 

I have shown up to at least one meeting on every cruise I have been on and not one time has anyone else been there, bummer. I am coming up on 9 years sober.

 

jbsteven, don't give up trying the meetings on board. My wife and I tried many times also without meeting any other FOBW. Then on our last cruise to Alaska, the first meeting was on a sea day and in the afternoon and bingo, everyone in the fellowship showed up:)

 

John

[NJBear]

jbsteven, don't give up trying the meetings on board. My wife and I tried many times also without meeting any other FOBW. Then on our last cruise to Alaska, the first meeting was on a sea day and in the afternoon and bingo, everyone in the fellowship showed up:)

 

John

 

On my first DAWN cruise a few years ago, I was the only one at the first meeting until about 20-25 minutes after the meeting starting time..then 2 other people showed up--the next day 10, the day after 12 and soon we had to bring new chairs in the boardroom before the end of the cruise--the first nite from my experience is very very sparce(had I left the 1st nite, probably the 2nd person that came late would have also and so on with the 3rd, only to think noone shows up. )

 

On Day 1 everyone is unpacking, exploring, looking for Food and many never even see the FOBW in the freestyle daily until later

[Host CMLA]

Jim -- I'd love more information on sober cruises. Where can I look?

Do a Google search of sober cruising. A few sites come up that give good information on this.

[derf5585]

Do a Google search of sober cruising. A few sites come up that give good information on this.

 

does anyone know how you find out about sober cruises?

from

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=224288

 

1st annual Friends Cruising Sober Group

from

http://www.council-houston.org/Recovery/Sober_Recreation_Committee.aqf

[oraelo]

hehehe, I'm a friend of Bill W. and here are 2 quick stories i found amusing on my last 2 cruises.

 

Over heard at the pool: "I sure do wish we'd run into that Bill W. guy, he has a party every night!" :D

 

In a meeting as it was beginning a man and woman walked in with his freestyle daily schedule in hand and said "Well this guy Bill even has coffee, tea, juice and cookies, we don't know who he is but we'd sure be glad to stay and meet him..is he here?"...When I told them it was a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous the man almost ran over the woman getting to the door.....hehehe , sometimes we try to do "everything" offered on the ship..

 

..although last cruise a young man walked in and chose (or was chosen)the middle of a cruise to get sober--what a great thing that there was help for him in the middle of an ocean:)

 

I was at a meeting on a ship when an obviously drunk woman came in and sat quietly for a few minutes. She finally spoke up and asked, "OK which one of u is Bill?" After catching our breath from laughter, we explained to her why we were there, and just like your experience, her feet couldn't move her quick enough to get her out of that room.

[lettienets]

As a friend of Bill W. I can tell you it is also really cheap to cruise, not buying alcohol!

Another great story I heard..... A flight attendent very new to recovery had just got off a plane and had the urge to drink when passing the bars on the airport concourse. Instead she paged the airport and asked if " Friends of Bill W." would come to Gate 12 (an empty gate) apparently over 20 people came and talked to her. (2 people missed their flights!)

What a nice story. Thanks for sharing.

[gwsster]

One of the best threads I have read here in awhile. The cruising community can be so wonderful and the stories are so encouraging. Thanks for making my reading of CC a little nicer tonight.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

My father was a FOBW and I have often commented that my brothers and I grew up at AA because we went so frequently. There were activities for the children during the meetings and then a potluck afterward. My family went almost every evening during the first few years of my father's recovery. Whenever I see the Friends of Bill W meetings in the Dailies, it makes me smile and think of my father and what he did for our family. I'm so happy the cruise lines provide a place for those meetings and publicize them.

 

Loved the story about the flight attendant! :D

[Sunnysafari]

I am fortunate to be a friend of Bill W. for 25 years as of 1/2/16 and it is really great that these meetings are available on cruise ships. Anyone is welcome to come to the party at Bill's place. 😀 I'm thrilled to be enjoying the heck out of the cruise without a drink in my hand!

[Janine]

Might I suggest you do a web search on William Griffith Wilson who was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He remained sober from 1934 until his death in 1971.

[Freespir8]

What a nice story. Thanks for sharing.

 

I love that story! The fellowship is alive and well. :)

[LrgPizza]

One of the best threads I have read here in awhile. The cruising community can be so wonderful and the stories are so encouraging. Thanks for making my reading of CC a little nicer tonight.

 

 

Probably because it's 9 years old. Haha.

[Kag1526]

that's very cool!

 

I have shown up to at least one meeting on every cruise I have been on and not one time has anyone else been there, bummer. I am coming up on 9 years sober.

 

I was wondering what it was on my last cruise (thinking this guy must have deep pockets to have a private function each day) but when I read here my first thought was I was suprised that each cruise had enough people to really run a meeting. Like do the lines have someone on staff to run it?

[hmorrow]

I was wondering what it was on my last cruise (thinking this guy must have deep pockets to have a private function each day) but when I read here my first thought was I was suprised that each cruise had enough people to really run a meeting. Like do the lines have someone on staff to run it?

 

The attendees, who are the friends of Bill, run it

And it only takes 2 to have a meeting!

Helaine