A Tribute to the Woman Who Sparked My Interest in Cruise Travel

Today I'd like to take a moment to tip my hat to the woman who first sparked my interest in cruise travel: my grandmother Marie Andracchio.

She was born in 1911 into an Italian family in Brookline, Massachusetts. She was one of nine children and learned the value of hard work at a very early age. She was a waitress most of her life but spent her free time volunteering—especially at the Council on Aging in Hudson, MA—to help others. She also created beautiful ceramic designs, which she sold from her own home studio (oftentimes with the proceeds going to charity).

I remember when she retired. She had saved for years to take a cruise—a treat to herself, she had told me, for the good work she'd done to raise a family. I recall the day she left for the trip. She was wearing a beautiful sundress with a matching hat and colorful handbag. I was just a little girl at the time but I remember thinking that my Nana was the most glamorous person ever and I admired the fact that she was going on this trip as a single traveler. Nothing was going to stop her from fulfilling a promise she had made to herself long ago.

My grandmother was an incredibly strong, kind, and generous woman, but she was not wealthy. That was the only cruise she ever took, but she had a wonderful time and relived the high points many times over the years that followed.

She was always—and will continue to be—an inspiration to me and many other people who were lucky enough to have known her. She passed away last week at the age of 100. I can't thank her enough for her love and for helping me become the person I am today.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo credit: Allan Jung. My grandmother always seemed to get her picture in the newspaper for one reason or another. For a long while we joked that she must be dating the paper's photographer! The thing is, my grandmother's smile and personality was infectious; people were drawn to her because she brightened every room she ever walked into. She's pictured here, dressed to the nines, at a Victorian masquerade presented by the Marlboro Chamber of Commerce.

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