Cruise for Mom and Dad

I was talking to Mom the other day about cruises. Now that Joseph is finally eating food and soon to be weened, and therefore old enough to leave behind for a few days, Doug and I have booked a cruise for the first week of March. Yeah! When I called Mom to ask her if she and Dad could babysit for us she made the comment that she feels the window closing for her and Dad to be able to go on cruises and enjoy them. I heard a longing in her voice that really hit me. I think she is realizing that Dad isn't going to get stronger, and that the time for her and Dad to be able to travel together is rapidly coming to an end. She is facing what must be a very difficult stage of life as she watches the decline of her beloved husband. Suddenly all of the "somedays" become "it is now or never".

So I have a proposition to make. Doug and I are hoping to travel a lot this year so I will need Mom and Dad to do a lot of babysitting for us. I offered to send Mom and Dad on a cruise as payment and Mom was thrilled with the idea. She has been wanting to go to Hawaii on a 2 week cruise out of Los Angeles. The problem is that it is a bit pricey. I know there are cheaper cruises, but this is the one she has been dreaming about for a long time. It is a perfect cruise for them as it is almost 10 days at sea with a lot of relaxation time--"hotel time" as Mom put it. I don't know exactly how much it will be but probably around $3000-$3500. Doug and I will pay the first $2000 so I am soliciting from all the rest of us to donate as much as possible toward this cruise. Mom wants to go the last half of April, which is half way between their birthdays, and it is also close to Mother's Day and Father's Day. So you can all just donate toward the cruise and I am sure they will be thrilled with it instead of gifts. We would like to be able to get them a balcony room or at least one with a window to help with Dad's claustrophobia. Then there is always money needed for taxes, tips, and excursions. We will probably book the cruise towards the end of March because prices tend to come down closer to the departure date. I have an account at Zions and Wells Fargo that you can put money into, or you can get it to me when we see each other again. As much as you all can contribute will be greatly appreciated--and I know it will be money well spent. The time for us to be able to do this for them is coming to an end. Like Mom said, the window is closing and there isn't going to be another one to open. So what do you all say?