Dying To Cruise? New Website Spreads The Excitement, And Ashes

Rabidly loyal fans of cruise vacations would be reluctant to cancel their trips, even with news of Norovirus outbreaks among passengers. Stories of ships tragically grounded or on fire do not even make them blink. These travelers are going to cruise no matter what, skipping other travel options to feed their addiction. With these travelers in mind, a new service is available to assist with even more luxurious cruise reservations — in the afterlife.

My Final Cruise handles the spreading of ashes at sea, complying with all environmental laws and allowing a great deal of input from their clients in a pre-need sort of way. Clients can choose to plan their own final cruise catering to their needs whether they want an accompanied service with friends and family in attendance or would prefer that their ashes be delivered and placed by the ship’s senior officers.

Those with a vision for what kind of service they might want can specify if they would like a meal following the service, a specific prayer or a poem to be read, a function in a private bar or to have those in attendance participate in a favorite activity they previously enjoyed.My Final Cruise also has a world map online that will record and display that final resting place at sea. In addition to the longitude and latitude, clients may add photos, a memorial and even a short video to share with others. The map is public, allowing government agencies to verify the exact location.

With a selection of biodegradable urns priced from $149.95, My Final Cruise caters to eco-concerned cruise travelers who can be sure their carbon footprint is low, even on that final cruise.

[Flickr photo via Official U.S. Navy Imagery]



Plans to scatter ashes of famous Everest climber canceled

Earlier this month, Kraig reported on plans to scatter the ashes of famous Mount Everest climber Sir Edmund HIlary at the peak as a final tribute to the famous mountaineer. Now according to the BBC, it appears those plans have been canceled after concerns were raised by the Buddhist community.

Apa Sherpa, who is shooting for a record-breaking 20th climb of Mount Everest, was planning to honor HIlary by bringing his ashes to the top. But a group of Buddhist lamas has warned that doing so would bring bad luck to Everest, a mountain which is considered sacred by local sherpas. It was also feared that leaving the ashes at the summit would set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other climbers to leave remains at the top. Hilary’s ashes will instead be kept at a nearby monastery.

Edmund Hilary passed away in 2008 at the age of 88. He and his sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

Cremated remains missing from passengers luggage – TSA says “oops”

Several days ago, I wrote about an airline passenger who arrived home to discover that his shock absorbers had been removed from his luggage, and replaced with a note from the TSA letting him know they had inspected his bags.

Today’s episode is far more disturbing – a passenger flying on Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Denver arrived at her destination, only to discover that the cremated remains of her mother were no longer in her plastic urn.

The container itself was still there, but it was empty, and like the other incident, the only evidence was a note left by the TSA letting her know they had inspected her checked bag.

The TSA at Sea-Tac airport is now worried that a screener “made an error” and removed the contents of the container. They are attempting to track down the screener, to find out what happened to the remains, and what prompted them to empty the container.

Initially, the passenger blamed herself, and was worried that she was to blame for the incident, but she followed the TSA regulations for carrying cremated remains, and the TSA web site clearly states that under no circumstances will they open the container.

Fingers crossed that the TSA finds the remains, or the mother of this poor lady will be laid to rest in the bottom of a trash can at Sea-Tac airport.

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