I spent half a million dollars on a three-year cruise, but the ship never turned up. Still, always be positive | Meredith Shay

I sold most of my possessions and gave up my home in anticipation of my departure. It might sound stressful, but it was liberating

When I heard about a round the world cruise last year, taking in 135 countries and docking at 375 destinations over three years, I was the first person to sign up for it. I chose a seventh-floor cabin with a balcony, setting me back $562,000 (444,000).

I had been preparing to set sail last month, from Miami. As the date approached, I started packing the four small cases I was planning to bring aboard with me and then had them sent to the port, ready to be put on the ship. But we hit stormy seas. First, the cruise operator told us our boarding destination had changed, from Miami to the Bahamas. Days later, we were told the cruise was cancelled entirely.

Meredith Shay is a retired flight attendant from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US. As told to Lucy Pasha-Robinson

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