Woman creates virtual cruise experience after vacation canceled due to COVID-19

HAMILTON, Mich. -- A tropical vacation seven years in the making for a group of friends is canceled amid the coronavirus.

But that didn't stop one Michigan woman from creating her own virtual cruise getaway.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only effected every day life but it has canceled trips of a lifetime.

"I was upset because we've been planning this for a long time," said Tiffany Dekker.

Dekker and three of her friends were supposed to leave for a five day cruise to the Bahamas on Monday, but of course, it has been canceled, reported WXMI.

"I would say maybe I was in denial that it was cancelled," Dekker said.

But instead f wasting the vacation time she had planned, she decided she was going to make the most out of a tough situation.

"I had a week and a half off I was like no I'm still going to take my time off and I thought I might as well pretend I'm on a cruise," she said.

Instead of the Bahamas, she brought the cruise to West Michigan and tried to live the spirits of three others who were expecting to go with her.

"I privately sent them videos I was taking and I was like, you know what, I'm going to share this with everybody," Dekker said.

That's when she took to Facebook to document her journey on her virtual cruise from home.

"Some of them even said that they felt like they were on the cruise with me as well so yeah, that was cool," Dekker said.

Dekker created everything from towel pets, like you'd see on a cruise ship, to a buffet with great deserts and even enjoying the water, but she had to get creative with the tropical drinks from home.

"So I don't have a coconut but I have apples at home so I made a drink out of an apple," she said.

While she may have missed out on a vacation that has been in the works for years, Dekker said it's all about spreading positivity in a time when we all need it.

"You have to lift yourself up, you have to bring something positive out of a bad situation. I always like to look at the glass half full," Dekker said.

She said it took about years to get this cruise even planned, but she's hoping they can all reschedule once the pandemic is over.