have you ever had such a amazing offer but had to refuse it?

Wow - seems strange that they held onto your details for so long, and only just called you, but I do understand that you can't take them up on it now as you have young children. I guess there is a time for everything, and this is just not your time for that. As for me - well - I've had plenty of opportunitities come my way in my time, and have to say when I was younger I always grabbed the offer with both hands. I have travelled the world, lived in several different countries, worked all over the world, - and I am so glad that I did these things, because now I'm getting older I can look back and feel I have nothing to regret.

Oh wow. That is certainly a tough break for you. I have a friend in the restaurant business that is a Food manager for a cruiseline. He loves it and getting to travel all over the world is a great benefit.

Wow! What a great story. And what a disappointment I am sure. But you have to know life takes us where it will and all you have to do is stand back and look at your family and you will see how fortunate you were that it took you that way. No question this would have been a great job to have but your life would have been completely different. Sure you would have made all that money and traveled the world but even that would have become routine and turned into a job. And then what would you have to show for it. Pretty good chance it would have been a lot of money and no family. You got the better deal my dear. Believe me.

no i cant say that it has, but wow, you may never get the chance again...how long was the cruise or was it a job where you would be travelling all the time? 'sigh' guess things happen for a reason...

Oh wow that would be difficult to pass up but definitely understandable with a family now and all. I did have an awesome opportunity once, it was for a land deal in another country. It would have been worth about $1 million over 10 yrs. But I turned it down for what, at the time, seemed like a good reason. Looking back now I really should have taken it. I'd be retired by now and living very nicely. Instead I'm in a run down house, in ill health with no health insurance and financially destitute. The good thing is I have a great husband who loves me and I wouldn't trade that for anything. If the same deal came up now, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat and take hubby with me!

Wow that is amazing! I did get an offer to work on a ship once but I never applied or wanted it. I am the same as you, I have childern and couldn't be gone away from them that long. First off I would miss them but two I don't have anyone who could watch them that I would trust for that length of time. Considering they must have gotten tons of applications you should feel very proud of your skills that they wanted you to work on the celebrity cruise ship. That is great!

I have had a very similar thing happen... not as exciting as yours though. Years ago when I was teaching 4th grade, I had no children of my own and my husband was traveling a lot with his job, I interviewed with a company to be a traveling teacher for children in stage or TV productions around the country. It was an opportunity to travel around, spend my days with kids it all sounded wonderful. I got a job offer and while the money was fabulous, it was for a TV show based out of the area I live. It was only occasional travel and was going to be more of a hassel than anything else so I turned it down and kept my classroom position. About a year ago, the company called me back and the offer they made was twice the amount, two of the kids in the show I would be traveling with are already famous, it was mostly US travel but 4 days in London and 3 in Paris were on the schedule. The more they talked, the more my jaw dropped. The job was mine if I wanted it based on a recommendation I had received and they wanted to fly me to NY for 5 days of fun time spent with the children to see how we interacted and allow the families to get to know me. It was exactly what I wanted years ago when I first applied. But now I am a stay at home mom to my own son (almost 3) and I could not even imagine being away from him. I would have been able to arrange for him to travel with me, but I could not do that to our family not for any amount of money. My husband would have been torn apart not having my son here when he gets home from work. I have no regrets. It would have been great at one point in my life, but I am in a different place in my life right now. I think there is a reason why things like this happen to people, to make us appreciate all that we have. Don't you agree?

I know what you mean.I did the same thing to try to be an model and they didn't get back to me until about 5 years later after I had joined the military.Not that I still would want to be a model.I was told later that I had to be at least 5 feet 5 inches tall.I'm only 5'3.So I guess it worked out for the best.