Who doesn’t love a good getaway? Vacations are meant to be relaxing, fun, and memorable times with family members. However, when family fighting ensues, once terrific travels can quickly go downhill. These family members reveal their vacation experiences that quickly went wrong after a dramatic incident. Pack your bags, because these stories are a trip! Content has been edited for clarity.
Table of contents
1. “It Was Quiet And Uncomfortable For Everyone”
“In February of 2020, I paid for my nephew, ‘Tyler,’ and his girlfriend, ‘Jessica,’ to go on a cruise with my wife and me, plus my wife’s sister and mother. My nephew and his girlfriend had never gone on a trip like this before, as they were both in recovery, living with minimal assets, and working low-wage jobs. So, I was eager to show them ‘how the other half’ lived.
The first bad omen of the vacation was when Tyler and Jessica arrived at my house the night before from two hours away so we could all make the six-hour drive to the port together.
As we made sure they both had all of their necessities packed, Tyler stopped me and said, ‘I didn’t know I needed my birth certificate. I thought I just needed it to enter into the pre-registration online.’
I told Tyler well before his arrival about how he needed to bring his birth certificate with him. He didn’t even have a driver’s license, so I wasn’t sure how he thought he would get on the boat, let alone travel to Mexico and Central America.
Tyler left at midnight to make the multiple-hour round trip to retrieve his birth certificate from home. He took my car since his vehicle was unreliable. Jessica went with him, leaving my wife to complete their laundry.
Tyler and Jessica arrived back at about five in the morning with my car’s transmission slipping severely.
The second bad sign was how neither Tyler nor Jessica brought money with them. I told them beforehand they didn’t need any, just take advantage of the free food and entertainment. However, from day one, they both wanted to drink and gamble. I told them they couldn’t borrow money for drinks aside from when I was having one. Tyler and Jessica didn’t go out to see shows or do any activities with the rest of the family, and Tyler didn’t show up for dinner after the first night. Tyler and Jessica got into an argument, so she came to dinner alone for the second and third nights.
We got to land on the third day of the cruise, and Jessica checked her bank account. Hallelujah, her income tax check came in, and it was about six thousand bucks. After this moment, she and Tyler went crazy. They spent hundreds on souvenirs and useless things they didn’t need.
Then, drinking and gambling began. Tyler and Jessica drank and smoked all day long. He badgered her constantly to let him have money to play slots. Then, they fought again. Jessica came to dinner maybe two nights out of the next four.
They received two warnings about smoking in their room, and they almost received a huge fine. Finally, Jessica came to our door two days before the end of the trip with her bags claiming she and Tyler broke up. Afterward, she disappeared, leaving her bags in our small room. Neither he nor she called or answered their door for about twenty-four hours. The entire family started to get concerned.
Finally, a call came in the next afternoon, However, it wasn’t from either Tyler or Jessica. It was from ship security! We were informed about how a complaint had been called in about them. Allegedly, they had gotten into a huge fight with her biting and scratching, slamming into walls, and screaming at each other. Security had to move Jessica into an undisclosed room. Tyler spent the remainder of the trip sulking in his room. There were drink stains all over the walls and bed. All of their souvenirs were broken and trashed.
Then, we got back to the port and started the drive home, all six of us in the car. At first, it was quiet and uncomfortable for everyone. After the first hour or so, Tyler started going off, cursing, and yelling uncontrollably. My wife pulled him out of the car and went off on him for embarrassing and disrespecting her in front of her family. He sulked again.
We decided to make a four-hour detour to deliver Jessica back to their hometown to stay with a friend, turning a six-hour trip into an over ten-hour trip. Tyler drove their car back home later in the night.
Somehow, Tyler and Jessica survived and are still together somehow. Tyler apologized at a later date and commented how he didn’t like cruising and didn’t want to go on another one.
I responded, ‘Yeah, you won’t be going with me, anyway.’
The hilarious part about the entire situation was how both Tyler and Jessica received flyers from the cruise line asking them to come sail again with a free room and comped drinks while gambling. They spent enough to stand out as big-time gamblers.
To this day, I don’t want to travel with them again.”
2. Crazy Tracy And Cheating Robert
“Years ago, my neighbors ‘Tracy,’ and ‘Robert,’ invited my ex-husband and me along with our children to go with them on their vacation. My husband and I excitedly agreed, as we needed a vacation desperately and it was in the mountains. Our children got along nicely with the neighbor’s children, so I didn’t see any warning signs. We took separate cars, thank goodness, as we needed to leave early.
Once we arrived, my husband and I could tell there was some tension between Tracy and Robert. However, we had no clue what happened. I helped Tracy unpack the car and set up the kitchen while the children played and the men went off for supplies.
As soon as the men left, Tracy started going into what was wrong. I felt uncomfortable because I hadn’t asked and I felt uncomfortable around emotional people. I wasn’t the type of person who could help people work through their feelings. I was a great listener and good at giving advice, emotions aside. So when Tracy began looking for emotional support, I knew it wasn’t going to be a good week.
Tracy went on and on about Robert and his behaviors she didn’t like. I tried my best to appear as if I was listening, but to be honest, she lost me fifteen minutes into the conversation. Then, Tracy began to cry and went to hug me. I stiffened up, because again, I hated to be touched, especially by strangers. Tracy began bawling into my shoulder, and all I could think was how much I wanted her to stop. Thankfully, the children ran in asking about lunch and Tracy quickly let go and stumbled back.
When I told my husband about what happened, he died laughing and said, ‘I would have paid money to see your face when she started crying.’
My husband knew how I was.
I explained to my husband, ‘This was a bad idea. We shouldn’t have come.’
My husband replied, ‘Well, Robert didn’t say a word to me about anything going on. Let’s just give it time.’
I just looked at my husband and rolled over. The next few days, I stayed close to my husband because I didn’t want a repeat of the first day.
On the third night, we tucked the kids in and went outside to build a bonfire and chill. I was excited because I needed to relax and watch the fire with a drink in hand. Twenty minutes in, the fire was nice and high, drinks were poured, and we were all enjoying nature.
All of the sudden, Tracy loudly asked, ‘Did your husband cheat on you as Robert cheated on me?’
I was appalled! All of a sudden, fighting between Tracy and Robert broke out, and they were yelling at each other. Tracy threw her drink in Robert’s face, and my husband thought it was best if we excused ourselves.
As I walked inside, I heard Tracy scream, ‘No, don’t go inside! Tell the truth, you want to get with my husband, too! Just admit it! You want to hook up with my husband, too!’
My husband stepped between Tracy and me because he knew my temper and didn’t plan on bailing me out of jail in another state. I kept my cool and didn’t even yell.
Robert grabbed Tracy and yelled, ‘You need to settle down!’ and she crumbled into a crying mess.
Robert apologized for Tracy’s behavior, and my husband shook his hand and led me back into the house. We packed up to leave but didn’t want to wake the children, so we waited until the morning. The next morning, we let the children say goodbye and we left.
Upon returning home, Tracy tried to apologize to me for her actions and wanted to make it right.
I told Tracy, ‘The only way to make the situation right is to never bother me again. Only communicate if it involves our children.’
I still haven’t spoken to her to this day.”
3. Wedding Day Disaster
“This incident happened about fifteen years ago. At the time, my cousin had just gotten married at a beach destination wedding. The entire family had joined in and helped to make her wedding a major success.
To celebrate after the wedding and to allow everyone to relax, my mother and her two sisters organized a camping trip to a gorgeous beach. All of their children joined in, including me, and some even brought their friends.
Everything was going smoothly. It was seven in the evening, and we were having a barbecue. One of my cousins started a bonfire, and the atmosphere was simply magical. The view was splendid, and the cool breeze was very refreshing.
A short distance away, huge waves were crashing ferociously against the rocks on the shore. The shore had been earmarked as a historical site. Many years ago, a ship got caught in the waves and crashed there, sinking instantly. A memorial plaque was built in honor of those who lost their lives in the accident.
When another cousin, ‘Emma,’ learned about this, she wanted to visit the shore. My eldest aunt’s son, ‘Lucas,’ offered to accompany her, and off they went.
After about ten minutes, my mom asked, ‘Can you go get Emma? I’m feeling a little worried about her.’
I immediately set out, and since the shore was near our camping spot, it took me just five minutes to reach the memorial.
No sooner had I reached when I heard Emma shouting, ‘How dare you? How could you be so evil? Don’t you dare get close to me!’
Lucas grabbed her arms and was about to say something when he noticed me. He let her go and stormed off from there.
Emma was still in shock when she explained, ‘Lucas told me he loved me. He said he wanted to live with me, just before grabbing my arms to try and kiss me!’
We decided to tell our aunts, Emma’s mom, and Lucas’ mom, plus my mom. Then, we returned to camp. All three were already there discussing something. We were careful not to let our other cousins hear us or they would have given Lucas trouble.
A little backstory about Lucas. He was a divorcee, and he had joint custody of his daughter. He was a player at this time, and he was already dating four women at once. The entire family knew this, including his mother, but she thought it was wrong to interfere in his personal life. We thought Lucas would at least have some respect for his own family, but we were wrong!
As soon as we told my mom and aunt what happened, Lucas’ mother lost her mind and blamed Emma instead. She refused to accept how her son behaved inappropriately and shouted at Emma for ‘falsely’ accusing her son.
I stopped Lucas’ mother then and there and explained how I had witnessed her son’s evil actions. Just then, Lucas came and stood right next to his mother.
Lucas shouted, ‘You all are working against me. I didn’t do anything! You are wrongfully accusing me!’
All of us were at a loss for words. Emma began crying, and I tried my best to console her. My mom became furious and told Lucas and his mother to leave.
My mother asserted, ‘The girls were with Emma the entire time. They knew what happened! And Lucas, if you want to leave in one piece, you better do so without causing a scene.’
Lucas and his mother left in silence.
We stayed there for three more days and had quite a good time. However, the bond between my mom and Lucas’ mom was irretrievably broken. Lucas’ mom despised my mom to this day, as she thought that because of my mom, her son did not get the chance to defend himself. I distanced myself completely from these toxic people and very rarely talked to my aunt afterward. As for her son, I didn’t even think of him anymore.
My other aunt, Emma’s mom, remained close to us until her death. She was always grateful to my mom for standing up for her children and her in their difficult times.”
4. “My Entire Family Knew The Same Secret”
“At around ten years old, I was part of a multigenerational entourage waiting at an airport en route to a family reunion.
When it was time for the group to move on to our next stop, my grandfather went missing. My brother indicated how he’d go look for him, and I immediately told him I would go instead, but it was too late. After a short period, my brother and grandfather were heading back to join the group, and everyone could hear my brother confronting my grandfather because he had caught him smoking. Mayhem ensued. Several of us spontaneously tried to shut my brother down, and my mom got to him first, pulling him aside. Everyone, including my grandfather, acted like nothing had happened and we all played dumb.
At this moment, I realized how almost my entire family knew the same secret I’d never discussed with them, and how we all likely had the same rationale for keeping it this way.
My grandparents both had a lot of health issues, and my grandmother chain-smoked. As kids, we were mortified by her habit and what it was doing to her health, but there was nothing we could do about it. She smoked in front of us all the time whether at her home, in the car, while shopping, or at restaurants. Back then, you could smoke pretty much anywhere.
A couple of years before the airport incident, my sister confided to me about how she had seen my grandfather smoking. She was in disbelief and questioning whether this was happening. I was oblivious to this as well, but it made a lot of sense. He had all kinds of smoking-related health problems, and would often disappear when we were out. Since he lived with a chain smoker, it was easy for him to hide his habit. My grandparent’s apartment, cars, and clothes were already reeking of smoke, anyway.
My sister and I decided it was better if my grandfather smoked in secret since this would reduce the amount he smoked, so we kept this information to ourselves. From then on, whenever he was ‘missing,’ I would be cautious not to catch him in the act. I would be sure to make noise, look the other way, or find something else to occupy myself. I did not want him to know how I knew.
At the airport when my grandfather was away from the group, I wanted to be the one to go find him, lest someone else accidentally catch him smoking. My brother would have been the worst person to see him as far as maintaining the secret, simply based on my brother’s personality. When I heard my brother confronting my grandfather, my fears were realized, and I made a seemingly futile attempt to prevent this irreversible course of events from unfolding. Well, to my surprise and amusement, I was not alone. The entire group other than my brother and one other person all independently and yet somehow in coordination took swift action to get my brother away from my grandfather whilst simultaneously acting as if nothing had happened.
Upon realizing how everyone already knew, I was later able to discuss the matter with others. Each person had gone through a similar situation and thought process that my sister had, and decided on the same course of action. This even included my grandmother, who my grandfather also hid his habit from. It was strange, of course, since my grandmother was so open about her smoking.
We all kept his secret for the rest of his life. It’s hard to believe he didn’t know we all knew, especially after incidents like this, but if he did, he went along with our efforts to help me with his coverup.”
5. “She Sat Around Like She Owned The Place”
“A while back, I planned a vacation to visit with my children, grandchild, mother, brothers, and other family members. My extended family by marriage decided they wanted to come along. I was left with planning international travel for ten people, plus two weeks of accommodation in Florida.
This was not the vacation I wanted, but unfortunately, it was the vacation I got. Alas, two days after arrival, a hurricane was in our path and we had to do a mandatory evacuation. My mother happened to live outside the evacuation area, and she cordially invited all ten of us to stay at her home. I was left to coordinate all of this, too.
My mother took all of these people in. During the three days when we all lived in her house, my mother-in-law did not lift a finger. She sat in a chair the entire time and expected to be waited on. When I got frustrated with this attitude, I was the bad guy. I busted my butt, my mother busted her butt, and almost everybody was extremely helpful in making it as bearable as possible. Except for my MIL. She sat around like she owned the place. It was so embarrassing.
However, if someone tried to tell her to help, she instantly snapped. Being around her was truly unbearable.
I truly lost what little respect I had for my MIL after this point and actively avoided her. Luckily, I didn’t have to deal with her anymore afterward.”
6. “I Blamed Myself For Years”
“When I was about eight years old, my family went on our yearly vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We always camped for a week or two at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
On this particular trip, I rode my bike around the campground and befriended a boy around my age who it turned out, lived not far from me in Maryland. We decided our families should get together for dinner at the campground.
I don’t remember what was talked about, or if the fireworks were visible on this evening, but my mother and the boy’s father must have made a connection. A year or so later, my mother left my father, for this boy’s father.
I blamed myself for years for introducing them, but in hindsight, while my mom was sick from pancreatic cancer, I finally forgave myself. I credited myself with introducing them. My stepdad cared for her with the grace, tenderness, and diligence my father didn’t possess.
My mom and stepdad were married about as long as my parents, twenty years, and were an exemplary love story.
Sometimes it takes people decades to realize they were exactly in the right place at the right time.”
7. Bad Vacation Vibes
“For several years, my husband and I traveled to the same vacation spot, stayed in the same hotel, and enjoyed the same attractions.
Each year, I told my husband, ‘If only the kids could come with us and see how great this is.’
One year, I convinced my son, daughter, and their spouses and children to come on vacation with us. However, I had forgotten how much work it was to vacation with children.
There weren’t any quiet afternoons reading by the swimming pool, as my husband and I had to watch the grandchildren every minute. No long drives through the countryside, as the grandchildren’s naps had to be taken into consideration. Plus, the grandchildren had to be entertained every minute of the day. At any small change in their routine, the grandchildren had a breakdown. Plus, my children were busy every moment of the day, too.
Afterward, my husband and I decided we would only go to our vacation spot by ourselves and our children must take their vacations. I have never tried to change their mind about it. I asked them to come on vacation one time, and they did. Lesson learned.”
