Cruise prize grants couple their 'lifelong dream' in A&T Fred Olsen Travel competition
CARER Sue Dickie was so thrilled to win a seven-night Fred Olsen cruise in an A&T competition that she burst into tears.
The lucky 62-year-old, from Pennington, landed a ‘Dalmatian Highlights’ trip on the MS Providenca.
“I started crying and shaking all over when I was told by the A&T,” she said. “It has been my lifelong dream to go on a cruise.
“I’ve seen them on the TV and have heard people talking about them and I’ve always thought, ‘Oh, I’d so love to do that.’ But we’ve never had the money to go.
“I am just so excited. I’ve been on a real high since being told and haven’t come down from it yet. I just can’t wait to get on the ship.”
Sue will be joined on the cruise, which was provided by Prestige Travel in Ringwood in conjunction with Fred Olsen, by her husband Tom (64), who she is now a carer for after he retired from his job as a builder.
She won the prize after collecting tokens from the A&T and having her entry drawn out. The couple were presented with their cruise tickets at Fred Olsen’s Christchurch branch. The travel company also has a Lymington store.
The cruise includes return flights from Gatwick to Dubrovnik, half board for seven days, two excursions to Skradin and Trogir, and a Cetina River Canyon boat trip.
Sue said she rang her three children to break the news of her win but “none of them would believe me.”
She added: “When the story about my prize appears in the A&T I am going to send a copy of it up to my son in Guildford, because he still thinks I am having him on!”
A grandmother-of-five, Sue enjoys entering competitions but says her last big win was over 20 years ago when she won a tumble dryer.
She said: “Since then it’s just been vouchers and little things. When I saw the competition in the paper, I thought I must enter that, it might be my only chance of ever going on a cruise. But I never thought I’d win.
“It was only when we were in Fred Olsen’s having our photos taken for the paper that it finally sunk in that I am actually going on a cruise!”
“Tom is going to be 65 this year so it will be a nice birthday celebration for him too.”
