Family and friends of an American woman who spent her last days in Bermuda lauded the island for its kindness and compassion.

Debora Roy was nearing the end of her fight with stage 4 lung cancer when she visit the island on a Norwegian Cruise Line voyage.

Linda Pease, Ms Roy’s friend and travel companion, admitted her late friend’s condition deteriorated within days of leaving for Bermuda — never making it to her favourite beach, Horseshoe Bay, as she had hoped.

However, Ms Pease added the kindness of Bermuda residents made her feel like she was not alone in that moment.

The 64-year-old said: “The hospital staff were probably the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life — and I work at a hospital.

“They were just so caring and concerned. It’s so different from here in America. We strive to do what’s best for our patients, but just the whole atmosphere of the hospital was so friendly.”

She added: “The outpouring of kindness from people really renewed my faith in humanity, to be honest.”

Ms Pease and Ms Roy, both from Connecticut, worked together at Hartford Hospital for 13 years.

Ms Pease described her 62-year-old colleague as “a great co-worker and a great friend” who always maintained a strong relationship despite Ms Roy working under Ms Pease.

When Ms Roy complained of an odd sensation in her arm, Ms Pease insisted they visit the emergency room for an exam.

Ms Roy, her friend explained, received a lung cancer diagnosis last November.

Doctors immediately recognised the illness as stage 4 and terminal, as tumours had developed in her brain.

Ms Pease said her friend underwent chemotherapy, but when her condition worsened, Ms Roy decided to go on one final trip.

“She loved cruising and I loved cruising, too, but I hadn’t been in a long time,” Ms Pease recalled.

“She asked me if I would consider going on her last cruise with her and I said ‘sure, I’ll go’.”

The pair had each visited Bermuda in the past, with Ms Pease having been once in the 1990s and Ms Roy visiting three times before.

They sailed from Boston on July 19 and spent about three days at sea.

Ms Pease noted that her friend’s condition worsened throughout the trip, with Ms Roy sleeping more.

However, she added that Ms Roy was otherwise in high spirits.

“She just kept saying ‘we made it’,” Ms Pease said. “I would always say ‘yeah, we did’. I didn’t think we’d make it, but we did.”

Once the pair docked on July 22, Ms Roy’s condition became dire. She had to visit King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where she stayed until her death the following day.

However, despite not being able to see the island, Ms Pease believed her friend was at peace the whole time.

“She loved the beach, no matter what,” she explained.

Ms Pease added that it wasn’t until she returned home that she learnt Ms Roy had added funeral coverage to her travel insurance — fully covering all end-of-life expenses, including repatriation transport.

She said: “She really did get to choose where she spent her last moments. I don’t think many of us get that.”

Ms Roy was known as a kind and funny woman, with a fierce love of her family.

Yet Ms Pease admitted their friendship caught her off guard because she found Ms Roy “kind of gruff” when they first met and was even “a little afraid of her”.

However, she added: “She didn’t end up being that way at all. She was like a ball of Jell-O.

“We’ve been close friends for years. We constantly bantered — we bantered about everything.”

She said her fondest memory of Ms Roy was when she made a surprise visit during Ms Pease’s trip to New Hampshire for her 60th birthday.

Jaimie Roy, Ms Roy’s daughter-in-law, described her as a woman who loved travelling, gardening and hobbies, and who “always saw the good in people”.

She thanked those who helped with her mother-in-law’s assistance and transport back to the US.

Ms Roy said: “The fact that things went down the way they did and us having to deal with the locals, the hospital and international calls was so eye-opening because everyone was just beyond incredible. I feel like we have a whole new family down there.”