I love the idea of this mental exercise @ladyrebecca and I'm going to try it. Anything that reminds us of our mortality and to be more humble is great, IMO. So many mistakenly think they have all the time in the world, so they stop truly living.
As a science fiction writer I read (and listen to) all kinds of futurists. Lately I've been doing tons of research on Augmented and Virtual Reality for our HardFork series and if 50% of what they're saying is true the world is about to morph into a very different kind of place.
Tech companies, at this very moment, are working on VR/AR experiences that are so real they're predicted to drastically alter both human behavior and the economy. Many futurists say soon the price of real world experiences like travel, a live concert, or a tour of historical sites will be priced into the stratosphere. Supposedly society will be conditioned to pay as much for virtual experiences as we now pay for the real thing. Can you imagine being herded into some non-distinct warehouse with 300 other strangers for a week long virtual "ocean cruise" priced at $3,000 a person? Every sight and sound will be artificial and every other aspect will be tailored to trick you into believing you're on that ship.
We'd better get out there and experience things and see the world while we still can. In about a decade (or maybe two) only the ultra rich will be able to afford real world experiences. If that's not a good motivator to get out there and live I don't know what is. ; )
I cannot imagine such a thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if such experiences became a thing. And given a bit of time, I could easily become the norm - a generation brought up on VR experiences wouln't know how the real thing feels. I cannot speak about a cruise since I've never been on one, but a live concert - that's a whole atmosphere I doubt VR can replicate... too complex an experience, down to going home with jeans smelling of spilled beer... and it wasn't even your beer!
My wife and I have never been on a cruise either. It's not really our kind of vacation. I really do hope they'll never be able to accurately reproduce complex experiences but I fear they will get close enough to sell the public on the idea of it. Cheers to real experiences and real life!