How Do You Make Friends on Your Cruise?

[o2banotter]

MrsZee, I am allergic to children but I have to admit, your child IS very cute. I think children are like Monets - appreciated at a distance.

[MrsZee]

Thanks. :) Truth be told, I find it much easier to tolerate a child that is my own than someone elses.

[jenelizab]

???:(:( Children are just little people. Treat them as such (allergic? really?) and you might have an easier time with them.

[ericrz]

Definitely don't want to turn this into a debate about kids on cruises... because frankly I think it is a stupid debate. And one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing someone say, "leave him with grandma" whenever anyone asks a question about cruising with a toddler.

 

On our first cruise, he wasn't two yet so we did leave him at home. This time we are going again, we did the couple thing and we have been alone and now he is two and can utilize Camp Carnival and I am BEYOND excited to take him. I didn't have kids to leave him at home whenever we go somewhere. I want to show him the world at the same time I see it. I am a mom, so I enjoy hearing him say, "Mom mom mom". I can't wait to build a sandcastle with him or hear him say, "WOW" when we pull up next to the ship. He is already proclaiming, "I go on BIG boat".

 

I have no interest in taking him to the shows but he will be eating dinner with us. I have every confidence that Carnival won't put us at a table with someone who finds him obnoxious, but I guess if they do, change requests (by them, not us) can be made. We eat out at least once a week and we have taught him since he was young how to behave at a table. And if he gets antsy, I have his favorite show downloaded on my iphone.

 

And frankly, my kid is cute. And I guarantee I will make MORE friends with him around to draw their attention than I would if I were just some random adult walking by them. He makes friends wherever he goes.

 

Right on. This is how I feel about cruising -- traveling in general -- with our 3-year-old daughter (who will turn 4 on the Carnival Legend next month.)

 

"I didn't have kids to leave him at home when I go somewhere." -- Brilliant. That was my parents' philosophy as well, and so my two brothers and I got to go to some really neat places. We're trying to replicate that with our daughter.

 

And yes, your son is very cute. :D

[brooklynfc]

My friend and I met and made friends with people we really didnt' even meet. On elegant night we went to the Captain's party and a guy on a barstool just grabbed me and said, "Hey, looking good." I didn't know him and neither did my friend. Then his wife started talking to us. Apparently, they thought we were the two girls they met in the hot tub earlier that day, but we weren't. I just thought it rude to point this out after he gave me such a nice compliment, so we just played along. They gave us their barstools when they went to leave (it was crowded) and we would talk to each other randomly when we'd see each other the rest of the time.

 

We also met a nice women that was on her 23rd cruise and she knew everything. She wasn't alone, but her cruisin buddy was kinda a fuddy duddy, so she adopted us and we adopted her. I still talk to her all the time on the phone and we hope to take a cruise together in the next year or two.

 

Just be friendly and it is so hard not to be on a cruise!

[CruizinMom2c]

I didn't have kids to leave him at home whenever we go somewhere. I want to show him the world at the same time I see it. I am a mom, so I enjoy hearing him say, "Mom mom mom". I can't wait to build a sandcastle with him or hear him say, "WOW" when we pull up next to the ship. He is already proclaiming, "I go on BIG boat".

 

 

You know, we live by this quote..I never understand the concept of leaving them at home neither. Our son goes everywhere with us..we actually just took our first weekend vacation as just the two of us for our anniversary this past weekend...I missed him too much and it wasn't even a full 2 days... and we both told eachother we will never cruise without him.

 

 

 

BTW...your son is adorable!! :D

[hazeleyez3]

I'm a loner, I guess. I don't consider folks I meet on a one or two-week vacation "friends", and don't look to vacations to "make friends". I really prefer eating alone with my husband, certainly chatting with folks on the ship when we encounter folks in the bars or at activities or on excursions, but then going home where I actually have friends. We much prefer the flexible dining options so we can choose to invite folks we've met on board, or accept their invitations to share a meal, and not be stuck with people night after night, having to come up with "small talk". "How was your day?" "Fine? Ours too..."...and then a painful lull.

 

But then, I also don't think of the room stewards as "friends", and don't engage in personal conversations with them about my life, or about theirs, nor do I consider waiters "friends", or any of the other ship crew as "friends". Guess I'm weird.

 

 

I feel the exact same way.

 

I think its great that people who want to meet up with others are able to do so via such websites. It just isn't something we are interested in.

[mom2boys97]

As it has been said in many posts CC is a wonderful place to meet people. Our first cruise we went with friends from home and it was great fun but this last cruise we met a group of people on CC and linked our reservations together and had a super time and i can really say that they will all be friends for life.. We are all getting ready to cruise again in Oct and i know we will have just as much fun if not more this cruise....

[Miraklwkr]

I can really relate to this thread. I am a divorced female in my 50's who just returned from a cruise with another divorced female friend. We felt like pariahs! We were put at a table for 2 and asked several times to be moved to a table with other people. They told us several times that they had no where else to place us because there were no other singles! We finally insisted by the 5th night that they put us with couples so they moved us to a table of 2 young couples. They were delightful! I am still annoyed that they did that to us, especially since it was pretty difficult for us to connect with other people in the evenings.......... there was just no where to really meet others! We bar-hopped every night and finally settled for karaoke and the disco.

 

There was no trouble during the days. We had fun meeting others on the excursions and on the pool deck and it was great. But the dinners and the nights.......... so lonely and boring!:(

[picklebongo]

Definitely don't want to turn this into a debate about kids on cruises... because frankly I think it is a stupid debate. And one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing someone say, "leave him with grandma" whenever anyone asks a question about cruising with a toddler.

 

On our first cruise, he wasn't two yet so we did leave him at home. This time we are going again, we did the couple thing and we have been alone and now he is two and can utilize Camp Carnival and I am BEYOND excited to take him. I didn't have kids to leave him at home whenever we go somewhere. I want to show him the world at the same time I see it. I am a mom, so I enjoy hearing him say, "Mom mom mom". I can't wait to build a sandcastle with him or hear him say, "WOW" when we pull up next to the ship. He is already proclaiming, "I go on BIG boat".

 

I have no interest in taking him to the shows but he will be eating dinner with us. I have every confidence that Carnival won't put us at a table with someone who finds him obnoxious, but I guess if they do, change requests (by them, not us) can be made. We eat out at least once a week and we have taught him since he was young how to behave at a table. And if he gets antsy, I have his favorite show downloaded on my iphone.

 

And frankly, my kid is cute. And I guarantee I will make MORE friends with him around to draw their attention than I would if I were just some random adult walking by them. He makes friends wherever he goes.

 

 

Thank you to everyone that answered my question and gave such sage advice. I really do appreciate it and hope that a larger table in the MDR will do the trick. I just hope I am seated with people who actually use the MDR because we never eat dinner on the Lido. The MDR is just too nice to pass up.

 

 

Your kid is cute! Since I am a teacher of young kids, I adore them, but just not on my cruise. I don't mean not on my cruise, I mean not at my table in the MDR. Even children who are well mannered will become antsy during a meal that can last up to 90 minutes and more. Even something such as banging silverware on the table I would find annoying or childish gibberish repeated over and over that some parents find cute. It's just something I don't want to hear on vacation. I want adult conversation.

[MrPete]

 

 

Put that face in a tux on Elegant Night, and he'll be the HIT of the ship. :)

[defjam]

I have no friends. :o

 

I'll be your friend :p