Ship of Love phenomenon, is this normal?

[moongal]

First time cruiser here just back from the Magic 7 day sailing.

 

I am curious to know if what I experienced is the norm for cruising Carnival, or just a fluke.

 

It seemed while aboard the Magic a magical thing happened in that everyone I encountered was super nice and full of love! People would hold elevators for people and try to make room to squeeze one more on, people would talk to me in the elevator or in a random line, it didn't seem to matter where or how but it was like we were all just a giant happy family.

 

While on my shore excursion in Cozumel, I did the catamaran sail and beach excursion and I was having trouble hoisting my big OLD self back up into the catarmaran after snorkeling and there was a male passenger from our ship standing at the stairs you had to jump up onto to get back on the boat, and he helped me get back on board. He said "don't worry, I've got you, I'm not going to let you fall" and I just thought that was so kind! He had never met me but was so helpful! I'd probably still be bobbing around the ocean if it weren't for his kindness.

 

It seemed no matter where we went on the ship everyone was super nice. We had some smokers ruin our balcony experience but I truly feel that if I could have found the smokers (couldn't tell where it was coming from) they would have probably put out their cigs if they had known it was bothering.

 

Just wondering if this is a normal occurrence on a cruise ship or I just got lucky and had super nice boat full of people?

 

Can't wait to go back on another cruise!!!

[SeeBurd]

There was a show in the 70's and 80's that examined this very phenomenon week after week.

[fuddrules]

Quite a few people that post here state just the opposite. They'll tell you our world is falling apart and it's a me, me, me, society.

 

I tend to agree much more so with your sentiments. I find the vast majority of people to be much more pleasant.

[moongal]

Well it certainly restored my faith in humanity a bit to be able to see that people could still be kind to one another.

 

I also forgot to mention the most amazing example of all the love that happened to us.... We were on our shore excursion in Grand Cayman when my mother took out her special wallet with her passport, cash and credit cards to pay for something and left it sitting there on top of a display of some sort near the checkout. She walked off leaving it there and we were getting ready to board the bus back to the ship, we were completely oblivious to the fact she had even lost/left her wallet! All of a sudden some people from our ship came running up to us asking if the wallet was hers.... I guess they had matched the drivers license or passport photo to her, and gave it back to her ALL INTACT and EVERYTHING still there!! We were shocked and amazed!

 

We were so in shock that we didn't even get the people's names and if you are reading this we love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts as that would have ruined our trip if she had lost her wallet. What nice lovely people!!

[loxley]

The first cruise I took my mother on was with NCL.

 

It remains to this day the best cruise I have ever taken. Nothing went wrong. We had the best team of room stewards we have ever had.

 

When we got back I noticed a review of our sailing so I clicked on it and read it.

 

The person was in a cabin 2 down from us. That means they had the same stewards as us or they had the lady that my son tipped the last day even though she was not our steward because he said she made his day every morning when we walked down the hall.

 

The review said every body on the cruise had been rude to them. The room steward was the worse they had ever had. Said they were surly and no request was too small to deny.

 

They had to wait an hour or more every night for dinner. We had a party of 6 and never waiting even 5 min. Had some of the best wait teams ever. But every wait team they got was rude, slow and stupid.

 

Anyway, the total opposite cruise experience as I had. I have never read a review after that one. I will go and have my own exp.

 

Oh yeah, everyone they spoke to agreed it was the worse cruise ever. Apparently they didn't get around to speaking to us.

 

I have ran into poor traveling co-cruisers, but they do not even put a blip on my screen. I find most are as you say. Nice people.

[kona_wahine]

I feel sorry for people who find fault at every turn. We have been on 4 cruises, and for the life of me I can't think of one negative. Every memory is a good one. Was everything perfect? No, but dang, I was on a ship in the carribean going to beautiful exotic places. Blessed is what I am. :)

[forwardcabin]

The 1% of cruisers who complain (and those they complain about) are definitely in the minority...although they are usually the ones screaming online about their ruined cruise with shouts of entitlement and seem to enlist several hundred replies echoing the same sentiments. When we see these "1 percenters" onboard we steer clear of them. Tolerance is the key. After the cruise, you will likely never see those people ever again.

 

We are aligned with you and the way you feel about your really great cruise experience. We also find that most of those you meet and greet on a cruise are indeed good folks who simply want to enjoy the cruise the same way you do. So go on as many cruises as you can as often as you can. Make lots of new friends as you do.

 

Here's hoping all your future cruises are really great. Bon Voyage!

[Hoosierpop]

I find people on the cruise to be very nice overall. Sure, there's the occasional wacko who makes a stink over things like how much popcorn she got in her bag (not making that up). But I find myself being a lot more social towards strangers than I do normally. Which is a shame for me. I should be that way all the time, not just on a cruise.

[KevInPitt]

I try to be the type of person you encountered in many aspects of your cruise experience.

 

I'm on vacation - you're on vacation. Why not share "The Love"? It makes everyone's experience just that much better. :)

[lahlah57]

I can tell by your writing alone that you yourself can be loving individual! If we look for it we will find it!

Some people choose not to look and choose to run into "ugly".

My DH and I have always seen the best of people on our cruise travels or we would never cruise again. There are ugly people but we choose not to focus on "those" types.

[kublaieod]

I found that people are much easier to start up a conversation with. I enjoy meeting new people and it seems on a cruise that I have no problem as people are very open and often inviting to coversing.

 

I only have 5 cruises under my belt but I have had an amazing time each trip. I don't encounter any more crappy/rude people on board as I do anywhere else. I guess when some people are on "vacation" they want everything to be perfect. Enjoy your next cruise!

[PEB]

I have cruised many times on many different cruise lines, I even worked as crew for a couple years on cruise ships. The truth is the vast majority of cruisers are easy to get along with. They are there on vacation and a good time. There is always some bad cruisers on every cruise if you want to look for them but they usually do not interact that much with other passengers. The crew will know who they are in a very short time.

[AtSeaWithChris]

Your experience with others starts with your smile. Glad you had a good cruise.