Making Friends on a Cruise

[Hannah0707]

I am typically a very shy person, but also like meeting people. Any tips for making friends on a cruise?

[sail7seas]

Easiest way is to request seating at a large dining table. It is an environment where you get to chat with folks through dinner. If you feel more comfortable being on the quiet side, it's fine and a chance to meet a table of 6 or 8 people and hopefully enjoy new acquaintances.

 

Or, if you have a cocktail or 'mocktail', if you sit at the bar, we often find it easy to chat with folks seated on either side of us if they interest us at all.

 

Same at the pool. The chairs can be relatively close so it's easy to say "hi" and maybe start a casual converation.

 

[OCruisers]

A great way to meet people is to sit AT the bar and not at a table for two in the bar. When you go to the same bar every night, you will meet get to know others.

 

Traditional Dining at a large table is another good way.

 

Going to play cards, a lecture group, or whatever your interests are works well also.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[SnowDiamonds]

I agree with the others. And just be open and friendly. People on cruises tend to be in happy, friendly moods and you can meet the most interesting people. Just strike up a random conversation about nothing and you may find yourself talking with someone for the rest of the cruise, you just never know. :)

[jamessemaj]

It's a hit and miss or hit and connect situation. Sitting at a large table in the MDR is a good idea, but often won't carry beyond the meal. My advice would be to just mingle in the various activities, such as excursions, and non-activities such as sitting around the pool or on the promenade deck. Sitting at the bar is a good suggestion. Don't try too hard, just mingle about and likely you will meet people with common interests. I've been there, done that, and as I say, as a solo, it's hit or miss, but I enjoy the cruise in any event.

[SadieN]

Join your roll call before your cruise and attend the Meet and Greet.

[navybankerteacher]

Lots of good suggestions - chat with people on your roll call and attend get-together on the ship. Also, make sure you request traditional assigned dining at a large table. It's great to have a group to connect with every evening. If you like trivia, or other team games, join a group - check announcements in daily program and just show up, speak up, and have fun.I cruised solo for a number of years before I remarried, and found it very easy to connect with people.

[iheartbda]

Try one of the studio cabins on NCL's Epic. Here's a review that explains the setup from someone who recently cruised. Don't know your age but a wide range of ages books them.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1846913

[Scrapnana]

I am normally a very shy person also but find it easy on a ship to start a conversation. Most people will answer you and you may find someone you want to get together with later or someone you only exchange a few sentences with. With the relaxed nature of cruises I think most people are in a really good mood which makes them more congenial.

[Keith1010]

I would be sure to sit with other people for dinner. It's a great way to meet people. Also, we've met many people on shore excursions.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Go to the Trivia games.

Some cruise lines also have acitivities and games where after a couple of times you will start to see the same people there and will start chatting with them.

[DDMau]

Join your roll call before your cruise and attend the Meet and Greet.

 

 

A very good place to meet poeple.

 

Sometime it is easier to talk with someone on line first then in person.

 

A few years back we started chatting with poeple on our roll call and after meeting them we became good friends and have done 3 cruises with them. Each time they come into town we get together.

 

We always make small talk with people while in the check in line and then you see them later on board.

[1025cruise]

I tend to be a loner, but always meet people at trivia.

[johneeo]

I am typically a very shy person, but also like meeting people. Any tips for making friends on a cruise?

 

Also on sea days, you can have breakfast and lunch in the MDR.

 

Many lines will just fill up the tables so you will be seated with others.

[jjones]

I met a couple who became very good long term friends because I offered to take their picture when I saw him taking his wife's picture. We chatted and socialized for the whole rest of the cruise and have been friends now for nearly 30 years.

[paul929207]

Many of the activities offer opportunities to meet people. The people next to you are a talk or on an excursion. In the buffet, when they are busy, people join a table with others. There are games like trivia when teams compete. Most people come looking for partners.

[CowPrincess]

I am typically a very shy person, but also like meeting people. Any tips for making friends on a cruise?

 

Have a few questions prepared ;) "Have you been on this itinerary before? What's your favorite port? Have you cruised on this line before? Were you able to drive to the port, or did you fly? How was your flight/trip?" -- innocuous stuff that can be the start of a few minutes of chatting.

 

If there is a "singles and solos" lunch or similar, attend that.

 

My cruisin' buddy and I met a few lovely people on one cruise by asking them to join us at our table in the Lido -- they had full trays, many tables were occupied, and we invited them to join us. They did, and we managed to spend time with them throughout the cruise.

 

Look for pairs of women, and try talking a bit with them -- for my cruisin' buddy and myself, we have adopted solo ladies a couple of times, going on shorex with them, or just wandering the port.

 

If you do a shore excursion, try talking to the people who are with you. And use EVERY line-up as an opportunity to chat with those around you.

 

As SadieN suggeted, join your roll call.

[OCruisers]

I met a couple who became very good long term friends because I offered to take their picture when I saw him taking his wife's picture. We chatted and socialized for the whole rest of the cruise and have been friends now for nearly 30 years.

 

Same here for us! Also, we continue over the years to meet and really become friends with lots of others ... some who will stop by and spend the night with us or at least have lunch on their way to or back from Florida. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Cruisin' Chick]

Go to the Trivia games.

 

Some cruise lines also have acitivities and games where after a couple of times you will start to see the same people there and will start chatting with them.

 

I tend to be shy on my own (hubby is the gregarious one), but trivia is a good way to meet others. On my last cruise, I walked into the lounge where a trivia contest was about to happen, saw a group with less than six people (on Princess the teams are to have six people at the most), and asked if they had space. It turned out to be a family, but they were friendly and said, sure, take a seat. We actually tied for first place (we missed on the second tiebreaker) so they ended up happy I joined them as among us, we had most of the answers right.

[delily]

The easiest place for me to meet other people is on private or ship's shore excursions. People are in a van or a bus together all day and it's only natural to start talking to those around you. You often have lunch together on these tours as well. By the end of the day, you'll know several new people.

[MiamiSpartan]

Go into the Roll Call sections on this site...

That way, you are already starting to get to know people prior to getting on the ship....