Cruising: Why You Will Get Along With Other Cruisers

Can’t we all get along?

On a cruise ship, you have a very good chance of meeting interesting and friendly people from all over the world. And, whether you want to believe this or not, you will almost always get along with other cruisers and here are three major reasons to get you in a very good mood:

Unless you have booked the trip at the last minute, your cruise, because of your impeccable planning, has been mostly paid for.

Once you set foot on your cruise ship, you can relax and choose what you want to do. No one is going to pressure you to do anything. You make the decision whether or not you want to stay by yourself or mingle with the people on the cruise ship.

Food and drink is always plentiful.

The sale of drinks can make or break the ship’s profits. So in case you’re wondering why ship staff will forever ask you if you want a drink or want to purchase the metal container which guarantees you all the soda you want, this is why. If you don’t want a drink, smile, wave and keep walking.

People are afraid of gaining weight on a cruise, and some of them won’t go cruising because they fear gaining massive amounts of weight. The truth is, food and drink is always available on the ship. It can be served to you as room service, you have access to buffets and there are places for hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream. The cruise ships also offer restaurants on board.

A friend recommended one of the restaurants featured on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America in Hawaii. This restaurant had a menu based on recipes from Eating Light magazine. While on our cruise, my husband and I dined there several times because the food was delicious and low in calories than regular fare offered on the ship. It was very popular for cruise ship diners since by eating there, you didn’t feel stuffed and miserable.

Depending on the cruise line, you can dress up for formal dinners during the week or dress casually whenever you dine. At 3 p.m., some cruisers make a habit to show up for high tea. Participants meet in the dining room for tea, biscuits, finger sandwiches, and conversations.

As a cruiser, unless you are on a strict medical diet, you will learn that dieting on a cruise is a lost cause. If you are so afraid of gaining weight, you have missed the whole point of cruising and being surrounded by food and the professional chefs who create the most memorable meals. Whether you are at sea or on land, you are in control of what you eat. If you don’t go overboard by eating or drinking anything put in front of you, there is a chance you may not gain weight on a cruise. State of the art exercise gyms and exercise classes are available on the ship. A lot of walking during your excursions will help balance out your eating and drinking.

There are ways to get you out of your cabin.

Sunshine and the sea air will coax you to walk around the top deck of the ship, where there is a running and walking track specially made for those who walk, jog or run on a daily basis. Or for the ones who pretend to do so. A ship will have swimming pools and spas. There are indoor and outdoor games, a library and locations for bingo, lectures, classes and the Internet. At night, there are shows with singing and dancing, bars and karaoke. If the location allows gambling, the ship may have a casino. There are places to shop on the ship, with sales items, duty free liquor and cigarettes, jewelry, and basic items for the traveler. Art auctions are also featured on the ship, selling from top international artists through its auctions.

If you do keep active on the ship, you will run into people. Sometimes, you will see a few individuals more than once.

Cruisers and cruise staff are the last people on Earth who will give me problems. I do expect more heartache from my family and friends because I know them well. Cruisers are always on the go, and there is no time to get angry or dwell on some glitch in your travel plans. Once you get on that cruise ship, get over yourself and your problems. Concentrate on being away from home and work because this brief time at sea is all you’ve got. Before long, you’ll be back at home or at work. And until you set sail again, you are back to the old grind.

Years ago, a friend of mine was on her honeymoon in Hawaii and was surrounded by Japanese tourists who constantly asked her about her life in the United States. This year, on our Alaskan cruise, 900 members of the 2010 Team Amway Thailand boarded our ship. And they were everywhere.

“It could have been a nightmare,” commented my travel agent after I followed up with her after we returned from our cruise. “Large groups go on cruises all of the time, but you just don’t know when. You don’t and can’t prepare for them.”

She told me about two of her clients. A mild-mannered couple, they became rude and aggressive on their cruise when a large group from England showed up on their cruise ship.

“It was too much for them. They could not adjust to having this large group from another country onboard. Soon, they were butting in line and being rude to get what they wanted. There was no need for their behavior, but they were so intimidated. It was a complete turnaround in their personalities. I guess they didn’t want to be intimidated by such a large group of strangers.”

Lucky for us, this group from Thailand ran in packs, but they were friendly and smiled a lot. They didn’t argue among themselves. In fact, they would greet each other with a smile and a polite bow. During excursions and on the ship, I thought they spent too much time taking photographs and posing for each other’s cameras, but at the same time, they were almost childlike when it came to exploring Alaska. As a group, they were one big shopping, picture-taking and picture-posing machine. When a couple walked by me one evening in ceremonial dress, I wish I had been there with my camera. What they wore and how they carried themselves in public made them so beautiful.

So the last thing you should worry about on a cruise is getting along with the people because most likely, you will never see them again. Make the most of it and be a good public relations representative for your city and the United States. Be friendly and answer all questions about living in the United States. Through your conversations with foreigners, no matter how brief, you may get them to come over and visit. Or meeting you will leave them with a positive attitude towards Americans. You never know.

I did enjoy this last cruise, but watching these Thailanders discover Alaska encouraged me to travel like them. To explore the unknown with this charming, childlike wonder.

While on my way to our cabin, I walked past an elevator packed with a crowd of 2010 Team Amway Thailand. They had just returned from an excursion and were holding bags of souvenirs. I smiled at all of them as the doors to the elevator slowly closed.

“I hope you come to my country someday,” said the man standing at the front of the elevator. He was the last one I saw when the doors finally closed, and he meant what he had told me.

I think I’ll take him up on his offer once I gather up the cold hard cash. When you plan on traveling anywhere in the world, anything is possible.