Is it hard to hook up on a cruise?
Generally speaking, cruises are a good place to find romance. Cruises are, by nature, a phenomenal place to meet new people. You’re in a captured environment so you’re bound to run into the same people over and over, which makes quite easy to build rapport and make friends. The relaxed atmosphere and plentiful social events also support the kind of energy you’d want in an environment for hookups. That said, if you aren’t outgoing and you don’t book the right kind of cruise (more on that later), you might find it harder to hook up on the cruise than you normally would. There are no studies on this and the data probably doesn’t exist, but anecdotal evidence and crew testimonies do seem to indicate that hookups and one-night stands are much more common on cruises than they are on land.
Tips for Hooking Up on a Cruise
Book a singles cruise or a “young adult” cruise for best results. If you sign up for the senior discount special or the family-friendly holiday cruise, you’re probably not going to have the best odds at finding someone looking for a quick fling. Read the description of the cruise you’re considering to see if it’s geared towards the kind of people you might want to hookup with. If the ticket doesn’t have any demographic info, look at the events on the cruise. Do the events sound like the kind of thing geared towards younger, potentially single people? Look for dances, singles mixers, speed dating events, or age-specific events. If you’re LGBTQ+, look for cruises designed specifically for LGBTQ+ people. Most of the popular cruise lines offer a version of this! There’s actually a company called “Singles Cruise.” They’re not who you’re looking for (although they might offer good options, we have no idea), you’re just looking for any cruise tickets labelled “for singles” or “singles only.”
Time your cruise to occur when single people will be free. If you’re 18-30 or so, you probably want to time your cruise so that you’re travelling when other young people are. Spring break, summer, and winter break are probably going to be your best bets. Avoid booking a cruise during periods where families and couples are likely to be ubiquitous, like Valentine’s Day or the Fourth of July. Valentine’s Day actually might be a perfect if you can find a single’s-themed event!
Bring a wingman/wingwoman with you. It’s a lot easier to strike up a conversation with someone you have your eye on if you have a friend with you to balance the convo out and prevent awkward silences. This also gives you an excuse to join group activities on the ship or distract the “friend” while you talk to the person you’re crushing on. A wingperson also sends the signal that you are a “normal” person. A single person on a cruise ship may give confusing or creepy vibes to someone, but if you have a friend with you then you’ll look like someone who has a typical social life.
Attend as many singles events as you can. Take advantage of all of the organized events on the ship. Even if they’re corny or uninteresting, there will be other people around looking for someone to talk to about how corny or uninteresting the event is! Mixers, wine tastings, theme parties, and dance classes are all likely to attract singles. Even if there aren’t a ton of people at a given event, that might play into your favor. You’ll have an easier time striking a convo up with someone if there aren’t a lot of other people around to get in your way!
Set realistic expectations for yourself. Don’t expect to hook up with the first person you see on the first night of the cruise. Hooking up with someone can take time—boat or no boat! It’s also important to not get ahead of yourself if you do hookup with someone. It’s unlikely anyone you catch feelings for is going to be looking for something deeper than a one-night stand when they’re on a cruise. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t share how you feel if you do end up falling for someone, just that the odds of a long-term relationship forming on the back of a cruise hookup are generally not super high.
Use the popular dating apps. It may sound odd, but the dating apps all see a ton of use on cruise ships. There can be thousands of people on a cruise ship, and the apps make it a lot easier to sort through the people not looking for anything romantically. Whether you’re on Tinder, Hinge, Grindr, Bumble, or Plenty of Fish, pull the app out every night and start swiping. You’ll have a much easier time finding someone looking for the same thing as you. Don’t give up if the apps aren’t giving you the results you’re looking for. A lot of people may not be using the apps while they’re on vacation.
Set clear and consistent boundaries. If you do find someone to hookup with and things seem to be trending in that direction, be super up front about what you’re looking for. At the same time, respect the other person’s wishes. If they don’t want to hang out after hooking up or they tell you they aren’t comfortable hooking up until you two get to know one another better, don’t push it. Don’t be hesitant about voicing what you want! One night stands are often the perfect place for a little experimentation because there’s no judgement.
Practice safe sex. It’s important to always practice safe sex if you’re hooking up with someone, but this is especially important on a cruise where you’ll have no recourse or way to get in touch if you catch an STD or there’s a pregnancy. Don’t tempt fate. Bring a condom with you on the cruise and use it when the time comes.
Go easy on the alcohol consumption. Cruises tend to be great places to catch a buzz. There are bars everywhere, you’ll never have to drive, and if you overdo it you’re just a short walk to your bed where you can sleep it off. But if you are hooking up with someone, don’t drink so much that you lose your ability to make wise decisions. If you do want to drink with someone, stick to one drink an hour and always chase your alcohol with a cup of water. This will help keep you stay hydrated and prevent you from getting out of hand.
Trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right about the hookup, don’t hesitate to stop where things are and call it a night. At the same time, if someone is giving you sort of spooky vibes as you’re building a rapport together, listen to your gut. Never hesitate to contact a member of the cruise staff is someone makes you feel unsafe. Cruise ships take security very seriously, and they’ll ensure that you stay safe.
Refuse to feel guilty about your experience. A lot of people have nasty assumptions about cruise ship hookups, but don’t let these silly stereotypes bother you. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with hooking up with someone on a cruise ship. In fact, a lot of people find one-night stands on vacation to be extremely rewarding and enriching experiences, so keep your head up!
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