Cruise vacations are more popular than ever. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), about 35.7 million passengers are expected to set sail in 2024, 6% more than in 2019. Whether you are attending a popular themed cruise or just a regular sailing, cruises are a great place to meet new friends from around the world.
Going on a cruise alone, or even with just one other person, can be a little lonely but cruises can actually be one of the best ways to ease into solo travel. Something as simple as joining a Facebook group can make your cruising experience that much more welcoming and fun. You can meet people, make friends, find activity partners, or even just become familiar with people to wave at when you see them around the ship.
If you are interested in making cruise connections follow these simple steps to start your journey to finding ‘your people’ on your next voyage at sea.
Step 1: The next time you book a cruise, go ahead and open up Facebook and do a search for your specific cruise. 9 times out of 10 there will be a thriving group ready for you to join. FYI, If you booked your adventure at sea far in advance, the group may seem small at first.
How to find your cruise: search for “[Your Cruise Line] [Ship Name] [Month of Sailing], and several sailings should show up in the results. Select your sailing, you can click through and request to join from there.
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Step 2: Introduce yourself! Don’t be a lurker! Familiarize yourself with the conventions of the page, and often you will find the best way to introduce yourself.
Step 3: Interact with others’ posts. Don’t be shy, everyone who joined this group WANTS to make friends!
Step 4: Now that you’ve made some friends, start making some plans! Join in on fun group activities, or seek out activity partners for excursions or events you really want to go to. Then you can book those in advance and be ready before all the good stuff sells out.
Step 5: Find out the best kept secrets of your specific boat and sailing from cruise veterans. You can get all kinds of specific and awesome advice that you really can’t google, from what special events are taking place on the ship to amazing things to check out onshore.
Step 6: Join a gift exchange! Many Facebook groups have their own gift exchanges or hidden treasures left throughout the ships. The items range from rubber ducks to shot glasses, basically anything small and fun. This is a fun way to meet some of the people you’ve been interacting with for very low stakes.
Step 7: Once you’re on the cruise, keep up with the group when you can! Sometimes you can find fun last minute impromptu gatherings or join in on some fun games.
Step 8: After the cruise, you can keep up with your new friends and easily find them again online. Post a couple of photos, reminisce on some great memories made, & don’t forget to comment on your friend’s cute pics. Maybe you’ll cruise with them again!
Cruises can be the perfect place to take your friends and family or go it alone. Take advantage of Facebook groups to help elevate your cruising experience the next time you venture out to sea.