Cruising Experience - A social event or not?

[JerseyshoreBruce]

:confused:

 

I live in a large metropolitan area, where an awful lot of the inhabitants are annoying freaks.

 

Don't really want to chat them up or hang out.

I will say hi to everyone but that doesn't mean i'll hangout with them. Plus there are really alot of nice people on a cruise! We are all on the cruise to have a good time so its not very often you meet "annoying freaks".:confused:

[michiganirish]

we don't go on cruises looking for friends - we're social but usually what happens is we'll connect with folks during the week which makes it fun - last cruise we met a group from chicago - so all week it was hey chicago - hey detroit - that was fun - we did end up making friends however with our tablemates who live about 20 miles from us - bonus!

[ViolaSwamp]

I loathe meeting new people. It's not the people themselves that bother me (usually!) - it's the act of meeting new people. It makes me super nervous to make conversation with a new person so I tend to be more comfortable hanging out with those people I already know.

[chickie_mite]

I like it to be just my husband, and I. I have to go to enough social events at home. This is our private time. Time to time we will go with another couple. But again it would just be our small circle.

 

^ This. +1

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I think it's simply the difference between an introvert personality and an extrovert personality. The Myers-Briggs personality assessment is a pretty amazing tool to determine your type.

 

I am one of those "talk to anybody anytime" types but my 22 year old son is exactly like the above poster who finds that kind of thing awkward and uncomfortable. He is an introvert and I am an extrovert.

 

Just curious CFitzRN - with your extrovert personality does that influence which cruiseline you might choose?

[shyvioletisme]

:confused:

 

I live in a large metropolitan area, where an awful lot of the inhabitants are annoying freaks.

 

Don't really want to chat them up or hang out.

 

 

this. I have no patience for loud obnoxious idiots. Of which there are a lot of in the areas where I've lived. I'm pretty socially awkward and incredibly introverted. Doesn't mean I'm a bad person.

[CFitzRN]

Just curious CFitzRN - with your extrovert personality does that influence which cruiseline you might choose?

 

No, not at all. I've only cruised once and it was on Carnival. I would choose a cruise line based on their port, their reputation, their excursions, their prices, etc.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

So to those who don't look at cruising as a 'social' vacation do you choose anytime dining or have you looked at 'Freestyle' dining as a means of avoiding dinnertime interaction? :confused:

[hubofhockey]

So to those who don't look at cruising as a 'social' vacation do you choose anytime dining or have you looked at 'Freestyle' dining as a means of avoiding dinnertime interaction? :confused:

 

What is the difference between freestyle and anytime dining? We are generally on lines that have a choice of anytime and traditional.

 

I guess my cruise from hell would be having chain smokers to the balconies on my left and right and blowhards sharing a table with us. On our next cruise, we are in the non-smoking balcony cabin area and have chosen anytime dining. When we're not with our kids, if we meet some people we get along with, we'll be happy to meet them for dinner. But we won't dine with random people.

[dan40]

If one does not care to socialize, it is INSANE to lock oneself into a "city" that is 110 feet wide, 950 feet long, and 14 stories high for a week with 4000 pax and crew.

[hubofhockey]

If one does not care to socialize, it is INSANE to lock oneself into a "city" that is 110 feet wide, 950 feet long, and 14 stories high for a week with 4000 pax and crew.

 

That's ridiculous. People go on cruises for different reasons and not all socialize to the same extent as others. The primary reason for our next cruise is getting our kids to Europe. If we meet people and make friends with them, great. If not, it's no big deal. We'll have a great time either way. I think we'll remain SANE either way. :D

[tef43]

So to those who don't look at cruising as a 'social' vacation do you choose anytime dining or have you looked at 'Freestyle' dining as a means of avoiding dinnertime interaction? :confused:

No. We have a table for just our party at the traditional main seating. Tried YTD and the service was simply dreadful. And NCL is simply not an option thanks to their Freestyle crap.

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

I love meeting new people. I love people watching and I love listening to people. (not the easedropping type of listening) For some reason people tend to open up to me and I enjoy giving them the opportunity to do so. I am a Lay counselor in my church and in school to become a Chaplain. I have learned that so many people just want to feel heard. I love being able to give them that. I also find that I never reveal much of myself, because if someone feels that I am really listen to them they do not want to give up that focus. People love to tell you their story.

 

I love cruising. And yes I feel it is a social event. My husband and I do like to get a balcony so we have some time alone also. (On the Serenity deck on the Splendor we also have that alone time.

[dan40]

That's ridiculous. People go on cruises for different reasons and not all socialize to the same extent as others. The primary reason for our next cruise is getting our kids to Europe. If we meet people and make friends with them, great. If not, it's no big deal. We'll have a great time either way. I think we'll remain SANE either way. :D

 

" If we meet people and make friends with them, great. If not, it's no big deal."

 

That is socializing! At the level that wish to do so. And I totally agree with that.

 

"I think we'll remain SANE either way."

 

That will always be questionable. You ARE a cruiser, after all.:D:D

[kew1031]

My job entails non-stop interaction with people. That's what I do every day. I can chat with total strangers like they are my best friends.

I love to watch people in action, too. (and maybe laugh about them behind my hand if they do something stupid;))

My boyfriend is fairly extroverted, too, so we can visit with our tablemates at dinner, laugh, joke around, and enjoy their company for awhile. then spend the rest of the time, just the two of us.

My late (ex)husband, on the other hand, would have rather jabbed hot pokers in his eyes than spend 5 minutes anywhere there was 3000 other people.

He would have NEVER gone on a cruise ever!

[hubofhockey]

" If we meet people and make friends with them, great. If not, it's no big deal."

 

That is socializing! At the level that wish to do so. And I totally agree with that.

 

"I think we'll remain SANE either way."

 

That will always be questionable. You ARE a cruiser, after all.:D:D

 

I hear you. We just treat the MDRs like restaurants and don't like sharing tables. On our past cruise, we had anytime and wound up sharing tables three nights (out of 12) with those we did tours with. I guess we are not crazy about sharing a table with random people. Not sure if that makes us no social.

[blakey]

Cruising, to me, is the best of both worlds. I can hide in my cabin, sit at a table for 2 with my dh OR I can walk around talking to everyone, sit at the bigger tables...whatever my mood is at that moment. And you know those horribly long lines that snake back and forth to board/ss card/stuff?

People within 10 feet are fair game! :)

[The_Geek]

I can talk to anyone anywhere. I get into full blown discussions with strangers all the time, my wife laughs at me for it. We however pick our vacations based on where we want to go and not the social aspect. On our Honeymoon, we ended up sitting with another couple who was also celebrating their Honeymoon. Turns out they lived about an hour away from us and we really hit it off. We ended up hanging out with them almost daily, and went on most excursions together.

[FrogFritter]

I am definitely a people person and my friends tell me that I could find a friend while going to the restroom.

 

I have always cruised with a group in the past - my upcoming cruise is the 1st where my friend and I will be sitting with others at dinner. I am excited to meet our table mates and she could care less. She will be friendly to others but doesn't care to make life long friends. I am all about meeting people and being a social butterfly.

 

Part of the reason my husband won't cruise with me is because he is worried he will have to socialize with fellow cruisers and it terrifies him. So I go without him, we take land vacations together and we're both happy.

 

So do I pick a specific cruise line for socializing? No, but I do choose to cruise because I like the aspect of having the same 3000+ people around me for a week. (is that nuts?!?!?) If you meet people you hit it off with the 1st day, you have a week to get to know them better (or avoid them).

 

Everyone is different - that's what makes Cruise Critic so exciting! :rolleyes:

[dan40]

I am definitely a people person and my friends tell me that I could find a friend while going to the restroom.

 

I hear they cancel your bar privileges for that!:rolleyes::D:D

 

Oh, I'm killin' me!:D

[The4Cruisers]

My DW is very introverted so I usually carry most of the socializing when we're with others. I won't do it on a cruise. We both simply hang out and do our own thing with the family.

[FrogFritter]

I hear they cancel your bar privileges for that!:rolleyes::D:D

 

Oh, I'm killin' me!:D

 

Fortunately, the friends I may meet in the bathroom have never been security!

[marshhawk]

My DH and I can eat meals and never say "boo" to each other, he says he's introverted, and I am extroverted. (spelling) but being on a cruise, dining in the MDR, and going to play games and doing excursions, it forces DH to speak up more, and lets me unwind and be quiet(how nice). If we want alone time, there is always the cabin but that's too much like home, and we vacation so that it's not like home!:D