Seen Any Hoarders Out There On A Cruise?

[Happy ks]

My relative is what I would consider to be a hoarder and she has cruised with us. She has her own cabin and will not allow us in, I have a feeling she has stuff all over the place.

 

I have shared a hotel room in the past with her and it was definitely weird. She wanted the ironing board up the whole time, she had her things laying all over the bed, although it was neat it wasn't put away.

 

I'm the type that gets rid of what we don't need and I'm not a paper saver both of us want the cabin clutter free. She just squirms when she sees me throwing things out, daily papers or empty shampoo bottles, empty soft drink cans, whatever. I know she's working on not hoarding so much, I think she has professional help, she lives in another part of the state so none of us go there and check on her, she comes to visit us. When I have tried to talk to her about it, she just shuts down and becomes a little angry with me.

 

I do try not to talk to her about it as I don't understand the problem. It definitely goes deeper than what I originally thought the problem was, I thought it stemmed from being lonely.

 

I'm glad she cruises with us and she loves to go along. I love her regardless although in the back if my mind I'm a little scared of what we may have to deal with in the future.

[PhoneGoddess]

On one of my Carnival cruises there was a lady that walked around the ship with a small cart loaded with several large bags/totes. I came to think of her as the "bag lady".

 

On the last night of the cruise I was awoken at 1am to the sound of doors and drawers slamming shut next door. It was constant and very, very loud. I opened my door and looked into the hallway. The door to the cabin next to me was propped open and there was a pile in the hallway of several large suitcases, tote bags, duffel bags, and shopping bags. There had to be at least 20 of them. Just then, a woman comes out into the hallway with more bags and it was the bag lady! I politely asked her to please try to keep it down as people were trying to sleep. She gave me a dirty look and mumbled something, went back into her cabin and slammed the door shut.

[karinad]

Ok! I'm going to clean out my closets! I used to save some of our vacation memories. Now, nothing comes home. When do you ever look or "need" it. I wish I could hoard my money instead of feeling I have to spend it on cruising:rolleyes:

[Kilnwood]

I was a collector for years, old tools, books, car magazines, movie memorabilia, and more. I wouldn't say hoarder because I also have OCD tendancies and everything was organized and nicely stored. At one point I had 25 boxes of old car magazines dating to the early 1960s.

 

Then, I took a five-week motorcycle trip and lived off the bike with only what I could carry. Sometime into the third week I realized that, at that moment, the only possessions I had in the world was with me on the motorcycle and I didn't really need all that stuff back home.

 

I started ebaying and giving some things away and now someone else is storing all that stuff. I was amazed how free I feel without all that stuff that I had been saving because it was worth something. Turns out most of it was worth something - to someone else.:cool:

 

BBM

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

I was married for close to 30 years to a "collector," and I had the same experience on ebay as you did--"stuff" brings in top dollar from those who appreciate it!!

[kcdancerkc]

If you've watched the show, and understand mental illness somewhat.... most of these sad folks have had a major loss that was never dealt with

 

so besides "collecting" they cannot throw anything out. It's so sad

 

I think my grandma had it and it is a form of OCD - which sounds opposite

 

but they try to control feeling their feelings by filling it with hoarding-- objects won't let you down or abandon you

 

 

Somebody said the "American Pickers" should go see the "Hoarders" -- my 18 year old said the same thing!

 

Seems to be one of the hardest things to treat - like eating disorders - I wish people would not judge -- it is amazing and shocking but it isn't a choice - it's their brain chemistry telling them they must do that

[pris993]

My husband is a hoarder to an extent. I am constantly working on giving things away and/or getting rid of what I can. Fortunately he is very generous so he is able to part with things he gives to others. I do need to get and keep him involved in what we get rid of, otherwise he gets upset.

 

He too over packs for a trip. We work at not taking too much - regardless he still over does it. He insists on packing... I keep what I take to a minimum to balance it out. Best I can do.

[SargassoPirate]

I wonder if ebay helps or worsens hoarding? On "Hoarders" I often see lots of priority mail boxes in the hoard and lots of stuff that looks like they bought it online - you know the kind of stuff, valuable things like beanie babies, and other "collectables".

 

Ones person's trash is another person's hoard.....er treasure.

[Happy ks]

I don't think it matters if there is ebay, a yard sale or the grocery store, a hoarder will find things to collect...even out of someone elses trash on the side of the street. On a cruise ship it would be the daily papers, plates and glasses from the buffet, anything handed to them by another person, say on shore a person wanting you to go on their excursion or to shop in their store.

 

I know she spends a fortune on photographs since she knows they will be trashed if no one buys them. I have tried to tell her not to do it, not to worry about it. It's gotten to the point where we'll only get one photo done, so she doesn't buy everything, we'll rush by the boarding and shore photo opportunities. She does get annoyed with me!

 

The only thing that would stand out that my relative is a hoarder on a cruise ship is that she would never unpack and hang clothing in the closet and put things in the drawer. Her stuff would be laid out on the spare bed, over the chair, on the counter.

[McDebbie]

That show gave me nightmares so I had to stop watching. :eek:

 

My mother says my cousin is a hoarder but she does not know how bad it is because she hasn't been to her house in years. For her sister (my aunt) to mention it at all, we know it has to be bad. When we were visiting last year the back of her SUV was filled with that day's garage sale finds.

 

Makes me want to get rid of some stuff.... how easy is it to sell on ebay? We used to just give everything to Goodwill but can't itemize anymore so can't deduct it.

[marylp]

I don't know about hoarders at sea, but the little town I live in has the dubious "honor" of having had 2 different residents featured on TV shows about hoarding!! LOL!!

 

The closest I've seen to hoarding on board was when I cruised with a friend of mine from work. She saved every paper she saw. I can understand her saving the FunTimes, but every spa ad, jewelry sale ad, every brochure,etc. She carried off a plastic grocery bag of useless paper at the end of our cruise.

 

 

I save EVERYTHING also, I have a bag where I put anything related to my cruise. After I get home and start to work on my scrapbook, I have many things to choose from. Every port gets about 2 pages worth of pics, recipts, port info, etc.. Love it. Toss whatever I don't use, do it again next cruise.

[Tiggertastic]

I haven;t got room in my case to take extra or bring back extra

 

I have seen piles of empty coke cans in the teens room - how they couldn't get them into the bin I have no idea

[karinad]

It really is sad, but I think these kind of shows are bringing awareness to the problem. Even if you don't have the problem and think you might know someone that does, it's hard to step in. The shows are helping people that are in denial of their problem ask for help.

[Happy ks]

I save EVERYTHING also, I have a bag where I put anything related to my cruise. After I get home and start to work on my scrapbook, I have many things to choose from. Every port gets about 2 pages worth of pics, recipts, port info, etc.. Love it. Toss whatever I don't use, do it again next cruise.

 

I did this for our first cruise and it was fun. Except it took me almost 4 years to complete the scrapbook and we had taken at least 4 - 6 more cruises by that time. I gave up on the whole thing or I'd probably look like a hoarder myself. Now vacation photos either stay on a memory card, on the computer or the older ones in boxes labeled as such.

 

Another reason to not save all the papers is that it is very heavy to transport back home if flying.

 

I don't think it takes very long for a person to be buried in paper any longer :rolleyes: I do feel bad for people who suffer from this condition...and I'm sure they are suffering, it has to take a toll. I agree the show is hard to watch and it must be embarrassing for the people and families involved.

[mitsugirly]

I think they hoard the chairs...that's why there is never any to sit in. :D (Along with the chair hogs). I think they get together and take them all. :)

 

On a side note, I've had a lot of clients that were hoarders. It's a very weird condition and most people just can't imagine how someone can have so much stuff or what is in their mind to make them do this. You just want to help them get rid of it. :(

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I am amazed when I see people stack a plate of food enough for 3 people. .