Party Poopers - Quiet Cruisers!

[navybankerteacher]

The good thing about CC is that there really are no rules or "membership requirements". It's great to be able to share thoughts about particular ships, itineraries or aspects of cruising, and sometimes to plan joint excursions or local transportation to the port, but nothing is required. Some like to plan virtually every detail - more power to them - others may want to check in once or twice -- no problem.

[OCruisers]

Geez, you are denying yourself the pleasure of meeting a jack@$$ like me.

 

Meeting you would be our pleasure! :D

 

LuLu & Roundman

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[MommaBear55]

I think the biggest misconception non-cruisers have about cruising is that it has to be a non-stop party with noisy crowds. DH and I are like a lot of the posters here- we like quiet times, recharging the soul and just enjoying ourselves.

 

I have yet to be in a casino or a night club on any ship, but glad they are there for those who want to party. I think cruising is perfect for every lifestyle.

 

Cannot wait for my next cruise!

[Suitcasefull]

We're generally quiet, DH is more outgoing than I. Meeting new folks is nice and if something clicked, that would be better. We usually opt for a two-top, though, mostly for convenience and timing. Have been to a couple of meet and greets. It is fun to meet people and then at least have someone to speak to when you see them on board or excursion. Wish I found it easier to make smalltalk but not gifted with that skill.

[Nebr.cruiser]

My wife and I like to lay low and have a good time. We are the type of people who would avoid the Meet and Mingle events just because of the anticipation and the crowd. Meeting a couple or two at a time isn't bad though. :)

 

We don't drink or dance much and enjoy quiet time just lounging in paradise. Who else looks to avoid the crowds during the cruise? Are we the only ones?

 

BTW, we are 39 and 37. Have we just developed into "old people?" :D

 

This sounds like us, me especially. A cocktail party, for instance, is my personal idea of hell.

 

We've always been this way and don't go on a cruise for loads of interaction with others. We're fine with casual conversation, but mostly just relax with each other.

 

We're late sixties though! But we were like this at your age too.

[Treven]

This sounds like us, me especially. A cocktail party, for instance, is my personal idea of hell.

 

We've always been this way and don't go on a cruise for loads of interaction with others. We're fine with casual conversation, but mostly just relax with each other.

 

We're late sixties though! But we were like this at your age too.

This is pretty much the way I am. If I meet 5 people on a cruise then that's a lot for me. On my Panama Canal cruise on the Sea a couple years ago I think I met two people (a couple), and that was it - I pretty much stayed to myself. Me, my Jamba Juice mug of iced tea, and my iPad in a shady spot.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also are not the party type of people.

I don't even read the Roll Calls for my cruises. I got turned off of them when they started to bring gifts, do cabin crawls, play games, etc. Thus we don't go to the Meet & Greets on the ships.

We enjoy sitting out on our verandah -- sitting, watching the ocean, or people if in a port, reading.

[BallFour4]

We also are not the party type of people.

 

I don't even read the Roll Calls for my cruises. I got turned off of them when they started to bring gifts, do cabin crawls, play games, etc. Thus we don't go to the Meet & Greets on the ships.

 

We enjoy sitting out on our verandah -- sitting, watching the ocean, or people if in a port, reading.

 

A screen name like Krazy and you guys aren't... I like that!

 

We are the same at 55 and 57. First cruise was aboard the Mardi Gras at age 18, and that was a different story.

 

We now have a very comfortable routine on sea days. A morning run/walk, cool down over breakfast and my wife heads up to a lounge chair in the sun. I head for a nap!

 

The day is spent with me reviewing the agenda and choosing my "Summer Camp" events to attend. I also putter around with a camera or two and capture about 200 images of the ship. I do this every cruise, regardless if we have been aboard the same ship.

 

We are always early seating for dinner, go watch the FUN letters blow up and then mill around the shops, avoid smokers and are headed to the cabin by 11pm or so.

 

.

[Gunner22aa]

Pushing 60 now and we cruise to relax. I do more reading on a cruise than I do the rest of the year. We still enjoy excursions and some of the shipboard activities but for us it's about relaxation. Nothing worse than coming back from a vacation needing more time to relax and calm down from a harried trip. I want to come home recharged, not discharged.

[LewesBeach]

Agreed. Some of the biggest misconceptions our friends had about cruising was non-stop eating, drinking, & gambling. Everyone has their own way to enjoy. We avoid the loud music & noisy crowds at the pools and lounges & find quiet places to relax and read. That why cruising is the best vacation ever - you can do as much or little as you want, meet as many or few people as you want - - most ships are certainly large enough to accommodate everyone's tastes.

[cruizinisthebest]

There are tons of ways to have a good time. Some like it low tone, others like the party atmosphere. Me, I like both. I don't mind a good party, but I don't wanna be paryting the entire time. I try to do everything on the ship. Even sit in the library for a little while and read a magazine or enjoy a chapter of a book. And one of my favorites is enjoying the spa. You're also bound to see me in the club at least one night.

 

To each his or her own.

[heatherandfred]

Dh loves to get out and hangout all night! While I'm onboard, I sleep, walk around. I try to party, but I'm too pooped from sleeping! :0

[isujim]

Pushing 60 now and we cruise to relax. I do more reading on a cruise than I do the rest of the year. We still enjoy excursions and some of the shipboard activities but for us it's about relaxation. Nothing worse than coming back from a vacation needing more time to relax and calm down from a harried trip. I want to come home recharged, not discharged.

 

Great post and I agree!! We are now past 60 and relaxation is more important than eating and pool side activities. That is why we have moved towards HAL........I like to define them as active but also quiet refinement:). We used to sail RCI all the time but now switch between Princess and HAL........still will do RCI but not our first choice anymore.

 

We long for the way cruising used to be..........alas.........I know it will never be......but sure wish when on the ocean, it was a little more laid back.

[Winnigirl]

You are not alone. While I would like to meet other people at a Meet and Mingle doing so comes with the expectation that one must also plug into the whole spectrum of alternative CC activities. I'm not interested in doning group t-shirts, cabin crawls, slot pulls, signing on to private excursions, or general "hanging out" the entire cruise with fellow CC members. I'm a party pooper too.

 

Thank you! This is exactly the way I feel. I think we're pretty friendly people - dh probably more open than me, but I just can't commit to these CC activities. It just makes me uncomfortable. Sure, a friendly little greeting party, maybe a drink with someone you particularly hit it off with - I can even see agreeing to share an excursion - but all the rest - just - no. This is why I'm so reluctant to join the Meet & Mingles.. the expectation to dive in to all the "extras" is too great. I don't want people thinking I'm not nice if I don't want to go on a "cabin crawl". So I guess we're party poopers too.

[Athankfulheart]

Make room for us on the Party Pooper Couch !

My husband is very social and has never met a stranger, me on the other hand - a Meet n' Greet would exhaust me. The thing that we do agree on though is that we love to be with each other, therefore we are pretty selfish with our time and attention when we vacation together. He is out of the house for work about 75 hours a week including commutes and I home educate my children. I probably don't need to explain much more.

 

We can be totally alone amongst a crowd of hundreds... no problem.

 

I far more enjoy "organizing & planning" than "socializing", so I can have a great time in a roll call up until sailing day and then I tap out.

[2adults2kids]

It seems like I have some company as quiet cruisers. I'm impressed. (and relieved.)

 

As someone pointed out, there are all types of people on board and there is room for everyone doing whatever floats their boat. Haha.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It seems like I have some company as quiet cruisers. I'm impressed. (and relieved.)

 

As someone pointed out, there are all types of people on board and there is room for everyone doing whatever floats their boat. Haha.

 

 

That's right.

[CFD130]

That's why I love cruising-No phone- no nobody we know-just my wife and I on a beautiful ship doing anything we want to do-for a whole week

[Velvetwater]

My wife and I like to lay low and have a good time. We are the type of people who would avoid the Meet and Mingle events just because of the anticipation and the crowd. Meeting a couple or two at a time isn't bad though. :)

 

We don't drink or dance much and enjoy quiet time just lounging in paradise. Who else looks to avoid the crowds during the cruise? Are we the only ones?

 

BTW, we are 39 and 37. Have we just developed into "old people?" :D

 

Nah, each to their own :) I think people always be either extrovert or introvert no matter what age you are.

 

I like doing everything and anything and meeting anyone but I am also into 20s to 80s music, old films and I despise a lot modern tastes like chart music and following brands/fashion. I wonder if this is old ladyish as I am only 26!

[Slopfrog]

Add another 2. I don't really consider us to be a party poopers, we just don't want to listen to obnoxious noise while trying to relax. This is why we avoid night clubs and pools at all costs. (Well, I might admire the bikinis once or twice a trip, but I'm not staying out there long!)

 

In general I'm just not one for crowds. I always search for a quiet place I can have to myself. Even on a beach, I'm amazed at how few people there are once you get a ten minute's walk away from the nearest entry point. And those I do find there are usually fine people - they "get it" and are like me.

 

But if you want to talk at dinner, that's fine. Just don't talk to me about your politics or your religion!

[Treven]

Pushing 60 now and we cruise to relax. I do more reading on a cruise than I do the rest of the year. We still enjoy excursions and some of the shipboard activities but for us it's about relaxation. Nothing worse than coming back from a vacation needing more time to relax and calm down from a harried trip. I want to come home recharged, not discharged.

I remember when I was young(er), I would always need to be off from work for 3 or 4 days after returning from a vacation. This was time needed to recuperate from having too much fun. Some of that extra time was needed to do laundry after I got back home.

[ShawninFL]

The great thing about vacation is you get to do it your way. For some it's a quiet retreat and for others it's an all out party. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm 41 and my partner is 45 and we work together, thus we are with each other 24/7. We need relaxation, but not necessarily 1 on 1 quality time. I like to hang out on the sun deck around the pool. This way I get to people watch but not be caught up in the middle of everything. If I want I can just read or stare out at the sea. I haven't been a partier since my 20s and don't drink very much, but I will probably have a couple drinks over the course of the cruise. My partner on the other hand, loves to listen to music and very much likes to imbibe in the spirits. I enjoy gambling, he doesn't, so he'll watch me for a while then go get a drink and head over to a club to listen to music, then check back with me. Nothing too crazy, but it works for us. I'm actually pretty shy until I get to know someone so I'm not big on the Meet and Mingle. Though I have attended one that was really enjoyable and we actually did meet up throughout the cruise with a few people. I'm much better at going to breakfast or lunch in the dining room and doing the small talk with strangers than initiating conversation in an open room. But I do use the Roll Calls, specially for cruises to places we've never been. I learn so much from these Roll Calls, and if you don't want to, you never need to actually participate in the chit chat. I have even joined private excursions through the Roll Call that have been great. So it all comes down to what works for you and makes you enjoy your vacation.

[griffy116]

We're the same way but I think ours stems from our jobs being very socially demanding so when we're on vacation we just want to hang by our selves. :)

 

Same here for our family. We all have jobs/lives that require a good bit of socializing in large crowds. We love the socializing and none of us have ever met a stranger, but we're quite different on vacation together. It's so wonderful for us to just be able to get together with just us...even though it's not just a couple, but a family of 6 adult. It's so easy to relax with someone who I don't have to worry about offending by just sitting quietly or saying I'm leaving without having to explain. It's what we enjoy, so when we are on vacation, we LOVE being able to "un-socialize" to some extent.

[JawjaFatBoy]

Me and DW are a lot like that. We don't cruise for the partying or the activities, but to relax.

 

We do attend some of the shows as they are usually enjoyable.

 

I seldom meet a stranger, but I do not like getting stuck in the middle of large, noisy crowds. This may stem from my job as a correctional officer, but if you want to see my bipolar side come out fast, put me in a big crush of people. Not pretty.

 

We do not do the dance clubs and karaoke as DW isn't really interested in them and the good Lord did NOT make me a singer or dancer and gave me the good sense to know it!

 

We DO enjoy the food! We generally don't eat large amounts at a time (certain nights in MDR being the exception), but we do tend to graze throughout the day. We are foodies and enjoy all the different tastes that are available. One of my favorite things to do at night is to get a cup of coffee and sit on the deck and just watch the stars.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I think the biggest misconception non-cruisers have about cruising is that it has to be a non-stop party with noisy crowds.

My misconception before my first cruise was the opposite, despite having done research on Carnival after I picked it. I expected the cruise to be very mellow and slow-paced. The kind where you lounge around all day, stare at the ocean, overeat at every meal, and where everyone hangs out mostly with whoever they came with. Similar to the way my vacation at an AI resort was eight years prior to my first cruise. I even brought books to read, to occupy my time outside of ports.

 

The cruise turned out to be the complete opposite. There was always active stuff to do: dance classes, interesting shows, late-night deck parties, etc. I ended up reading only one of the books I brought, and that was on the plane ride back. And I met a lot of fun people; everybody was very friendly, the opposite of cliquish like the people at the AI resort. I never went to bed before 2:00 AM on most nights. (I guess that gives away than I'm nowhere near a quiet cruiser.)