1. Your friends list is international.
Because you’ve been on so many cruises all over the world and you’re a pretty awesome, outgoing person, you’ve made friends who people who live all over the world. Staying in touch with your new friends has never been easier with all the social media out there. One of my co-workers recently sailed on Viking Cruises in China. He and his wife befriended a couple from the UK onboard. A couple months ago, they spent a week together in the Outer Banks and they’ve already booked another Viking cruise.
2. Free Wifi
You don’t pay for the onboard internet. You don’t pay for wifi in port. You’re a cruising expert and you know where all the free Wi-Fi cafes and places are in every single port. Bonus: you’re likely to run into your newest crew friends here (they know where the free wifi is too!).
3. Crew members become your real-life friends.
When I sailed on my first cruise, I never imagined the Assistant Cruise Director was such a kindred spirit (we have a shared love of all things Titanic). After the cruise, we met again at several events for Carnival Cruise Line and became fast friends. To this day, I’ll sail on a cruise specifically because he’s the Cruise Director.
4. Your Reputation
When you go on vacation, everyone automatically assumes it’s a cruise (and they’re usually right). You run into co-workers in the hallway and they ask you both if you’ve just been on a cruise or when your next one is. People know you’re addicted to cruising and they know you’re the person to ask about a cruise vacation.
5. You’re Platinum
You’ve cruised so much that you’re platinum, preferred and perked out with the airlines, the car rental companies, and the cruise lines. It’s VIP or bust for you.
6. You’re all about that music.
If you’re listening to music, it’s probably cruise or vacation-related. You subscribe to Spotify playlists for all the cruise lines and even started your own playlists. Your username has cruise and love in it somewhere. And admit it, you do the Cupid Shuffle and Wobble at least once a week – when no one’s watching.
7. Social Media Feeds
You follow the cruise lines, cruise news and industry experts (look for us too – @cruiseradio). It’s the last thing you look at before bed and the first thing you see when you wake up. It’s your screensaver, wallpaper, and usually your status update. You know what you like and if you can’t be on a cruise right this second, you’re going to live vicariously through these cruise social media feeds.
8. Ships are like family.
Not only do you know the name of every ship you’ve ever sailed on, you refer to them with fondness, almost like family. You know the ins and outs of each ship. You know the class they belong to, the year they entered service, where they were built – even the godmothers. They’re not just massive steel and bolts to you, they’re special vessels to be treated with reverence and love.
9. You ALWAYS have a cruise booked.
There’s never a point in time when you don’t have a cruise lined up, deposit down and countdown ticking. You always know when and where the next cruise will be. You eagerly wait for the special offers and incentives to book yet another cruise and you’re open to last minute deals too. You really only work to pay for your cruise habit.
Are you a cruise junkie? What’s your favorite sign of being a cruise junkie?
