Carnival Cruise Line shares advice for cruisers looking for love

Miami Herald

2 days ago

"The Love Boat" gave people the wrong idea about cruising.
Yes, there are some newlyweds on their honeymoons, but most cruises are not full of single good looking people ready to find the love of their life.
That's especially true on Carnival Cruise Line, a company geared toward families.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line cancels more cruises, adds adults-only cruises
There are, of course, single people, especially younger ones traveling with their families. Love connections are made, and the fact that everyone has a smartphone makes geographic barriers less important.
If two 23-year-olds met each on a cruise in 1985, keeping in touch would involve expensive phone calls and perhaps writing letters, Now, the couple, can text message, Facetime, and communicate endlessly for free.
Cruise ships are not love boats in the classic sense because most passengers are already spoken for. There are, however, divorced parents, singles traveling alone, widowed older folks, and other passengers looking for love.
Carnival also holds single events (although they are usually just a time and place for singles to meet) and there are other ways to meet the love of your life. That's something Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald wrote about in response to a touching message on Facebook page.
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Carnival does not offer any sort of official matching service for single passengers. It does, however, want to help people find love when possible.
Heald received this touching email on his Facebook page on June 2.
"I am almost 72 and have been a widower for the past 18 months. My husband of 32 years Ray loved to cruise. We did 11 cruises together 10 with Carnival. Since Ray's passing, I have cruised just once. I still enjoyed it but it was different. John my question is that I would love to meet someone romantically on my next cruise," wrote the unnamed female widow.
She noted that she has tried to find love on land, but has not been successful.
"I have very little social life. I live in Bellefonte, a very small town in Pennsylvania. Meeting new people is not possible. Before people judge me, Ray told me before he left for heaven to find someone to spend the last years of my life with. Am I of such an age that to have these desires is probably just daydreaming? How and where do I go on the ship to meet new people and to perhaps find a new soulmate," she added.
Heald was sympathetic and kind in his response.
"I can't imagine how hard it must be to find a relationship again after losing your husband. I am not even close to being an expert but I imagine there are many, many people who are unsuccessful. In fact there is a whole industry built on that fact with all those apps such as Plenty Of Yaks in the Field. Love is the most valuable commodity in the world and sometimes it can be hard to find," he wrote.
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While it may not be easy to find love on land or at sea, Heald offered a solution that would at least increase the odds.
"I want to give you a wee dollop of practical advice and this is the reason I am sharing this post so that perhaps others in your situation are reading. Before you cruise again please send me your cabin number and ship and a request that says that you wish to dine with other solo cruisers," he wrote.
Heald, of course, is not a matchmaker, but he hopes the original poster finds love.
"Now, I cannot promise that you will meet someone who will fill the void that has been with you these past 18 months but perhaps, just perhaps you will meet someone who can. I send you all my hopes that you will find it," he added.
Many passengers shared their own advice as well.
"I hope she finds genuine love. Maybe join a Facebook group for solo single Cruisers?That being said, beware the scammer. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people that could try and take advantage of her situation for their own gain," wrote Carol Millitch Leonard.
Shawn Caccia was encouraging as well.
"It is much easier to meet people on a cruise than anywhere on land, especially if you've been married for so long and well 'out of practice' shall we say. There are social events for singles, mixers, but in my honest opinion, if you can manage the smell, the smoking area is always the most social place on the ship. About half the people there don't even smoke but rather enjoy the conversations. I say start there and who knows," he posted.
Donna P. Hayhoe shared her own story of finding love on a cruise.
"I have never lost a spouse, but divorced and I met someone in my FB cruise group and we became friends and our situations were different at the time. As time passed, we were fortunate to do a cruise together 1 year and 2 months later on same ship and now we are going on our second cruise together on the same ship 2 years later same month we met," she shared.
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