10 Guaranteed Ways to Have Fun On a Cruise Ship

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1. Dance – Even if you don’t dance sometimes its just fun to get out there and make a fool of yourself.  Even if you look silly who cares, probably will never see these people again.  If you are too shy to hit the nightclubs you can also take dance lessons usually given by the ships dancers.
2. Embrace cruise director and his staff – Most if not all cruise directors are pretty good at what they do, which is making sure you have fun.  They have developed programs that have been proven to work as long as you are open to them.  If you give those guys a chance there is no way to not enjoy your next cruise.
3. Explore the ship – Everyone knows the usual places onboard a cruise ship.  However, there are plenty of nooks and crannies onboard every ship at sea.  Hidden observation decks, secret doorways and even low traffic eateries do exist, you just have to look for them.
4. Go on a date – Whether you are traveling with a companion or meet someone along the way, cruise ships are perfect for dating.  Meet early for drinks, enjoy a specialty restaurant , go dancing and cap off the evening with a romantic walk on the pool deck.  Some stories just write themselves.
5. Go to the Midnight Buffet – Many cruise lines have pared down the glamour that used to go with the midnight buffet but most still offer the toned down version.  The displays may not be as elaborate and the sushi may not be as varied but as with all the food on a cruise ship it is top notch.  Besides, watching people trying to balance two plates overloaded with food as they fight the rocking of the ship never gets old.
6. Karaoke – Even if you don’t sing, karaoke is always fun to watch.  Performers usually range from not as good as they think they are to downright terrible but its all entertaining.  Who knows you may even get bitten by the bug and find yourself up on stage.
7. Mingle with fellow passengers – Everyone has a story and some of them are even interesting.  I’ve met ER doctors, war veterans and an assistant coach of a top notch college basketball program onboard cruise ships.  None of them have stories that compare to 70 something year old dating couple I met onboard the Crown Princess a couple of years ago.
8. Play a trivia game – Throughout the day cruise ships usually have a couple of different trivia games going on around the ship.  These can range from mild TV show “name that tune” to hard core games of trivial pursuit.  There are hardly ever any good prizes but the contests are always a lot of fun.  At the very least go so that you can laugh of the guy sitting at the bar googling answers on his blackberrry (nothing like paying 50 dollars in data charges for a 50 cent keychain).
9. Try the casino – Even if you don’t play the games sometimes its fun to just be around all of the excitement.  I am not much of a gambler but the casino is still one of my favorite places to be.  One reason is because the emotion someone feels when they win is contagious (so its like a cheap high), the other reason is because they make the drinks stronger in the casino.  Just like in Vegas cruise lines know a drunk gambler is the best kind of gambler, use it to your advantage.

I know I only listed nine ways to have fun onboard a cruise ship.  The reason I chose to stop there is to give you all a chance to add your own.  So my question to you is, what would you add as the 10th guaranteed way to have fun on a cruise ship?

Related posts:

1. Ten No Effort Ways to Save Money Onboard a Cruise Ship
2. How I Enjoy the Ship While at Sea