How to Hook Up on a Cruise: Advice on Finding a Fling

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Improve your shot at finding love on the Seven Seas with these tips

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: May 14, 2025 Fact Checked

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Finding Hookups

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Staying Safe

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Is it hard to hook up on a cruise?

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Tips

It’s hard to imagine a more ideal place for a one-night stand than a cruise. You’re in a secure but isolated setting with people who are a relaxing trip, there’s plenty of alcohol everywhere you go, and the romantic sunsets and calming waves are the perfect backdrop for a fling. But are cruise hookups really all that common, or is it just as hard to hookup at sea as it is on land? In this article, we’ll break down your odds and provide you with some specific guidance on how to improve your chances of hooking up.

How common is cruise ship sex?

Hookups and anonymous one-night stands are relatively common on cruise ships, but you do need to ensure that you choose a cruise designed for adults (preferably a “singles” cruise) at a time of the year when single people are likely to be on vacation, like the summer, New Year’s, or spring break.

Section 1 of 3:

Finding Hookups on a Cruise

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1
Book an adult-only or singles cruise to increase your odds. If you sign up for the senior discount special or the family-friendly holiday cruise, you’re probably not going to have the best odds at finding someone looking for a quick fling. Read the description of the cruise you’re considering to see if it’s geared towards the kind of people you might want to hookup with.^{[1]
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- No kids allowed cruises designed for adults only are sort of mandatory if you’re looking to hook up. Families make up a large chunk of travelers on kid-friendly cruises.
- If the ticket doesn’t have any demographic info, look at the events on the cruise. Do the events sound like the kind of thing geared towards younger, potentially single people? Look for dances, singles mixers, speed dating events, or age-specific events.
- If you’re LGBTQ+, look for cruises designed specifically for LGBTQ+ people. Most of the popular cruise lines offer a version of this!
- There don’t seem to be any cruise line companies that are better (or worse) for single people looking to hook up. Some folks have anecdotally said Carnival or Royal Caribbean cruises going out of Florida or Los Angeles are the best, but we can’t confirm that one way or the other. Mardi Gras cruises in New Orleans may also be ideal.
- There’s actually a company called “Singles Cruise.” They’re not who you’re looking for (although they might offer great options, we have no idea), you’re just looking for any cruise tickets labelled “for singles” or “singles only.”
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Time your cruise for when other singles will be free. If you’re 18-30 or so, you probably want to book your cruise so that you’re travelling when other people your age are looking to have fun. Spring break, summer, and winter break are probably going to be your best bets. Avoid booking a cruise during periods where families and couples are likely to be ubiquitous, like Valentine’s Day or the Fourth of July.^{[2]
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- Valentine’s Day actually might be a perfect if you can find a single’s-themed event!
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Choose a cabin near the bar or nightclub. If you get to choose your room, pick a room near the most popular location for singles on a cruise. In most cases, this is going to be the bar or the nightclub, but look at the layout of the ship before choosing your room.
- Keep your door open whenever you’re just hanging out but willing to chat with strangers. Even if you don’t get any action early on in the cruise, people walking by may eventually see that you’re friendly and open to meeting new people.
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Bring a wingman/wingwoman with you to help seal the deal. It’s a lot easier to strike up a conversation with someone you have your eye on if you have a friend with you to balance the convo out and prevent awkward silences. This also gives you an excuse to join group activities on the ship or distract the “friend” while you talk to the person you’re crushing on.^{[3]
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- A wing-person also sends the signal that you are a “normal” person. A single person on a cruise ship may give confusing or creepy vibes to someone, but if you have a friend with you then you’ll look like someone who has a typical social life.
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Attend as many social events designed for single people as you can. Take advantage of all of the organized events on the ship. Even if they seem corny or uninteresting on paper, there will be other people around looking for someone to talk to about how corny or uninteresting the event is! Mixers, wine tastings, theme parties, and dance classes are all likely to attract singles.^{[4]
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- Even if there aren’t a ton of people at a given event, that might play into your favor. You’ll have an easier time striking a convo up with someone if there aren’t a lot of other people around to get in your way!
- You can probably skip the family-themed stuff and the events catered more towards older people. It’s unlikely you’ll meet the guy/gal of your dreams at a bridge tournament or sippy cup social.
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Set realistic expectations for yourself. Don’t expect to hook up with the first person you see on the first night of the cruise. Hooking up with someone can take time—boat or no boat! It’s also important to not get ahead of yourself if you do hookup with someone. It’s unlikely anyone you catch feelings for is going to be looking for something deeper than a one-night stand when they’re on a cruise.^{[5]
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- This isn’t to say you shouldn’t share how you feel if you do end up falling for someone, just that the odds of a long-term relationship forming on the back of a cruise hookup are generally not super high.
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Use the popular dating apps. It may sound odd, but the dating apps all see a ton of use on cruise ships. There can be thousands of people on a cruise ship, and the apps make it a lot easier to sort through the people not looking for anything romantically. Whether you’re on Tinder, Hinge, Grindr, Bumble, or Plenty of Fish, pull the app out every night and start swiping.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Damona Hoffman
Celebrity Dating Coach

Expert Interview} You’ll have a much easier time finding someone looking for the same thing as you.^{[7]
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- Don’t give up if the apps aren’t giving you the results you’re looking for. A lot of people may not be using the apps while they’re on vacation.
- Some people report having trouble with Grindr specifically at sea. If that’s an app you want to use and you have trouble getting it to work at sea, pull it out whenever you port to see if you can set something up while you’re on land.
A lot of people have nasty assumptions about cruise ship hookups, but don’t let these silly stereotypes bother you. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with hooking up with someone on a cruise ship. In fact, a lot of people find one-night stands on vacation to be extremely rewarding and enriching experiences, so keep your head up!^{[8]
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Section 2 of 3:

Staying Safe During Cruise Hookups

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1
Set clear and consistent boundaries. If you do find someone to hookup with and things seem to be trending in that direction, be super up front about what you’re looking for. At the same time, respect the other person’s wishes. If they don’t want to hang out after hooking up or they tell you they aren’t comfortable hooking up until you two get to know one another better, don’t push it.^{[9]
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- Don’t be hesitant about voicing what you want! One night stands are often the perfect place for a little experimentation because there’s no judgement.
It’s important to always practice safe sex if you’re hooking up with someone, but this is especially important on a cruise where you’ll have no recourse or way to get in touch if you catch an STD or there’s a pregnancy. Don’t tempt fate. Bring a condom with you on the cruise and use it when the time comes.^{[10]
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Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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Go easy on the alcohol consumption. Cruises tend to be great places to catch a buzz. There are bars everywhere, you’ll never have to drive, and if you overdo it you’re just a short walk to your bed where you can sleep it off. But if you are hooking up with someone, don’t drink so much that you lose your ability to make wise decisions.^{[11]
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- If you do want to drink with someone, stick to one drink an hour and always chase your alcohol with a cup of water. This will help keep you stay hydrated and prevent you from getting out of hand.
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Trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right about the hookup, don’t hesitate to stop where things are and call it a night. At the same time, if someone is giving you sort of spooky vibes as you’re building a rapport together, listen to your gut.^{[12]
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- Never hesitate to contact a member of the cruise staff is someone makes you feel unsafe. Cruise ships take security very seriously, and they’ll ensure that you stay safe.

Section 3 of 3:

Is it hard to hook up on a cruise?

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Generally speaking, cruises are a good place to find romance. Cruises are, by nature, a phenomenal place to meet new people. You’re in a captured environment so you’re bound to run into the same people over and over, which makes quite easy to build rapport and make friends. The relaxed atmosphere and plentiful social events also support the kind of energy you’d want in an environment for hookups.^{[13]
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- That said, if you aren’t outgoing and you don’t book the right kind of cruise (more on that later), you might find it harder to hook up on the cruise than you normally would.
- A lot of people take cruises with their romantic partner or family, so it’s essential that you’re strategic about the type of cruise you choose if your goals involve hooking up.

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Tips

Pro tip: If you see any cabin doors or cabin rooms with a pink flamingo or an upside-down pineapple displayed somewhere, that’s probably a couple that swings!

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As tempting as it may be, don’t try to hit on or talk up the cruise ship’s staff. It’s a quick way to get kicked off the boat or restricted to your cabin, and the crew members on a cruise liner aren’t allowed to hook up with guests anyway.

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