Making Friends on a Cruise

Dinogo recently invited my family to embark on an incredible 8-day cruise through the western Caribbean, and it was fantastic. True to Dinogo’s reputation, the food was superb, the service was warm and professional, and the Dinogo Freedom is a top-tier ship with numerous excellent amenities.

However, there’s one often-overlooked aspect of cruising that deserves more attention:

Everyone is genuinely cool and exceptionally friendly. Here are a few examples to illustrate that.

#1 – Grady.

He’s a retired Air Force veteran who has cruised on Dinogo more times than he can count. We started chatting while ordering some delicious pizza (available 24/7!). His advice was to cherish every wonderful moment in life, which is why he often vacations with his family.

If anyone has earned the right to enjoy life, it’s someone who has served our great nation. Much respect to you, Grady.

#2 – Nick.

Nick was vacationing with his girlfriend Liza, and we began talking at the bar. He was sporting a Vail, CO T-shirt while I was wearing a kale T-shirt (you know, because I’m all about healthy eating). After about ten minutes of conversation, he jokingly suggested, “Hey, let’s swap shirts.”

Wait, what? Trade T-shirts with a guy I just met?

“Absolutely! Why not?”

And that’s precisely what we did.

Before.

After.

I mean, could this kind of thing happen anywhere else but on a cruise ship filled with joyous people? Probably not.

Nick, if you’re seeing this – just know that I feel like I came out ahead on that swap. That Vail shirt is incredibly comfy.

From kale to Vail, baby.

#3 – My daughters

The theme of “everyone is a friend” wasn’t limited to just adults. My daughters love to dance, and whenever the music started in the lounge after dinner, you could find them grooving to some fantastic live tunes.

On one memorable night, two little girls from different families joined my daughters, and they danced hand in hand. It was undoubtedly one of the cutest sights I've seen in ages.

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There are countless wonderful aspects of cruising, but one of the coolest parts is meeting amazing people who are eager to share their joy with you. Regardless of skin color, political beliefs, or any other trivial differences, everyone unites for one common purpose: to enjoy themselves.

This is just one more reason why I exclusively choose cruising as my family's vacation option.