Romantic Relationships at Work

Already on land, a good percentage of people find their future partners at the workplace, so why would a ship be any different - especially since one cannot go anywhere else.

In the earlier days female co-workers were rare and I remember situations with 65 male and 10 female crewmembers onboard a ship. This caused fierce competition between the male and was heaven for the female crew members.

Nowadays a greater number of females work onboard ships - which does not mean the competition has become any less. Often now, it is the girls which are in competition.

Romantic and sexual relationships form quickly onboard a ship - and often they are over just as quickly.

Crew parties and the Crew bar are a favorable time and place to make new acquaintances. Like everywhere else, the suggestion is just not to give your heart away too quickly, because opposite to living on land, onboard a ship you will see that other person every day. You'll see when new relationships develop or be followed day and night around the ship.

The other difference in being onboard a ship is, that everyone basically can be who they want to be. All one can go by is what the other person is telling. There are no friends, family members or other people who know anything about that person. And I would not be telling the truth, if I were to say that often people one meets deny that they are married and in reality have been married for 10 years and have 5 children at home.

Being on a cruise ship, especially in regards to relationships is like having a second live.

And it can easily happen, that one time or another the wife/husband of a fellow crew member comes onboard as traveling guest. The deception is big, a broken heart might be one's companion for some time.

In all my years at sea I have ran into people, which had the honest wish and desire to be faithful to their girlfriend/boyfriend they left behind on land. In very, very rare cases does this work. Not only because the temptation is there, but because one can get very lonely onboard a ship - and there will be someone who will offer to listen, to support, to console. In most cases consoling does not end with a hug.

While a lot of relationships are started onboard a ship, only a few will last longer than the contract of one of the two persons, I know a few people who did get married, settled down and have children together.

This is not an easy transition - but the good news is: It is possible.