Anyone can say they're addicted to cruising. It's easy to get hooked after one week of basking in the sun and fresh salty air, hopping around exotic lands without a worry in the world. But it takes a special set of credentials to actually bear the label.
Cruise addicts are fully aware — and accepting — of their condition. We're not talking about the guy with the Royal Caribbean tattoo or the family with a Carnival funnel on their minivan (you're welcome for that idea). Most cruise addicts like to keep a low profile.
To determine how much of a cruise addict you really are, we've made a list of 21 obvious warning signs. How many apply to you?
- You basically work to fund your next cruise
- Your smartphone and/or computer wallpaper is a cruise ship or destination
- You unwittingly use cruise lingo throughout the day (Example: Referring to your bedroom as a cabin)
- Some of your closest friends are people you met while cruising
- You suffer from Post-Cruise Depression
- You plan your next cruise while onboard — or before! — your current one
- You're a top-tier member of at least one cruise line
- Other cruisers always come to you for tips and tricks you've accrued over time
- Your home is full of cruise-related decor, memorabilia or souvenirs
- Most of your conversations always lead to cruising
- You've memorized the layout of a number of ships
- That swaying motion you feel after you disembark no longer fazes you
- You can count the exact number of days until your next cruise
- On holidays and birthdays, you always receive at least one cruise-related gift
- You could spend hours on cruise sites
- You've planned an imaginary cruise just to get your fix
- When you get invited somewhere, you have to double-check your calendar to make sure you're not cruising
- You've hosted a Cruise Critic meet-and-mingle
- A world cruise is one of your biggest fantasies
- You're never fully unpacked
- You've lost track of your bucket list