Most of us ’40+ singles’ spent many Saturday nights at home during our childhood, or (for the severely (un)lucky number of us) teens or even twenties, watching The Love Boat at 9 pm!
It’s likely that all of us now have different recollections about what the show actually meant to us back then. For this adolescent male growing up in the 1980’s, the show used to mean:
- ‘Well, this is better than BJ, The Bear and Quincy M.D., I suppose.’
- ‘I hope Charo or that one lady from Maude is a guest star tonight!’
- ‘How does this Doc guy get all the girls?’
I also remember drifting off during romantic scenes (sans Charo and Adrienne Barbeau – the ‘lady from Maude’), wondering about how refreshing and exciting it would be to go on a cruise ship. To venture into the unknown and set sail out into the endless ocean, visiting exotic new places. And, if by chance, I were to meet a special someone and form a Hollywood-scripted, deep romantic connection with. How incredible would that be?!
Fast forward, 30-years later. I’ve set sail as a Honeymooner, during work events, and later on as a *cough, cough*, divorced ‘single cruiser’ on a nonsingles cruise. Trust me, this was a character building and humbling experience, if ever there was one, will get to this a bit later. Being a 40+ (Phoenix Singles), ‘single’ guy, my good friends over at (Phoenix Singles) have asked me to let you guys in on some great news! Especially, those of you who are not married; looking for a new romantic adventure; wanting to cross ten things off your bucket list in five days; or wanting to just get away from the mundane daily grind.
Drumroll please…
The ULTIMATE singles cruise romantic getaway to Mexico on Carnival Cruise lines, sponsored by (Phoenix Singles), is currently underway and booking faster than Doc’s rapid ascent on the single ladies (again, Doc, how? I know, I know, he was a doctor…)! Ten Cities will be represented, 100 quality, local singles,
40+, and all kinds of festivities…exciting and new, are expecting you – oh my!
Oh yeah, remember my one cruise experience where I went alone without a singles group like the (Phoenix Singles) one coming up in May? Let’s just put it this way, I felt more like Kevin Costner in No Way Out. That’s not a good thing…No Way Out was about a Navy Officer running and hiding in the Pentagon for much of the movie. Well, during this cruise, once I was identified as a (“Get him!”) S I N G L E….C R U I S E R, things became traumatizing. Even a two-year-old baby started crying in her stroller with her young parents nearby. I don’t recall Bert Convy or Rich Little being treated like this. Just showing up and asking for “a table for one” during main service at the ‘Grande’ Dining Room seemed to have translated into “I hate your kids and want your dog for dinner tonight”. I could have gotten nightmares from the stares and service that I received from my international hostess. I don’t know if I threw off the entire seating algorithm for the night or what, but I certainly wasn’t treated like 
Henry Hill and his new girlfriend ‘Karen’ entering The Copacabana in Goodfellas. Karaoke night, dance club, the casino, spa, excursions, et al., were all also painful. Don’t get me wrong, everything was pleasant enough, but the problem was that activities were designed to be shared with romantic interests, loved ones, or a big and fun group of fabulous singles looking to have an awesome time. Not a ‘stowaway’ or a single person thinking of any remote chance that a Love Boat episode would come to life. This is exactly why I can’t wait for the upcoming Singles Cruise Romantic Getaway! This cruise will finally return our adolescent dreams of life and romance at sea.
In closing, on behalf of all single men hoping to meet a lovely lady on the cruise event, I hope ‘The Doc’ has slowed down a bit over the last thirty years.
Otherwise, it’s going to be a very long 5 days!
The 40-something, Single Blogger