Will Dating Apps Work On A Cruise?

If "Titanic" taught us anything, it's that you can find love in the middle of the ocean — if you're into dramatic, doomed romances. Jack and Rose's story might be a product of James Cameron's imagination, but it gives us hope that love can spark anywhere, even on a cruise ship. But in real life, finding someone who'll sketch you like one of their French girls isn't as simple as hanging out on a ship's deck. These days, many people rely on technology — specifically dating apps — to find a match. So, if you're setting sail on a cruise, whether it's a trip to your dream island or a rather spicy nude cruise, you might be wondering if you can swipe your way to a date. You can, but it's not as easy as you'd think.

Today's cruise ships are basically floating cities, packed with enough activities to keep you entertained for weeks. Some folks even live on these ships for extended periods, working remotely while cruising the globe. And yes, there's internet, so you can stay connected to the outside world (just be careful about using your phone to avoid incurring a giant fee). But if you're hoping to use the Wi-Fi to find a date, don't get your hopes too high. The apps may not work as seamlessly as you'd hope, and if luck isn't on your side, you might end up matching with someone who isn't even on the same cruise.

You might think it's easy to go on a swipe spree for potential dates when the ship's docked and you're on solid ground. But when you're in the middle of the ocean, it's a different story. Even if you've splurged on an internet package, don't expect your favorite dating apps to work like a charm. These apps rely heavily on GPS to find nearby matches, which usually requires a cell tower for accurate location tracking. Since cruise ships are constantly on the move, your phone won't have a reliable tower to latch onto. And if you're using the ship's Wi-Fi, you might only see matches based on whatever tower the ship's getting a signal from.

A Reddit user shared their experience using Grindr on a cruise, confirming that the matches they found were all over the place. "Frequent cruiser here. [It's] going to be very spotty and will appear to 'jump around' so the guys on the grid aren't necessarily close by," they wrote. "One Caribbean cruise I was on, I started seeing a bunch of Canadian flags and French words in guys' profiles. I went to Google maps, and my blue location dot showed about 30 miles east of Montreal. [N]o idea how that happened. [M]aybe the cruise line has a server farm up there." So much for finding love onboard!

If you're set on finding a match during your cruise, don't throw in the towel just yet. There are still ways to make dating apps work for you — you just need to perform some workarounds. Former cruise ship singer and flight attendant Brendan McNamara told Thrillist that you can try your luck before the ship even leaves the port. "Everyone is most likely going to have a data plan in that U.S.-based port," he said.

But if you're already in foreign land, Tinder relationship expert Devyn Simone suggests taking advantage of features like Passport Mode, which lets you search for matches from a specific location. "For instance, if your cruise leaves from Rome, you can match with people in the area beforehand," she told the outlet. "This way, you might find others going on the same cruise, so you'll know at least one person before you even set sail."

Of course, there's always the tried-and-true method of meeting people in person. Many cruises offer singles meetup events, although it should be noted that they can be a mixed bag. "[Sometimes] a few people show up the first night and the next meet-up, I'm the only one there!" one user on the subreddit r/cruise noted. "Then one group meet-up, we [were] a group of 12 and we all had dinner together, most nights. So, go and hope for the best, [without] expectation." As with all things love, it's a roll of the dice.