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I RESOLVE TO BE MORE SOCIAL ON MY CRUISE

This goal is easier than you might think. Everyone is in the same boat — literally and figuratively — in the sense that most cruisers are traveling with just one or a few other people and are apt to be friendlier than they would be in “real life.” Are you seated with strangers at dinner? Introduce yourself, and you might be surprised at how much you have in common. Did you find yourself in the elevator clutching a Coco Loco cocktail? (Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.) Make eye contact with your fellow drinker and break the ice. If you’re cruising with children, chances are your kids will have a gaggle of new friends by the end of the first day, so make an effort to get to know their parents. You may find yourself on the same kid-friendly shore excursions, and by the end of the sailing you might all be fast friends.

We hope some of these suggestions will take the sting out of the obligatory New Year’s resolution treadmill, and remember: Even if you don’t keep all of them, there’s always the next cruise.