A cougar cruise is a type of singles cruise. The term cougar is often used to describe an older woman who seeks out younger men for romantic flings. People who might go on a cougar cruise are typically men in their twenties and women who are roughly 45 and older. The purpose of the cruise is for younger men and older women to have a chance to meet and become romantically involved while relaxing on a fun vacation. Older women who are in search of younger men on the cruise line are generally considered the cougars, while the younger men in search of older women are jokingly referred to by many people as cubs.
Even though quite a number of people are in favor of the cruise concept, there are some who are offended by the idea. Most of the negativity stems from the term cougar, which some women consider a derogatory term. The first official cougar cruise took place on board a popular cruise ship in 2009 and was very successful. It lasted for three nights and was what most people would consider reasonably priced. The men and women who were single wore color-coded wristbands indicating their available status, which might have made it easy to distinguish people on board for the cougar cruise from people who were simply on board for vacation.
The success of the first cruise led other major cruise lines to follow suit and set up similar cruises. Some cruise lines arranged for their journeys to last seven days rather than three, which may have resulted in lower ticket sales. Prices for these cruises also went up on some ships after the first cougar cruise, which might also account for a slight dip in popularity. Additionally, there are younger men who have stirred up controversy by stating that they would not be willing to participate in a cougar cruise unless the older women paid their way.
Cougar cruises have since been abandoned by the first cruise line to have one in spite of the fact that the maiden voyage was so successful. The reasons behind the idea to no longer have cougar cruises has not been disclosed, but some people speculate that the cruise line may have decided it does not want its name associated with such a controversial idea. Despite the controversy, these cruises may be a trend that will continue to be popular amongst singles. Many people see these cruises as a harmless, fun way to for older women to meet young men and young men to meet older women while on vacation.