Couples who fell in love on a cruise

EXOTIC destinations and a relaxed atmosphere make cruises great opportunities to meet someone very special, writes Angela Saurine.

Demo and Shona Simis who met on the Pacific Sky in 2001. Picture: Suppled

IN the 1980s, the popular TV series introduced an entire generation to cruising holidays - and the possibility of a romantic rendezvous at sea.

Fiction has become fact for countless couples who have met and fallen in love on ships. We talk to three couples who formed long-lasting relationships after meeting during a cruise. EMILY AND GREG When Emily Flanagan went on the three years ago she joked with her friends about the prospect of meeting Mr Right during the holiday. On the first day she met her partner Greg Ricketts while having drinks on the top deck. She was on the 10-day South Pacific cruise with three friends and he was with his brother. "I remember looking over and seeing him and we both smiled at each other and he seemed like a really nice guy to talk to,'' Emily, 24, says. They ran into each other again at bingo and started hanging out. "I ended up sitting next to him and he had a great personality and was happy to talk,'' Emily says. "He seemed to know what he wanted out of life.'' For the rest of the cruise the couple were inseparable. "He'd join up with my friends and we'd hang out at the beach on the different islands,'' she says. "I didn't realise we were together so much until I came home and he seemed to be in every second photo with me or in the background. I think we both thought it was just a holiday romance and nothing would happen because we lived two hours away from each other -- me in Sydney and him in Newcastle - but as soon as we got off the ship I sent a message saying it was great meeting and I hoped to see him again some time soon.'' A few days later Greg rang saying he wanted to take her to dinner and he drove to Sydney and back for the date. "He spent more time driving than at dinner,'' Emily says. "After that he'd come down a few nights a week to see me and on weekends I'd go to Newcastle because I thought I'd better return the favour. Then we thought this is something we do want if we're both willing to make the effort.'' After nine months they decided the travel was too hard and Emily decided to move to Newcastle to be with him. They are now living together and have been on two more cruises. Emily says cruises are a great way to meet people, whether it is for a relationship or just new friends. "We made heaps of friends from all over Australia that we still keep in touch with,'' she says. "You see each other every day and you have lots of time on board to spend together and form a bond.''Emily Flanagan and Greg Rickets, who met aboard a Pacific Jewel cruise. Picture: Supplied Wollongong couple Colleen and Warren Barker met on a New Year's cruise on board P&O's in 1985. Warren, then 20, was on holiday with a group of mates, while Colleen, 17, was travelling with her best friend after finishing school. The pair met in a bar when Warren came over and asked them where they were from and invited them to join his friends. After that they spent lots of time together on board, hanging out at dinner and enjoying drinks at the on-deck disco. They spent the day together at Port Vila in Vanuatu and swam in the turquoise water at Mystery Island and Amedee Island. "New Year's Eve was lots of fun,'' Colleen says. "Everyone was on the back deck dancing and waiting for the countdown.'' When the passengers disembarked Warren's friends told his mum that he had met Colleen, and she waved to his parents as she waited for her family to pick her up. "It was only a few days after I got a phone call from him,'' Colleen says. "My friend and I decided to go to Wollongong to see him and meet his family. "Then he came to Sydney and met my family.'' The pair commuted for two years before Colleen moved to Wollongong, getting a work transfer from Westpac Bank. Four years after they met they married and have had three children. They are hoping to go on a cruise to mark their 25th wedding anniversary next year. "People think it's amazing that we're still together because we were so young when we met,'' Colleen says. "When you think back it's like a dream.'' Colleen says meeting people on a cruise is easy because everyone is relaxed. Everyone's there for a good time,'' she says. DEMO AND SHONA Colleen and Warren Barker met aboard the Fairstar cruise ship in 1985. Picture: SuppliedIt's not just passengers who fall in love on cruise ships - relationships between crew members are also common. Demo and Shona Simis knew of each other from working in the industry before meeting on board the in 2001. Demo, who was a DJ, was promoted to deputy cruise director and Shona became cruise director. The pair worked together and began a relationship. "We had a lot of friends on board so we had to keep it hush hush,'' Demo says. Demo planned to propose to Shona in front of 1500 passengers at Carols by Candelight on deck shortly before Christmas in 2004. But the ship was heading into a storm so Demo, 50, went to the bridge to tell the first officer he was about to propose. He relayed the message to the captain, who slowed the ship down to avoid the oncoming rain so he could go ahead with his plan. "Just as the celebrations finished and we walked inside it bucketed down with rain,'' Demo says. "The captain had perfect timing.'' Soon after, Demo became cruise director on the and Shona, 42, left to work elsewhere in the cruise industry. The couple married at Darling Harbour in Sydney five years ago and now live on the Gold Coast. "Cruise ships are a great place to get away from it all and meeting people on a ship is really easy,'' Demo says. "You're free from all the hustle and bustle and you're there to have fun. "It's a different community on a ship.''Demo and Shona Simis who met on the Pacific Sky in 2001. Picture: Suppled