Carnival Nixes Cougar Cruises in travel

"Fun Ships" ban more meat market/meet market cruise for older women/younger men

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read about California-based Singles Travel Company's promotion of "the world's first international cougar cruise," Dec. 3-7, 2009, inviting older women and younger men to "a festive pre holiday fun weekend of dining, dancing and partying" aboard the "Fun Ship Elation." Word on the street, or on the waters, is that the cruise was a success and that demand spiked for more such trips. ""I've had to hire two more people part-time just to pick up the phones," Singles Travel Company executive director Ann Thomas told CNN at the time. "I've never seen a response quite like this."

But Carnival Cruise Line has pulled the plug on future cougar cruises, according to a report in USA Today. The line's Jennifer De la Cruz reportedly didn't say why the line had banned them. Newsweek had called 2009 "the year of the cougar," and ABC is broadcasting "Cougar Town," whose theme is, well, older women/younger men. It seems that that's a demographic mix for a latter-day "Love Boat" that Carnival doesn't care for. But with competition strong among cruise lines, I suspect that the Singles Travel Company will have no problem finding a line to pick up where Carnival left off. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.