SIGHTS
Outside: open-air decks surrounded by metal railings, a mini-amphitheater for evening entertainment, swimming pools with slides, rock walls, wave pools, a kids’ area with sports activities (ping-pong tables, mini-golf, splash pools, basketball and volleyball courts), an exercise track around the ship's perimeter, stacked emergency rowboats, gleaming railings and spotless glass doors and windows, flags flying overhead, hundreds of beach chairs (with passengers laying out, sleeping, reading, chatting, developing sunburn), teens clumped together or listening to music players, kids (running, swimming, splashing, shrieking), drinks condensing in the heat, water and whitecaps far as the eye can see, smaller ships and sailboats in the distance, seabirds flying overhead
Inside: passengers in swimsuits and flip-flops, sharply dressed ship employees, fancy restaurants and fast-food joints, retail stores, bars and lounges, kiosks selling merchandise and snacks, casinos, game rooms for the kids, multiple elevators and stairwells, hand-sanitizing stations, narrow corridors with cabin doors on either side going around the ship's perimeter, half-empty dishes on trays sitting outside of doors, privacy tags hanging from door handles, cleaning carts, doors opened to reveal rooms in the process of being cleaned, small but efficiently spaced rooms with all the amenities, towels on the bed folded into interesting shapes (monkeys, birds, puppies), mints on the pillows, heavy curtains covering the balcony door, a glass door leading to a balcony with a small table and chairs, damp towels and suits draped over the chairs, people on the balcony (drinking, leaning on the railing, reading, watching the horizon), passengers dressed up for formal ballroom dinners
SOUNDS
The quiet whoosh of the ship moving through the water, the wind in one’s ears, flags flapping, birds squawking, accented voices of ship employees, automatic doors sliding open, squealing and splashing from the kids' area, running feet, music from the ship's speakers, announcements coming over the speakers, basketballs bouncing, people cheering at the wave pool, ping-pong balls pinging, quiet indoor corridors, muted TV sounds and voices from inside cabins, doors opening and closing, employees singing or whistling as they clean cabins, elevators dinging, the rustle of bags as people carry their purchases, eating sounds from restaurants, the flap of flip-flops in the daytime and clack of heels at night, music blaring from clubs and bars, muffled steps on carpeted stairs
SMELLS
Briny sea water, sunscreen, lotion, sweat, hot dogs, pizza, beer, hamburgers, floor cleaner, furniture polish, hand sanitizer, hairspray, soap, rain
TASTES
Sweat, cold water, soda, juice, beer, tropical drinks, ice cream, gum, candy, every possible food one could wish to eat
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
The sun’s heat on one’s shoulders, sweat dampening the skin, the wind whipping one’s hair into one’s face and sticking it to the neck, a clingy wet swimsuit, the plastic slats of beach chairs pressing into the skin, scratchy towels, refreshing pool water (salt, not chlorine), heavy sunscreen or suntan lotion on the skin, prickly sunburn, the light-headed sensation of getting too much sun, water splashing from the pool, the gritty feel of sweaty skin in need of a shower, earbuds perfectly fitted to one’s ears to block out the world, condensation from a cup or glass wetting the hands, a plastic straw between one’s lips, moving from the heat of outdoors to a cool indoor hallway, soft carpeting under one’s feet, brass railings, foamy hand sanitizer, a cold shower washing away the sweat and sunscreen film, tight-fitting evening wear, the weight of a coat or shawl over the arm in case the evening gets cold, a soft bed and pillows, a warm breeze drifting into the cabin from an open balcony door
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Mechanical difficulties
Power outages
Rowdy or drunken passengers
Contaminated food or drinking water
Illnesses brought onboard
Bedbugs
Infidelity or breakups
Pirates or terrorism (if one is in high-risk or poorly patrolled international waters)
An outbreak of a highly transmittable disease
A passenger with a medical emergency like a heart attack or stroke
A passenger who dies while onboard
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
A captain and crew, cooks, entertainers, event planners, passengers, security, serving and cleaning staff, store and spa facility attendants, the ship’s medical staff
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Rural Volume: Beach, ocean, tropical island
Urban Volume: Bar, casino, casual dining restaurant, fast food restaurant, ice cream parlor, movie theater, outdoor pool
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Cruise ships are a dream come true for most, but it isn’t the ideal vacation for some. There are many reasons why a cruise might be stressful for a character: if she’s an introvert, she’s a new mom who doesn’t want to leave her kids with a controlling in-law, or she has a fear of crowds, enclosed spaces, or drowning. When researching different settings, always look past the obvious and consider how it can be tweaked to give it a new twist or make things difficult for the character.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
From the top deck, the ocean's surface glistened like shards of a broken mirror, catching the moon's glow and hurling it back in its face. The wind, salted with rain, breathed something fierce, tangling my hair and pushing me off-balance. I hung on to the metal railing, refusing to budge, and threw Bradley’s crumpled goodbye letter into the waves.
Techniques and Devices Used: Personification, simile, weather
Resulting Effects: Establishing mood, hinting at backstory, reinforcing emotion