AIBU to dread sharing my cruise with a clingy colleague?

[InkyOctopuswithLegs]

Just found out someone i work with is going on the same MSC cruise as me.I am polite and always say hello but this person is someone I wouldn't want to spend time with. They are clingy and talk non stop, if they see you in a communal area they will make a bee line for you and start telling you about what they are doing, boasting mostly.
They told me yesterday about the cruise and I was speechless🤣 in didn't let on i was on the same cruise but I'm gutted and don't want this person chasing me around the ship🤦‍♀️

As you didn't let on you have already booked, I am looking forward to the Mumsnet thread started by your work colleague in a few weeks time about her stalky work colleague who found out she was going to be on a cruise and then booked to go on the same one

Maybe she feels sorry for you at work, because you're on your own. She'll be relieved that she doesn't have to talk to you if you're with your husband.

Tell her your twin sister is going on a cruise soon but you're not sure which one.

If you see her onboard ignore her, she'll assume you're the twin sister. Sorted.

She will describe how she only talks to OP at work, because OP is always on her own and has no friends.

When I got my hair cut I found out my hairdresser was on the exact same cruise, she offered to do my hair for formal night and found out we were only 4 cabins away on the same deck.

We didn't see each other for the entire week!

If you do see her you can say - hope you are enjoying your time relaxing and away from work.
if she asks to talk or starts talking you could say
sorry Marge just let me stop you there I don’t want to be rude but this is my one long awaited time to be myself, away from work and colleagues and to totally relax and have quality alone time or time with my husband. Please enjoy yourself and we will catch up back at work

Change your booking!

My SIL and MIL don’t speak. Unknowingly they booked themselves on the same Caribbean cruise. It took SIL 9 days, MIL even longer to see the other. They didn’t acknowledge the other and still don’t speak. Hopefully you will have the same sort of “luck”.

If she's been exaggerating with her boasting she might want to avoid you, in case her husband tells the truth.

Exactly

Are you sure she didn't panic and change her booking

Would be my worst nightmare. You go on holiday to escape! I would not say anything and if they do see you say you completely forgot they had said they were coming on this cruise and you booked last minute. Then excuse yourself asap!

Ha ha love all the assume a new identity suggestions. Wouldn’t it be easier to clearly tell her nicely that - no offence - but that you don’t want to spend time with people from back home or work when on holiday.

You don’t like her much anyway so you have nothing to lose!

@Bristolandlazy She'll think.my twin sister is having an affair with my DH🤣

It wouldn't bother me if she doesnt ever speak to me again. Shes know at work as "chatty sue" obviously sue not her real name!

Or she could be in the cabin next to yours..What's the chances.mwah hahaha.

I was getting off a two week cruise once when I bumped into a neighbour and her family (all 7 of them.) None of us had spotted the others the whole time we'd been on board. Chances are you won't even see her, especially if you don't tell her in advance so she won't be looking out for you.

This!
I straighten my hair for work but leave it naturally curly on holiday. Hopefully you can do something similar, it totally throws people.

I’m sure you will be fine. I’ve been on a few cruises knowing associates are on board and it’s been rare to bump into them.
Always have an excuse ready if you do, but don’t be specific incase that see you where you said you wouldn’t be. In all honesty once you are on board having a lovely time you will forget about them.

I was once on a cruise when my boss's boss's boss spotted me to say hello. Didn't see her again for the whole cruise. I wouldn't be too worried.

If you see them, grab your husband and engage in some intense snogging. Then look them up and down and ask if they’d like to come to your cabin for drinks. That should see em off.

You need to invent an identical twin sister sharpish!

She could think you’ve booked since speaking to her! So obvs you would LOVE to hang out with her. 😬

Op can you get back to the thread in a few weeks time im very curious to know if you do see one another and how you handled it hahaha. This would give me so much anxiety.

Don’t say anything, with cruises there’s so many it’s easy “not to realise” it’s the same one in advance (use the excuse your husband booked it and you hadn’t realised it was the same week if you do bump into her). You may find that with her dh she’s more mellow, also if you see her on the ship you simply are polite for 5 minutes but “can’t talk now because you have something booked” and disappear off, with 3000 people you might not even see them

We once met a local family on our flight to Floridas and their daughter and our son were in the same class. Its amazing how many times we bumped into them! And that was the whole of Orlando and its various parks.

You definitely need a disguise and cross fingers your table allocation isnt with them!