This didn't happen on a liveaboard, but I have been assigned several buddies to room with that I have never met before. All of them were positive experiences except for one which turned out to be the roommate from hell. Let me say that the positive experiences were great. We didn't invade each other's space, had a place for our gear to be kept, respected each other's choice in AC temp, kept the room neat and took turns over who got to shower first. We had fun meeting each other and sharing our mutual love of diving.
Now for the really ugly. On one trip I got assigned to a room with a crazy woman. We were about the same age but we were from totally different planets. She began by telling me that she got up around 6 and had to read for an hour in total silence or her day "was ruined". She said she also liked to have coffee when she read. She said, "I have an idea, you can go get our coffee and bring it back to the room". I told her I didn't drink coffee and she would have to get her own. She also told me she set her clock at 3 am so she could get up and go to the bathroom. I was wondering why you would need to set the clock, most people get up to pee when their bladder is full, but sure enough, the alarm went off at 3 am.
We each had a shelf in the bathroom. She told me she had forgotten her razor. I told her I didn't have a spare (which I would have given to her) but they sold some at the resort. Well, she went ahead and used mine any way. This was the first day of the trip. Discovered it after my morning dives. Guess who went off and bought a new razor?
I woke up the first night hot, sweaty and feeling like I was going to suffocate. She had turned off the AC, the fans and the windows were closed. In Honduras. She was huddled under the blankets with her head covered up. I got my flashlight and turned it back on. I told her the next morning that we needed to discuss this and that I would get her extra blankets, but we would be sleeping with the AC on. Sure enough, she turned it off the next night. She also left her suitcase in the middle of the floor and got mad when I put it under a bench where her stuff was stored.
The following evening (day 2), she flipped out, screaming at me, ranting around the room about the AC and how I was "disturbing" her, and "messing with her stuff", throwing her hands in the air. Scared the crap out of me since I was already lying in the bed and it was after midnight. Then she calmly got in bed, turned off the light and went to sleep. I slept in the hammock on the porch with my Boy Scout knife in my hand. In the morning while she was at breakfast, I packed up my things and had my luggage outside the door. I went to the office and told them I couldn't last another 5 nights with a crazy woman and to assign me to any free space available. I was assigned to another room with one of my male dive buddies. I was glad he agreed to share his room.
This woman managed to alienate 14 people on the trip in a matter of days. Her behavior on the dive boat was equally bizarre. As one buddy was getting ready to take his giant stride, she ran up to "check his air" and turned it off. She accused the DM of stealing her mask and accused all of us of some sort of assault or theft. Fortunately, I have never had to experience any one like her again.
My situation was extreme and probably a rare one. If you find yourself with someone you can't deal with, try to talk it out and if that doesn't work, negotiate with the Captain. I don't think you will have a problem so go ahead and try it.
