Thoughts on Solo Cruising

I'm sure this has been asked many many times, but just looking for the positives as well as any negative to solo cruising. I've only been on a few cruises as a single parent with my daughter. Well my daughter who is now 19 and in college doesn't want to do a cruise in October. Which I certainly respect and understand. But I still want to go especially as much as I will miss her.

How does dining work so as to be seated with a group or someone? Also for excursions, do most make their own plans or book with the ship?

This will be on the Carnival Splendor that will be leaving from Miami and stopping in Cozumel, Ocho Rios and the Cayman Islands. I want to get off the ship and do an excursion at each stop. Whether it's Dunn's Rivers Falls, a beach in Grand Cayman and shopping in Cozumel.

Any info tips or ideas is certainly helpful.

TIA

DO IT :D I've cruised solo, with friends, and with my DH. Of course you will miss your daughter, but you can still have a great time. I still cruise solo on occasion, despite being no-longer-single.

When I solo cruise I request a fixed dining time at a large table. I have not tried the Anytime but have read many reports that a person can request to be seated with others, or on their own. Just ask the Maitre D' when you arrive for dinner.

Have you thought about joining the Roll Call for your cruise? You may get to know some people even before you get on the ship.

As to shore excursions, if it is a port I am not familiar with, I use ship excursions (which are also a good way to meet other people, if you are interested in that).

I wish you all the best! For the record, I now either cruise with DH or solo. I find cruising with friends not my preference at all ;)

My first solo cruise was empowering, to be honest. It proved to me that I could do things I wanted to do, without needing a companion. I hope you find the same.

There is no need to feel daunted at all. I found my fellow cruisers were all out to have a good time and were quite willing to chat with you.

I've done both the formal dining where you are with a group, or the speciality dining (on Norwegian) where you can book a table to yourself. Both were fine and I enjoyed myself. The formal dining where you're allocated a table can be really good or really bad depending on who you're with so be prepared to swap if you don't like it (not sure what Carnival does style-wise).

I generally take the ships excursions because they'll always wait for you if you're late, but I've done a few on my own when the place is literally on the dock (Cannes/Dubrovnik) and I'm slowly getting more confident about doing it on my own.

I've got a bit addicted to cruising solo, to be honest. I can do what I want, when I want, and be as social or anti-social as I want. All in 5-star luxury!

Check out this thread for comments on solo dining:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2353775

It's great hearing the positive feedback. Those were my concerns; dining and excursions. I will be sure to go with the formal dining as well as book my excursions through the ship.

I will also check out the other thread.

I have taken 3 solo cruises now as my college age daughter can't cruise because of school or has other plans when she is on break. Two have been Carnival and 1 was NCL. Carnival give you the option of being seated with others in the dining room or having a table by yourself. On NCL I was always seated on a 2 top by myself I guess because of the freestyle element. NCL however has the option for solo travelers most nights to meet at a bar at a specific time and then go to dinner together.

On the NCL cruise I became friends with a couple, kept running into each other and got chatting, and I would dine with them some nights. It was nice to have a mix some social and alone time.

I have done both types of excursions and have never had any issues. Some ports have a flat fee for taxi's (like Cozumel) so a taxi for 1 can get expensive. I have even taken the local bus at some ports. I also usually try to join the roll call and see if others are planning excursions for the group that I can join.

 

How does dining work so as to be seated with a group or someone? Also for excursions, do most make their own plans or book with the ship?

 

This will be on the Carnival Splendor that will be leaving from Miami and stopping in Cozumel, Ocho Rios and the Cayman Islands. I want to get off the ship and do an excursion at each stop. Whether it's Dunn's Rivers Falls, a beach in Grand Cayman and shopping in Cozumel.

 

Any info tips or ideas is certainly helpful.

 

TIA

There really aren't any negatives to cruising solo. Sure, you might have some "alone" time, but that's perfectly OK. This isn't Noah's arc. LOL All types of people go on cruise - solos, couples, families, groups, etc. You are only limited by yourself and by your desire to go and see the world. I've yet to go on any cruise solo and not meet people and have a great time. As far as dining - just make sure your reservation is tagged that you wish to dine at a large table - 6 to 8. Confirmed your seating with the Maitr'd upon embarkation. If you aren't happy with your table or your dining companions - then speak with the Maitr'd and get a table change. It is their desire to make you happy. As far as shore tours - I think it's best for solo to book the ship's tours. You will travel as a group and it's a great way to meet new people. Yes, sometimes you can feel like the "odd" one out, but I'd just put those feeling aside and just enjoy the scenery. I never focus on the "going solo" part. I just plan on what I want to see and do and focus on that. Go with a positive attitude and smile a lot. Happy cruising.

've done two solos and it was fine. (have a 3rd booked for next fall) I always book my excursions through the ship and during my Med cruise in May on the Epic I noticed that there were a few of us on the same excursions in each port so there were a few folks to sort of hang with while on the tours.

If cruising alone you might want to take a look at NCL as they have a few ships with studio cabins made for solo's. The price is cheaper than paying the single supplement for a regular cabin. ( I think RCL has a few single cabins on some of their ships as well. but I don't sail them and don't know which ships or routes. I'm sure someone can chime in with details)

I am not into the whole roll call thing, but I've not had any problem finding folks to chat with while on board. I'm into photography so places like the Med, Baltics (my next one booked) and Alaska are more my thing than the Caribbean (I live in a touristy beach area)

Well things have changed since I have been talking about all the good times I would have. My daughter is still not going but my niece wants onboard. She's a little older than my daughter and we are close because I do a lot of babysitting for her 4 year-old.

I'm glad she wanted to go. I'm sure I will be cruising by myself one day but just not this time. Again Thanks for all the tips!

(Time for a new thread to figure things out as far as transportation etc..)

I have a different view on excursions. I never book through the ship (and have never even come close to missing the ship; independent vendors know that their business would suffer if they were getting people back to the ship on time)--ship excursions have not been happy times for me. More like cattle calls. I just don't enjoy them. I join my roll call and we typically set up private tours. In most cases, we meet on board before the excursion. I've just found the quality of them to be so much better than most ship excursions.

Dining isn't an issue for me. I don't want to eat with strangers and if I haven't met anyone with whom I've made plans to dine, then I go alone and take a book with me.

I travel solo and always have anytime dining and always ask to sit at a table with other passengers. I never sit with the same people and always have good conversation. I always do the ship's excursions-no issues. I love being able to be on my own or going to watch a show or watch karaoke or dancing or participate in trivia or take a nap.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I'm sure this has been asked many many times, but just looking for the positives as well as any negative to solo cruising. I've only been on a few cruises as a single parent with my daughter. Well my daughter who is now 19 and in college doesn't want to do a cruise in October. Which I certainly respect and understand. But I still want to go especially as much as I will miss her.

 

How does dining work so as to be seated with a group or someone? Also for excursions, do most make their own plans or book with the ship?

 

This will be on the Carnival Splendor that will be leaving from Miami and stopping in Cozumel, Ocho Rios and the Cayman Islands. I want to get off the ship and do an excursion at each stop. Whether it's Dunn's Rivers Falls, a beach in Grand Cayman and shopping in Cozumel.

 

Any info tips or ideas is certainly helpful.

 

TIA

Your route is one of my favs. I love snorkeling, and all three of your ports are great. I normally book thru the cruise line, just so I'll be protected on a late return to port. I like my own company, so I request to eat alone. I usually meet new people while relaxing after an early dinner.

If you are a decent swimmer, consider a sail/snorkel on one of your 3 ports. It's really fun. Enjoy your trip.

I found when waiting to be seated on Your Time dining the people around me were so involved in their own group, they didn't seem like they wanted company.

I am a single senor gal and I am used to eating at "My time Dining".

I just up to the reservation person and I say I want to "share a table with others". Since I am one person they always find a seat for me.

If I show up late I still have to make a reservation at times.

There are times when I have an awesome time, other times the people can be boring so I just stay quiet and enjoy my meal, ... other times the subject will be about something depressing so I find a way to change the subject.

I don't like set dining because then I am stuck with them the whole week.

Plus, I have to show up on time. It is considered not nice to not let them know if you plan to not show up for dinner because you will be eating some place else like in port or where ever.

One time I told my table mates that I was going to be 15 minutes late and they waited for me so they could order their food ...that was really nice.

I remember a long time ago I chose to change tables when I had set dining.

I was moved to eat with a really nice couple that were super happy to meet me.

Presently, I do prefer to do my time dining so that way I can eat whenever I feel like eating.I like meeting new people each dinner time. LucyR.

I have always enjoyed long cruises; 28+ days to new places. When I look at the solo cruiser pages, it seems to be a lot of 7 - 10 day cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, etc. Does cruising solo seem to limit you in how far you travel & for how long?

I can understand that for a short cruise you can pay only a few hundred, but traveling w/ a companion to S America last year cost less than $100.00 per day (34 days) but would have been too expensive solo, so I am hoping that my far flung travels will not now be limited.

Any ideas on affording to cruise 28+ days as a solo? Do any cruise lines have actual share programs that try to match like individuals?

I don't know about share programs (wouldn't be interested), but you may be able to find deals on the longer cruises. Sometimes cruise lines will have a sale that waives the supplement. This would be a good reason to have a TA that's willing to watch for things like that and alert you when he or she sees a longer sailing with single supplements waived.

I have always enjoyed long cruises; 28+ days to new places. When I look at the solo cruiser pages, it seems to be a lot of 7 - 10 day cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, etc. Does cruising solo seem to limit you in how far you travel & for how long?

 

I can understand that for a short cruise you can pay only a few hundred, but traveling w/ a companion to S America last year cost less than $100.00 per day (34 days) but would have been too expensive solo, so I am hoping that my far flung travels will not now be limited.

 

Any ideas on affording to cruise 28+ days as a solo? Do any cruise lines have actual share programs that try to match like individuals?

Yes, HAL does. Check out this link:

http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/about-best-cruise-lines/PR_Single-Part.pdf

Not my cuppa tea. I just go it alone, but may work for you. Hope this helps.

Does cruising solo seem to limit you in how far you travel & for how long?

There's no limit to how long or how far you can cruise as a solo. It's all in your hands.....the cruise line doesn't care. My last solo cruise was 18 days across the Pacific; my next solo is a 17 day cruise across the Pacific in the other direction. I'm traveling solo on a 20 day Panama Canal cruise in 2018.

I have always enjoyed long cruises; 28+ days to new places. When I look at the solo cruiser pages, it seems to be a lot of 7 - 10 day cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, etc. Does cruising solo seem to limit you in how far you travel & for how long?

 

I can understand that for a short cruise you can pay only a few hundred, but traveling w/ a companion to S America last year cost less than $100.00 per day (34 days) but would have been too expensive solo, so I am hoping that my far flung travels will not now be limited.

 

Any ideas on affording to cruise 28+ days as a solo? Do any cruise lines have actual share programs that try to match like individuals?

I think links get deleted here but if you google companion cruising you will find quite a large site that pairs up same gender etc for trips. You just scroll through the list of cruise itineraries and next to each one it will list the people who are seeking to share.

Cruise buddies will also find you results. Also use same terms in a facebook search as there are several pages and groups I am a member of. People will just post an itinerary and cabin price and a bit about themselves and see if anyone is interested in sharing to reduce costs.

Polar trips (north and south) all do cabin sharing - so you buy a berth, not a whole cabin. I usually buy in a twin and share with one other person, but there are triple and quad options too which can be a serious saving on that type of trip. I stick with twin - 3 or 4 in a cabin would be too much for me ! But plenty do it to save costs in a big way.

I cant see how choosing to be a solo traveller could or would ever restrict me in how I travel, where I travel, or for how long I travel. I am my own person and all of those options are for me personally! I am in my 40s and have been solo-ing since my mid teens.

My expedition trips to Antarctica are around 6 weeks. 4 weeks on an expedition ship and a week either side in South America or New Zealand - where ever the ship is departing or disembarking.

Other more traditional cruises - anything less than 2 weeks is too short for my liking.

I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think the OP is asking whether the cruise line restricts how long you can travel solo. It sounds to me like she's wondering about the travel habits of other solo travelers and if they find they travel more or less when traveling solo as compared to traveling with a companion or family.

For me, the answer is that I travel longer as a solo than when I took my kids. Quite simply, it's because even though it's not a 50% savings to not bring my daughter, it does cost less and that translates to more time for me to travel. :D

I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think the OP is asking whether the cruise line restricts how long you can travel solo. It sounds to me like she's wondering about the travel habits of other solo travelers and if they find they travel more or less when traveling solo as compared to traveling with a companion or family.

In that case, my solo travels are usually longer than when I travel with friends or family -- I have more time and desire to travel for longer times than they do.

I've not taken cruises as long as 28 days (responding to ljones), but I have taken several in the 2 to 3 week range and all came in well under $200/day even with the single supplement (which was often 100%). Here are some of them. The per day cost is for a solo inside or oceanview including port fees and tips. Drinks and excursions are extra.

2011 Celebrity 15 days Miami to San Diego via Panama Canal, $100/day

2011 HAL 12 days Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, $189/day

2012 HAL 23 days Kobe to Vancouver, $152/day

2012 Celebrity 15 days Fort Lauderdale to Santiago, $133/day

2013 RCI 19 days Sydney to Hawaii, $108/day

2013 HAL 18 days Buenos Aires to Valparaiso via Antarctic, $180/day

2014 Princess 10 days, French Polynesia round trip from Papeete, $140/day

2015 RCI 14 days Barcelona to Dubai via Suez Canal, $113/day

2015 Princess 17 Days Los Angeles to Valparaiso, $119/day

2016 Celebrity 13 days Athens to Rome via Israel, $99.50/day

Many of these could have been extended as B2B for several weeks at similar or lower cost--e.g., continue around South America, continue from Dubai to Asia, continue from Rome to Florida, precede Sydney with Australia or Asia etc.

It's quite easy to find these kinds of itineraries and fares, so I don't agree that the cost of solo cruising need restrict you to short itineraries.

I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think the OP is asking whether the cruise line restricts how long you can travel solo. It sounds to me like she's wondering about the travel habits of other solo travelers and if they find they travel more or less when traveling solo as compared to traveling with a companion or family.

 

For me, the answer is that I travel longer as a solo than when I took my kids. Quite simply, it's because even though it's not a 50% savings to not bring my daughter, it does cost less and that translates to more time for me to travel. :D

Yes I wasnt really sure what direction the question was going.

I basically avoid travelling with companions and there is not enough money on this planet to make me travel with someone related to me by blood.

So my choices relate to destination, how much annual leave I have available at work each year, and money. I average at least 3 small (week long) and 1 large (6 weeks) trip per year - sometimes cruises and sometimes totally different types of travel. But always solo.