Just want to dine alone!

As a rule one of the highlights of my cruises is dining. I normally love to dine at a large table. During my travels, I've met some of the most wonderful people. But this cruise, I want to dine alone.

This past year my former job did away with my department and took a job with over a 50% paycut and now within two months that job phased out. Along with personal issues, this cruise is mainly to relax and think.

I never did anytime dining and wondering will I have a hard time wanting a table alone? Just want to eat, maybe read or write. I don't want to eat in the Lido,but the dining room. Is there a great time to eat to ensure a table alone? I'm thinking around 8:00 p.m.

Not sure what cruise line you were thinking of, here is my experience so far - I prefer a table for 2 (whether I go fixed or anytime):

- RCI - get my request about 90% of the time (helps that I'm Diamond+?)

- Celebrity - only done one, but got what I wanted (it was a 4-top)

- Azamara - only done one, but got what I wanted (lots of tables for 2)

- Princess - in 2 cruises, asked, but was always put at a large table

- Disney - in 2 cruises, got it once, large table for the other

I hope you get what you want!

Sailing on Carnival in about two weeks. Waitlisted for Anytime.

I hope you get what you want but personally I have never even seen Anyone dining alone in all of the cruises that I have done.......hopefully yoy will be lucky :)

So sorry that you have had such a rotten time of late. I agree that a cruise can be a wonderful place for you to realx and think.

If you cannnot be accomodated with anytime dining, perhaps they would accomodate you for the late seating. It does not seem much later than what you are considering.

Janet

Reading and writing in the main dining room during meal times is probably not a good idea. There have got to be better places to do this like the library or out in one of the halls but the MDR not so good.

I have eaten alone before and have seen others as well.

Wait listed for anytime? That is surprising to me.....and to be honest,

I think as a solo you will have an easier time finding a table.

When are you going to find out if you receive it? I would just

go to the dining room when you want to eat....talk to the Maitr'd and

let them know you would like a duece and don't want to share

a table this trip.

Reading and writing in the main dining room during meal times is probably not a good idea. There have got to be better places to do this like the library or out in one of the halls but the MDR not so good.

I totally disagree...nothing wrong with reading a paperback or a

kindle in the dining room. If she wants to eat alone and read, absolutely

nothing wrong with it.

I dined alone on my last cruise. It was 10 days on RC Vision of the Seas. I had my time dinning set for a table for two. I did eat every night around the same time and was always seated at one of two tables.

My reason for eating solo is that I like to eat and go. I don't like spending time at a table. My servers are very good about bringing my next course just as I'm finishing up the last. I'm usually out of the dinning room by the time most guests are being served their main course.

Even when my wife and I cruise, we eat alone and like to eat and get out. We figure we have all day to talk and don't need to do it at a table tring to eat and talk.

We never liked trying to talk to others and eat at the same time. You ask a question just as someone puts food in their mouth. Then by the time they respond, you have a mouthful of food. Just not our thing.

Don

I have never sailed on Carnival but on Celebrity once in a while I like to eat in the dining room by myself, and it has never been a problem. I always do the "anytime" dining though. But I bet even if you are in a fixed-time seating, you could go the first day onboard and ask if they could put you at a single table...or see if they have room for you in anytime dining.

It's your vacation and you should enjoy it--there is no reason not to bring a book or kindle and sit by yourself and read during dinner, if that's what you want to do. :)

My suggestion:

Immediately upon embarking go straight to the dining room. Ask for a table for one for anytime dining for the same time very night. We had trouble getting a table for two, and were told we had to wait 40 minutes! After 40 minutes and being told that if only we had shared we would have been seated immediately, my husband had a giant loud fit and they brought over the maitre'd who solved it that way. Perfect solution. Win -win!

I've never been on Carnival. But on NCL, dining alone is never a problem.

I cruised on the Carnival Glory a few weeks ago solo. I had Anytime Dining and was seated alone a few times. Other times I had dinner with people that I had met onboard. If you want to eat alone let the Maitre D know this when you arrive for dinner.

I would agree with the other posters, talk to the Maitre'D and let him know that you prefer to dine alone at a two top. If they have a table available, they will try to accommodate you.

thanks everyone!

I will board early and request this!

As a rule one of the highlights of my cruises is dining. I normally love to dine at a large table. During my travels, I've met some of the most wonderful people. But this cruise, I want to dine alone.

This past year my former job did away with my department and took a job with over a 50% paycut and now within two months that job phased out. Along with personal issues, this cruise is mainly to relax and think.

I never did anytime dining and wondering will I have a hard time wanting a table alone? Just want to eat, maybe read or write. I don't want to eat in the Lido,but the dining room. Is there a great time to eat to ensure a table alone? I'm thinking around 8:00 p.m.

Your major obstacle is going to be all the well intentioned people who feel sorry for you because you're dining alone. For some reason, most human beings seem to think dining is primarily a social activity, with food as a minor background thing. You'll be sitting there ready to enjoy your meal when somebody will come over to your table to insist that you join them. All your polite protestations that you're OK will be met with resistance. I know, because I too have enjoyed dining alone on my last few trips. The other potential problem is if they give you a table for two by yourself, it will be located about an inch away from another table for two, giving you in effect a table for three. Another problem is if you enjoy a leisurely meal, the staff might assume that, because you're alone, you want a fast service. If you want to take your time, you may have to be very definitive and firm with them about that.

I enjoy fine dining and have been at some great large tables on ships, but I feel I can really savor and enjoy a good meal best when there isn't a lot of yak-yak-yak going on. As far as company, the staff waiting on me is fantastic company.

Your major obstacle is going to be all the well intentioned people who feel sorry for you because you're dining alone. For some reason, most human beings seem to think dining is primarily a social activity, with food as a minor background thing. You'll be sitting there ready to enjoy your meal when somebody will come over to your table to insist that you join them. All your polite protestations that you're OK will be met with resistance. I know, because I too have enjoyed dining alone on my last few trips. The other potential problem is if they give you a table for two by yourself, it will be located about an inch away from another table for two, giving you in effect a table for three. Another problem is if you enjoy a leisurely meal, the staff might assume that, because you're alone, you want a fast service. If you want to take your time, you may have to be very definitive and firm with them about that.

I enjoy fine dining and have been at some great large tables on ships, but I feel I can really savor and enjoy a good meal best when there isn't a lot of yak-yak-yak going on. As far as company, the staff waiting on me is fantastic company.

I dunno, I've found that keeping my head buried in my book or Kindle is pretty effective at preventing unwanted conversation or invitations to change tables. :) Maybe you just have a friendlier face than me! :)

Just shows how everyne is different!!! i love building up a relationship with mytable companions and slow dining is part of the whole experience for me.I can grab and go at home!

Personally I dread having to dine alone....I would hate it.....but as I said before everyone is different and it would be boring if we were all the same!:)

I see that you're already booked, but if this is something that you see yourself wanting to do in the future, I'd book with Norwegian.

When traveling alone I like to dine alone unless I've already become friendly with someone that I don't mind eating with. It's never a problem there, 2-top tables aren't squished against others and no one will bother you by asking you to sit with them. :)

I see that you're already booked, but if this is something that you see yourself wanting to do in the future, I'd book with Norwegian.

 

When traveling alone I like to dine alone unless I've already become friendly with someone that I don't mind eating with. It's never a problem there, 2-top tables aren't squished against others and no one will bother you by asking you to sit with them. :)

I travel solo. I always do flexible dining, because sometimes I like to eat with others, and sometime I want to eat alone. I've had the most luck being seated at my own table with NCL and Carnival. NCL provided me with terrific service, and Carnival also did a good job.

On the other side of the coin, I really had to stand my ground to get a table by myself on RCI...and then was mostly ignored by waitstaff. It's my experience that RCI doesn't have good service anyway, and doesn't have a clue what to do with solo cruisers, but that was a new low.

As a rule one of the highlights of my cruises is dining. I normally love to dine at a large table.

I never did anytime dining and wondering will I have a hard time wanting a table alone? Just want to eat, maybe read or write. I don't want to eat in the Lido,but the dining room. Is there a great time to eat to ensure a table alone? I'm thinking around 8:00 p.m.

I am a Solo Cruiser......

My BTB Jan/Feb Cruise on the Fascination,I had ATD....

I had a table alone..The Host will ask you how many is in your group,

do you want to share a table or dine alone.........

I went to the Dining Room early........5;45/6p.m...

I like Anytime,,,I like going to the Buffet some nights......

Happy Cruising..........

I am going on my 2nd solo in July. I was thinking of doing ATD because my trip is so port intensive. I was thinking that if I either went to dinner really early, or really late, I would have a better chance of sitting by myself (if that is what I wanted for that evening). Good to hear that seems to be the case!

Caro

I am a Solo Cruiser......

My BTB Jan/Feb Cruise on the Fascination,I had ATD....

I had a table alone..The Host will ask you how many is in your group,

do you want to share a table or dine alone.........

I went to the Dining Room early........5;45/6p.m...

I like Anytime,,,I like going to the Buffet some nights......

Happy Cruising..........

I am going on my 2nd solo in July. I was thinking of doing ATD because my trip is so port intensive. I was thinking that if I either went to dinner really early, or really late, I would have a better chance of sitting by myself (if that is what I wanted for that evening). Good to hear that seems to be the case!

Caro

Also,,,,,,If you want the same waitStaff each night

just ask for to have one of their tables.................

Happy Cruising.........

Sailing on Carnival in about two weeks. Waitlisted for Anytime.

I had a bad experience with getting assigned a table on the Carnival Inspiration, so i switched to ATD.

It was really awkward. I dont know how it will be on your ship, but the table they would give me was so close to others that you may as well be seated with them.

One night i sat next to a couple who felt really obligated to speak with me. It went ok, but i am sure you would not care for that.

Another night, my two top was right next to a 8 or 10 top. It was a group of people who all seemed to know each other.

A couple of them kept giving me funny stares, i felt really uncomfortable as my two top was like two inches from their table.

If you want to dine alone, perhaps they have more secluded tables, i dont know.

I was also saying to myself that I'd like to dine alone for my upcoming sailing.

One evening, I'm in a speciality restaurant and I'm having dinner with a couple from my roll call. Besides that, I'll be using the Windjammer for my dinner option.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with reading in the MDR. It's your vacation, enjoy it in the way you see fit.

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