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Tips on Solo Cruising, pls.


bluebelle2010
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I am a 57 year old female who loves to cruise. I am in the position of not having family/friends who are able to cruise with me right now for a variety of reasons. I am considering a solo cruise to test the waters. I would likely go on Princess as I have done almost all my traveling on Princess and have a sense of familiarity with the ships...plus I have the Elite perks now. As much as I'd love to do the 15 day cruise to Hawaii again, I'm thinking of doing a 10 day trip to Alaska or Mexico to see how comfortable this is for me. Any advice for a newbie would be appreciated. Just FYI: I do always attend the M&G's and have sometimes hosted them.

 

Thanks!

Edited by bluebelle2010
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I found myself traveling solo for the first time last fall with one do notice. My friends that I was traveling with had to go home for family emergency.i am a pretty independent person but my husband had passed away two months before and we had done 17 cruises together. I knew I could do it, but had to figure out how I was going to do it. I Signed up for traditional dining thinking I didn't want to eat alone and there were two other ladies at my table traveling alone. I signed up for some shore excursions at the last minute and met some nice folks on the excursions. I ate breakfast a few times in the main dining room and shared my table. All in all I met some very nice people. The crew was great and I really was comfortable traveling alone. Thinking of doing a Mexico cruise alone this spring but it's dang expensive to travel solo if you want a balcony cabin. Go for it!

 

 

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Your comfort with solo cruising will have a lot to do with your everyday life. I've always been single and am comfortable dining alone (I always have something to read, even if it's just my phone and I'm reading Facebook posts), going to the movies alone, etc. When I'm cruising, I enjoy dining with others - at least for most dinners. I mostly sail Carnival and NCL, and sometimes with Disney. Carnival and Disney have assigned tables, and they generally seat me with other solo cruisers, or sisters, a pair of friends, etc. I've never had a "bad" table. With NCL, sometimes I dine with people from the gatherings at the Solo Lounge, or people I've met on CruiseCritic. Or I'll walk into the dining room, tell them "it's just me," and they'll ask if I'd like to sit with others. So I have an option, and usually choose company. But sometimes I like to dine alone and have some quiet time to read. I generally do breakfast and lunch on my own, and bring a little sign to leave on my table if I need to get up for a drink refill.

I book small group excursions (sometimes with people from my Cruise Critic roll call), participate in trivia, etc. on board so I have plenty of opportunities to socialize. At other times, I find a nice quiet place to sit and read. I love traveling solo, because I really am in the driver's seat when it comes to what I want to do, where I want to eat, whether I want company, etc.

Go with a positive attitude and you'll have a great time!

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Can't help with Princess other than I believe they charge 200% for solos in all grades of cabins (something I try to avoid).

 

I love cruising solo and have done so for about 200 days. I always join my roll call so I have some ready made friends once I get on board. I also choose fixed dining so I will be able to get to know one group of people (having to chat with a different group of strangers each night would be cruel and unusual punishment fore me!).

 

Having an entire cabin to myself is great. Another positive is doing what you want, when you want, if you want.

 

I gave up long ago looking for people to go with me. It seemed like nobody had the money and the desire and the time to cruise. My suggestion is to try a solo cruise - you will never know if you don't.

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Thank you all for your support ~ reading your experiences makes me feel like solo cruising is something that I could do and enjoy, given the right attitude and using the resources like cruise critic, meet and greets, organized activities, etc. I don't know that I would enjoy the same table every night, so I might do the anytime dining and ask to be seated with some people in similar circumstances as suggested. I don't know that I'd enjoy flying far alone, which is why I mentioned leaving from SF. AGGHHHH...I guess I've got to get out of my comfort zone to enjoy life more, though! I just saw a quote today by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., that meant is for me, I think: "A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never to go back to it's old dimensions." :)

 

Thanks again!

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Thank you all for your support ~ reading your experiences makes me feel like solo cruising is something that I could do and enjoy, given the right attitude and using the resources like cruise critic, meet and greets, organized activities, etc. I don't know that I would enjoy the same table every night, so I might do the anytime dining and ask to be seated with some people in similar circumstances as suggested. I don't know that I'd enjoy flying far alone, which is why I mentioned leaving from SF. AGGHHHH...I guess I've got to get out of my comfort zone to enjoy life more, though! I just saw a quote today by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., that meant is for me, I think: "A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never to go back to it's old dimensions." :)

 

 

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

Carla, this is Dianea from the most interesting Princess thanksgiving cruise to Hawaii. It was quite an adventure. I hope all is well with you.

I have traveled solo on Princess for about 7 cruises over the past two years. The only issue I have is dinner in the MDR. It is a crap shoot about your table mates. My TA always requests that I sit with other singles. Doesn't always work out. The best group was on the 15 day Hawaii cruise. I had been thinking about then anytime dining myself. During the Hawaii cruise I would go to the MDR for a few breakfasts and lunches and requested to sit with other people and it worked out really well.

Dianea

 

 

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Carla, this is Dianea from the most interesting Princess thanksgiving cruise to Hawaii. It was quite an adventure. I hope all is well with you.

I have traveled solo on Princess for about 7 cruises over the past two years. The only issue I have is dinner in the MDR. It is a crap shoot about your table mates. My TA always requests that I sit with other singles. Doesn't always work out. The best group was on the 15 day Hawaii cruise. I had been thinking about then anytime dining myself. During the Hawaii cruise I would go to the MDR for a few breakfasts and lunches and requested to sit with other people and it worked out really well.

Dianea

 

 

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Hi Dianea!!

 

I have been thinking about you and my other "almost" cruise mates!!! I couldn't believe when I heard they had to fly you all home. Thank goodness you had already had a chance to visit all the Hawaiian islands and only missed Ensenada ~ which most of us stay on the ship for anyway!! :) I could tell that the group on that sailing would be one of the best.

 

My mom ended up passing away on December 12th, so I am SOOOOO grateful we were not on that cruise. She did what she always said she would do, "I am going to live until I die". She had a fabulous life and we all got to say goodbye and be with her. It is truly a blessing as her health had been failing at an increasing speed.

 

SO...that being said, I am really ready to get away for awhile and figuring out when. I think I will have some good windows of opportunity in May and June, so maybe Alaska again. I never seem to get tired of it as there are so many excursions to do there. I always try to do a unique adventure on each trip there ~ I've zip lined, done the bike and brew to Mendenhall Glacier, helicopter flight to Norris Glacier, kayaking, snorkeling in Ketchikan, etc.

 

It's so good to hear from you! 7 cruises in two years is awesome! I hope you have more fun cruises lined up. Part of the fun is definitely the anticipation and the conversations leading up to it on the forum!

 

Happy travels to you and hopefully we will meet up on the seas somewhere!

 

Carla

Edited by bluebelle2010
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That Hawaii cruise was an adventure. I didn't see anyone stressed out by the damage to the ship. Even the art auction guys, who hardly sold anything, were telling sinking ship jokes. Most of us were over 65 so I guess at that age there is little we haven't seen. As a solo traveler I find that I can make a bunch of friends with just a bit of energy. I do enjoy doing what I want to when I want to. You are a seasoned traveler so you know all there is to do on the ships. I am going to the MSC Davina 1/19. I have gotten a bit tired of Princess. It seems that the ships are all,of same , food included. Although, I have not been on the Royal or Regal yet.

 

 

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That Hawaii cruise was an adventure. I didn't see anyone stressed out by the damage to the ship. Even the art auction guys, who hardly sold anything, were telling sinking ship jokes. Most of us were over 65 so I guess at that age there is little we haven't seen. As a solo traveler I find that I can make a bunch of friends with just a bit of energy. I do enjoy doing what I want to when I want to. You are a seasoned traveler so you know all there is to do on the ships. I am going to the MSC Davina 1/19. I have gotten a bit tired of Princess. It seems that the ships are all,of same , food included. Although, I have not been on the Royal or Regal yet.

 

 

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A few years back, I went on the Star Princess to Hawaii and really enjoyed it ~ the ship seemed to be in great condition and the spa was beautiful, but it could be old and tired by now, too! I have pondered going down to LA and take the Star to Hawaii. Or...I could really be bold and try a new ship altogether! But I think I might have to take baby steps and stick with the oh so familiar Princess for my first solo cruise! Baby steps for an old baby!! haha

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Good morning,:) I have never sailed Princess but I can say I am 58 and

have been sailing solo for almost 14 years now. I love it. Doing what

I want, whenever I want. If I don't feel like doing anything but napping

on a lounger for 3 or 4 hours I can do that too...if I want to participate in

a specific activity.....I can do that too.....

I have lived on my own for almost my entire adult life and so my space is

important to me as well. Some may call it selfish but I just call it being

on my own.......I LOVE having all the cabin space to myself:)

 

I am sailing in 3 weeks again...Superbowl Sunday should be a lot fun

on the ship:D

Edited by Lois R
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Good morning,:) I have never sailed Princess but I can say I am 58 and

have been sailing solo for almost 14 years now. I love it. Doing what

I want, whenever I want. If I don't feel like doing anything but napping

on a lounger for 3 or 4 hours I can do that too...if I want to participate in

a specific activity.....I can do that too.....

I have lived on my own for almost my entire adult life and so my space is

important to me as well. Some may call it selfish but I just call it being

on my own.......I LOVE having all the cabin space to myself:)

 

I am sailing in 3 weeks again...Superbowl Sunday should be a lot fun

on the ship:D

Hi Lois ~

 

Thank you so much for your input. It made me reflect on my lifestyle ~ I definitely think I'd prefer having the cabin all to myself as well. It might just be meals that are bothering me but there are solutions to that. I enjoy anytime/freestyle dining, but wouldn't want to be the only single at a table full of married couples, and I think if I articulate that to the staff that is doing the seating, I should be fine. Time to start looking at cruise itineraries for my trial run!!

 

Have fun on your upcoming cruise and the Super Bowl Sunday fun!

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I am female/62 & decided last summer that I was tired of staying at home using up vacation time (since I was maxing out on saved time) just because no one else had the time or $$ to travel. So I renewed my expired passport & started looking for some place to go. I ended up booking a Nov. RCI cruise from Venice. I chose Venice because at least I'd been there a long time ago & the cruise was reasonably priced.

I took along an embroidery project thinking if I found myself alone a lot - at least I'd accomplish something. I didn't even pull the project out.

I really enjoyed myself, I'm an archeology geek, so the chance to see so many medievel towns & Roman/Greek etc. ruins was great. People were friendly, it was nice to not have to find a place to eat, schlep luggage around, etc..

Unlike others who've responded, I hadn't cruised recently (last time was w/ family 15 years ago) but I'm so glad that I did, the cruise offered a great balance of adventure w/ security for this solo. I'm now busy deciding whether I want to cruise from Rome or Barcelona this fall! I have leftover € that I need to spend :)

Edited by sndral
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I'm 55 (F) and have done 2 transoceanic cruises solo, and in each I had a great time. As someone said, a lot will depend on your personality and lifestyle.....if you're comfortable with your own company, if you've ever traveled anywhere alone before, etc. I had several times solo before (both in and out of the country) and can easily strike up a chat with someone or be comfortable doing things by myself.

 

I am not one to say that I prefer traveling alone but I sure prefer it to staying home alone, so I've never let the prospect of traveling solo keep me from traveling. Take something that you like to do solo (books, knitting, sketching, sudoku, whatever), so you have it if you want it. You might find you never do it.....or you might find that your favourite thing to do is find a quiet chaise lounge and read while listening to the waves. The beauty of traveling solo is that you can do what you want, when you want (with a few exceptions like the muster drill on cruises). Don't feel you must go to the M&G or galley tour (or whatever) if you don't want to, but know what's available in case you do. Then play it by ear, relax, and enjoy yourself.

 

One tip I wish I'd known the first time I sailed solo (which was 20 years ago).....if you are given a table at dinner with others and don't find them terribly interesting, be sure to ask that you not be seated there again, even if the Maitre D' want to seat you there (because it's a solo's table, or there's only one vacant seat, or it was your assigned table etc). Don't be afraid to ask to be seated elsewhere.

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I am female/62 & decided last summer that I was tired of staying at home using up vacation time (since I was maxing out on saved time) just because no one else had the time or $$ to travel. So I renewed my expired passport & started looking for some place to go. I ended up booking a Nov. RCI cruise from Venice. I chose Venice because at least I'd been there a long time ago & the cruise was reasonably priced.

I took along an embroidery project thinking if I found myself alone a lot - at least I'd accomplish something. I didn't even pull the project out.

I really enjoyed myself, I'm an archeology geek, so the chance to see so many medievel towns & Roman/Greek etc. ruins was great. People were friendly, it was nice to not have to find a place to eat, schlep luggage around, etc..

Unlike others who've responded, I hadn't cruised recently (last time was w/ family 15 years ago) but I'm so glad that I did, the cruise offered a great balance of adventure w/ security for this solo. I'm now busy deciding whether I want to cruise from Rome or Barcelona this fall! I have leftover € that I need to spend :)

Hi ~

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. I see you are from California, too. That was a brave first solo outing with both flying all the way to Europe and cruising. It sounds like it was a very interesting trip. I loved that you brought your embroidery project and didn't even pull it out! I hear Royal Caribbean is a good line. Will you be cruising on RCI again or trying a different line? Enjoy your upcoming fall cruise!

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I'm 55 (F) and have done 2 transoceanic cruises solo, and in each I had a great time. As someone said, a lot will depend on your personality and lifestyle.....if you're comfortable with your own company, if you've ever traveled anywhere alone before, etc. I had several times solo before (both in and out of the country) and can easily strike up a chat with someone or be comfortable doing things by myself.

 

I am not one to say that I prefer traveling alone but I sure prefer it to staying home alone, so I've never let the prospect of traveling solo keep me from traveling. Take something that you like to do solo (books, knitting, sketching, sudoku, whatever), so you have it if you want it. You might find you never do it.....or you might find that your favourite thing to do is find a quiet chaise lounge and read while listening to the waves. The beauty of traveling solo is that you can do what you want, when you want (with a few exceptions like the muster drill on cruises). Don't feel you must go to the M&G or galley tour (or whatever) if you don't want to, but know what's available in case you do. Then play it by ear, relax, and enjoy yourself.

 

One tip I wish I'd known the first time I sailed solo (which was 20 years ago).....if you are given a table at dinner with others and don't find them terribly interesting, be sure to ask that you not be seated there again, even if the Maitre D' want to seat you there (because it's a solo's table, or there's only one vacant seat, or it was your assigned table etc). Don't be afraid to ask to be seated elsewhere.

Thank you ~ you made a very good point when you stated that solo traveling was not the preferred method of travel, but an alternative to staying home and not cruising. There are so many beautiful places to see and the time to see them is now when we are able to.

 

We went on a cruise once and chose the fixed dining. We had dinner with the same family of four for the entire trip and there were some difficult language barriers that never seemed to get any easier. As nice as they seemed to be, it began to feel a bit uncomfortable over time. Since then, I have enjoyed the flexibility of anytime dining and choosing to share a meal with a large table of new people each time. I have always enjoy the conversations and they have often lingered long past the meal, so I guess it is the newness of not having a friend/family member there with me as a buffer that I just have to work through as I move forward as a solo traveler.

 

Thanks to everyone who has commented. With each response I have learned something new. I can see now that there is actually very little holding me back from this ~ time to plan my first solo cruise!!

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I'm taking my second solo cruise this year on NCL Getaway a transatlantic cruise leaving from Copenhagen. I've never traveled overseas so this will truly be an adventure. I actually have 2 family members who want to travel with me but to be honest I'm wanting to go alone. I'm going to stress this to them.

 

I have traveled on land based trips solo and the thing I love is doing whatever I want and not worrying about coordinating things with others.

 

I know some people don't like dining alone but I actually prefer it. I'm not the most outgoing person and don't like small talk. I hardly ever initiate conversations with people I don't know in person unless it's work related. I will participate in the meet and greet because I've taken some time to get to know some of the members so the conversations won't be too awkward. But I'm also looking forward to lots of alone time too.

 

My first solo cruise with NCL I was always seated by myself and after the first day the Maitre D didn't ask again if I wanted to be seated with others. I told her the first day that I wanted to be seated alone.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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Edited by rayness
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Hi ~

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. I see you are from California, too. That was a brave first solo outing with both flying all the way to Europe and cruising. It sounds like it was a very interesting trip. I loved that you brought your embroidery project and didn't even pull it out! I hear Royal Caribbean is a good line. Will you be cruising on RCI again or trying a different line? Enjoy your upcoming fall cruise!

 

Most likely it'll be RCI again, although I'm also considering NCL. A group from Britain that I met on the cruise and ended up dinning with each evening thought I was brave to travel alone, but that thought never occurred to me. I don't know how many years I'll be able to travel & there's so much I want to see - so I decided to just do it. I had moments of apprehension before I left, but I have those even when I'm traveling cross country w/ or to meet family. Once I am on my way my attitude is if any problems arise I'm perfectly capable of solving them.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bow lines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Edited by sndral
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Most likely it'll be RCI again, although I'm also considering NCL. A group from Britain that I met on the cruise and ended up dinning with each evening thought I was brave to travel alone, but that thought never occurred to me. I don't know how many years I'll be able to travel & there's so much I want to see - so I decided to just do it. I had moments of apprehension before I left, but I have those even when I'm traveling cross country w/ or to meet family. Once I am on my way my attitude is if any problems arise I'm perfectly capable of solving them.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bow lines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

 

 

 

This has been a very interesting discussion. You will notice that many of the solo cruisers are mature women. That says something about our adventurous spirit.

 

 

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This has been a very interesting discussion. You will notice that many of the solo cruisers are mature women. That says something about our adventurous spirit.

 

 

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Yes, it does and it sounds so much nicer than the "brave" comments that

I have received over the last 14 years.

I realize there are A LOT of people who never travel on their own but I have

never considered it brave to go solo......it is going solo or not going at all

since I have no one to travel with....and not going is not an option;).....

I love cruising and going solo is a piece of a cake:)....

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Just wanted to mention that Princess currently has some cruises available without the single supplement. I just booked the Sept 17, 2017 Princess Crown, Canada-New England - an interior room with no single supplement. I also got the most amount of on-board I've ever received.

 

Keep an eye on the thread where solos post deals. There are definitely lots of options available! Where ever you decide to cruise, enjoy!

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Just wanted to mention that Princess currently has some cruises available without the single supplement. I just booked the Sept 17, 2017 Princess Crown, Canada-New England - an interior room with no single supplement. I also got the most amount of on-board I've ever received.

 

 

 

Keep an eye on the thread where solos post deals. There are definitely lots of options available! Where ever you decide to cruise, enjoy!

 

 

 

Wow, that is unusual for princess. Was that only for interior cabins?

 

 

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Wow, that is unusual for princess. Was that only for interior cabins?

 

 

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I'm not certain as some of the other prices looked a bit lower than normal for this particular sailing. It wouldn't hurt to check with Princess or your travel agent.

 

I was told the deal ends today (Jan 19).

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This has been a very interesting discussion. You will notice that many of the solo cruisers are mature women. That says something about our adventurous spirit.

 

 

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I agree!! I appreciate all the comments, tips and different perspectives. Oh, and I loved the Mark Twain quote above ~ I need to put that on my fridge!

 

As it turns out, I have a must attend event in Southern California on Saturday evening, March 4th. There just so happens to be a cruise ending on that same day and the distance between the cruise port and the venue is about 50 minutes away. The cruise is a 7 nights on the Ruby Princess, so I think this is meant to be! I think this is a perfect length cruise for my first solo venture.

Edited by bluebelle2010
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