Oh no, what have I done?

I'm a single traveler who's traveled solo to several interesting places around the globe. I finally decided to check out the cruising scene. I wanted to explore the Caribbean, which surprisingly didn't narrow the field much. I didn't want to pay too much for my solo status, which did narrow the field some. It basically came down to Norwegian and Carnival, and as much as I like NCL, I ended up booking on the Carnival Valor, sailing out of San Juan on March 23. The opportunity to explore five new islands in a single week was too good to resist.

I'm excited about my new experience, but several things worry me - some more than others. Not in any order...

* Seasickness - the bane of cruisers and crew everywhere on the seas. I did a small, local riverboat for a few hours some years ago without problem, but being in a huge ship in the Caribbean for a week is a whole 'nother story.

* PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! FUN! FUN! FUN! - that's what Carnival is known for and it initially turned me off from anything they offered. My idea of fun, in large part, is grabbing my Kindle and reading a good book - or 20. Will the crew and the other customers leave me alone long enough to let me do what I want to do?

* Forward to the past - assigned seating and dinner times strikes me as being for school kids and the military. My opinion only; don't castigate me for it. I don't particularly care to dine with anyone that I don't know or want to get to know. There's always the steakhouse, but I can't imagine dining there more than twice. That leaves the buffet (maybe), room service (ugh), and various snack places.

* Life in steerage - my cabin is an ocean view on the Riviera (lowest) deck forward. I like looking out into the ocean and even more into the ports. On this trip, it didn't cost that much more and I think I might find an interior cabin too claustrophobic. We'll see if it lives up to my expectations.

I'm looking forward to this and hope I don't have too many regrets. Thanks for reading.

There is usually less percieved motion on a larger ship....you'll be fine. If you feel seasick, the medical center has meds.

NO SHIP is totally a "party"....there are plenty of quiet, secluded places! No worries!

Carnival has "Your Time Dining", where you show up, just like in any restaurant, and are seated with just your party (or alone, as you might desire).

Having a window of some sort will be nice. It's not an expansive view like a balcony would have, but it will do!

I'm a single traveler who's traveled solo to several interesting places around the globe. I finally decided to check out the cruising scene. I wanted to explore the Caribbean, which surprisingly didn't narrow the field much. I didn't want to pay too much for my solo status, which did narrow the field some. It basically came down to Norwegian and Carnival, and as much as I like NCL, I ended up booking on the Carnival Valor, sailing out of San Juan on March 23. The opportunity to explore five new islands in a single week was too good to resist.

 

I'm excited about my new experience, but several things worry me - some more than others. Not in any order...

 

* Seasickness - the bane of cruisers and crew everywhere on the seas. I did a small, local riverboat for a few hours some years ago without problem, but being in a huge ship in the Caribbean for a week is a whole 'nother story.

* PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! FUN! FUN! FUN! - that's what Carnival is known for and it initially turned me off from anything they offered. My idea of fun, in large part, is grabbing my Kindle and reading a good book - or 20. Will the crew and the other customers leave me alone long enough to let me do what I want to do?

* Forward to the past - assigned seating and dinner times strikes me as being for school kids and the military. My opinion only; don't castigate me for it. I don't particularly care to dine with anyone that I don't know or want to get to know. There's always the steakhouse, but I can't imagine dining there more than twice. That leaves the buffet (maybe), room service (ugh), and various snack places.

* Life in steerage - my cabin is an ocean view on the Riviera (lowest) deck forward. I like looking out into the ocean and even more into the ports. On this trip, it didn't cost that much more and I think I might find an interior cabin too claustrophobic. We'll see if it lives up to my expectations.

 

I'm looking forward to this and hope I don't have too many regrets. Thanks for reading.

Seasickness- the Caribbean is usually very calm and there are over the counter remedies if the gentle motion does get to you.

Party- We found plenty of quiet places on the ship to sit and relax without a lot of noise, both on deck and inside.

Dining- CCL does offer Your Time dining that allows you to eat when you want to.

Steerage- it's only steerage if you think of it that way. We typically don't spend a lot of time in the cabin unless we have a balcony.

Have a great cruise!

Hello and BREATHE!!!!

You will be just fine and possibly find some other cruising with you on this site.

Most ships are large enough and have stabilizers so you should not have an issue with sea sickness. Many use the patch, a small bulls eye bandage like slow release motion sickness from your doctor to prevent any issues.

You can do as little or as much as you wish. The ships are like little cities with LIBRARIES and quiet areas for a peaceful trip. Yes the parties and fun will be there so if you need a break from your kindle, maybe whoop it up for a few minutes to relax the eyes.

Have them change your dining selection to Anytime dining which means y0ou will arrive at the main dining room during their hours of operation. The valor does not yet have Guys Burger Joint or the taco stand but they do have a sandwich and burrito window which provide some great options, along with room service with its own distinct menu selections. If you like these items the fish and chips is a nice change for lunch with boulliabaise(sp), cold calamari salad and other nice options. You will be amazed at the amount of dining options available to you and you may never again think of school daze when recalling your cruise.

The view is a nice way to start your day and that itinerary is all about the arrival and visiting of the various islands. Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts in particular should provide some marvelous views. Grab an early breathe of fresh air and journey out to the bow as you pull into one of these beautiful islands.

ENJOY YOURSELF like nobody on board knows your name . . . . . . they probably don't.

Can't wait to read your review of the first cruise and how many books you got through during your vacation.

Step back and slow up a bit. Whom ever described a cruise as being like this is not your friend!:rolleyes: you will be fine.

Most of your concerns have already been adressed so I"ll just stress the fact that no matter how many people are packed onto a tiny ship you'll be surprised by all the quiet, hidden areas to explore and take advantage of. No matter what time of day it is there will always be a library, jazz bar or corner of the sun deck not in use and will give you all the tranquility you desire.

I have never sailed Carnival so my answers are generalizations about cruising.

Any cabin that doesn't have a balcony is only OK for looking out the window. You will be able to see something & you will get natural light but you won't really have a panoramic view. Don't worry. There will plenty of "public" spaces that will afford you the relaxed view you seek. Some will be noisier & more crowded than others. We have had balcony cabins but never use them enough to justify the additional cost; we prefer to book an OV guarantee room & except for once we were very happy with our assignment.

For that special nook away from it all check out the promenade deck during the day. Part of it is covered & is usually the deck under the life boats. Few people hang out on the few loungers there but it's perfect for reading & avoiding the masses.

If you see things in your daily schedule like Hairy Chest contests, Quest, the Not-So-Newlywed Game, go to the part of the ship farthest away from them. Especially on sea days the decks immediately adjacent to the pools will have people packed together like sardines.

The later you dine, the more sedate the atmosphere.

With my time dining if you do make friends aboard, you can opt to dine with them. If you are feeling adventurous & want some company for dinner you can ask for a table to share & you will be seated with others.

Enjoy!

I'

 

* Seasickness - the bane of cruisers and crew everywhere on the seas. I did a small, local riverboat for a few hours some years ago without problem, but being in a huge ship in the Caribbean for a week is a whole 'nother story.

* PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! FUN! FUN! FUN! - that's what Carnival is known for and it initially turned me off from anything they offered. My idea of fun, in large part, is grabbing my Kindle and reading a good book - or 20. Will the crew and the other customers leave me alone long enough to let me do what I want to do?

* Forward to the past - assigned seating and dinner times strikes me as being for school kids and the military. My opinion only; don't castigate me for it. I don't particularly care to dine with anyone that I don't know or want to get to know. There's always the steakhouse, but I can't imagine dining there more than twice. That leaves the buffet (maybe), room service (ugh), and various snack places.

* Life in steerage - my cabin is an ocean view on the Riviera (lowest) deck forward. I like looking out into the ocean and even more into the ports. On this trip, it didn't cost that much more and I think I might find an interior cabin too claustrophobic. We'll see if it lives up to my expectations.

 

I'm looking forward to this and hope I don't have too many regrets. Thanks for reading.

1: Ginger and Green apples. start taking Ginger 1-3 days before you board and every day while on board. any form is fine.. candied, pills, etc. Green apples become worth their weight in gold on=in heavy seas. the buffets will have them. take a few and keep them in your cabin for emergencies.

2: even the most party hearty boat will have at least ONE quiet area to hide in. find a deck that is out of the main traffic lanes. full sun or shade, there will be options.

3: don't knock it 'til you try it. most lines do a great job with assigning like demographics. we are CFBC and always end up with other couples of a pair of singles traveling together that have no kids ( or empty nesters) . and don;t freak out about age differences. some of the best table mates we had were a good 20 years older than we are.

4; PLENTY of quiet, out of the way places to watch the waves. I personally will not travel in anything less than a balcony because I like the ability to just step out for a breath of fresh air in my nightie. we also spend a large amount of time in our cabin so we want the room and natural light balconies/suites afford us.

the people who tend to stick to interiors and OVs are the ones that spend very little time in their cabin. a cabin on a cruise ship is NOT a hotel room. they are usually MUCH smaller.

I second the recommendation for the any time dining option. That way, you can choose to eat in the MDR when you want, and eat alone at a two-top when you are so engrossed in your book you nearly forgot to eat, and at a larger table with others when you want to meet new people.

I have not been on Valor, but on some ships, the buffet area is a decent place to sit and read when it is not meal time madness time. There is also an adult only area that may offer a sun chair and be a bit quieter. If you find that Carnival isn't your thing, next time try Celebrity. You sound like my DH and I, and we LOVE Celebrity. One of our favorite things to do is to sit in the coffee shop with a pot of tea and read for a couple of hours in the morning and again afternoon. Does the Valor have a coffee shop area?

Please check out the ports of call board! I highly recommend you link up with your roll call for some private tours in the islands! We loved St. kitts, and had a tour of the island with "York" a couple of years ago, that was set up through our roll call with Welcome Toursof St. kitts and Nevis. York was amazing.

Find the Roll Call for your sailing and post on there. There may well be other singles cruising and you could meet somewhere and make friends.

Thanks all for your kind words and advice. It's all noted, but I had to quote this one for posterity's sake:

If you see things in your daily schedule like Hairy Chest contests, Quest, the Not-So-Newlywed Game, go to the part of the ship farthest away from them.

My running shoes will be on!

Several people mentioned My Time/Anytime dining. The problem with that is that I was given a late dining time and would have to get on their waiting list for anything else. I'm not sure if it's worth it. Persuade me.

Thanks again, and keep those comments coming.

Thanks all for your kind words and advice. It's all noted, but I had to quote this one for posterity's sake:

 

 

 

My running shoes will be on!

 

Several people mentioned My Time/Anytime dining. The problem with that is that I was given a late dining time and would have to get on their waiting list for anything else. I'm not sure if it's worth it. Persuade me.

 

Thanks again, and keep those comments coming.

They have a wait list for Anytime Dining? That surprises me. At any rate, you did express dissatisfaction with the idea of a fixed dining time and eating with strangers. Anytime dining is the answer for both of these objections if you want to eat in the MDR.

Honolulu Blue said:

Several people mentioned My Time/Anytime dining. The problem with that is that I was given a late dining time and would have to get on their waiting list for anything else. I'm not sure if it's worth it. Persuade me.

If you don't request the change, you will definitely have the late dining. The worst that could happen is they can't change it. I'd say go for it. Either way, it's 1 1/2 to 2 hr. Please give it a try. If you're really not happy in the MDR, check for other places beside the buffet - nothing wrong with it, but there are other "non pay" choices.

I'm sorry you got wait listed for anytime dining. Hopefully if you do get "stuck" with late traditional dining they will either seat you with other singles who often opt for traditional dining to avoid eating alone or at least with people you have something in common with. Most cruisers are quite nice & most can make polite dinner conversation so it shouldn't be that terrible. You can always eat elsewhere or ask to be switched to a 2 top if you are that miserable.

Be careful as you "run" from the silly events; the ship will be moving. We don't want you to trip & fall. That would really put a damper on your vacation. :cool:

We've always gotten either an inside or OV cabin and then be outside or about the ship as much as possible, especially if there's live music playing. So I wouldn't consider it steerage, as you won't be considered any less of a passenger than those in suites (other than maybe getting priority in boarding the ship and maybe a few bathroom amenities, there's probably not much difference in how you will be treated).

I wasn't aware that there's a waitlist for the flexible dining on Carnival -- the last time we sailed on that line (2002), there was just traditional. But we prefer late traditional -- we didn't care for the one time we were stuck with anytime (with Princess, the waitlists are for traditional, and everyone else gets anytime). But we had many times in t.d. to compare it to.

I'm not fans of the hairy legs, lip sync contests (on Carnival, they give each person a banana, rather than a microphone, I guess for a more "phallic" activity), etc. Not a fan of bingo or art auctions. On Carnival, there will be plenty of announcements about these kinds of activities so I appreciate it when on Princess there's usually maybe one PA about upcoming activities but for the most part, they get that one can actually read the daily newsletter.

I would imagine if there's a bit of partying on your cruise, it's more because it's during college spring break season (which extends from late February til early April -- even though this year, Easter is in mid-April so that's when my teen's spring break is). Many of the mass market lines who have cruises in the Caribbean (which tend to be 7 days or less) will have plenty of spring breakers. You may find a slightly different demographic if you go on the same ship in May or October.

Honolulu Blue said:

 

Several people mentioned My Time/Anytime dining. The problem with that is that I was given a late dining time and would have to get on their waiting list for anything else. I'm not sure if it's worth it. Persuade me.

 

 

If you don't request the change, you will definitely have the late dining. The worst that could happen is they can't change it. I'd say go for it. Either way, it's 1 1/2 to 2 hr. Please give it a try. If you're really not happy in the MDR, check for other places beside the buffet - nothing wrong with it, but there are other "non pay" choices.

. . . . you should persue the option and get to the dining room as soon as you get on. They have flexibility to move folks and you are sailing alone so this should not be a problem if done as soon as you are onboard. With the anytime you get to decide when to be ready for dinner not at the assigned time. You may wish to see a show one evening and eat earlier so you don't have to be up for the 10:00 pm show. Just gives you more options.

I've never used the bands. Everyone in our party usually takes half of one motion sickness pill as soon as we board. If after you start sailing, you start feeling the least bit strange, take another half. We usually do this the first day or 2 until we get our sea legs. Once sea sickness takes hold, it is really hard to get rid of it.

Unless you want to be totally by yourself 24/7, dining is one way to at least meet a few people for conversation. I've been cruising solo for many years, and for me, sitting with people at dinner has always been something I looked forward to. I've made friends that I still keep in touch with, and even sail with. No one says you need to make forever friends, but being totally alone, well at least for me, doesn't seem like fun.

Again, I'd like to thank everyone who commented here. They were all quite helpful.

Now that I've made it back from my cruise, I'd like to follow up.

* I didn't prepare in any way for sickness before the trip - no pills, no bands, no ginger, nothing. I wanted to know if I could handle things without any medication. To make a long story short, I didn't get seasick, and didn't come close. I was a little surprised by how bumpy it was at times on the Caribbean and Atlantic. Standing up seemed to help a bit, as was getting out of the cabin and up to the public areas.

* I met all kinds on the Valor - those who liked to party hearty and those who didn't. I mostly stayed out of the partiers' way and we got along fine. I thought my cabin was pretty quiet most of the time. And there's quite a bit of seating by the casino on the starboard side; that was fairly quiet when we were in port and it wasn't open.

* I got a nice surprise at check-in - I was given My Time dining after all. I dined in the MDR on getaway day, which was open seating. I was seated with two couples, one of whom I met a few other times on the cruise.

* I liked my cabin, most of the time. The stairs and elevator were close by, making the gangway, MDR, casino, and Rosie's (my favorite hangouts) easy to get to. And I liked the window, even though sometimes the view wasn't the best because of rain and/or seawater.

So yeah, I guess I had a good time. :)

Again, I'd like to thank everyone who commented here. They were all quite helpful.

 

Now that I've made it back from my cruise, I'd like to follow up.

 

* I didn't prepare in any way for sickness before the trip - no pills, no bands, no ginger, nothing. I wanted to know if I could handle things without any medication. To make a long story short, I didn't get seasick, and didn't come close. I was a little surprised by how bumpy it was at times on the Caribbean and Atlantic. Standing up seemed to help a bit, as was getting out of the cabin and up to the public areas.

* I met all kinds on the Valor - those who liked to party hearty and those who didn't. I mostly stayed out of the partiers' way and we got along fine. I thought my cabin was pretty quiet most of the time. And there's quite a bit of seating by the casino on the starboard side; that was fairly quiet when we were in port and it wasn't open.

* I got a nice surprise at check-in - I was given My Time dining after all. I dined in the MDR on getaway day, which was open seating. I was seated with two couples, one of whom I met a few other times on the cruise.

* I liked my cabin, most of the time. The stairs and elevator were close by, making the gangway, MDR, casino, and Rosie's (my favorite hangouts) easy to get to. And I liked the window, even though sometimes the view wasn't the best because of rain and/or seawater.

 

So yeah, I guess I had a good time. :)

Glad you had a good time! Thanks for the followup.

H~Blue.... So glad you had a great time on your cruise :) and thank you for letting us know how it turned out!

* PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! FUN! FUN! FUN! - that's what Carnival is known for and it initially turned me off from anything they offered. My idea of fun, in large part, is grabbing my Kindle and reading a good book - or 20. Will the crew and the other customers leave me alone long enough to let me do what I want to do?

We have done 3 Carnival cruises with our 4th coming up this summer and I spent way too much time in the sun growing up in S. FL. The DH and I both seek out shade and quiet at some point during each cruise to talk, read or nap. Find the deck with the lifeboats and go one deck below and head either direction away from the access doors. Either end of that deck is almost always breezy, shaded and quiet.:)