If you cruise solo are you single?

I am very happily married (20 years) and took my first solo cruise this past March over Spring Break. It was one of the best things I could have done for myself!

My husband and I have sailed together twice: the first was our honeymoon on Celebrity, and the second was a Christmas family holiday cruise on the Pearl. My husband was a great sport both times because he really doesn't enjoy cruising. (Imagine that!)

Around this time last year I was totally stressed from my job (I'm a high school teacher) and I knew I needed a serious vacation where I wouldn't have to "think" about anything - where to eat, where to go, where to sleep - you know, all of the particulars of a vacation. I just needed everything to be where I needed it, when I needed it. A cruise is perfect.

I mentioned this to my husband and he said, "Go. Have fun." And so I did, and I am scheduled to go on another solo cruise this upcoming March. I now call my vacations "Solo Sabbaticals." A time to rest, reflect, and read. That's all. I take naps in the sun. I eat relatively decent food when I feel like it. I work out. I rejuvenate.

Those who raise eyebrows and snicker -- who cares. Enjoy yourself. Live your life so that you have no regrets, but great memories. Bon voyage!

Thanks for all of the responses.

Really didn't mean to offend anyone and I was using singles as a label and one that would not apply to me. I am not familiar enough with cruising to know how activities are advertised. But, I am sure there are many activities geared towards specific groups that I wouldn't attend as well because they either don't apply to and/or interest me. For example, kids activities, :D

However, it is good to know that some married people do cruise solo regularly without family/friends. This would be a first for me.

Hi Jeanette, the best way to look for activities is to check the "daily"

every cruiseline has them....it is sort of like a newspaper that you

will get every day and it lists all the activities/events each day. You would

choose what looks interesting to you. I can't speak for cruiselines

that I haven't sailed on but I doubt they are listed by "cruiser demographic".

Normally they are listed morning to evening with the times to events/

activities and the venue.

But I would think a luxury line vs a mass market line would have a totally

different style of activities.

Just depends on the cruiseline really.

Thanks so much for posting this comment!

 

I am happily married as well yet have been seriously considering doing a solo cruise. I think after many, many years of marriage and raising children, I would like the opportunity to spend time doing what I want to do instead of thinking of everyone elses needs/wants first.

 

So, I'm wondering how many solo cruisers are in committed relationships and don't want to take part in a "singles" activities on a cruise but might like to connect for other activities? How does this sub group find each other since most of the ships that are now catering to solos are huge with thousands of passengers?

Generally, I find the roll calls to be a good starting point for identifying who's traveling solo and has interests similar to mine. As a couple of other posters have said, you should also just pursue the interests you have that are met by programming on the ship and see who shows up. Idle conversation can also sometimes lead to a discovery of common interests or maybe just a shared meal or two if you feel like it.

Thanks for all of the responses.

 

Really didn't mean to offend anyone and I was using singles as a label and one that would not apply to me. I am not familiar enough with cruising to know how activities are advertised. But, I am sure there are many activities geared towards specific groups that I wouldn't attend as well because they either don't apply to and/or interest me. For example, kids activities, :D

 

However, it is good to know that some married people do cruise solo regularly without family/friends. This would be a first for me.

I didn't find your phrasing offensive; you clearly addressed solo cruisers in committed relationships and said nothing about those who aren't and aren't looking.

I imagine that your first solo cruise won't be your last. ;)

I think it is just an "American" thing - if you married and do things separately - that is no-no.

In entire world people sit alone in cafes, go on vacation, live lives together, but have their own hobbies. In America - work is what keeps people separate - may be that is why people tend to spend time together on vacation

I'm a 26 year old guy and I have a wonderful girlfriend, but I travel solo from time to time. :) It's the perfect type of relaxation!

But I really do travel a lot! So it's not that I never take her with me^^

She has a fear of being on a ship (crazy right?) and I cannot seem to convince her to come along on a cruise :p

But also on land trips, I often travel alone, sometimes with friends, sometimes with my dad... It depends who's interested to come along :)

Thanks for all of the responses.

 

Really didn't mean to offend anyone and I was using singles as a label and one that would not apply to me. I am not familiar enough with cruising to know how activities are advertised. But, I am sure there are many activities geared towards specific groups that I wouldn't attend as well because they either don't apply to and/or interest me. For example, kids activities, :D

 

However, it is good to know that some married people do cruise solo regularly without family/friends. This would be a first for me.

I certainly wasn't offended. I just wanted to explain that many of us unattached solo cruisers aren't out there looking for love on our cruises. I didn't want you to avoid all "solo" activities on your cruise because you mistakenly assume they are "singles" activities.

Not that there are many "solo" activities on most cruises! NCL's Epic/Getaway/Breakaway/etc. being the exceptions. :)

I am very happily married (20 years) and took my first solo cruise this past March over Spring Break. It was one of the best things I could have done for myself!

 

My husband and I have sailed together twice: the first was our honeymoon on Celebrity, and the second was a Christmas family holiday cruise on the Pearl. My husband was a great sport both times because he really doesn't enjoy cruising. (Imagine that!)

 

Around this time last year I was totally stressed from my job (I'm a high school teacher) and I knew I needed a serious vacation where I wouldn't have to "think" about anything - where to eat, where to go, where to sleep - you know, all of the particulars of a vacation. I just needed everything to be where I needed it, when I needed it. A cruise is perfect.

 

I mentioned this to my husband and he said, "Go. Have fun." And so I did, and I am scheduled to go on another solo cruise this upcoming March. I now call my vacations "Solo Sabbaticals." A time to rest, reflect, and read. That's all. I take naps in the sun. I eat relatively decent food when I feel like it. I work out. I rejuvenate.

 

Those who raise eyebrows and snicker -- who cares. Enjoy yourself. Live your life so that you have no regrets, but great memories. Bon voyage!

I've been cruising with my 2 college kids and leave the high schooler with dh the past 2 Januaries. My oldest kid is well educated and established so I'm lucky if she can join us but I don't expect it as she has a life of her own.

I'm getting nervous as one will be graduating and honestly the other college kid and I are probably better with her sister around.

It's tough doing stuff with only 1 kid as we are just so used to a big gang. (4 daughters)

Dh can be difficult about travel so I'm done begging and cajoling so we just do the beach by car for 2 weeks in August

I live for travel so future trips abroad and cruises will probably be me and some combo of daughters but I'm ready to solo as well.....time is precious and I'm going to use it wisely!!!

You may not have intended it that way, but your post reads as if you think everyone who is single, and cruises solo, must be looking for love. Most of those who post in this forum are not cruising for that--if we were, we'd be posting in the Singles Cruising forum. :)

It's not about "looking for love". It's about avoiding things that could entail cheating or lead to cheating. For instance, if you're single, you generally won't have issues approaching someone in a club to dance with them. And if the dancing leads to something, more power to both of you. As long as it's a mutual choice, have at it; it's a cruise. But if you're not single, you might, for example, go to the piano bar instead, as a "safer" option.

I'm aware that dance etiquette permits dancing with other people's romantic partners, and there's nothing wrong with doing so appropriately. But the general cruising public isn't usually well-versed in the said etiquette.

It's not about "looking for love". It's about avoiding things that could entail cheating or lead to cheating. For instance, if you're single, you generally won't have issues approaching someone in a club to dance with them. And if the dancing leads to something, more power to both of you. As long as it's a mutual choice, have at it; it's a cruise. But if you're not single, you might, for example, go to the piano bar instead, as a "safer" option.

 

I'm aware that dance etiquette permits dancing with other people's romantic partners, and there's nothing wrong with doing so appropriately. But the general cruising public isn't usually well-versed in the said etiquette.

What a bunch of juvenile nonsense

I travel single/solo...not married no exes and no kids and no relationship most of the time. I'm good meeting people and have meant singles and couples I still keep in touch with. I do however try to go to any singles activities they have on board...I don't want to be single forever and you never know who you might meet, but on Carnival Cruise lines they are not very well attended and there is no real activities planned or anyone in charge...they should do more considering I pay double for my cabin.

I have been married for 30 years and we agree on most things but not on cruising; I love it and my OH hates it. So I cruise solo. I don't normally attend "solo passenger" get togethers because in the past it has been assumed that I was looking for a fling and I'm not. I've still been propositioned by men but generally a polite no thank you is quickly accepted. I actually enjoy my own company, and am equally happy to chat with couples or families as well as other solos.

I think having some holidays apart is one of the reasons we're still married!

Just curious to see if any other solo cruisers were married.

 

I'm a married mother of 6 kids 12 and under. I'm exhausted. I love to cruise. It's my happy place with a strawberry lava flow in one hand a good book in the other hand.

 

I think being alone on a cruise is a great way to pamper myself and unwind and have time to recharge. It's hard to coordinate a time and destination with my girlfriends.

 

I'm headed out in my first solo cruise this week and have received a lot of negative feedback about how it's not appropriate/it's weird to cruise alone.

 

Anybody else ever cruise solo who is married or in a long term relationship?

I too have played with the idea of solo cruise, but haven't actually pulled the trigger...yet. I have 6 kids, 14 and under. Do you have any multiples?

As I have pointed out already, my last three cruises were all solo trips.

I found having a cabin to myself and booking my own times for doing stuff to give an air of freedom to the trips.

Well, my friend and I just did a stay in Cuba for two weeks (loved the beach and reefs, hated the food), and guess what?

We got separate casa for each of us and mostly only meet up for dinners and excursions together. Again, by having solo bookings for where we would stay we had a great time without getting into each other's hair.

So even if one is travelling with other people, booking solo cabins is the way to go.

PS. We have booked another trip to Cuba already, and again we book separate casa for each of us.

Booking solo is the way to go.

I am one of the solo travelers who is actually single. I don't go on cruises to search for anything, but I do enjoy meeting new people. When I do get in a relationship, if the man I'm with doesn't enjoying cruising, I will continue to go alone and will be fine doing so.

I'm a 26 year old guy and I have a wonderful girlfriend, but I travel solo from time to time. :) It's the perfect type of relaxation!

But I really do travel a lot! So it's not that I never take her with me^^

She has a fear of being on a ship (crazy right?) and I cannot seem to convince her to come along on a cruise :p

 

But also on land trips, I often travel alone, sometimes with friends, sometimes with my dad... It depends who's interested to come along :)

How did you like the trip? I am thinking of doing a solo Med trip this August on the Epic. I will be celebrating my 28th birthday on the trip. I am really extroverted and have never been shy. I know the demographic will be older (I have mostly cruised Princess with my family) but hopefully I will still enjoy myself!

How did you like the trip? I am thinking of doing a solo Med trip this August on the Epic. I will be celebrating my 28th birthday on the trip. I am really extroverted and have never been shy. I know the demographic will be older (I have mostly cruised Princess with my family) but hopefully I will still enjoy myself!

The Med cruises attract a very nice group. Educated and interested in history.

I think solo on a smaller ship will work out better...like 600p

I will be going on my first solo cruise in February. I have cruised 4 times so far, 1 with my mom & aunt, 2-4 with my daughter. I am happily married to a man who gets extremely seasick. I enjoy cruising. I finally decided that it would be fine to travel by myself. I have booked an inside cabin, to force myself to mingle and enjoy all that the ship has to offer. I figure that this cruise will be as good as I make it. I do not depend on the crew to entertain me, though I plan to enjoy their entertainment options.

41, m, solo, single. Recently out of a long relationship. I always wanted to try a cruise, and she always wanted to do outdoorsy nature hike type stuff. So naturally we always did outdoorsy nature hike type stuff. I'm booked in a studio on the Escape here in a few months. I wouldn't mind meeting someone special on said cruise but that's not why I'm doing it. I've just never in my life taken an entire week out and totally unplugged.

I've just never in my life taken an entire week out and totally unplugged.

I think that is something to look forward to. When I get on a ship at embarkation, I turn off my phone. I put both the phone and my laptop in the room safe. The next time I connect to the world is when I get up on disembarkation morning after the ship docks. :D

By the way, I have a pocket Nikon that I use for taking photos.

I am doing my first solo cruise in 3 weeks on Ventura out of Southampton . I am married and my husband and I look after permanently our 9 yr old grandson. My DH sails...a small yacht.....which I hate, so he can get away time. This is going to be my break from being a grandmother "mother" . We cruise as a family and as a couple but I just can't wait for the 15th Feb .......:)

I'm a solo who's also single, but I've met many solo cruisers who are married or in long term relationships. The most frequent reason was simply that their spouse/SO wasn't into cruising. Another half of a married couple told me she and her husband had incompatible vacation schedules from work as well as differing interests (she liked cruising, he liked hunting), so each got their "solo week" at different times of the year, not needing a pet sitter, and they took weekend and holidays together.

I've just never in my life taken an entire week out and totally unplugged.

While I take my laptop with me, I don't use the on ship WIFI, the main reasons I take the laptop is to view and backup any photos I take on the trip, to read any of the e-books I have store on the machine and work on my own personal fan-fics and program coding.

The lack of emails and phone calls makes going on a cruise very relaxing as it all becomes MINE TIME to do things when I want in any order I want.