Considering "solo" cruise on Gem...dining options?

[bernnj]

Hello,

 

I have cruised on RCCL, Celebrity and NCL and of those cruises 2 were solo on RCCL and one was solo on Celebrity. My previous cruise on NCL was with my parents on the Pearl.

 

My question is this...dining options?

 

I do like dining in the main dining room and wonder how many cruisers would welcome me at their table? I know that NCL has freestyle dining and I would not like to take this cruise if I had to sit alone in the main dining room. I don't mind sitting alone in the buffet areas or smaller dining venues.

 

Would I be welcome at your dining table in the main dining room? I have a posting on the solo board and have had someone say their dining room experience was negative.

[rvsullivan]

NCL always offers an option in the MDR to join another table. They only put you at a table that has already indicated they are open to having others join them. The only negative is not liking your table mates, but that can happen at any table. There could be a time that there are no tables available, but you could then start one of your own.

[DinaS]

NCL always offers an option in the MDR to join another table. They only put you at a table that has already indicated they are open to having others join them. The only negative is not liking your table mates, but that can happen at any table. There could be a time that there are no tables available, but you could then start one of your own.

 

There were some comments in the recent past from folks (couples) who wanted to sit at bigger tables with others, but couldn't find anyone who wanted to share with them. Waiters can certainly seat you at a larger table with hopes that other folks show up, but you would still have to be prepared to eat dinner alone.

 

If you are going to the CC meet & greet on your ship, I think it's likely you will find folks who would be happy to have dinner with you.

 

I've done cruises solo in the past, and I wouldn't let that stop me from going.

[cv322]

I'm gonna give you the good, the bad & the ugly. My Dawn cruise in 2008 was a Mother-Daughter cruise...and previously having sailed other lines and having enjoyed my tablemates at dinner...I fully expected to have the 2 of us seated at a larger table. Silly me :(....when my DD and I arrived at the MDR and asked to be seated with a larger group...the maitre'd asked us to step aside and she then asked every single party thereafter: would you want to sit with these people? :eek:. It was the most painful and embarressing experience I've ever encountered. Needless to say, no one said yes. The remainder of the cruise we had dinner in specialty restaurants.

 

With that history behind me I was very very nervous about cruising the Gem last month...this time solo.

 

I can happily report that the Gem cruise was soooooo much better than our experience on the Dawn. Before embarkation I had joined my roll call & hoped for the best. Thank god I met up with some fabulous people, some of whom I expect will be life long friends...ate in the MDR 1 night, and met my new friends for dinner the other nights in the specialty restaurants...so it worked out well for me.

 

Good luck to you...be brave...join your roll call & have a fabulous cruise!

[cabincop]

I cruise solol alot and even before I joined cc I always met people on the cruise, people seem so much friendlier, but I agree join your roll call since I joined cc I seem to always have people eat with me and if I am alone thats ok too. You will have a blast enjoy! Wake up when you want do what you want freestyle is really freestyle when you are solol lol

[Laszlo]

Hello,

 

I have cruised on RCCL, Celebrity and NCL and of those cruises 2 were solo on RCCL and one was solo on Celebrity. My previous cruise on NCL was with my parents on the Pearl.

 

My question is this...dining options?

 

I do like dining in the main dining room and wonder how many cruisers would welcome me at their table? I know that NCL has freestyle dining and I would not like to take this cruise if I had to sit alone in the main dining room. I don't mind sitting alone in the buffet areas or smaller dining venues.

 

Would I be welcome at your dining table in the main dining room? I have a posting on the solo board and have had someone say their dining room experience was negative.

 

When are you going? My wife and I enjoy dining with others

[che5904]

We have been asked a few times in the MDR if we would like to sit with others and our maitre'd never pointed anyone out as cv322 stated they did to them "the maitre'd asked us to step aside and she then asked every single party thereafter: would you want to sit with these people?" I can see how that would have been incredibly embarrassing.

 

I'm one of those cruisers who have turned down eating with others, when asked at the MDR. Meeting someone onboard ahead of time is another thing. So I think the advice to go to sign up for your roll call, and going to your meet and greet is great advice. It also may give you a variety of people to eat with as well as may give you people to hang out with that you have things in common with while doing other things on the ship. It also allows both parties to pick and choose who they may wish to dine with.

 

I've never had the experience of cruising solo, just thought it may help to have an opinion of someone who would say no at the MDR, but probably wouldn't say no if I met you in person ahead of time, or chatted with you on a roll call. As weird as it sounds in my mind it seems to make you less of a stranger.

 

Or if you haven't booked yet, choose the date and the ship you are considering and pop over to the roll call that matches the one you are looking at, see how open and friendly those cruisers appear to be.

[Got Tequila?]

I cruise solol alot and even before I joined cc I always met people on the cruise, people seem so much friendlier, but I agree join your roll call since I joined cc I seem to always have people eat with me and if I am alone thats ok too. You will have a blast enjoy! Wake up when you want do what you want freestyle is really freestyle when you are solol lol

 

Don't even think your going to dine alone in January.....will all the "nuts" on our roll call....it's just not going to happen. :)

[bernnj]

When are you going? My wife and I enjoy dining with others

 

Thank you all for your valued input. I haven't booked yet but am considering the 10/30 cruise on NCL's Gem.

 

I always join the roll call before sailing and do find most Cruise Critic cruisers to be very friendly. My concern is that I don't want to be the 3rd wheel so to speak so I tread very carefully :)

 

I do find that I meet many on the cruise ships, starting with the life jacket drill, while having a glass of wine before dinner and I do enjoy the sailaways and Meet and Greet functions.

[DinaS]

Thank you all for your valued input. I haven't booked yet but am considering the 10/30 cruise on NCL's Gem.

 

I always join the roll call before sailing and do find most Cruise Critic cruisers to be very friendly. My concern is that I don't want to be the 3rd wheel so to speak so I tread very carefully :)

 

I do find that I meet many on the cruise ships, starting with the life jacket drill, while having a glass of wine before dinner and I do enjoy the sailaways and Meet and Greet functions.

 

I can certainly understand a single person wanting to "tread carefully" when it comes to befriending a couple, but don't worry too much about it.

 

If folks aren't open to hanging out with single people, you'll know pretty quickly.

 

I can't speak for everyone, but as a couple, we are certainly open to hanging out with anyone - singles OR couples.

 

We really just want to have a good time, and if someone is upbeat, fun and a little outgoing - we're almost guaranteed to have fun with them.

 

Go on the 10/30 cruise and enjoy it - and don't forget to tell us about it when you get back :) (Not to mention there are some really, really good prices for that cruise - another big incentive to try out a solo cruise!!!!)

[spalady]

Before my first solo cruise (Feb of this year) I went on the roll call for the week I was booked and explained that this was my first solo cruise and the only thing I was nervous about was dining alone. I asked if anyone would consider letting me join them the first night.

 

Wellllll......at least 4 couples responded. Then they planned a really nice event: Right after the lifeboat drill we all gathered at Champs Bar, made introductions and plans on where to eat and what time. I did not eat one meal alone!!! I even spent another week in FL with a couple I met on the cruise AND took a transatlantic cruise in Apr and May with them and they introduced me to many more of their "cruise" friends.

 

So after that long story: my advice is, what others said, use the roll call to make connections and suggest a Gathering at Champs Bar right after lifeboat (not the Meet & Greet because that is held days later).

 

Don't rely on the wait staff - when we were only 3 or 4 at a large table we told them to have others join us - they never relayed that message to other diners.

 

Good luck and have fun - My "group" is sailing on the Sun 11/5 and 11/12 if you decide to "jump ship" from the Gem - join our groups!!!

 

Kerry

[cabincop]

Margaret hun muaahhhhhhhhhh I will be with you and Stevie so much people will think we are married lol, can't wait

[sunshine 229]

I've done several cruises with friends, and two cruises solo. I hesitate to book a solo cruise on Norwegian exactly because of the dinning situation. On most of the other lines you still have the option of requesting an assigned table with tablemates.

 

I'm fairly outgoing, and don't hesitate to go on excursions alone and stirke up conversations with people there or at the open seating lunches, but asking to dine with others makes me uncomfortable too.

 

Joining the roll call and getting to know people before the cruise is a great idea but I know from personal experience that some roll calls are very active while others are not so I'm not sure that is a guarantee of having people to dine with.

 

My thinking at this point is that if I find an NCL cruise that I like, in every other way ( itinerary, ship, price etc.) I'll book with the knowledge that I may end up eating most of my dinners in the buffet. But I still think if I were comparing an NCL cruise versus one from a line with traditional dinner service, all other things being equal, I'd book the one with the traditional option.