What's your bio, solo cruisers?

[MERCE4]

Hi,

 

I'm Kathleen (Kathi), and coming to this board has been the hardest thing for me to do. I usually frequent the Cunard forum, but now I see the need to come here, too. I'm 49, and my husband just passed away in February. I'm not ready to travel yet, but when I do, I'll probably be going solo. My daughter is in post-grad school, so she has little time to go anywhere. I worked as an RN before my husband passed away, but I'm still having a really hard time going back to work in that capacity. My husband was hospitalized for 8 months before coming home on hospice care, and just thinking about walking back into a hospital sends me into tears.

 

I prefer transatlantic cruises, and when I take one I love to visit Scotland for awhile before sailing back. I'd like to take the New England and Canada cruise in October. Then after that I think I'll be ready for another TA. I love the ocean, no matter where it is.

 

I live in South Carolina but too far inland to get to the beach very often. However, right now we're getting some lovely rain from Tropical Storm/Depression Beryl (thank-you, thank-you!).

 

I look forward to getting to know you all, and I wish you many safe and pleasant voyages.

 

Hi Kathi,

 

I was in a similar place three years ago - my husband passed away when I was 49. He was 52, and was in hospice care at home for four months.

 

Our children are now grown, and I am (after three years) ready to move on into my new "normal" life. I have booked my first solo cruise on Serenade of the Seas this July. My first Mediterranean cruise after many in the Caribbean.

 

Take care of yourself, and don't expect too much too soon. I wish for you many happy sailing days ahead.

 

Anne

merce4

[kimber0504]

Is everyone paying double fare for the singles cruise? If not, can you share your tips on how to get reduced rates please?

 

I am booked for a singles cruise in February where I pay for half the cabin and am part of a larger group because I was not sure how it worked to travel by myself...

 

Also, I never considered my vacations with my daughter (then ages 13-17) on the four Disney cruises as "solo" but I guess they would be as she was with the teens and I was frequently alone. I did enjoy the balcony and sitting out enjoying the view as the cruise traveled through the night. I also got some reading done for a change :D

 

Kim

 

P.S. Just booked a Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas cruise for next July--has anyone been on that ship?

[bmsj17]

I am a 45 year old widow with three kids (twin DS 11, DD 9). I have been widowed for 6+ years and have found cruising a wonderful way to travel with the kids. The kids and I will be taking a curisetour to Alaska in July. This will be the kid's 3rd cruise. We took one when they were young before DH passed. The 2nd Thanksgiving after he passed I took the kids on a DCL to the Western Caribbean. I felt like we needed to do something "different" that year with the holidays coming up. Although I don't get much alone time when we cruise because I am still making sure everybody is having a good time (and not fussing with their sibling), I am able to take the kids to the youth programs and if even for an hour get a chance to sit. Thankfully my kids are good travelers as they have also been on a 2 week tour of England, 1 week in San Diego, 1 week in Seattle/Vancouver, and 2 weeks in Hong Kong. The upcoming Alaska cruise was supposed to be a combination 40th birthday/10th anniversary cruise but alas I had to use the funds for funeral expenses. I decided it was now or never. I am looking forward to many more trips.

[bmsj17]

Hi all,

 

I turned the big 50 this year eeek! It was quite painless, but annoying as I still feel 25 haha and still act it too!

 

I sadly lost my hubby suddenly 10 years ago ( he had a heart attack at the side of the road on his way home from seeing a doctor)

Since then I really not felt like going away, so spent holidays visiting family.

I decided now I'm 50 that it was time to get out there. After looking for a beach holiday, it didn't feel right? I don't think that is wise with me going alone, I don't think I would feel safe. Who would look after my purse if I fancied a dip in the pool?

I thought about a cruise years ago when on a family holiday on the Norfolk Broads lol I remember saying to my sister "one day I'm going on a ship"

 

Long story a bit shorter...... I decided that this year I'd book a cruise and go for it!

And now I have booked, all I seem to be doing is writing list after list of things to do before I go lol

It's been so long, it turns out I have to but a new suitcase! :D

 

I'm enjoying reading through the forum finding out things, with all the hints and tips, and things I would never have thought of!

 

So here's to making new friends at the start of my new life adventures! :)

 

VL

 

I am so sorry for your loss. My husband passed 6+ years ago from a sudden heart attack. Glad to hear you are going on a cruise. It is a big step. You will have a wonderful time making new friends. Remember you are not alone, there are 2,000+ new friends cruising with you.

[netekay]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm Lynette, 47 and a widow. I lost my husband of 13 years to a heart attack in 2008. So now it is just me and my two Shelties Darby and Brody.

 

I took my first solo cruise in 2009 at Christmas. It was hubby's favorite time of year and I just needed to get away. Had a fantastic time and I have booked two more solos: Allure in November and Epic in March.

 

Nice to "meet" everyone!!!!! :D

 

Lynette

[Ambers79]

I'm 32 or will be 33 by the time I step on my first cruise :) I'm going solo since no friends or family interested or can afford to go on a trip. I'm kind of glad since I like spending time alone and I'm looking forward to some quite time on my balcony to write :)

[Angelus]

I'm 32 or will be 33 by the time I step on my first cruise :) I'm going solo since no friends or family interested or can afford to go on a trip. I'm kind of glad since I like spending time alone and I'm looking forward to some quite time on my balcony to write :)

 

Wow you booked a balcony for just yourself. Go you!

Those are too pricey for me, since solo's are stuck paying double.

Enjoy it!

[GTVCRUISER]

Cruising in 6 days and a wake up

[MrFunInTheSun]

Nice thread. 39 somewhat single here. :-) I've usually traveled With family or friends or gf. Coordinating times doesn't always work. I've always wanted to go on a cruise alone as at times when I went with others it was just a pain. Trying to get everyone to agree, etc. Guess it was a year and a half ago now I decided to finally go on a cruise alone. Let me tell you I had a great time. Only did a four day cruise. Happened to be during my birthday too which was even better. Although I seem to cruise every year at some point during that week.

 

I've booked my 2nd solo cruise this November, I can't wait. Will be a 6 night this time. If the 7 or 8 night was available that week for the price i paid id do that. 6 night will work though. A friend or two said they may go, but am hoping they don't. If they do, they are getting there on room. I've got a 6 night for well under $500. That's even with the double occupancy rate.

 

 

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[MrFunInTheSun]

I am 27 years old recently divorced. I love to cruise so I told myself why should I stop just because my relationship ended. So I booked my first solo cruise on The Freedom and I'm really excited about doing anything I want! :D However, I am kinda wondering what dinner is going to be like... Any suggestions for first time Solo?

 

It's a breeze really. Like you I wondered that. My first solo was on the Carnival Imagination and elected for anytime dining. Well about three weeks or so to my solo cruise I was on an 8 day on Carnival Freedom with a group. (5 of us) Well we got to know our wait staff really well during that trip to say the least. Well was I surprised when I walked into the dining room on the Imagination to be greeted by the same asst hostess on the Freedom. In any event everytime I went to to eat I always had a face I knew. Odd part was the other solo cruisers I sat near each night. By the fourth night I had sat with a group of young ladies I meet that we're on the cruise for a work function. I had a blast. It really is what one makes of it.

 

I've decided on my next cruise though I'm not going to elect my time dining but do the late seating and see how the cards are drawn for table mates. Worst case is I change after first night to my time.

 

 

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[kimber0504]

Nice thread. 39 somewhat single here. :-) I've usually traveled With family or friends or gf. Coordinating times doesn't always work. I've always wanted to go on a cruise alone as at times when I went with others it was just a pain. Trying to get everyone to agree, etc. Guess it was a year and a half ago now I decided to finally go on a cruise alone. Let me tell you I had a great time. Only did a four day cruise. Happened to be during my birthday too which was even better. Although I seem to cruise every year at some point during that week.

 

I've booked my 2nd solo cruise this November, I can't wait. Will be a 6 night this time. If the 7 or 8 night was available that week for the price i paid id do that. 6 night will work though. A friend or two said they may go, but am hoping they don't. If they do, they are getting there on room. I've got a 6 night for well under $500. That's even with the double occupancy rate.

 

 

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Where did you find a 6-night cruise for under $500 for a double occupancy rate???

 

Kim

[MrFunInTheSun]

Where did you find a 6-night cruise for under $500 for a double occupancy rate???

 

Kim

 

Carnival Freedom on 11/11/12. My price with tax is like $ 578. It's their players club promotional pricing. The early saver pricing though isn't much more.

 

 

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[maxandmolly]

Where did you find a 6-night cruise for under $500 for a double occupancy rate???

 

Kim

 

My 11/25 on the Freedom was $578 + taxes, etc. the 1As are sold out now though, and it looks in the wake of VIFP, prices have gone up on almost everything right now.

[MrFunInTheSun]

My 11/25 on the Freedom was $578 + taxes, etc. the 1As are sold out now though, and it looks in the wake of VIFP, prices have gone up on almost everything right now.

 

Just went to price same cruise I'm on and casino offer price is 478. Fun Select is 918 and early saver is 618. All these prices are before taxes and regular interior room.

 

 

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[maxandmolly]

Just went to price same cruise I'm on and casino offer price is 478. Fun Select is 918 and early saver is 618. All these prices are before taxes and regular interior room.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse typographical errors.

 

Fare viewer is showing regular inside at $628 but Expedia has it at $875 or something ridiculous like that. I don't get casino rates because, well, I've never set foot in the casino.

[JWinATL]

I'll jump in here with my story. My name is Jill. I am retired, 65 years old, and I lost my husband to a heart attack suddenly in November of 2008 (which is why I retired at 63-life's too short). I have taken two singles' cruises, but they are not for me. I have done 5 cruises altogether, three with my husband. Other than the Caribbean 4 times, I have been to Alaska; but, I am open to going to the Panama Canal and Europe at some point.

 

I have never gone totally solo, but I will tell you that singles' cruises are pretty much a solo adventure, too. I just found the atmosphere to be too clicky for me, so I thought I would try it totally on my own. I am pretty outgoing - I was a commercial mortgage loan officer when I was working, so you really had to put yourself out there.

 

I have a very sweet male greyhound who totally runs the house - used to have two greys, but I had to put the female down shortly after my husband died. I am pretty conversant on the breed, and would be happy to share his/their antics with whomever wants to hear!

[JWinATL]

To Kubies: So sorry for your loss. I was married to my second husband for about 24 years when he passed away in November, and he was my best friend, too. It loses it's surreal aspect after a while.

 

I am about to embark on my first solo cruise in December (haven't booked it yet - tomorrow, I think), but I took two singles' cruises. I am interested in the River cruises, also.

Edited June 14, 2012 by JWinATL
to address it to a specific poster

[Lois R]

I'll jump in here with my story. My name is Jill. I am retired, 65 years old, and I lost my husband to a heart attack suddenly in November of 2008 (which is why I retired at 63-life's too short). I have taken two singles' cruises, but they are not for me. I have done 5 cruises altogether, three with my husband. Other than the Caribbean 4 times, I have been to Alaska; but, I am open to going to the Panama Canal and Europe at some point.

 

I have never gone totally solo, but I will tell you that singles' cruises are pretty much a solo adventure, too. I just found the atmosphere to be too clicky for me, so I thought I would try it totally on my own. I am pretty outgoing - I was a commercial mortgage loan officer when I was working, so you really had to put yourself out there.

 

I have a very sweet male greyhound who totally runs the house - used to have two greys, but I had to put the female down shortly after my husband died. I am pretty conversant on the breed, and would be happy to share his/their antics with whomever wants to hear!

 

Hi, sorry about the loss of your husband.

 

My name is Lois and I always sail solo but I never go on

"Singles" cruises.....I book cruises because I love them. I am 54

and have been on my own since 1985....I understand the clique

comment as I have never been part of one...they are not my

thing. I don't cruise to meet other singles...if you are solo, single,

married, divorced, widowed....it doesn't matter to me. I am very

outgoing too:).....cruising is the only type of vacation I go on

anymore;)

 

I just went on my first cruise to the Med last month....after 9 years

of cruising? It was my absolute best cruise EVER:D....I have to

say the roll call I was on was fantastic too....everyone was friendly

and helpful. Made for an even better experience!

 

I hope you do go on your Panama Cruise and have a great time too:)

[bookgirl]

Hi guys! My name is Carla, 43, single and I'm taking my first solo cruise on the Elation next month. I've cruised mostly with my now 21 year old son and friends and family, but I've always wanted to try it on my own. Since I work in education, I can only really travel in the summer. I'm really looking forward to this new adventure. I hope to travel solo on a European cruise within the next few years. So glad I found this thread. It's been great reading others' stories.

[JWinATL]

Welcome, Carla! Hope you enjoy your first solo - let us know how it goes!

[JJSMaine]

I am a 53 year old man from Maine .. I took my first solo cruise as a way of decompressing from the stress of a Divorce way way back in 1999 on the Carnival Triumph. If you read the review in my sig below, you'll get a sense of that first experience. I have since sailed several more times, all but one solo. I've met quite few solo'ers on my cruises and I think we all like the freedom that is afforded by going untethered... all decisions get made between one set of ears and it truly makes the process so easy... ( that said having the love of my life, if I ever find her, along would be great too)

 

I've also taken two 3 week motorcycle camping trips in the intervening years as well, and the solo concept works the same there.... all decisions being made between one set of ear.

 

If I meet up with a woman during a cruise , so be it, but it is not on the check list of accomplishments. I did meet a nice woman on my first cruise and we shared a day touring Jamaica... but that was the highlight of my womanizing... ON my Adventure cruise I was scuba diving in every port and spent a time with scuba folks that adopted me to their table... the same thing happened no my Jewel cruise, eventually moving to a table with scuba buddies.

 

I enjoy the food experience of the main dining room... I enjoy meeting new people in the MDR at breakfast an lunch too... .I enjoy singing and love to participate in the Karaoke... I enjoy playing poker in the casino, smoking in the cigar bars, the luxury of coffee in the room in the am.. there is so much to reward oneself with... Riding the motorcycle all over the country is great fun, but it is some serious work, packing and unpacking... a cruise is totally letting go of all of it...

 

a cruise is such a broad experience... it serves so many needs,,, by just being there... One solo woman I met lives near ports in FL and will jump on a ship with little to no notice if the price is right .. she just hangs out and reads and enjoys the atmosphere and food... so even laid back book worms find a place on a cruise ship....

[JWinATL]

It looks like I will be doing a solo cruise this year. I've gone on solo vacations several times but this will be my first solo cruise. No one else can go and I just don't want to wait anymore!! lol I have wanted to go to Egypt since I was a kid. I wanted to go on this cruise for my 35th birthday and had all the money saved up. I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 2009 and went through 6 months of treatments. It's gone now!!! I was fiercely independant before I got sick (moved out of state on my own, bought a house on my own) and that all went away after I got sick. The surgeries and treatments knocked me down and this cruise is a way to pick myself back up and find that feisty chick again. I admit I'm a little nervous going on my own and I've never been out of the country before, but I am also really excited and since the cruise isn't for 9 more months, that's 9 months to heal a bit more and plan everything out. It's very encouraging to read the threads from people who have gone solo and had a blast. Oh, and this summer I'll be 36 so I am only off by one year!!!

 

I hope you enjoy your first solo cruise. Congrats on beating cancer. You are a fighter, and I am sure that your warm spirit will serve you well.

[AmoMondo]

I am a 51 year old single banker who has been hooked on travelling since my first trip overseas to Paris in 1979. I started travelling doll in the mid eighties when I desperately wanted to go to Australia. I soon realised that none of my friends or family shared that dream, so I had to either forget mine or do it on my own. Needless to say I went for 6 weeks on my own and had a ball (and a few nervous moments too!)

 

Booked my first cruise as a late booking 3 weeks before the sailing date, mainly to escape the dreadful summer we were having. Had planned on booking an apartment in the Med for a week, but the girls at work persuaded me to try a cruise. I'd been worried it would feel claustrophobic - like a holiay camp at sea! Well was I wrong. Absolutely loved it. It is a more friendly and safer option for a solo female. Did my next 2 cruises with a close friend, which were also enjoyable. She no longer travels due to poor health. I've continued to cruise all over the world and love the freedom of being solo. If I can't be bothered going ashore, I don't have to. If I want to only wander around for anfew hours, I can. Sounds a bit selfish, I know but I get to do exactly what I want, when I want. My job can be very stressful at rimes and I often work very long hours, so sometimes all I want to do is chill ut, relax, spend time in the spa and not do the whole tour thing all day long. I did go once with a cousin, and it was awful. Her tastes and interests were just too different and I spent part of the time resenting having to do stuff that I found completely boring and uninteresting.

 

Never tried a "singles" cruise and don't think I ever would. Don't fancy travelling in any form of "group" just feels too restrictive and cliquey to an independent soul like me!

[ESCARGO]

I am a 53 year old man from Maine .. I took my first solo cruise as a way of decompressing from the stress of a Divorce way way back in 1999 on the Carnival Triumph. If you read the review in my sig below, you'll get a sense of that first experience. I have since sailed several more times, all but one solo. I've met quite few solo'ers on my cruises and I think we all like the freedom that is afforded by going untethered... all decisions get made between one set of ears and it truly makes the process so easy... ( that said having the love of my life, if I ever find her, along would be great too)

 

I've also taken two 3 week motorcycle camping trips in the intervening years as well, and the solo concept works the same there.... all decisions being made between one set of ear.

 

If I meet up with a woman during a cruise , so be it, but it is not on the check list of accomplishments. I did meet a nice woman on my first cruise and we shared a day touring Jamaica... but that was the highlight of my womanizing... ON my Adventure cruise I was scuba diving in every port and spent a time with scuba folks that adopted me to their table... the same thing happened no my Jewel cruise, eventually moving to a table with scuba buddies.

 

I enjoy the food experience of the main dining room... I enjoy meeting new people in the MDR at breakfast an lunch too... .I enjoy singing and love to participate in the Karaoke... I enjoy playing poker in the casino, smoking in the cigar bars, the luxury of coffee in the room in the am.. there is so much to reward oneself with... Riding the motorcycle all over the country is great fun, but it is some serious work, packing and unpacking... a cruise is totally letting go of all of it...

 

a cruise is such a broad experience... it serves so many needs,,, by just being there... One solo woman I met lives near ports in FL and will jump on a ship with little to no notice if the price is right .. she just hangs out and reads and enjoys the atmosphere and food... so even laid back book worms find a place on a cruise ship....

 

JJSMaine, So you love cruising and motorcycles........Why not do both at the same time? Royal Caribbean does a cruise with Hogs on The High Seas out of Bayone, NJ that lets you bring your motorcycle and stow it onboard. It goes to the Caribbean and the motorcycles are the first off the ship to cruise around the islands (escorted of course). They only allow 23 bikes, so book early! Ted.

[Cruisercl]

Hi All,

 

I have read this entire post and thought I would add my 'stuff'. First let me say that it is a facinating group of people here! I have great respect for all of you and your own self-respect and self-worth. That said, I am a single 54yo female who has cruised may times but NOT as a solo. I am booked for a TA in April/May 2013. I am very excited to go, I already have a countdown calendar going. I am not sure if I can wait that long. I am considering a Solo over the Christmas holiday, just thinking. Any feedback or experience would be helpful, thanks.

 

:D