So how old are most solo cruisers??

[MrFunInTheSun]

I'm 27 doing my first solo in OCT. I hope I like it because its a B2B!

 

You'll have a blast MPoole, I did my 2nd solo cruise and it was on the Monarch this past July. While traveling solo on the Monarch I did a live review. I had a blast. I'm going on my 3 & 4th solo this November, can't wait. I was booked on another cruise in October to return to the Monarch, but had to cancel. I still may book it at the last minute though. Last cruise on the Monarch I booked it 9 days before.

[AngAndBoys]

First solo cruise coming up in December. I'll be 4-0. I ain't scared. Much.:D

[JWinATL]

My first solo on November 10, and I am 65! It is not my first cruise; but it is my first cruise without being with a group or with my late husband. Kind of nervous, but excited, too!

[Lois R]

My first solo on November 10, and I am 65! It is not my first cruise; but it is my first cruise without being with a group or with my late husband. Kind of nervous, but excited, too!

 

Hi...I am on the same cruise.....there is a roll call for it. Not what I consider very active but it is there if you want come say hello.

[TheTexasKid]

As calliopecruise as rightly pointed out, different cruise lines and different itineraries attract different ages.

 

As for myself, at the beginning of my next cruise at the end of this December, I'll be 60, but by the end of the same cruise I'll be 61, as I have started going somewhere, so I do not have to be alone in my apartment on my birthday.

[ILoveScotland]

First solo cruise at 66 back in 2006. Only one other purely solo cruise since then, and that was a little over a year ago. Interesting conversation with a family the day we boarded that second cruise. The father of the group (my age, maybe 10 years younger) assumed I was cruising solo in order to meet a man. I was flattered he thought that was possible. And, he just couldn't understand why I would want to be on the ship alone for some R&R and solitude.

 

I am one of a group of women solo cruisers who have booked the Presidential Suite on the Freedom of the Seas for late 2013. We range in age from mid 40s to early 70s.

[Sparkles87]

I am 25, I will be 26 on my first solo cruise in Aug nxt yr.

[Roz]

I was 48 on my first cruise, and 50 on my first solo. Wished I would have discovered cruising earlier. It's such a great way to travel and meet people.

 

Roz (not to be confused with Wizard-of-Roz) :D

[Lois R]

I was 48 on my first cruise, and 50 on my first solo. Wished I would have discovered cruising earlier. It's such a great way to travel and meet people.

 

Roz (not to be confused with Wizard-of-Roz) :D

 

:D I was 45 on my first cruise and I echo your sentiments.......

[eigig]

Hi

I am 62 and have travelled solo (land vacations) for the past 4 years. I got used to solo travel on business and my husband cannot do flying so I travel in Europe (from NYC) alone.

 

Having done Rome/Florence on land solo I think that a solo cruise to Med ports would be a great idea and am planning 7/07/13 from Barcelona on the Epic (studio)

 

I was thinking that perhaps the solo age would be younger on this cruise cause many older women would not want to fly to Barcelona etc alone.

What do you think? I like the idea of eating with other solos cause that is the only thing I dislike when travelling solo--also gets a little loney on day 4 or so --planning on booking ship excursions so that I meet others on excursions as well.

 

Also I have cruised before many times so I know the drill but never solo.

Thanks and happy travels!

[ILoveScotland]

Hi

I am 62 and have travelled solo (land vacations) for the past 4 years. I got used to solo travel on business and my husband cannot do flying so I travel in Europe (from NYC) alone.

 

Having done Rome/Florence on land solo I think that a solo cruise to Med ports would be a great idea and am planning 7/07/13 from Barcelona on the Epic (studio)

 

I was thinking that perhaps the solo age would be younger on this cruise cause many older women would not want to fly to Barcelona etc alone.

What do you think? I like the idea of eating with other solos cause that is the only thing I dislike when travelling solo--also gets a little loney on day 4 or so --planning on booking ship excursions so that I meet others on excursions as well.

 

Also I have cruised before many times so I know the drill but never solo.

Thanks and happy travels!

 

My first commercial flight back in the "dark ages" was from Winston-Salem, NC to Memphis, TN on Piedmont Airlines to see my family. The flight had stops in Spartanburg, SC, Atlanta and Birmingham before arriving in Memphis. I was 22 and went alone. I've done lots of solo flying since then, sometimes on business and sometimes on holiday. I've flown across the US more times than I can count, to the UK and mainland Europe. I am a savvy traveler so think nothing of flying alone even though I'm now 71. In fact, I'm flying alone to Norway in March although I'll meet a friend once I'm there.

 

I've not done a land trip alone on mainland Europe, but I have to Scotland where I even drove for several days once and had a great time seeing places I love.

 

I realize not everyone is comfortable doing such things, perhaps especially not older women, and if a woman has always relied on a husband or good friend to navigate it might be difficult. But I seem to be fearless about such things and will not let being widowed keep me from traveling on land and sea.

[eigig]

Solo cruising is not for everyone and certainly not for everyone over 60!

I do enjoy the adventure and the "game" of making it unscathed. Had lots of fun in Rome, Florence, Ireland, Paris, Belgium and (most memorably) as a solo female business traveller in Istanbul and Izmir (yikes that was a trip to remember but also to be proud of).

 

Looking forward to the companionship of other solos onboard the Epic in July 2013 from Barcelona. I think I will like getting back to the ship and having a glass of wine and enjoying the entertainment of the evening.

 

Thanks for your post. Perhaps we will meet onboard someday.

E.

[Maya53]

I am tuning 60 in May this year which I decided to embrace and celebrate by doing things that were outside my normal comfort zone. So far, I have embarked on a diet and excercise programme that is beginning to show results, especially in my health. I have had my hair cut in a whole new style which was wonderfully rejuvenating if nerve wracking at the time. And I have booked my first ever cruise crossing the Atlantic from Barcelona to Buenos Aries in November. I have travelled alone before, and always enjoy it, though sometimes the evenings can be a bit hard I find - I don't really enjoy dining alone, so I am hoping a cruise will solve that issue for me. I am so excited that I am already planning what to take etc, even though it is months away, but that is all part of the fun for me. I get tingles just thinking about seeing Rio de Janerio and I really never thought I would travel that far, so it really is getting out of my comfort zone of just travelling in Europe. I am travelling with the Italian line MSC, and believe that there will be a lot of different nationalities onboard, which is all part of the fun for me. I know most of you are from the USA, which I have also never visited though it is high on my bucket list now. I just love reading these boards, and have picked up so much information, there is a wealth of experience here. I am almost certain my first cruise is not going to be my last, even though I have not tried it yet........just hoping I don't get seasick, but I live on an island and whilst it is certainly not the Atlantic I am used to ferry crossings in wild Scottish weather!!

[Lois R]

I am tuning 60 in May this year which I decided to embrace and celebrate by doing things that were outside my normal comfort zone. So far, I have embarked on a diet and excercise programme that is beginning to show results, especially in my health. I have had my hair cut in a whole new style which was wonderfully rejuvenating if nerve wracking at the time. And I have booked my first ever cruise crossing the Atlantic from Barcelona to Buenos Aries in November. I have travelled alone before, and always enjoy it, though sometimes the evenings can be a bit hard I find - I don't really enjoy dining alone, so I am hoping a cruise will solve that issue for me. I am so excited that I am already planning what to take etc, even though it is months away, but that is all part of the fun for me. I get tingles just thinking about seeing Rio de Janerio and I really never thought I would travel that far, so it really is getting out of my comfort zone of just travelling in Europe. I am travelling with the Italian line MSC, and believe that there will be a lot of different nationalities onboard, which is all part of the fun for me. I know most of you are from the USA, which I have also never visited though it is high on my bucket list now. I just love reading these boards, and have picked up so much information, there is a wealth of experience here. I am almost certain my first cruise is not going to be my last, even though I have not tried it yet........just hoping I don't get seasick, but I live on an island and whilst it is certainly not the Atlantic I am used to ferry crossings in wild Scottish weather!!

 

Congratulations on everything:) one suggestion I have for you is to

see if there is a roll call started for your cruise. It is a very nice way

to meet others on your same sailing:)

[Lvnmylife85]

I'm 27 and have my 2nd solo cruise booked for my 28th bday in December on the Breakaway. Noticing many 30's solos have sailed on the Epic so hopefully after first reviews of the Breakaway, it will attract more!

[Virtopia]

I'm 30 and did my first solo cruise was for my 28th birthday as well on the Majesty. I don't book a cruise based on how many solos I think will be on there, but I do tend to meet some great people to converse with and they are usually late 30s to early 40s.

 

During my last solo cruise on the Explorer, my dinner table consisted of 2 couples who were friends and have known each other for 30+ years (they had to have been in their late 70s or early 80s) and a middle age couple with their son. It was awkward at first but they were very good to me as I was traveling solo - even invited the table to their junior suite for pre dinner snacks one evening.

[angelofsin]

I am 30 years of age and am going solo on my first cruise this memorial day. I am hoping to try the new breakaway ship in a year or so. I was almost tempted to try this time around as they are the other cruise line heading to bermuda for seven days in the NJ/NJ area for the time frame I wanted to go for. However, I decided that I will deal with the headache that is nyc another time.

[Scanorama]

I'm 28 and I'm about to book my first solo cruise on Sun Princess to Fiji and New Caledonia at the end of the year.

[VtnynvvT]

I just booked a solo in an NCL Epic studio for next month. It is my 3rd solo cruise. I'm 43, did my first when I was about 39. I wouldn't do it any other way. I travelled with others when i was younger and it was awful as it seems so many people will not do anything alone and it always ended up with me missing out on something I really wanted to do.

:)

[wizard-of-roz]

I was 48 on my first cruise, and 50 on my first solo. Wished I would have discovered cruising earlier. It's such a great way to travel and meet people.

 

Roz (not to be confused with Wizard-of-Roz) :D

 

Boy, am I late in seeing this.......Hi Roz! I thought I'd scroll through and see some of the fabulous comments that all you wonderful folks have made about cruising solo and I came across you......Roz!

I rarely meet another Roz.....I'm actually Rosalyn. It's nice to see another Roz [have I typed it enough?].....Doesn't take much to excite me! ;)

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I travelled with others when i was younger and it was awful as it seems so many people will not do anything alone and it always ended up with me missing out on something I really wanted to do.

:)

Seconded! I went to an AI with a friend back when I was in college. All he wanted to do was play beach volleyball. I really wanted to do a dolphin swim, and maybe a history tour on top of that. He flat-out refused to do anything except play beach volleyball at the resort, and doing an excursion by myself didn't occur to me back then. And he didn't want to go to any clubs in the evening. It was the most boring vacation I ever went on in my life. Needless to say, we had a falling out and haven't spoken since the spring break trip.

 

I didn't get a chance to do another dolphin swim until 10 years later. Lesson learned: if I got something I want to do and no one to go with, just do it and hope for the best.

[angelofsin]

Seconded! I went to an AI with a friend back when I was in college. All he wanted to do was play beach volleyball. I really wanted to do a dolphin swim, and maybe a history tour on top of that. He flat-out refused to do anything except play beach volleyball at the resort, and doing an excursion by myself didn't occur to me back then. And he didn't want to go to any clubs in the evening. It was the most boring vacation I ever went on in my life. Needless to say, we had a falling out and haven't spoken since the spring break trip.

 

I didn't get a chance to do another dolphin swim until 10 years later. Lesson learned: if I got something I want to do and no one to go with, just do it and hope for the best.

 

 

I cannot say that I have had an experience like this but my fear of doing so is why i generally travel alone. Now if someone ask me to go somewhere I may go but when it is time for me to go places I prefer to go alone. I know that sounds a little backward and selfish but I am a much better travel partner than most. when someone invites me on a vacation i usually move to their agenda (which silently unnerves me but since it was their vacation i suck it up) when I want to go somewhere on vacation I roll solo because I don't want all the bickering about who can't afford to go, who doesn't want to do what, and having to worry if someone is having a good time. when I booked my cruise a few of my travel friends were upset, i simply told them to get over it because I don't barge in on their vacation plans, asking can I go. my view is simply this if I wanted to vacation with a person I would simply ask.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

when I want to go somewhere on vacation I roll solo because I don't want all the bickering about who can't afford to go, who doesn't want to do what, and having to worry if someone is having a good time. when I booked my cruise a few of my travel friends were upset, i simply told them to get over it because I don't barge in on their vacation plans, asking can I go. my view is simply this if I wanted to vacation with a person I would simply ask.

THIS! (the bolded part) The people who "barge in" on your vacation plans, meaning invite themselves along, are oftentimes the ones who are most likely to hijack your plans. Most commonly, they may refuse to do an activty you've been looking forward to, and won't let you go alone, "because they're afraid to be alone". They may try similar tactics to push you into join them in an activity you hate. Or worst all, accuse you of ruining "their" vacation when something doesn't go their way. It's the reason why I simply won't cruise with some people in my life, even though I respect them otherwise.

 

In fact, the first time I told some people that I prefered to cruise solo, I got called "not normal", "selfish bastard who doesn't want to compromise", or [dramatic tone of voice] "going all by yourself". These reactions alone put them on my "do not cruise" list.

 

For people who refuse to do an activty you like, and won't let you go alone because they're afraid to be alone, there's an expression: "dog on a haystack". It's a reference to a parable about a dog who was lying on a pile of hay and barking angrily at cows who came to eat, even though the dog won't eat the hay, obviously.

[VtnynvvT]

I don't get called selfish I get "oh, that's so sad" accompanied by the sad face :(. I get the last laugh as I have traveled all over the world while they are stuck at home because they won't do anything on their own. I would never trade all of the places I have been to and things i've seen for anything.

[stsomewhere]

I went on my first solo cruise at 38. I really wanted to do a transatlantic. My husband has no desire to do that many sea days. My kids are still in school and could not miss.

 

I mentioned it to a few people, but no one could go.

 

My husband encouraged me to go alone. I had a fabulous time. Looking forward to doing it again.