Fear of Cruising alone

[mrobstad]

Eigig, I've cruised solo since the maiden voyage of the NCL a Epic, and next February, my BFF will be joining me! I'm more nervous about that than I am of cruising alone. Alone, I make no compromises....I do what I want when I want....she doesn't drink, so I've already compromised by getting the UDP instead of the drink package, but I'm happy to have a friend accompany me. I just hope I'm a good roommate.😳

 

 

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[eigig]

Ahh sounds nice I would be a terrible roommate

Can't share a room or plans with anyone but my husband

My sister wants to travel with me but I know we would not be friends at the end of the cruise

Let us know how it goes

 

 

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[Valen9]

My sister wants to travel with me but I know we would not be friends at the end of the cruise

 

I think NCL made their Studio cabins with this in mind. You can get adjoining studios with a connecting door, so you can travel together but not TOO together.

[mrobstad]

I have two solo cruises before the one with my BFF so I'll let you know. I did travel two years ago with my cousin, who is very different from me. Since I booked the sold out cruise as a solo in an RCCL interior, I just made it clear to her that she should do what she wants, and I will do what I want, and I'm sure our paths will cross, which they did frequently. Once, though, on Aruba, I wanted to go to Eagle Beach, and she stayed five minutes and decided she wanted to tour the island, so she hopped a bus and went back to the pier. We both had a great day and met for dinner!🚢

 

 

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[Sue Do'nym]

Wanted to give you my 2 cents as well. I have taken more land vacations than cruises solo. My preferred is Disney in Orlando. Seems crazy for a solo but there are a lot of people who Disney solo. I will try to respond, but would encourage you to try it. I like NCL for freestyle but there really is something for everyone in cruising...

 

Hello,

I really want to go on a cruise this year in 2014, but don't have anyone to go with. So my questions are this:

 

How did you make that first step in going solo? My first step was to book a studio on Epic. Then told my mother about it who booked herself a cabin as well. So my first solo cruise was with my mother. She goes to bed early so was on my own at night....my second step and actual solo cruise was on the Disney Dream. I saw a special and just really wanted to try the ship. Did a mock booking and when I saw the price decided it was worth it. I did not tell my mother until I got back that time. :D

 

Did you have fears of never leaving your cabin/room? Nope. I had cruised with others and found that I liked the night life. I knew I would be wandering the ship. I can spend hours in a karaoke bar. Loved Howl at the Moon on Epic. The Dream was the only cruise I did not leave the cabin much, but it was a short cruise and I had my first balcony- which I loved.

 

Where did you cruise to? Bahamas/Carribean

 

What ships cater or like having solo travelers? I like the NCL solo lounge concept for those who want to meet others. If you are not comfortable dining alone then the nightly solo gathering gives you the opportunity to find others to dine with. I loved my studio on Epic. It was perfect and I never felt I was missing out. My mother had a balcony which was nice, but her room did not feel that much bigger than mine.

 

At ports did you stay on the ship or adventure off? A mix. Places I had not been, I left the ship. Familiar places, I stayed on ship and took advantage of spa specials. ;)

 

How did you pick your excursions? Cruise critic and personal interests.

 

How long was your first solo cruise? 3 nights

 

Dinner, I don't even want to go there. That is #1 fear. Eating by yourself in a packed restaurant EEKKK! Help needed on this one.

 

Practice, practice, practice. I travel a lot for work so I eat on my own a lot in restaurants. It is awkward at first. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. Take a kindle/ book/ magazine- you will not need them for long. The great thing about cruising is that you do not have to eat alone. If you cruise traditional, you will have assigned dining companions. If you cruise with anytime/ my time dining or whatever they call it...there should be a solo gathering where you can meet others who may want to dine together.

 

Personally I love to do mock bookings to see where I can go and how much it will cost. I just booked my second solo cruise for the Breakaway to Bermuda. Although, if my Mother finds out, I may have company again;)

 

Happy cruising!

[goduckies05]

Finally had my first dud cruise last November as a solo. It wasn't bad, but I just didn't have the connections I have in the past. No big deal I still had a blast. I took the train from Sf To Miami by myself aswell to get there. Loved DC ealked all over there. Amazing history! I also have booked the breeze for Frb. Finally do a cruiese with my best friend in may we will see if like going with friends! Have another cruised booked in may to Alaska for free. Then I booked 9 months ago a Disney cruise to Cabo with my cousin and just booked the Vista Inaugural in Europe. I have learned to.love to travel and I am not going to wait for someone to show up in my life to do it.

Brad

 

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[Lois R]

Finally had my first dud cruise last November as a solo. It wasn't bad, but I just didn't have the connections I have in the past. No big deal I still had a blast. I took the train from Sf To Miami by myself aswell to get there. Loved DC ealked all over there. Amazing history! I also have booked the breeze for Frb. Finally do a cruiese with my best friend in may we will see if like going with friends! Have another cruised booked in may to Alaska for free. Then I booked 9 months ago a Disney cruise to Cabo with my cousin and just booked the Vista Inaugural in Europe. I have learned to.love to travel and I am not going to wait for someone to show up in my life to do it.

Brad

 

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You took the train from California to Florida?.....how many days

did that take?:eek:

[SJS]

I am debating doing a solo cruise this spring. 75% of me says go for it - you'll have fun but 25% says no, no, no - you'll feel too lonely and out of place. I've done a lot of cruises and love them and I either go by myself this year or not at all. Help me get rid of the 25% doubt!

[bjbear]

You took the train from California to Florida?.....how many days

did that take?:eek:

 

I'd like to know as well. Am thinking of taking the train from Chicago to San Fran, have always wanted to do a sleeper train. Maybe catch a cruise out of San Fran when the train gets there. :) My problem is I have no fear of traveling alone, I fear traveling with someone!! ;):D

 

Sue

[mrobstad]

As a widow, I have no choice for cruising other than going as a solo. I do have a choice to be lonely, and I never choose lonely. I have learned to rely only on myself to find happiness or be happy. Twice, a cousin has joined me, and that's fun, too, but that's two cruises out of my last ten.....and I'm glad I didn't miss those other 8! Most ship passengers are quite friendly, and you might be surprised to learn how many solos there are. It's always one of the top two sell out categories on ships...go for it!

 

 

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[Lois R]

I am debating doing a solo cruise this spring. 75% of me says go for it - you'll have fun but 25% says no, no, no - you'll feel too lonely and out of place. I've done a lot of cruises and love them and I either go by myself this year or not at all. Help me get rid of the 25% doubt!

 

Not sure what I can say to help...I have no doubts.:D I sail solo every

time.....I try to cruise at least twice a year and even try to stick a

3rd one in there if possible:).......I never feel out of place and as

for lonely? I have lived on my own for most of my entire life.......

Alone, yes, lonely? Nope.

Go and have a great time:D

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I'd like to know as well. Am thinking of taking the train from Chicago to San Fran, have always wanted to do a sleeper train. Maybe catch a cruise out of San Fran when the train gets there. :)

As exciting as this sounds, it's even more risky than flying in the day of the cruise. ;) Amtrak trains are notorious for getting delayed all the time. The tracks they operate on belong to freight railroads (Union Pacific, Canadian National, etc.), whose trains get priority over Amtrak's. If you've ever been stuck at a railroad crossing while driving, it's kind of like that on Amtrak. While the scenery it passes through may be gorgeous and dramatic enough to rival an Alaska cruise, cross-country trains can arrive up to half a day late. On the plus side, if you get a ticket in a sleeping car, your meals are included, along with some limited entertainment; most drinks are extra. Now is it just me, or does this seem awfully familiar? ;):p

 

With that said, there is a train you'll find right up your alley: the California Zephyr. It runs from Chicago to San Francisco.

Check out: http://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train.

Edited January 28, 2015 by LandlockedCruiser01

[goduckies05]

4 and a half. Loved it. So peaceful and going through the rockies and sierras was amazing. The mid west was boring, but Pittsburgh east was beautiful. Fun trip! My longest vacation ever, two weeks!

 

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[SJS]

Lois, thank you for your reply. I am jealous that you are alone but never lonely. I've raised four children and been a widow for almost five years and still struggle with living alone. I'm 65 and in good health and love vacations. I don't want fear to keep me home! I'm looking at a 4 day cruise on RCI (my favorite line) at the end of April. It's 5 degrees here in Northeast Ohio this morning and having a sun filled cruise to look forward to would sure help get through another winter! I need to just book it!

[marcmarc2]

I am debating doing a solo cruise this spring. 75% of me says go for it - you'll have fun but 25% says no, no, no - you'll feel too lonely and out of place. I've done a lot of cruises and love them and I either go by myself this year or not at all. Help me get rid of the 25% doubt!

 

You said you've done a lot of cruises, so cruising is already old hat for you. Don't discount that!

 

I had taken eight cruises up to the point I had divorced. What really helped me decide to take the solo plunge was looking back at one particular cruise where I ended up being quite the social butterfly aboard. I realized that the effort of meeting/chatting/hanging with people while on board with a spouse is no different than meeting/chatting/hanging with people when you're solo. At least the spouse/friend/relative isn't tugging you away to do something else.

 

It does take some thinking ahead, some planning, and you will always learn something new about solo travel for the next time, but we always learn something new no matter how, where, or with whom we're traveling.

[moseylou]

I'd like to know as well. Am thinking of taking the train from Chicago to San Fran, have always wanted to do a sleeper train. Maybe catch a cruise out of San Fran when the train gets there. :) My problem is I have no fear of traveling alone, I fear traveling with someone!! ;):D

 

Sue

 

bit of a hijack, but two years I traveled from Boston to Portland Oregon via Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, by myself on Amtrak. LOVED.IT.

 

the only negative is that you have to eat meals with others (if you have a room and therefore are eating in the dining car for free as part of your fare). The dining car is very small, so basically you are put with any table of four that has space. The same happens if you are traveling by two. At first it wasn't a negative - it was kind of fun to get to know folks. However, having to do that for every meal was a pain. One of the reasons I like to travel solo is for alone time and reading.

 

But, I would HIGHLY recommend this trip. The Denver to SF leg is particularly gorgeous, going through the Rockies.

 

On cruising solo, I'm about to go on my first. My first cruise was supposed to be solo transatlantic, but at the last minute my husband's business trip was cancelled and he joined me. I am very comfortable about doing this one alone, as I have the basics down on the cruise routine. Definitely dining is the #1 hesitation - I agree with that - but I'm going to go to the MDR with the Select Dining and see what happens. I like that idea that I can choose to sit with others if I want, or choose to sit alone if I want to.

 

I hope you decide to go (to the OP), and you enjoy it tremendously!

 

Mosey

[COMBOY]

I am debating doing a solo cruise this spring. 75% of me says go for it - you'll have fun but 25% says no, no, no - you'll feel too lonely and out of place. I've done a lot of cruises and love them and I either go by myself this year or not at all. Help me get rid of the 25% doubt!

 

I know this might sound counter intuitive, but don't focus on the "going solo" part. Focus on what you want to do and see onboard the ship and in port. Do as much pre-planning and research as you can about the ship and ports and take a lot of notes. The 25% of doubt is the fear of the unknown or the fear of being alone or feeling out of place. I find when I have a schedule of things I want to do it takes a lot of the unknown away. But being alone or feeling out of place is your choice. I use that alone time for me time. Bring things you enjoy to keep you occupied. If you don't want to be alone then get out of cabin and join in group activities like trivia, etc. It just mean getting out of your comfort zone and taking a little risk.

[Lois R]

Lois, thank you for your reply. I am jealous that you are alone but never lonely. I've raised four children and been a widow for almost five years and still struggle with living alone. I'm 65 and in good health and love vacations. I don't want fear to keep me home! I'm looking at a 4 day cruise on RCI (my favorite line) at the end of April. It's 5 degrees here in Northeast Ohio this morning and having a sun filled cruise to look forward to would sure help get through another winter! I need to just book it!

 

Hi again,:) I can only give you my experiences.....we have lived totally

opposiite lives.....I never had kids and have been divorced for close to

30 years...I can't tell you how to feel or not feel....ocassionally do

I feel lonely? I would be lieing if I said no....but it passes quickly.

I have a good job, own my own home and so things could be way

worse;)....I have to say my life is pretty good.

And for me? Cruising solo is AWESOME:D...it is very easy to meet

people, and if I want to relax and do nothing.....I do it. If I want

to participate in activities I do it too.

 

And I just read COMBOY's reply and echo those sentiments......

step outside of the box.....you may realize how much you love it!:)

[SJS]

Thank you for all the great comments and advice. But events that happened today may keep me now from taking a vacation. But when I do get the chance I'm going to try it!

[mrobstad]

Lois, I think we had dinner together...do u own a bookkeeping firm?

 

 

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[Lois R]

Lois, I think we had dinner together...do u own a bookkeeping firm?

 

 

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Hi,:) nope, I work for a Paper Company. I do bookkeeping but I don't

own a company..........I am just an employee...the comany I work

for has about 700 of us.

 

Do you sail Celebrity?

[mrobstad]

Mostly NCL because of the studios, but occasionally RCCL . I've read many of your posts and you sounded familiar. I'm an educator so my time is limited. But in 4 years or less, I'll retire and cruise until I drop!

 

 

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[Lois R]

Ahhh..ok....I have to work alot more than 4 years before I retire:eek:

I guess we haven't had dinner before.;)...I have never sailed NCL and

only Royal twice.

[mrobstad]

Sorry, but I do like your posts! Maybe in the future.....

 

 

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[Lois R]

Sorry, but I do like your posts! Maybe in the future.....

 

 

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No need to apologize and thank you for the compliment:)