Fear of Cruising alone

[travelnap]

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

 

Lois, a lot of us appreciate your comments and posts as they are very useful and have good information. In the past the bulk of my cruises were on NCL or HAL, but I did finally decide to try Celebrity because of the many good solo cruises that you have had with them. I just booked it earlier today. I am going to take a five day western Caribbean cruise on the Connie in March for a short winter getaway. The ports are repeats so I will probably just enjoy the sea days for the relaxation and just do a little wandering on the port days. I am looking forward to my first Celebrity trip as a solo. Neil

[Lois R]

Lois, a lot of us appreciate your comments and posts as they are very useful and have good information. In the past the bulk of my cruises were on NCL or HAL, but I did finally decide to try Celebrity because of the many good solo cruises that you have had with them. I just booked it earlier today. I am going to take a five day western Caribbean cruise on the Connie in March for a short winter getaway. The ports are repeats so I will probably just enjoy the sea days for the relaxation and just do a little wandering on the port days. I am looking forward to my first Celebrity trip as a solo. Neil

 

Hi Neil,:) which week are you sailing?

[travelnap]

Lois, I sail on the 21st and return on the 26th from FLL. Neil

[Lois R]

Lois, I sail on the 21st and return on the 26th from FLL. Neil

 

Awww...I can't sail then.......maybe another time:)....hope you

have a great cruise:D

[travelnap]

Thanks Lois, I may have some questions for you as the date gets closer. Neil

[ThePriceO'Mince]

I got off the Jewel last week - 1st solo cruise and loved it! I've travelled solo before but never on a cruise - had been on 9 previous cruises but took my elderly parents. To say I was scared is a huge understatement. When I got on board and was waiting for my cabin to be ready I must admit I got very teary eyed. Watching couples, families and groups all coming on laughing together and add the fact that I missed my late parents horribly - I wanted to run off the ship. BUT, that changed so quickly. I had traditional dining and my table mates were wonderful - yes I was the only solo! Met people at life boat drilled and ended up on 2 excursions with them and at mystery dinner theatre. We had a great time. One of the couples at my table was on one of excursions and I was invited to sit with them at the show. Just sitting my the pool I was always talking to someone. I really thought people would find out I was traveling solo and think something was wrong with me. The exact opposite happened - they told me how brave that was and good for me. I also found that I was responsible for making myself have a good time - no one else but me. I just booked my next solo for November on Oasis of the Seas which is a much much bigger ship.

Go for it - you deserve to have a good time!!!!!

 

 

Im going on the Jewel in September to Alaska and from your review I think Im going to have a great time even though my reason for being a solo traveller may just have me teary eyed at times also.

 

Ive had the dining arrangements explained to me on another thread but can you pls tell me what you mean by 'I had traditional dining'.

 

Best Wishes

Tattie

[COMBOY]

Tattie...traditional dining is when you have either first 6PM or second 8:30PM fixed dining seating. You have an assigned table, same table mates, same waiter and bus boy for the entire cruise VS My Time Dining (MTD) where you just go the dining room at anytime during established dining hours and are seated at any available table. You can request to be seated with others or just by yourself. It is usually recommended that solos select traditional fixed dining when making your reservations as to have familiar faces during your meals. Some solos prefer My Time Dining as they prefer more flexibility in their dining times and table mates. I hope this explains.

[ThePriceO'Mince]

Thank you for that :)

[Nonio]

If I had to give one piece of advice to solo travelers - don't think that only other solo travelers will be interested in meeting you, dining with you, or becoming friends with you. That's absolutely not true, so don't hamstring yourself by only looking for other solo cruisers, or thinking you will make more friendly contacts by sitting with or dining with only other solos. It's one of the things I don't understand about a lot of what I read on this forum actually (about how to meet other solo travelers, or whether or not there are a lot of other solo travelers on board.) My favourite dining companions on my last cruise were the only married couple at the table of 8, and I spent time chatting with them other places on board several times. While I'm sure there are couples who want "alone time" on the ship, I've likewise met solo people who don't want to chat or who are, IMO, boring and have nothing of interest (to me) to chat about.

 

Choose your companions by interests, not marital status, and don't assume that coupled people on board won't be interested in chatting or dining with you.

 

I SO AGREE! I made friends with a wonderful and funny couple on my first solo cruise & we've been firm friends ever since ... To the extent I've never had another solo holiday even when I had planned it. I've met solo travellers too that I have liked, enjoyed and admired for their attitude, but Rob & Angie...the couple who I just met when trying to get my iPad account working, chatting in the queue, are my firm friends to this day.