Solo on Royal Caribbean

[laedw]

I frequently travel solo on RCCL and recently sailed solo on the Allure of the Seas Eastern Caribbean itinerary. I had a ball!:D I met some very interesting people and hung out with a couple I shared the table with in the main dining room. However, the solo meet and greets on the ship were not very organized -- I attended one in Vintages but there was no host so several people did not bother to stay. If you sign up on the RCCL Meet and Mingle Roll call, you may find some people to interact with.

[laedw]

I just sent an email to RCCL suggesting that they have a RCCL greeter/host for the solo travelers get together on their ships. I attended a few while sailing on the Allure of the Seas recently. Though they were listed on the daily activities in the Compass, no RCCL staff was present in the venue to inform people that there was a solo traveler get together.

[mrobstad]

Great! On my recent RCCLSerrenade cruise, there was a cruise director and his wife was the activity director. Wouldn't be hard to use a half hr of her time to facilitate. I think NCLs success with solo travelers is due to a decent amount of studio cabins on new ships, the studio lounge, and a dedicated solo activity director. My upcoming Easter cruise has all studios sold out!

 

 

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[kcool]

not much organized solo gatherings on any royal ships. something they have to look into changing, as there are many solos cruising. either way, it's still great to cruise royal caribbean.

[clayb]

To solve the problem about them clearing your table... or someone taking your table when you get up to get more food....

I would take a book or some other non-valuable item with me to the buffet and leave it on the table when I go get more food.

[GaNavy]

I have done two TA's solo on Royal and had a great time on both. Last year a person on the roll call organized a solo table for late seating dinner - there were 14 of us at the table and we had the best time together, did excursions, went to shows together, even put together a team (Car Wash Cruisers) that won the progressive trivia game.

 

I love solo cruising, a great chance to meet people and make friends, and Royal was a great environment for it.

[vacation luvver]

To solve the problem about them clearing your table... or someone taking your table when you get up to get more food....

I would take a book or some other non-valuable item with me to the buffet and leave it on the table when I go get more food.

I wouldn't dare do that, because I'd risk losing the book. Once at a restaurant on land (not on a cruise ship), I left my newspaper on my table when I went to the salad bar so that I'd be able to find my table after I got my salad. But when I returned to what I thought was my table, there wasn't any newspaper. When I saw the guy at the next table reading a newspaper, I asked him if he had taken mine. "Oh, is this your newspaper?" he asked as he gave it back to me. "I thought it was just left behind by someone."

 

So leaving a book or newspaper on a table might say to YOU that this is your table, and you'll be right back. but SOMEONE ELSE might say, "Oh, look! A newspaper/book! It's mine! Finders keepers!"

 

The waiters at the buffet seem determined to clear off tables as quickly as they can. One time I went to the buffet where there was one table full of people eating, so it was just them and me. I got some food and sat down at another table, and then I realized that I had forgotten to get something. I said to the nearby waiter that I would be right back. I got back, only to see that my food had been taken. The waiter was still standing nearby. I asked him about my food, and he said that another waiter had taken it. I guess the first waiter just couldn't be bothered to tell the second waiter not to take my food.

 

So I had to get more food. It wasn't my fault that my first plateful was wasted.

[Podie]

A solo cruiser on my last ship had a little laminated card she'd made which said, "Hi! I'm not gone, I'll be right back!"

[vacation luvver]

I suppose that any other English-speaking passengers would have understood what the card said, but I'm not so sure about the buffet staff. Even if they speak fluent English, that doesn't mean that they can read English. And it certainly doesn't mean that they will take the time to read the card. Maybe they don't even realize that the card is meant for them to read. Maybe they just think that it's a piece of garbage and throw it away.

 

Now, if the cruiselines issued such a card, the buffet staff would have to pay attention to it. I have written to NCL, Royal, Celebrity, and several cruiselines that aren't in business nowadays to suggest that they make such a card, but none of them thought that it was a good idea.

[queenslander]

I am a solo traveller and I usually have my meals in the main dining room where I ask to join a big table. That way I meet up with lots of people. I very rarely eat in the buffet.

As I am Diamond on RCCL and Elite on Celebrity I do meet up with people for complimentary pre-dinner drinks as well. Often I will join up with others, both couples and solos, for dinner or lunch.

I like the roll calls where arrangements are made to meet up in one of the bars for sailaway. On my last cruise on the Voyager out of Sydney to Fiji on the roll call arrangements were made to meet up in the bar but it was hard to find people. On other cruises overseas, we wear beads or a certain colour clothing

to help us find each other. On a recent Transatlantic cruise we all wore

smiley face stickers and I brought along name labels and pens so that we could recognize each other from the roll call. We also arranged cabin crawls, trivia, lunches and private tours together so it was easy to make friends. It just takes a little bit of organization beforehand but it makes a big difference on the cruise - especially if you are travelling solo!

Joyce

[GaryT-UK]

A solo cruiser on my last ship had a little laminated card she'd made which said, "Hi! I'm not gone, I'll be right back!"

That is a brilliant idea - I may change the wording a bit, but I'm going to try that!!

On my first cruise the ship had a traffic light system of red cards and green cards to show whether you had finished or not - I guess that relies on passengers being good and remembering to change them when they leave though.

[maryann2]

On my last TA on the independence of the Seas for a while there was no solo supplement so lots of solos.

Every day they had a solo lunch in the MDR. We took up a whole section of the room.

[Justmekaren918]

I am headed for my 2nd solo trip on Vision in Sept. I was on Brilliance as a solo in April. Had a great time.

[HowardK]

I've done 2 solo cruises on RCI in the last six months and I loved them. I wrote reviews, which are available in my sig, if you're interested. Have a great cruise, wherever you decide to go!

 

 

Your Allure review is great! I am going to read the other 2.

I have only been crusiing NCL solo but how do think RCCL and Carnival compare in terms of being able to meet other solos?

I did go on RCCL 20 years ago and no one showed up for the solo gathering, but the same thing happened on the NCL Jewel- I think for me the Breakaway/Getaway/Epic models work but I would really like to try Anthem from NJ when it arrives

[essgee_ca]

Studio (SI) are excluded from the extra point

This is from the C&A member benefits page

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/cas/benefits.do

 

14 One Cruise Point for each completed night of sailing and an extra Cruise Point per night when you purchase and sail in suite accommodations (categories RL, RS, PS, SL, TS, A1, A2, A3, CL, OS, FS, GS, JS) and/or sail in any category and pay a single pricing type for double occupancy staterooms. All other rates including Travel Agent rates, as well category SI and SB, are excluded from single price type extra point promotion. Cruisetours are included as an additional night per each day on the cruise tour. Points will be awarded by rate paid not rate berthed, for example, in the instance of an upgrade from an outside to a suite category.

 

I'm curious when this started. I cruised solo for New Years 2012 and didn't get double cruise points. Is it too late to try to get credit for them?

[SandraDJ]

I'm curious when this started. I cruised solo for New Years 2012 and didn't get double cruise points. Is it too late to try to get credit for them?

 

As far as I remember, it started in 2013. I wasn't awarded double points at first for a cruise on AotS, but it was sorted quickly when I contacted Crown & Anchor.

[dav3]

Thinking of sailing Majesty of the Seas in February 2016, with the supplement it'll only come out to about $700 for an ocean view room for 4 days, not a bad price. It will be my first solo cruise, so I'm a bit nervous, but I enjoy time with myself. Not many of my friends want to or can afford a cruise, and I really don't want to wait forever to go.

[bottomfeeder]

I'm curious when this started. I cruised solo for New Years 2012 and didn't get double cruise points. Is it too late to try to get credit for them?

 

It started in Fall 2013. Don't remember the exact date but I went on Oasis in late August and it wasn't in effect yet. So definitely not for 2012.

[mrobstad]

I'm not wild about traveling solo on RCCL....much prefer newer NCL ships with studios...

 

 

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[SteelMagnolia9]

I recently booked Brilliance of the Seas for the April 2nd 2015 sailing from Tampa. It's Easter weekend. I'm booked in a balcony cabin. No expectations except R&R.