Solo Traveler Tips please

[debbiecape]

I will be traveling alone on the Golden for the 8/20 14 day Western Europe/Transatlantic. Hubby has to work and my daughter (18) doesn't want to be on a ship that long! I know I will meet people along the way and our Cruise Critic gathering sounds like a blast! My questions, for dinner, I want to try all the various venues and some of the time dining alone willb e great. If I wanted to dine with others however, how should I arrange that? Would I do the same thing (assuming I talk to the Maitre'D ) in the specialty restaurants? What about on formal nights? Should I wear a gown and ask to be seated with others? Any other thoughts or suggestions on solo cruising? I have traveled alone before but never on a cruise. Thanks!!

[phaelon56]

As a single guy I can't offer info specific to women's solo travel issues but I have traveled alone many times (but not on a cruise ship). I suggest finding a few compatible and friendly couples/families or another single lady/small group of ladies ASAP on the first or second day. Easiest way is as suggested above - tell the maitre'd you're traveling without DH or daughter and want to get to know some appropriate people.

 

Do this at breakfast or lunch when it's a shorter duration and less formal. Figure out who you click with, clue them in your situation and ask if you might join them for meals when you don't have another companion lined up.

 

Then just wing it... I have a lady friend who travels by herself and meets new people at almost every meal by joining an existing table or sitting alone and striking up conversation with people at adjacent tables. Invariably they sort of pull her into their orbit for awhile and she has a great time. But if she doesn't she justs excuses herself by referring to another "apppointment" she forgot about.

 

Sounds like fun to me. I would also suggest getting in on the daily trivia games - there are nearly always couples or small groups looking for another person on their team. It's an easy and low key way to meet people.

 

There was another thread on here recently that dealt with (among other things) personal safety issues for women on a cruise. The gist of it was that you should not discuss or disclose your room number to any other passengers or crew unless you're highly confident of their integrity etc. Sounds like good common sense to me.

[debbiecape]

Good tips...and advice! It's possible at the cruise critic get together I'll hit it off with some folks- we'll see. What about formal nights (If I haven't met up with any women or families)= particularly since that is one of the nights when most people are paired up- (I do want to get dressed and not hit the buffet!)

[spingal]

Debbie,

 

I just returned from the Island Princess and I went solo!! First time on a cruise by myself.

 

I had late traditional seating and it worked well for me. I did have a problem with my original table -- they sat me at a table for 8 with a family of 7!! :eek: So I went to the Maitre'D and he moved me to a table with another single woman and some couples. The couples never showed up and we ended up inviting other single women to join us at our table. We had a BLAST and I met some great friends.

 

Other tips -- go to the singles mixer, that is where I met some of my dinner companions. And meet the other people on your excursions. They can be great pals and dinner companions too.

 

I was apprehensive about my cruise but now I would not hestitate to go again by myself!!!!

 

And I think I know a single woman who is taking your trip -- her name is Mary and she is from Delaware. She is CC poster and would probably have posted on the roll call. Do you remember someone named Mary? Her CC name contains the phrase "live2ski"!!

 

Have a great time!!! :D

Jamie

[Tarheelbelle]

sorry---it posted twice!

[Tarheelbelle]

Do you have Personal Choice dining? If so, you can ask to be seated at a table with others or not. I do not think that they will seat you with others in the specialty restaurants. On formal night, dress up and do as you wish--dine alone or request to be seated with others! As suggested above, you may meet others you wish to dine with. I have sailed solo before and had a great time!

Remember that on nights when you feel like dining alone, you can always order room service from the dining room menu.

[kruisey]

In private life I have male and female friends.....but live alone....like it that way .

On a cruise I ask the maitre'd to put me on a large mixed table...if on that first nite we all gel........we all stay together just for dinner times.Trivia is also great fun there is always a space at a table and a good laugh to be had.

If I wont Company on sea days there is always so much organised entertainment.....and we are all on vacation. Even at pool side one strikes up chat with those that wont to....you are never alone,unless you wont to be.

Actually have never felt at a loose end and the days fly by.....then you realise its the last nite....and the excitement dies.Enjoy your cruise you will love it. :)

P.S. Princess most of the time attracts nice friendly family orientated folks...my type anyway......Kruisey :)

[bdjam]

I just returned from the Island Princess and I went solo!! First time on a cruise by myself.

 

I was apprehensive about my cruise but now I would not hestitate to go again by myself!!!!

Good to hear you’re trip was a success! I trust Island Princess is just as brilliant as she was back in April…

[sunprincess]

Hi Debbie,

 

I replied earlier, but, something happened to the post.

Good for you going on the cruise. Your husband & daughter will be the ones to miss out sadly.

Anyway, I travel as a single for many years now. Usually I am going to see friends that work on the ship.

Initially I would request 2nd seating with a table for 6-8. I must say over the years I have met some wonderful people, many that I stay in contact with.

Lately I have changed over to Personal Choice. As many nights I am able to dine with my friends. You can request to be seated at a table with others.

One my Dec. cruise on the Star my friends placed me at a table for 4 alone.

It was tucked away in the back next to the window. They would stop by for some wine & chat. The others around my table were wondering who the heck I was. It was funny. Formal nights same thing. I enjoy to dress up & enjoy an excellent meal.

 

I always go for breakfast in Horizon Court. Depending on how crowded it was sometimes I would sit down with others, or eat alone at the bar.

Lunch is usually in port, or again Horizon Court. If I have a balcony sometimes I will take lunch there.

 

To me a cruise is a perfect way to try solo travel. Because really there are always people around you are never really alone unless you want to be.

I always enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail at Crooners. That is someplace where you are always bound to meet people. Every cruise there is usually a group that frequents the bar & you hang out together.

The cruise environment is prime for meeting people & chatting.

 

If you meet someone that you enjoy spending time with then you can make plans to dine together.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise :)

[bubbadog]

As a single guy I can't offer info specific to women's solo travel issues but I have traveled alone many times (but not on a cruise ship). I suggest finding a few compatible and friendly couples/families or another single lady/small group of ladies ASAP on the first or second day. Easiest way is as suggested above - tell the maitre'd you're traveling without DH or daughter and want to get to know some appropriate people.

 

Do this at breakfast or lunch when it's a shorter duration and less formal. Figure out who you click with, clue them in your situation and ask if you might join them for meals when you don't have another companion lined up.

 

Then just wing it... I have a lady friend who travels by herself and meets new people at almost every meal by joining an existing table or sitting alone and striking up conversation with people at adjacent tables. Invariably they sort of pull her into their orbit for awhile and she has a great time. But if she doesn't she justs excuses herself by referring to another "apppointment" she forgot about.

 

Sounds like fun to me. I would also suggest getting in on the daily trivia games - there are nearly always couples or small groups looking for another person on their team. It's an easy and low key way to meet people.

 

There was another thread on here recently that dealt with (among other things) personal safety issues for women on a cruise. The gist of it was that you should not discuss or disclose your room number to any other passengers or crew unless you're highly confident of their integrity etc. Sounds like good common sense to me.

THAT WAS VERY GOOD ADVICE PHAELON:p ,and i think she ll do great :)))

[spingal]

Good to hear you’re trip was a success! I trust Island Princess is just as brilliant as she was back in April…

Brian,

 

Yes she was just as brilliant!! And Eric Stone was onboard so I was able to once again enjoy his wonderful entertainment.

 

It is hard to be back home -- why do cruises go so FAST!?!? :eek:

 

Hope all is well! :D

Jamie

[kryos]

Brian,

 

Yes she was just as brilliant!! And Eric Stone was onboard so I was able to once again enjoy his wonderful entertainment.

 

It is hard to be back home -- why do cruises go so FAST!?!? :eek:

So great to hear you enjoyed your cruise! And with Eric Stone onboard, I know it had to be wonderful! God, we had so many good evenings in that lounge listening to him.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed traveling solo ... now you know why I rave about it so much. There are so many wonderful people onboard to meet, that a solo is never really alone unless she wants to be!

 

I can't wait for my 30 day cruise on the Amsterdam in January. I'll be traveling solo on that one too, but have no doubt I'll find plenty of neat people to enjoy my time with.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[susancruzs]

Everyone states my sentiments exactly. I travel solo and really enjoy it. I cruise with friends, too but alone most times. The friends I cruise with come along when their husbands can't get away from work! :-)

 

My 1st cruise in '82, I was 35 and nervous but I found cruising is a great way to be with people or be by yourself and not feel lonely. I think it is the best vacation for singles (other than the pricing issue)!

 

I'm on the Sea Princess for 21 days in September and I cannot wait. I leave Sept. 2 and I'm in a serious countdown now!

 

Susie

[spingal]

So great to hear you enjoyed your cruise! And with Eric Stone onboard, I know it had to be wonderful! God, we had so many good evenings in that lounge listening to him.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed traveling solo ... now you know why I rave about it so much. There are so many wonderful people onboard to meet, that a solo is never really alone unless she wants to be!

 

I can't wait for my 30 day cruise on the Amsterdam in January. I'll be traveling solo on that one too, but have no doubt I'll find plenty of neat people to enjoy my time with.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Rita,

 

Yes I am completely comfortable travelling alone!! I did meet 3 other single women and I would cruise with any of them. So now I have options.......cruise alone, with family or with friends!!

 

January will be here before you know it. It is so hard to believe it is August. It seems like we were just on the Island to Hawaii. Time goes so quickly.

 

Hope you are doing well.

Jamie

[spingal]

Everyone states my sentiments exactly. I travel solo and really enjoy it. I cruise with friends, too but alone most times. The friends I cruise with come along when their husbands can't get away from work! :-)

 

My 1st cruise in '82, I was 35 and nervous but I found cruising is a great way to be with people or be by yourself and not feel lonely. I think it is the best vacation for singles (other than the pricing issue)!

 

I'm on the Sea Princess for 21 days in September and I cannot wait. I leave Sept. 2 and I'm in a serious countdown now!

 

Susie

Wow!! 21 days!! Both you and Rita are going to have great times. I want to do a long one -- my parents currently have the 29 day Sapphire from Sydney to SF booked for April 2007! I need to figure out how to get that much time off of work to go too.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!!

[susancruzs]

Rita, keep counting down, your January cruise will get here in no time! I'll be anxious to hear about it as I'm starting to think longer cruises now! Working on my "dream cruise" list rather than sinking money into the Caribbean over and over! :-)

 

I haven't sailed with HAL yet but intend to do that in the very near future, I think!

 

Enjoy! Susie

[kryos]

I need to figure out how to get that much time off of work to go too.

Begging usually works. :)

 

That's how I did it ... in addition to practically selling my soul. :)

 

Seriously, most bosses will work with you, and you can always bargain ... like volunteering for a job others don't want to do in order to entice the boss into granting your request. I find that as long as you are reasonable ... i.e., not asking for three months off or for a large block of time off during prime vacation season ... it's not that difficult to get what you want.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Rita, keep counting down, your January cruise will get here in no time! I'll be anxious to hear about it as I'm starting to think longer cruises now! Working on my "dream cruise" list rather than sinking money into the Caribbean over and over! :-)

I actually enjoy Caribbean cruises ... especially the ten-day ones. But, I like to spice them up a bit too.

 

I honestly never thought I'd be able to swing this 30-dayer so soon. It was definitely on my list of "some days," though. But, I was talking to my TA one day in February and happened to mention it. This cruise is only offered once a year, in January, and he suggested checking on it for me. He got back to me with a price that was out of range. He then suggested guaranteed share and came back with a much, much more reasonable price. He then sweetened the pot a bit further with some ammenties he negotiated with his HAL rep, and I was sold.

 

The next morning I went and had a chat with the boss and got the approval for the block of vacation time. That afternoon I gave the TA the go ahead to book me.

 

I still can't believe I am going on the trip. I really thought I would have to wait several more years to do this one.

 

Next up. World cruise. Ahhhhhh, but that one will definitely be ten years at least up the pike. :)

 

But in the meantime, Caribbean itineraries can be tons of fun too, and I sure don't mind taking them.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[PescadoAmarillo]

I cruised alone in 2000, when my husband was not able to make a trip that I got a great last minute deal on. I was on the Celebrity Mercury, and was seated at a table with 2 married couples and 4 singles. We all really hit it off, and it was fun to have a group to "check in" with each night. In fact, one night when I missed dinner, they were calling my cabin to make sure I was ok. I ate all my breakfasts and lunches in the dining room, so as to be seated with people and meet people.

 

On the second night of a 14 night cruise, I met 2 women of about my same age (40ish) who were also married and also traveling without their spouses. We really hit it off, and spent a lot of time exploring the ports on the remainder of that cruise. We stayed in touch after the cruise, and a few months later went on a 14 night cruise, me with my husband, and one of my new friends with her son, so we got to know each other a bit better.

 

When we parted at the end of that cruise, I told her that, if she ever wanted to travel and was looking for a partner, to call me. Just a month later, she did, and we've since done a 28 night cruise around South America, a trip to China, and a 30 night transpacific crossing together, and she has become one of my best friends, although she lives across the country.

 

I really thought that traditional dining worked best for me traveling alone, but then last December, on our transpacific cruise, I met a single who had personal choice dining and loved it (and who also had the "instant" friendships that a Cruise Critic roll call can provide). On a 30 night cruise, she met so many people and dinner became just like it would be at home...she would call us (or we would call her) and make plans for dinner the next night. On a shorter cruise, traditional dining might be best, but if you're traveling alone on a longer cruise, it might be fun to have some flexibility.