Tylerstreet

My sister is a research librarian/historian/museum curator and said: A gazillion people may already have suggested this, but . . . Ancestry.com includes crew lists, where applicable. Enter the person’s name and any useful details, and when the list of available documents comes up, his/her appearance on crew lists will be included. (Of course, there may hundreds of John Smiths, so here’s hoping for a more distinctive name!) Ancestry is usually available for use without charge in public libraries — but take a notebook because the information won’t be saved.

That goes without saying! 😜

Another term used frequently is the “locals” which has the potential to sound somewhat disparaging. I avoid it.

Cathyawagner, you will have a wonderful time! I did the world cruise on Queen Victoria in 2019 as a solo traveller and it was an incredible adventure. I had no issues with crossing the Pacific or the Atlantic as we were very lucky with weather throughout the trip. From my travels in the Middle East English is usually available with a bit of effort. Personally I would not choose to wander alone in the Middle East--different cultures, different mores. There were plenty of others travelling on their own, however I would not limit oneself to "just" the solo travellers as friendships abound!