Cruise Kay

Hi, everyone! First time doing a blog here. I'm traveling to Baltimore tomorrow and will sail on Thursday. SUPER excited. This is my billionth cruise, and my fifth one solo. I almost always cruise with RCCL. I've never been on Enchantment, and never sailed out of Baltimore before. I've seen videos of Enchantment and read reviews (here) and it sounds like a wonderful ship. I have been on the Oasis and Quantum class ships and like those a lot, but I am definitely seeking something quiet, laid back, and less crowded this time. And from what I hear, the crew on Enchantment is extra-great! Our itinerary: We sail on Thursday, have sea days Friday and Saturday, then stop in Port Canaveral, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Nassau, then two more sea days and then we're done. I booked this cruise for a few reasons--and price was one of them. I know, you're not supposed to pick solely on price. But it was a great bargain, especially for a solo traveler, as we have to go ahead and pay nearly full price for two people. I got this eight night cruise (inside stateroom) for under $800. Enchantment has the latest and greatest internet---only "Surf and Stream" was available (Not just plain old "Surf", which I normally buy.) This is great news as I need to work a little while on board. I have one excursion booked--a mad dash to Universal Studios and back again. I've never been, and though I will spend half the day on the shuttle bus, I decided to go anyway. I want to dash around, see the Harry Potter corner, get a few souvenirs for the grandkids, and take a few photos. That's about it. If I have time for a ride or two, great....if not, that's fine. This may not be the most exciting blog in the world, because I don't have a suite, I don't buy the unlimited dining package OR the beverage package, etc. But I'll share whatever there is to share! It's been a stressful few months here and I'm happy to have this sunshiney little getaway to look forward to. If anyone has any specific questions about Enchantment, I'll try to find the answers. See you in Baltimore!

I've done five solo cruises and I always book an ordinary inside cabin, which is what we would get if we were traveling together, and I just resign myself to paying extra for it since I'm traveling alone. solo cruising took off big time this past year and I think you'll find lots of videos on it on YouTube and lots of helpful information here.

Go! Go try it and then you'll know how you feel about it. If you hate it, then you know. But if you like it, you can start to explore some adventurous iteneraries in the future. I find the longer trips have a whole different tone. You might do the shows and special food and venues and all the things the first few days in a flurry, and then still have half a week left to just relax, unwind, and spend tiime with the amazing views and wonderfully nice lounges around the ship. Longer trips mean you can slow down and let the day unfold, no worries or hurry. It's a great time to slow down.

Taxis were NOT plentiful in Dover when I was there in September. It's critical to book them ahead of time.

Get up early as you're approaching Labadee and get on deck as the sun comes up. It's beautiful and very pretty to see it as you approach....very mountainous and unique. You will get great photos. go to Cafe 270 (on board) for snacks, desserts, afternoon coffees and treats, grab and go breakfast, etc. its an overlooked small venue that is handy for simple takeaway food. Do the North Star for photo opps. It's best on a port day. Reservations required. The minute you get on ship, make reservations for the Quest. It's a virtual game experience not to be missed....far more fun than it sounds and it fills up immediately for the week.

It's always an option to visit Alaska on a luxurious ship and just not go into port and do things. You can see the scenery from your balcony and focus mostly on enjoying the relaxing atmosphere on board, go to the spa, listen to live music, watch movies or shows, take naps, things like that. But then it's such a shame to go all the way to Alaska for an experience you could probably get in the Caribbean much more cheaply.

Always buy travel insurance with good medical. ALWAYS. Bring magnetic hooks for the room. I never thought I'd use them, now I can't imagine my cabin without them. Pack swimsuit and cover up, etc, in your carryon-the-ship bag. That way you can hit the hot tubs or pool immediately (after lunch and muster drill), instead of having to wait for your bag to show up in your room. Be super kind to all staff, especially the room steward. They work SO HARD. Budget for unforseen extras, so you don't get on board and feel you need to skimp. You may decide you want to buy/play bingo, for example, or try something in the spa, or buy something in a shop onboard, things you originally did not plan on doing. There are always nice options on how to spend extra money while cruising. 🙂 Bring extra contact lenses, always bring sunglasses, and if you're on a long cruise, plan on doing laundry midway so you can pack less. (That usually costs money but not a lot.) Get up at *least* once early enough to see a sunrise. Catch all the sunsets. It's okay to not get off the ship while at a port. If you want to stay on board and enjoy the ship, do so. Always fly in the day before. Utilize your room safe for important documents.

My advice is above all, buy travel insurance! You probably won't need it, but I've seen people evacuated by helicopter at sea, and also had my own medical emergency while on a Transatlantic, so make sure you have that medical stuff covered. Beyond that, load up your Ipad with books and downloaded movies (internet will not be reliable), and if you are into knitting or crocheting, bring some yarn! I would find a "meet and greet" roll call here and go to it. Also, find your Facebook group for your cruise. It's a great way to meet folks before you even board the ship, and lots of times, people arrange get togethers, or book tours together at port stops, or arrange gift exchanges, slot pulls, things like that. That can make things a lot more fun and kickstart the process of making a few cruise friends that you can spot throughout the ship and hang with, if you want. Plan to enjoy the changes in weather, catch the sunsets, take walks on deck in nice weather, things like that. The time can pass by remarkably quickly!

I would do a repo cruise on a line you have confidence in, on a ship that has the features you enjoy. You will spend a LOT of sea days on board, so if a loud, huge, busy ship is not your style, you want to stay away from the mega Oasis class ships on Royal Caribbean. But they have smaller ships as well, and usually very affordable. I would definitely consider Royal as well as Holland America. I did a Transatlantic on Disney and loved it as well.

29 days sounds awesome, but I know what you mean about tight quarters. My advice is to give your husband (and he gives you) plenty of space throughout the cruise. For example, maybe don't wait on each other for EVERY breakfast or lunch. If one of you wants to sleep in, let them...and the other can go eat alone. Take breaks, take naps (separately), don't refuse to go to something unless your husband goes with you (and vice versa--such as the gym, or trivia, or a walk), etc. And this goes without saying, but the main way to keep it from being "too much" is to avoid criticizing. I've seen couples pick and nag about what the other one is eating, wearing, why are they walking in the wrong direction, why do you want to (take a nap or walk or whatever) RIGHT NOW? I've seen pouting and sulking when one spouse doesn't want to do what the other one does. Give each other lots of breathing room and make sure the goal is to enjoy your trip, both as individuals and as a couple.

You can take something over to Europe that ends in England (Southampton), then take Cunard back on one of their Transatlantic's. Having said that, there may be several days or even several weeks between the dates.

Bring extra cash. If you wear contact lenses, bring an extra pair in case one tears while on the trip. Bring extra glasses if you use those, in case your pair breaks. (Thirty days is a long time to go without!) Maybe plan on getting your hair done on ship halfway through the cruises, if you need a cut or color. (Or get that done right before you go, but it can be a nice refresher mid-cruise to do that.) Bring an extra charging cord for your phone in case yours breaks. Pack light and plan on doing laundry several times. And obviously, arrange for someone to take care of mail and bills while you're gone. Make sure you have enough storage room in your phone for thirty days worth of photos!

Did my first transatlantic in September on Disney. It was amazing. I loved every minute of it. It was a 12 night sailing from Dover England to New York. Regarding the weather… We had a mix of beautiful gorgeous sunny days, gray days, and some heavy rain days. We hit the remnants of hurricane Fiona and also hurricane Ian. That hurricane Fiona stuff sent the ship rocking like I have never experienced before. I did not get seasick and it was not dangerous or scary, but it was really something to experience. We had to hang on the walls to walk down the hall. The walls in every part of the ship and in my room were popping and snapping and cracking like crazy for hours and hours. I laid in bed and felt the boat rise way way up and then slam back down, over and over. They had to close the pools because the water was splashing everywhere. But in any case, that was literally only a handful of days out of the 12. There were plenty of sunny days where we were all in the pool watching outdoor movies and getting tanned and eating lunch outside. For me, that was part of the interesting aspect of crossing the Atlantic… Seeing the dramatically different weather from day to day. We also saw dolphins and flying fish and an occasional whale. Watching the sea change moods was exciting and it was really fun to see sunset after sunset. for me the best part of the transatlantic was the amount of sea days in a row. It was the perfect time to wander the ship and explore all the little areas you normally don't get to. I got to know all the coziest nooks to sit and read or look out a window. I had plenty of opportunity to order room service and watch a movie inside my cabin or take a nap. I got to know some other people traveling through main dining… I was traveling solo and was seated with some other ladies who were also traveling solo. I ended up having friends to play bingo and trivia with. I enjoy the nightly entertainment and with such a long cruise, the shows ended up coming around twice. So I could skip one if I wanted to. In general the length of the cruise took away that slightly anxious feeling that you're not gonna get it all done before your vacation is up. You know what I mean? I did all the trivia and all the games and all the everything until I didn't feel the need to do it anymore and I could really just relax. I read books and watched movies, went to the shows, did some onboard shopping, had room service, went to the spa and the gym every day, things like that. I loved being at sea that long and not seeing another ship for days and days. I loved the changes in weather. I enjoyed getting to know the crew over such a long cruise and getting to recognize little groups of families and things and see everyone having such a good time. I thought the constant time change stuff was interesting. I absolutely loved all the ports we stopped in in Ireland, Scotland, England. I loved the quietness and the sense of a little family that came to be on such a long cruise with all of us together for so many sea days. I would most definitely do it again. that's not to say it was one dreamy tranquil cruise from start to finish… Someone had a stroke and had to be evacuated by helicopter in the middle of the night at sea… I had a medical emergency and had to have arrangements made to see an eye doctor in Spain on our very last port stop before setting out across the Atlantic, things like that happened. But overall, it was really special, really relaxing.

I think cruising is one of the safest ways to travel alone. You're in a state room which is checked on and cleaned twice a day by your attendant, who will certainly notice if you fail to return to your room or if you don't come out of your room all day. There's a medical staff on board, which obviously would not be the same situation in a hotel. All of your meals are at hand so you're not wandering the streets looking for an Uber to go find food or groceries. You're not exposed to countless rounds of strangers every time you go out to eat. The scenery comes to you, you just walk off the ship and there you are. I do feel that the danger escalates anytime you leave the ship and explore port on your own, but of course to each his own. There are plenty of safe ports to wander, and of course there are always group excursions to join. Common sense goes a long way, obviously. But a cruise ship is so much better than drifting from hotel room to hotel room as you see the world. The staff can become a little family and look after you. And if you need something, guest services will certainly try their best to accommodate. I was on a 12 day transatlantic last month, and developed an eye emergency. I was seeing a big black spot in my vision and had flashes of light in my eye, which can signal a torn retina. And a torn retina needs immediate surgery. This happened right at dinner time. The medical staff on board the ship arranged for me to see an eye doctor the next day in Spain, which was our last stop at land for five days. I was very upset and scared, since I was traveling alone. I had visions of being dumped in Spain with all my bags to go have eye surgery by myself. But the silver lining was that the medical staff took care of everything. All I had to do was go back to my room and wait for a phone call letting me know what time my appointment was the next day. They gave me a card with the address of the eye doctor on it and called the cab for me the next morning. none of this would've happened at a hotel of course, since they do not have medical staff. The eye doctor did a great job and thankfully everything was fine. The eye doctor staff called a cab for me which took me back to the ship. My attendant and waiter and assistant waiter were on pins and needles waiting to hear if I was OK. My attendant cheered in relief. He told me he was so worried about me that he had spoken to his supervisor about the situation. It was very touching. anyway, two things I learned from that was, always buy medical insurance. and make sure you're on a ship with a great staff and always take time to get to know your staff since you're traveling alone especially. They care. Good luck on your travels and enjoy.

I just got back from two b2b European cruises, solo. For both cruises, I was seated with other solo travelers at dinner. The first week, we all clicked, conversation was easy and fun, and it was something to look forward to—to hear what everyone did with their day, particularly the port adventures, as we all did different excursions. We shared details and photos and it was fun to hear information about the places I missed. Second cruise, the new group didn’t click as well and dinner could be a bit awkward. So, you never know. I would go into it hopeful for good tablemates. With so many solo travelers out there, it’s unlikely we’ll be seated as the odd person out at a table full of families. (I had that fear, too—of being foisted on a group or couple.)

Yes! This is big fun. Check out Facebook groups: cruising ducks-original group (and) Royal Caribbean Cruising ducks people post pictures there and ask questions. just hide the ducks and enjoy! They don’t always show up on Facebook and you don’t always find one yourself. But fun to seek places to hide them.

I cruise solo as well (age 54) and I love it. Do I get bored? Never. In fact when I first begin cruising solo I had to go through a learning curve for myself. I love to be active and do all the activities on a ship and on my first solo cruise with no one to hold me back, I found myself running here and there trying to do it all. I ended up exhausted and not enjoying the things I was doing. I had to take a step back and reimagine my vacation. I get to just take it day by day and really embrace the freedom of being able to do what I want moment to moment. If I want to sleep in or order room service or skip lunch or see a show two times or leave a show early, all of those things are just fine. I can lay in my room all afternoon reading a book or fall asleep by the pool without disappointing anyone or asking anyone what they want to do. Once I got my head around that, my vacations became extremely pleasant. The same goes for sightseeing. I don’t have to hope that my travel partner has the same energy level as me or minds leaving port early if I’m tired. Yes, it’s nice to share the beautiful scenery with someone like-minded, but you could also end up sharing the scenery with someone who really isn’t impressed and wants to complain about things the whole cruise. Enjoy the freedom of not having to deal with any of THAT. There is much to see and do in Alaska just walking around off the ship, and Alaska is also good about offering large group tours on buses or whale watching boats. I would feel safe on any of those. As far as safety in general, plain old common sense applies. Don’t be wandering the ship deck by yourself at 2 AM. Maybe don’t go to the bars and drink too much until the wee hours of the morning and then stumble back to your room. That sort of thing. I feel safer traveling alone on a cruise ship than I do anywhere else, particularly hotels. Enjoy!

The number one thing I find hardest about cruising solo is the before and after. I really really don’t like staying in hotel rooms by myself. I mean it’s not that big of a deal, I just really would rather not. I also don’t like getting into taxicabs by myself. Or Uber. So before the cruise I fly out the day before, get in a taxi to go to the hotel, and then spend the night in a hotel by myself. I hate that part. I don’t love taking a taxi from port to the airport on the last day either. but really that’s the biggest hurdle for me. There are time times on the cruise I feel a bit lonely but for the most part, 99% of the time, I just love being able to do what I want when I want without having to discuss it with anyone else. Want to skip lunch? No problem. Choose a different location for dinner? No problem. Skip a port, sleep late, get up in the middle of the night and watch a movie, see a show multiple times because I enjoy it so much, laying in a pool chair all afternoon, I can do all of those things without inconveniencing anyone else or having to compromise or ask someone else to accommodate me. I really enjoy cruising in all that it offers, and for me the few twinges of feeling lonely here and there are well worth the trade off of several days on a gorgeous ship. I will add that I generally skip eating in the main dining room and I certainly don’t do specialty dining by myself. I don’t like those things even when I’m with someone, and eating in a long drawn out way by myself is not enjoyable. I love doing the buffet and eating when I want as quickly or as leisurely as I’d like. I know this sounds corny, but I wonder if it would be helpful for you to make a list of things that you might not enjoy as a solo cruiser and a list of things you are pretty sure you would enjoy very much. You might see that one outweighs the other.

Thank you! Sounds great! I am looking at that Arctic Circle cruise pretty hard. So tempted! Would you recommend?

Great. Thank you both!

Hi all, Long time RCCL cruiser, but I’ve only done big ships for the last ten years. sailing Jewel of the Seas next fall. Looking forward to a small ship and an amazing itinerary. But I’ve heard some mixed reviews about the condition of the rooms and general areas. Has anyone been on Jewel lately? If so, could you share any thoughts or things I might need to know? Thanks!

I am debating on the Anthem Transatlantic, so I’m following this discussion!

You’ll be amazed how often people ask you if you’re traveling alone, and then are immediately intrigued and want to hear what that’s like. I am an introvert and keep to myself when cruising, but it just somehow comes up a LOT with people I stand in line with or who want to share my table or whatever. So there are many opportunities to chat with folks and socialize a little if you want to. when going to the buffet, always take a few items (a tote bag or hat) to leave on your table. If you get up to go get seconds or get yourself another drink for example, and you leave nothing on your table, you will come back and find it’s been cleaned and new people are sitting there. There’s no tablemate to hold the table for you, obviously. So get your food first, find a table, and if you need to go get drinks or anything, just leave a few things to indicate you’ll be right back. It’s awfully nice to have a cabin to yourself. Don’t be afraid to take naps or order room service and watch a movie. I think on a cruise ship we feel like we should be doing all the things, but sometimes you just want to unwind and relax and enjoy your vacation that way. when I cruise alone, I like to sit on the aisle at shows. That way, if I’m not enjoying it, I can quietly slip out without bothering anyone (or ask anyone if it’s OK if we go.) if you find yourself wanting to be around people, join in the trivia games or watch karaoke or things like that.

I don’t see the harm in bringing one. As others have said, though, they may take it away from you at boarding.

That’s a personal call. I would not dance with a stranger and would not be ok if my husband did, either.