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Safety for women cruising solo...


Izzybeff
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Hi Alana, you started a Thread for the 23rd december Viking cruise and asked if anyone was interested in joining you on a Vatican tour, but it looks as though you have not visited that thread anymore to see the reactions to your question??

 

Thanks for letting me know. I will have to go back and delete it. I ended changing the dates that we were traveling and won't be there until the next week.

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I’m the one who originally Started the thread. I went on the cruise by myself and met a nice couple from Texas who I still keep in touch with and we are actually planning another cruise for September.

 

The only thing that happened on the first solo cruise I took in 2013 was a woman and her husband, who were obviously looking for a threesome, tried to pick me up at the first port, while I was hanging out by the pool. She said they had noticed I was traveling alone and did I want to join them for some fun. We weren’t even 24 hours into the cruise! I just said no thank you and that I already had plans and made my way back to the ship. No idea how they figured out I was alone as like I said; we weren’t even into our second night on the ship. They also weren’t in my hallway.

Maybe your ship had a 'lifestyle' theme group on board? Seems to be the new name for 'swingers', and there is a forum for such on the 'social groups' section of Cruise Critic. People on the make seem to be looking more and differently than those who are not - I believe.

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It wouldn't at all surprise me if solo people act differently than the person who is not traveling solo -- probably things you're not even aware of (body language). One of my best friends in school told me that when she first saw me, she thought I was married.....I've never been married and asked her why. She said there was just something about the way I walked and stood that made her think I was part of a couple. She was wrong about me, but the point is that some people can sense a difference, and some people put out a different vibe. Maybe it's like "gay-dar" - some people can sense a vibe about others that others can't sense.

Ummm, huh?

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  • 1 month later...

I have cruised solo once, a few years ago, and I felt perfectly safe (even wandering around Nassau by myself) except for one small incident that made me feel a little uncomfortable. It actually happened because of CC. I had been an active participant in the Roll Call and had posted that I was traveling solo. I think I might have also given my "real" name in signing up for the M&G, and probably identified where I was from. There were two brothers on the same cruise who had also posted in the Roll Call and happened to be from the same area. ON the first night on the ship, one of them called me to see if I wanted to meet for drinks on board. I blew him off and since they never showed up at any of our organized Roll Call events, I had no idea what he looked like. I don't remember giving out my cabin number, so he must have called Guest Services??

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I have cruised solo once, a few years ago, and I felt perfectly safe (even wandering around Nassau by myself) except for one small incident that made me feel a little uncomfortable. It actually happened because of CC. I had been an active participant in the Roll Call and had posted that I was traveling solo. I think I might have also given my "real" name in signing up for the M&G, and probably identified where I was from. There were two brothers on the same cruise who had also posted in the Roll Call and happened to be from the same area. ON the first night on the ship, one of them called me to see if I wanted to meet for drinks on board. I blew him off and since they never showed up at any of our organized Roll Call events, I had no idea what he looked like. I don't remember giving out my cabin number, so he must have called Guest Services??

 

Hi, I would be VERY surprised if Guest Relations gave out your cabin number. Normally (in over 16 years of cruising solo) I don't believe GR gives out cabin numbers to others. I guess it depends on the cruise line but I know in the age we are in? I would just think it would be policy not to give out others people's cabin numbers.

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In a hotel, when you call from your room or a house phone & ask to be connected to another guest, the operator normally connects the call to the guest's room without giving you the room number. That might be what happened on the ship.

 

Did they mention your actual room number?

 

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Hi, I would be VERY surprised if Guest Relations gave out your cabin number. Normally (in over 16 years of cruising solo) I don't believe GR gives out cabin numbers to others. I guess it depends on the cruise line but I know in the age we are in? I would just think it would be policy not to give out others people's cabin numbers.

I would also be surprised! When we phone our friends in their cabin, we either give their cabin # or name - we have never been given a guest's cabin number.

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a woman and her husband, who were obviously looking for a threesome, tried to pick me up at the first port, while I was hanging out by the pool. She said they had noticed I was traveling alone and did I want to join them for some fun. We weren’t even 24 hours into the cruise! I just said no thank you and that I already had plans and made my way back to the ship. No idea how they figured out I was alone as like I said; we weren’t even into our second night on the ship. They also weren’t in my hallway.

 

OMG that is truly hilarifying! And not a situation I would have thought to anticipate as a solo female cruiser, lol!

 

Next January will be my first cruise, which I’m taking solo. I have done a lot of solo travel, and I live on my own in a major city, so I like to think my common sense is pretty good. I’m not super worried about being lonely: I enjoy traveling on my own, and I’m a pretty big introvert, plus I’ll be seeing family and friends in two of the ports. I’m already looking forward to some restful quiet time by the pool!

 

My only real dilemma is internet: I want to disconnect (& don’t want to pay the crazy internet fees!) but also want to be able to check in briefly with friends/family every day by text for safety and in case of any landside emergencies. Is there a good way to split the difference?

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OMG that is truly hilarifying! And not a situation I would have thought to anticipate as a solo female cruiser, lol!

 

Next January will be my first cruise, which I’m taking solo. I have done a lot of solo travel, and I live on my own in a major city, so I like to think my common sense is pretty good. I’m not super worried about being lonely: I enjoy traveling on my own, and I’m a pretty big introvert, plus I’ll be seeing family and friends in two of the ports. I’m already looking forward to some restful quiet time by the pool!

 

My only real dilemma is internet: I want to disconnect (& don’t want to pay the crazy internet fees!) but also want to be able to check in briefly with friends/family every day by text for safety and in case of any landside emergencies. Is there a good way to split the difference?

 

Depending on the cruiseline, may of the offer them offer internet packages. See how much a package costs

on your particular line/ship/sailing. And, also, depending on your itinerary, many ports have internet cafes with very cheap rates.

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It’s $20/day, so $180 for the entire cruise—so many other things I’d rather spend that money on!

 

Good morning,:) I have been cruising solo for many years. But I don't check in with home while I am away. You mentioned wanting to disconnect but then you said you want to check in with home on a daily basis...……sort

of contradicting yourself on that one You could pay per day and not check in every day.....maybe once at the

beginning and then later in the cruise. Save yourself quite a bit of money and just enjoy the cruise.

 

I fly to Venice this Saturday:Dand will be gone for 2 weeks...…...I have a sister here who knows my itinerary.

But she also knows she may here from me once or twice and that is it:)……...I just don't keep in touch with

anyone..…...for me, vacation is just that …….Vacation:D

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I basically do what Lois does. I let my sister know I've boarded the ship, and she has my itinerary. After that, no communication until I'm at the airport on my return trip home, unless there's free or low cost internet available. My family has the information on how to contact me if a true emergency arises (never has).

 

Roz

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I can understand wanting to mostly disconnect (social media, news, email, work) but still check in with a few family members.

 

You could connect at places where there is free WiFi in port (many coffee shops, bars, some tourist sites like stores and museums; on a recent Alaska cruise, the small towns had a library with free Wifi). For a port intensive cruise, that might be almost every day.

 

Also, you can check with your carrier on what their international plans are. For example, Verizon Travel Pass is $10 for 24 hours in many countries. You don't have to use it every day. It could be a backup for when free WiFi isn't convenient.

 

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I have done four solo cruises and only once had an issue with someone following me back to my room. About an hour after the only other woman left, I realized I'd put myself in a bad situation -up at 3AM, the only female in a group of men- and one of the guys started making very direct and disgusting comments to me, even grabbing at me. There was an older married guy in the group who I quietly asked to walk me back to my room because I didn't feel safe. Not surprisingly, the creepy one also followed. I said goodnight to them both and locked the door to my cabin. Less than 15 minutes later, the creepy one was back at my door knocking. I kept the lights off and didn't respond, and then avoided him for the remainder of the cruise. I learned my lesson.

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I have done four solo cruises and only once had an issue with someone following me back to my room. About an hour after the only other woman left, I realized I'd put myself in a bad situation -up at 3AM, the only female in a group of men- and one of the guys started making very direct and disgusting comments to me, even grabbing at me. There was an older married guy in the group who I quietly asked to walk me back to my room because I didn't feel safe. Not surprisingly, the creepy one also followed. I said goodnight to them both and locked the door to my cabin. Less than 15 minutes later, the creepy one was back at my door knocking. I kept the lights off and didn't respond, and then avoided him for the remainder of the cruise. I learned my lesson.

 

If he had persisted, I would have called security.

 

Roz

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If he had persisted, I would have called security.

 

Roz

 

Yes, I would have too, but I knew that once I got to my cabin I was out of danger because I had access to a phone and could lock the door. I believe the guy was just very drunk and severely miscalculated his chances, so I didn't see a reason to push the issue. I was very grateful for the man who escorted me though, because it could have ended a lot worse.

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..... in case of any landside emergencies.

 

If someone in your family knows on which line and on which ship you're sailing, they can call the line in case of a true emergency and the line WILL contact the ship.

But I agree with Lois R, doesn't sound like you're really trying to disconnect. My daughter always knows which ship I'm on. She also knows that I'm out of touch for the duration. Again, unless there's a "landside emergency".

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You also have to ask yourself what you're going to do in the event of a landside emergency, however you define that. In a lot of instances, by the time you get to a port where you can make arrangements to fly home, the cruise is over or close to being over.

 

Roz

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My only real dilemma is internet: I want to disconnect (& don’t want to pay the crazy internet fees!) but also want to be able to check in briefly with friends/family every day by text for safety and in case of any landside emergencies. Is there a good way to split the difference?

 

I have found free WiFi available in virtually every port...often in the terminal building, or a nearby internet cafe or bar. I never pay for Wifi on cruises...it is a rip-off. Sure, you will be out of touch on sea days, but that is usually not an issue for me.

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I have found free WiFi available in virtually every port...often in the terminal building, or a nearby internet cafe or bar. I never pay for Wifi on cruises...it is a rip-off. Sure, you will be out of touch on sea days, but that is usually not an issue for me.

 

Isn't that the whole point of going on a cruise;)?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have typically been traveling solo and being solo on a cruise has been one of the safest feeling venues. Have I been approached by guys and have some been a bit inappropriate? Yes, but sane as on land or in Disney World. I never had anyone following me and if I did notice it, I would go straight to guest relations. Listen to your instincts, watch how much you drink and be observant of your surroundings. While in port, I am more vigilant and do not announce I am solo. Basically, the same as you would anywhere. Don’t fret much about it. It is relaxing, liberating and you only follow your schedule. Have fun!

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I’ve only had a guy try to chat me up at a bar and pretty much try to stop me whenever he saw me pass by....I basically ignored him and he got the message. I’ve been on 5 solo cruises and have another in about a month and that’s the only time I’ve had an issue (also it happened on my first cruise so I know better now). I’ve met so many wonderful people otherwise! Please don’t let other people’s stories deter you!!

 

 

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