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Age and solo crusing


travelchick989
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I'm older than many posting here, but find it interesting 35 years later, concerns are the same. I'm 70, took 1st solo cruise at 35 in 1982. Back then some ships had single cabins (which some are going back to) and RCI had a 15% surcharge but 911 changed so much with the industry. Years ago I had several letters published in Cruise Travel Magazine about solo traveling and how difficult the cruise lines made it. I've cruised 30 times, less than 10 were with someone. I don't mind cruising alone at all. I always find people to talk to, sit with on a bus for a tour, it works out. I do traditional dining that works better for me. I don't want to eat alone or reintroduce myself every night.

 

For the person asking about the Vision, great ship and I took a Med plus transatlantic in 2015, thoroughly enjoyed it. In Barcelona, I love staying at the Hotel Continental but it books up fast. It is right on La Rambla great location. Definitely search and find the role call for your cruise. Last Fall the Continental was booked so I stayed at the Lloret across the street. It was o.k., too, not luxury but very nice, helpful people running it. I use Viator (part of Trip Advisor) for booking transportation to the hotel from BCN and the hotel arranged for the taxi for me. Viator has great walking tours of the Gothic area of Barcelona, well worth it.

 

For all solo cruisers, go for it and do the role calls, I always do!

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I'm sort of a Solo Cruiser. I'll be traveling with my senior citizen parents. They've cruised a lot while this is my first time. They've been on a lot of the excursions (ex. ruins in Cozumel) and are not beach people. So I'll be venturing out on my own a lot, which is fine. (Nice to have a break from the folks!) But... I'm hoping to meet up with some other travelers my age (I'm 47). I'm brand spanking new to CruiseCritic so I hope to find some forums to meet other travelers on my ship. I'm still trying to figure it all out.

 

You’ve signed up for your roll call, I hope. There’s a tool for looking it up by ship and date.

 

My first three cruises were with my parents—they took me on the first two, actually. The third was going to be my first solo, but they decided to come, too. So my first solo was on the NCL Escape. My next 3 (technically 3, realistically kind of 2 because one is a repositioning cruise) will be by myself. I’m arranging the M&M on the upcoming cruise, and I have plans to join some other people for the trip back from the port, plus some extra tourism with them on the way.

 

The third is the Star Trek cruise, and there’s no way that could be anything but solo for me...the awkward thing there is whether I dress up, which’ll be harder alone, I think, without someone with me to make me feel less of an idiot. :-)

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I’m 32 and will be on my 3rd solo cruise in two weeks on Celebrity Millennium. Although I love going away with friends and family there is nothing better than travelling solo and doing what I want, when I want.

 

My first solo cruise was 11 years ago, I must get planning my next solo adventure.

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I’m 32 and will be on my third solo cruise in two weeks aboard celebrity millennium.

 

Although I love teavelling with friends and family there is nothing better then doing what I want, when I want.

 

I went on my first solo cruise 11 years and must get planning my next solo adventure.

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My DH doesn't get enough vacation days off, so I travel solo when there's an itinerary or ship I really want to experience. I did my first solo cruise at age 45 and have been doing them off and on for the past 8 years. I think at the OP's age, it's a little more unusual and therefore, can be a little more uncomfortable depending on the person. I have certainly had some very curious cabin stewards and cat calls by the dock workers and that's a little annoying but you get over it. Once you get to be my age, you really don't care what people think. :D

 

The destination is so much more important to me than anyone else's opinion about me traveling alone. Just be prepared to explain WHY you're traveling alone over and over again. Be prepared for those that immediately judge you or think you're going to steal their husband away. :') Cancel those people out and the vast majority of people are welcoming and very interesting. I think the best thing I take away from doing a solo cruise is the independence I feel doing them all on my own without anyone to help me. Go and enjoy, OP!

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I started solo cruising at 57 (I am presently 61). I started to solo cruise because I noticed that I constantly missed cruised I wanted to go on because the two girls who I normally travel with were getting busier and busier with work, or did not want to go to the same places as me.

 

So I bit the bullet and started doing solo cruises.

 

Sometimes I miss having someone to share an experience with, but over time I realized there are a lot of things I would miss out on if I was always waiting for someone to have free time to travel with me.

 

Go solo, and enjoy life.

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  • 3 months later...
Hey everyone,

I just got back from a great cruise and perhaps Im already having withdrawal lol but I would love to book another. I'm 27 years old (yet I look maybe 18-22) and I just dont have a lot of people who would be down for cruising with me. I feel like if I was older I would look older for one, and have more confidence. I'm just curious what is the age range of those of you that travel solo? And if you traveled solo do you feel awkwardly alone? I like to have fun and its always nice when you have a good circle of people that you know. I've never done a solo cruise before but I've been pondering about it! Maybe for my 30th I will have more courage! ;p

My first (and second) solo cruise took place when I was 29. I had the same worries as you do now. None came true! (Well, I got hassled by Customs once; they don't like young single men, apparently. But on the cruise, everything was awesome.) Even the people on the shuttle bus to the cruise port were friendly, and showed real interest in talking to new people. I got "adopted" by existing groups of friends, some of whom just met on the cruise themselves, and everybody was very friendly and welcoming. There was a sporadic lonely moment here or there, but awkwardness never entered the equation.

 

 

For me the "scariest" part is embarkation, not dining. If you are on a cruise line that has traditional dining, you will be seated with other solos or a table of women in your age range. Embarkation is a group activity and it is very obvious that I'm in line alone. I usually put headphones in and bop along to my favorite jams until its my turn at the desk. Once on the ship, no one knows anything, ha! :)

I beg to differ. I actually found embarkation to be pretty fun. People in line next to me engaged me in conversation (or vice versa), and they seemed to like my wacky, off-the-wall humor about Carnival, ships, and cruising. Nobody judged me or asked me rhetorical "you're by yourself?" questions. And like you, I picked assigned dining, so I wouldn't get flashbacks of being the new kid in the school cafeteria. :)

Edited by LandlockedCruiser01
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  • 1 month later...

Hi, I’m 76 and taking my first solo cruise next month. For 50 years I did everything DH wanted to do, but he never did anything I wanted to do. Now, after being widowed for four years I’ve decided to quit sitting around and do something exciting. I asked a couple of friends to join me, but they couldn’t or wouldn’t. Then I quit asking others, and realized going solo might not be so bad. One day in March I bit the bullet and booked a solo cruise. I’m so excited I can hardly stand the wait. Most all of you are way younger than me when you took your first solo cruise, but that’s just making me more determined to go and have a blast. My TA said I’ll learn things about myself I never knew before. Well, I kinda doubt that, but I’m ready for whatever.:)

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Lynda, I may be a young one to you at 61 but I remember on my solo trip on NCL Epic I talked to a fellow solo who was 84 years old and it was her first cruise in her life.In other words you are still starting young compared to others out there.Enjoy your solo cruises, I did on Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean. Again, in other words, it does not matter who you go with, you can have a fun time going solo.So Enjoy Yourself!

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Thank you, everyone, for such loving support. I hope you’re all going with me to the British Isles 8/29. I can tell you’re such a fun group. That’s another thing. I’ve never been out of the country, much less to Europe before, other than to Mexico. I will be sure and tell you how it went.:hearteyes:

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I took my first solo cruise when I was 48, but my first major solo vacation (more than just a weekend road trip) was 10 years earlier. I did a 2 week solo road trip in the SW United States; since then, I've taken solo land trips in Portugal, Spain, and New Zealand. I cruised solo to NZ, then did an additional 10 day solo road trip once I was there. I also spent 3 days solo in Tokyo before a solo cruise.

 

 

Essentially, as I got older, I had more disposable time and/or money than my friends - and I'd rather go on vacation solo than stay home alone. It's not that I prefer solo travel, it's that I prefer it to no travel. (By the way, I'm not including business trips where I've gone to a conference solo, and maybe stayed an extra day or two afterwards.)

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Hi, I’m 76 and taking my first solo cruise next month. For 50 years I did everything DH wanted to do, but he never did anything I wanted to do. Now, after being widowed for four years I’ve decided to quit sitting around and do something exciting. I asked a couple of friends to join me, but they couldn’t or wouldn’t. Then I quit asking others, and realized going solo might not be so bad. One day in March I bit the bullet and booked a solo cruise. I’m so excited I can hardly stand the wait. Most all of you are way younger than me when you took your first solo cruise, but that’s just making me more determined to go and have a blast. My TA said I’ll learn things about myself I never knew before. Well, I kinda doubt that, but I’m ready for whatever.:)

 

Bon Voyage! I hope you have many years enjoying doing what you want to do. I did my first cruise, on my own, from Sydney to Southhampton, when I was young, because my friends weren't interested in cruising overseas. In December, I did a cruise on my own in my 70s. The cruising experience was the same, full of happy memories.

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I am 65. Did my first solo cruise at 64 - shortly after my DH passed. I would rather have a travel companion; but if my choice is stay home or go solo, then SOLO it is!!!!!!

 

Good for you for getting out there. It gets easier each time.

 

Roz

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It's great to see such a nice range of cruisers here :D

 

I'm 30, and have been cruising solo (on and off) since I was 22. I really enjoy cruising with a partner or group of friends, but sometimes I just want the indulgence of being alone and doing exactly what I like at exactly my pace :)

 

Solo cruising honestly feels like a form of therapy to me, and I hope to be able to continue it for a long time to come!

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I'm 61 and going on my first solo cruise in August ... really out of my comfort zone as it's a fly cruise and I've never flown for over 15 years. Decided I'm not getting any younger so might as well just get on with it and enjoy the experience !!

 

You sound just like me! I'm 62, and took my first solo cruise last November - a TA from Barcelona. It was therapeutic and I loved every minute of it (once my bags showed up!) . I've taken 3 so far this year, going on the Snowbird Migration in October, and have 7 lined up for next year.

Life is short and you can't take it with you!

Nancy

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It's great to see such a nice range of cruisers here :D

 

 

 

I'm 30, and have been cruising solo (on and off) since I was 22. I really enjoy cruising with a partner or group of friends, but sometimes I just want the indulgence of being alone and doing exactly what I like at exactly my pace :)

 

 

 

Solo cruising honestly feels like a form of therapy to me, and I hope to be able to continue it for a long time to come!

 

 

 

I’m taking my first solo cruise to Alaska next month. I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone and try something new while enjoying what I’m doing when I want to do it!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I started solo cruising (and cruising in general) when I 28 and haven't stopped since. I've made so many friends along the way and we try to cruise together whenever possible now. The best way to find others to cruise with is to meet them on a cruise already instead of trying to convince land-lovers....

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I just returned from another solo cruise:D….went from Venice to Nice. We sailed to Dubrovnik and to multiple cities in Italy. It was fabulous (once again):D I am 60 and started cruising when I was 45. It is the best way for me:D

The most odd thing is I have nothing else booked!!!:eek:…...I better get researching!

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Hi all! I'm a female, 53, and I LOVE cruising/traveling solo! Let me give you some background:

 

I'm married (16 yrs) to a man I love dearly; however, not only does he not like cruising, he also has MS and is now in a wheelchair fulltime. While he's pretty self sufficient, if anyone is familiar with MS, you'll know that it changes like a feather on the wind and, in fact, he spent the vast majority of 2016 in the hospital. Anyway, being his only caretaker, when he's doing good, he presses me to either take a cruise or visit an all-inclusive resort somewhere tropical. I took my first solo trip in 2012, to which I was scared silly! I found myself saying, "What if such-and-such happens?" over and over again. But I went anyway and found that I handled everything just fine and was actually able to relax and enjoy myself at times. Since then I've cruised several times and visited two resorts, all solo.

 

There are a couple of things to keep in mind...the first is that DH and I keep our finances separate, so if I want to go on a vacation, I've taken it upon myself to foot the bill on my own; not only does this keep me cognizant and responsible for my spending, but it also alleviates any guilt that might pop up about spending so much money for just me and not for us jointly. Secondly, not only am I pretty shy at first, I am also an introvert.

 

Nevertheless, I get out there and last year on my Carnival cruise, I actually joined a Michael Jackson Zombie dance class...I kid you not! Nope, I knew no one else there, and while I was nervous of dancing silly like that in front of others, especially at my age, all-in-all, I had a fun time, laughing with the rest of the dancers and just being silly. I do notice that the older I'm getting and the more I'm traveling solo, I am finding it a little easier to get myself out there to, well, if not exactly "socialize," (I still am an introvert, and prolly will always be, especially at this late date), I'm more willing to get involved in social activities. BUT, the awesome thing about traveling alone is that it's MY choice where/when I want to participate, and I don't have "well-meaning" family or friends trying to push me into something I really don't want to do.

 

To ME, traveling solo means:

  • Embracing my independence, especially as a woman, and acknowledging that it's okay to ask for help if or when I need it.
  • Doing what I want to do, without having to check with someone else first.
  • Staying up as late, or going to bed as early as I want.
  • Sleeping in as late or getting up as early as I want.
  • Going on any excursions I want (or not!), again, without having to check with someone else first.
  • Eating what, when, or where I want to eat.
  • Attending any event I want, or not.
  • Purchasing what I want, when or if I want (see above paragraph about finances).
  • Taking care of just myself and not needing to be a "caretaker" or "wife" or " fill in whatever applies to you ."
  • And I could go on and on...

You'll probably notice that I bolded the word "I" above, but it's because I think it's important to stress how wonderful that really is! Too many times in our lives we focus on taking care of others instead of ourselves, be it being a spouse/partner, mother/father, daughter/son, or the breadwinner(s) of the family. We neglect ourselves and traveling solo is the PERFECT time to just...BE. Just be YOU. Just take care of YOU. Just love YOU. And who doesn't need this?

 

Sure, there are times that have been (and will probably continue to be) somewhat uncomfortable for me; keeping in mind my shyness and being introverted. I almost always eat in the ship's dining room, instead of the buffet. I enjoy being waited on, as well as the special dishes we can get. The tables I've been assigned to have usually contained other solos, or perhaps two girlfriends traveling together, which usually allows for easy-flowing conversations. However, on my first solo cruise, and even now if eating in the dining room in the mornings where everyone is seated together, with no assigned tables, the questions can sometimes become slightly intrusive to me. Also, I have noticed that traveling solo on various excursions people do notice me being by myself; it's easy to see the questioning looks. Sometimes that bothers me, other times I just ignore them and focus my attention on where I am or what I'm doing.

 

So, this is my take on traveling by myself. Hope you enjoyed! Now get out there and just GO!

 

Maggie

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