Please Help Solo traveler

[hershkel]

Hi,

I'm looking into either Crystal or Silversea for a solo traveler? Just wondering which you would recommend for a female mid 40's? I've never been on a cruise before so any help would be really appreciated. Seabourn looks good too but the other 2 have a better solo rate.

[Older Party]

Hi,

I'm looking into either Crystal or Silversea for a solo traveler? Just wondering which you would recommend for a female mid 40's? I've never been on a cruise before so any help would be really appreciated. Seabourn looks good too but the other 2 have a better solo rate.

 

I had a great time on the Silver Shadow starting with a singles meet and greet before we ever pulled out of Sydney Harbor. These people became my friends for the entire voyage, two women in particular who I continue to think fondly of ever since. I have not experienced Crystal or Seabourn but one of the women I befriended on the Shadow LOVED Oceania as an older, single (widower) female traveler.

[Seafairer]

One of the really nice things about Silversea is that it attracts people who are not only interested in travel, but are interested in meeting their fellow passengers, which I think makes it a particularly good choice for solo travelers. Their ships' small sizes and the atmosphere onboard is very conducive to this. You won't feel alone unless you choose to be. A good friend sailed solo on Silversea last year and she loved it. I'd like to offer a few suggestions:

 

It's very easy to start up a conversation at the pool or other public areas. A natural ice-breaker is, "This is my first cruise. Have you sailed on Silversea before?" and you'll be off and running. You'll certainly meet others very easily on your excursions and in group activities like Team Trivia. And when you meet people you enjoy, just ask if they'd like to have dinner together one night - so easy to arrange with Silversea's open seating.

 

At mealtimes, you can also ask the Maitre d' to seat you at a group table he's forming. These are usually tables of 4-6 and consist of people who wish to meet their fellow travelers, so you'll fit right in and feel very comfortable. It's a wonderful way to dine, solo or not. You can do this at breakfast and lunch in La Terrazza or at dinner in the Restaurant.

 

Each afternoon, Silversea schedules a small gathering for solo travelers in the Panorama Lounge under the guidance of the International Hostess or a member of the entertainment cast. It might be a small needlepoint project, etc., but it's really arranged so you can meet others and have a nice chat. I believe this happens before or during Afternoon Tea (or both).

 

And if you enjoy dancing, some cruises feature a Gentleman Host to partner the single ladies onboard. They'll be older than you are, but totally charming and you can bet that they're good dancers and conversationalists!

 

So far, we've only sailed on Silversea, although we're booked on Crystal next month. It will be interesting to read recommendations from those who have sailed on other lines. But I wouldn't hesitate to sail on Silversea as a solo traveler; the small number of passengers creates a warm, easy family feeling for all. While you'll be among the younger passengers, you'll find that your fellow travelers are friendly, interesting people and that age really doesn't matter. This was discussed on another thread recently and one point that came up was how inspiring it is, as a younger passenger, to get to know such interesting people from different generations who are sincerely interested in you.

 

Choosing Silversea or another truly luxury line for your first cruise is, in my opinion, a very smart move. Please let us know what you ultimately decide to do. Good luck!

[Saga Ruby]

My first adult solo cruise was in 1979 out of Galveston on Stella Solaris. I went up the gangway, was escorted to my cabin, and started to unpack my cases.

 

I suddenly thought, "What have I done? I'm alone on a ship full of people I don't know." But I went to dinner, was seated at a table full of marvelous, interesting people, and never looked back.

 

On Shadow last fall for 21 days, I had a blast. The staff gave me topnotch treatment, dinner was always fun meeting and chatting with other pax and lecturers.

 

I highly commend the quality of ship and staff on Silversea. My next cruise is out of Cape Town to FLL and I eagerly await my sailaway date. I hope you have a positive experience as a solo traveler.

 

Ruby

[CruisinPashmina]

This is a very nice thread, and everything said about the easy mix of passengers is true. In all of our SS cruises we have only met one couple who had never cruised on ANY ship. They were "adopted" immediately. Usually fellow passengers are super well traveled and are very interested in sharing travel stories. I feel sure that you'll have a wonderful time. You might want to choose a cruise which wouldn't have many if any children. Those to avoid would be the Caribbean when school is out, or a seven day cruise in the Med in the summer. The Transoceanic cruises tend to attract the oldest crowds. Who else besides happy old retirees has the time for long cruises?

 

Speaking of which; Saga Ruby, we will be joining you in Cape Town for the crossing to Fort Lauderdale next April.

[Saga Ruby]

Speaking of which; Saga Ruby, we will be joining you in Cape Town for the crossing to Fort Lauderdale next April.

 

Wonderful! I kicked around the aviation details for a long time and am now happily signed up to fly from ATL to JNB, then on to CPT. A long day! However, back in the day, I could have flown from DFW to Rio then across to CPT but, nowadays, the layovers in Heathrow, Dubai, or other airports are long and weary. I would have liked to fly Emirates, but spending most of a day in Dubai's airport? No thanks.

 

I look forward to meeting you onboard.

 

Ruby

[Seafairer]

Hershkel, are you specifically looking for a cruise line that tends to have a fair number of solo travelers? Will you be happiest among a lot of solo passengers? Or are you just as comfortable socializing with couples? Does it make a difference to you?

 

If this affects your decision, you or your travel agent can contact the line about the cruise you're considering. They can review their passenger list (as it exists at that time) and give you an idea of the proportion of solo bookings for the cruise you're considering.

 

In my experience, Silversea passengers are predominantly couples. That said, my comments above still hold true. They tend to be wonderful people who will make you feel extraordinarily welcome and at ease at all times (as will the staff). I don't think you'll have to worry about feeling self-conscious or "on your own," unless you choose to be. It's quite a wonderful environment for everyone.

[Silver Spectre]

Hi,

I'm looking into either Crystal or Silversea for a solo traveler? Just wondering which you would recommend for a female mid 40's? I've never been on a cruise before so any help would be really appreciated. Seabourn looks good too but the other 2 have a better solo rate.

 

If you decide to go with SS and you enjoy dancing, then I would recommend trying to take a voyage that is tagged to have Gentlemen hosts onboard.

[hershkel]

Thank you all for your help. No, there doesn't need to be many Solo Cruisers, couple are fine, I just dont want to feel Out of place. I think I will just have to choose based on the best Itinerary for the time I'm able to go.

 

thank you again for the helpful information,

 

Kelly