Solo travel and specialty restaurants

[CUTTERSAM]

What to do??? You're traveling solo and want to dine in specialty restaurant...bring a book, focus on the view, contemplate the meaning of life??

 

Wish they had a sign up sheet for dining companions:?

[spookwife]

umm just go and enjoy the meal? I frequently dined out( non fast food) alone while DH was stationed on Okinawa.

 

never even occurred to me to bring a book or anything else

[91354guy]

VERY GOOD QUESTION...

 

I'm recently widowed and am scheduled for a cruise in early June...I have little doubt that my teenage daughter will be wanting to hit the buffet for spaghetti almost every night instead of dining with me so....

 

Great question...now let's see what answers are given!

[xxoocruiser]

I just go and enjoy my meal. It really isn't any different that sitting at a table by yourself in the Windjammer. You might even meet another solo traveler on board that would like to join you. The Matre D is going to seat you at a table for 2 anyway so it would be easy to add another person

[KJL53]

What to do??? You're traveling solo and want to dine in specialty restaurant...bring a book, focus on the view, contemplate the meaning of life??

 

 

 

Bring a book but make sure you are seated where there is good light. I travel alone about 8 times a year. I went to giovannis alone on Oasis. I was seated and brought out my book. Only problem was I could not see to read. Luckily after about 20 minutes I began speaking with 2 other couples seated near me. Turned out to be a very nice meal.

 

 

Good luck and enjoy.

[dreamer976]

Never heard of a sign up sheet for dining companions, but if you join the roll call for your specific cruise (don't forget to sign up for the Meet & Mingle), you can post your dilemma and see if there isn't someone else who would like to join you or have you join them.

 

Some cruise roll call boards get pretty active and the people "talk" at length and get to know one another way before the actual cruise. There are often many other activities planned in advance also such as, meeting for drinks or dinner and drinks somewhere in the port city the day before the cruise, meeting at one of the bars onboard the day of embarkation, doing pub crawls aboard, cabin crawls, etc.

 

If you don't want to dine alone at one of the specialty restaurants, a little pre-planning or just being very friendly onboard will probably get you some very enjoyable dining companions.

[dmwnc1959]

I cruised on Allure of the Seas last month as a solo traveller and dined in 150 Central Park, Giovanni's Table, Chops, and Samba Grill for dinner, as well as Giovanni's Table and Izumi (twice) for lunch. I would bring my iPhone with me since I have lots of stuff on it (books, etc) than can occupy my time, but mostly I enjoyed people watching and just looking around. I also used my iPhone to take pictures (without using the flash) of interesting courses during the meal so I could download it later to a picture album. All of the tables I was seated at was a two-top and they would just remove the extra table setting. On two occasions I struck up a conversation with a couple next to me (always being aware of when they were eating and waiting between courses) and they were very nice. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!

 

P.S. Chops is also pretty dark (someone already mentioned Giovanni's being dark) inside during dinner so a book will be difficult to read and a e-tablet may be a bit distracting.

 

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[NorbertsNiece]

I've yet to dine alone in a specialty restaurant though travel solo. There is usually a roll call group eating there that I join. Am more than happy to eat elsewhere by myself so don't really see a difference other than I would be seated alone rather than be with others if I wanted to be. I do sometimes sit alone in the MDR but so far have always had conversations with neighbouring tables. The specialty restaurants ARE more intimate by design.... hmmmmm......

[xxHadleyxx]

My husband and I often meet people at trivia and end up friendly with them and then dine with then, etc later in the cruise. As often as not that is a single travel and not another couple.

I'd say if you do not want to dine alone, get out and be social the first day or two of the cruse and make a friend or two. And don't think only other singles are willing to be friendly to you :)