Solo Crusing

[wingnt68]

I am a huge cruiser. At least once a year. Would like to go more. I am in the process of a divorce and wondering if a lot of people go solo? I may need to find some friends :D

[evandbob]

Lots of people sail solo (by themselves) or single (no attachments). There's even threads on solo and single sails in the specialized cruise section.

 

Join roll calls and enjoy. About 75% of my cruises are the solo kind.

 

NCL actually has single occupancy solo cabins you can book, usually for a decent fare.

Edited November 27, 2014 by evandbob

[sistersfirstcruise]

With the single supplement being 200% it makes it hard but cruise lines often have specials where they drop the amount to 150% (you pay your fare and a half instead of double).

Also keep in mind that NCL has solo cabins for only 1 guest so no single supplement.

I have cruised by myself and LOVE it.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited November 27, 2014 by sistersfirstcruise

[riclop]

Lots of people prefer going solo, give it a try.

[LizaMM]

I am a huge cruiser. At least once a year. Would like to go more. I am in the process of a divorce and wondering if a lot of people go solo? I may need to find some friends :D

 

I LOVE sailing solo!

 

Personally, I think that a cruise is a fantastic for a solo vacation. In my experience there is always an opportunity to make "friends" on a ship and have company when you want it and then that oh so wonderful time when you just enjoy being alone and deciding what you want to do (or not do) with no worries.

 

When I have sailed solo I have found it very easy to go out and about and it was never awkward walking into a venue alone. Many people who are sailing "together" split up and do different things when on board so it is not odd or uncomfortable to go to something alone.

 

When I have sailed solo I select Traditional Dining, Late Seating and I have always been seated with "like" Pax which was another avenue of making friends and finding people to hang out with if I wanted some company.

 

As a previous poster stated, there is a message board here on CC dedicated to solo cruising.

 

I highly suggest giving it a try!!!! :D

[PalmTreeBound]

LisaMM - you hit the nail on the head - great post. It's obvious you are comfortable being by yourself.

 

I have done 2 solo cruises and many with others. They are both wonderful.

Edited November 27, 2014 by PalmTreeBound

[wanman]

I have done one solo cruise so far, and I would do another one for sure. I started with a 5 day 2 port cruise. I figured if I really hated it I could handle two sea days with two ports in between.

 

I loved it. I made friends fairly quickly (both through the roll call and just onboard), in fact some of us are cruising next year and keep in touch.

 

Carnival has some Single Occupancy cruises, I am not sure if they are on the Carnival site or not but you can ask a PVP or TA and they can get the dates and ships/location for you.

[LucyR.]

I get to meet lots of people and I get to see them on different ships. LOL.

 

There are some SINGLE cruising groups but you have to find them because I am not allowed to advertise the groups here on this website.

 

Carnival presently sold me single supplement cruises. I love to cruise on the west coast just because I love just being on the ocean. Can you believe paying only $100. plus taxes for a 4 day cruise? I booked 4 cruises back to back. It was a major sale for this month.

 

Keep in the habit of being your own travel agent and then book yur cruise through the cruiseline or a travel agency. You have to do your own research.

When you see a great deal BOOK IT. The rates go up if you wait because lots of people start booking and so they raise the rates.

 

I have total fun by myself because I don't feel alone on the ships. I live alone at home so cruising by myself it is the same as being home except I am on a ship with lots of fun people.

 

Some of the cruise workers fall in like with me because they like to hear the stories I tell them about the news. They move to other ships so I sometimes get to see them again.

 

When people ask you if you are cruising alone just say that you are cruising with a group of cruise critics. Always join a Carnival Roll Call because we always meet on the ship at a MEET & GREET. We get to know eachother as time passes and we cruise over and over on different ships and cruise lines.

 

On the Custom form they ask what family MEMBER is cruising with you. I just write that I am cruising with "FRIENDS". They never ask me who they are.

If they ever did ask I will just say I have my own transportation that will be picking me up. Most important is to be friendly to the officer. THEY just want to hear your voice because they can tell if you are an American. Since I am an American with an accent since I speak 6 languages.

 

I have a story to tell you. A friend of mine is cruising on the Crown Princess by herself and I asked her to give a message to a crew worker that I know.

We all get to make friends with some of the crew workers.

[RuthlessBoss]

With the single supplement being 200% it makes it hard but cruise lines often have specials where they drop the amount to 150% (you pay your fare and a half instead of double).

Also keep in mind that NCL has solo cabins for only 1 guest so no single supplement.

I have cruised by myself and LOVE it.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I just did one this month (on NCL Getaway) but not in the solo section. Got a balcony, zero supplement for $499. Also got some OBC but don't know why. Solo travelers are invited to the solo area nightly at 5:30 for get togethers and socials.

[caribsun]

I am a huge cruiser. At least once a year. Would like to go more. I am in the process of a divorce and wondering if a lot of people go solo? I may need to find some friends :D

 

I mostly cruise with my wife but I have sailed solo three times and enjoy the freedom. I join the roll calls and make CC friends and we meet on the ship to socialize. Sailing on the Freedom soon as a solo. :)

[winddawn]

I am a huge cruiser. At least once a year. Would like to go more. I am in the process of a divorce and wondering if a lot of people go solo? I may need to find some friends :D

Solo cruising is lots of fun, and especially so for people who are comfortable in their own skin. You can do what you want when you want.

 

I divorced about 3 years ago after cruising for 2 decades as a couple, and have enjoyed numerous solo cruises since then. After being married half of my life, I am totally enjoying the freedom that single life offers which includes traveling. I have more disposable income now and earn max vacation, so why not enjoy it! The only downside really is having to pay the cruise single supplement which is often 200% of the cruise fare. Most land-based vacations do not charge you double. More and more new ships are being built with solo cabins though to meet the increasing number of single cruisers, and I noticed the most recent is a new Holland America ship which will have solo cabins. I read recently that for the first time since the U.S. started keeping records, the number of single adults outnumber the number of married adults. Cruise lines are going to have to keep up with demographic trends if they want to sell to the American majority. So you are not alone, but you are in fact in the American majority in being single! Book a solo cruise and try it for yourself, but shop around and see if you can find one with a reduced single supplement.

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-09/single-americans-now-comprise-more-than-half-the-u-s-population.html

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6088

[SkyMaster]

Because of lots of critters, and a small business, my wife and I sail SOLO lots. Carnival is offering more and more SOLO cruses, (no solo supplement) so it makes sailing solo far more affordable. The Maitre'd always seats us at a table with other solo cruisers, and between that, and the Cruise Critic get togethers, we always meet GREAT friends on our cruises. Have no fear,,you're going to LOVE sailing SOLO. :cool:

 

"SKY"

[cruise_girl2002]

I am a huge cruiser. At least once a year. Would like to go more. I am in the process of a divorce and wondering if a lot of people go solo? I may need to find some friends :D

 

I did my first solo cruise in September. I usually cruise with my brother. I was nervous at first. was I going to be bored? would it be weird at dinner if I sat alone? but I got such a great rate I went for it, and would do it again in a heart beat. I got over the fear of eating alone, heck, I go to restaurants and eat here by myself all the time, what is the difference? lol. I treated myself to the steakhouse one night, and even though there were others there, the service felt like I was the only one there...top notch. I never got bored, and really enjoyed myself.

[AngAndBoys]

This is not a trick question!! If you're a solo woman, who zips up your dress? :eek:

 

OK, true story, zipping it UP is not nearly so hard as getting it DOWN! On my first solo, I found myself literally locked into my own dress because no amount of twisting and contortions would allow me to reach it and pull it down enough to escape! I opened my cabin door to see if any ladies might be going by (it was kinda late), saw some way down the hall, ran down to them and before I could even ask they said, "You can't get your zipper down, right?" I mean, does this happen to them a lot? They unzipped me and I ran back to my cabin, which was of course, locked. So there I stood, back to the wall lest people notice that I was sorta half dressed hanging around waiting for security to let me back in.

 

I don't wear dresses that zip up the back anymore.

[crusinpsychRN]

I sail solo all the time now that the kids are on their own. Just back from Pride, got a lot of comments "you're so lucky" to cruise alone.

[AngAndBoys]

To the OP's original question:

 

I was an avid cruiser myself. Went with my first husband, then divorced him and went on a few with just me and my 3 boys...when they were little, something like hell on earth actually...I don't recommend taking small children on a cruise alone. Then I got remarried, took some cruises with the new and improved husband...and ALL of our children, 6 total. Good times!! Then he died...and I sort of figured I was 0 for 2 and not getting married again anytime soon, maybe ever, but I still wanted to cruise.

 

I haunted the solo boards, reading up on how other people did it. I took the chicken route and did my first solo on Norwegian Epic, which has the solo cabins and activities for solos, so a lot of others are with you who are literally and figuratively in the same boat. As it turned out, I had a REALLY active roll call and made a ton of friends before I ever got on the ship. I still keep in touch with about 8 of them via facebook.

 

I have now been solo on Carnival a few times as well. I've never felt terribly lonely or anything. When I'm by myself, I do skip dinner in the main DR a lot, mostly because I don't have the will to dress up or the patience to sit through an hour and a half for dinner. I consider eating to be a kind of a nuisance. I have better things to do!

 

I LOVE that I can do whatever I want whenever I want...to the extent that I kind of dread it now when someone else wants to go with me. I've gotten pretty spoiled about doing my own thing. As far as being lonely....not at all. I've made friends on every single solo I've gone on. I can always go to any bar on the ship and strike up a conversation. I meet people in the casino, on the deck, through roll calls etc. If I want to sit in my room and read a book and ignore the world, I can do that too.

 

Go solo, you can ease into it on one of Norwegian's solo ships like I did or just take the whole plunge and go Carnival. There is a website that lists no single supplement cruises for you on all different lines. It is called vacations to go. Good luck and have fun!

[Elaine5715]

I get to meet lots of people and I get to see them on different ships. LOL.

 

There are some SINGLE cruising groups but you have to find them because I am not allowed to advertise the groups here on this website.

 

Carnival presently sold me single supplement cruises. I love to cruise on the west coast just because I love just being on the ocean. Can you believe paying only $100. plus taxes for a 4 day cruise? I booked 4 cruises back to back. It was a major sale for this month.

 

Keep in the habit of being your own travel agent and then book yur cruise through the cruiseline or a travel agency. You have to do your own research.

When you see a great deal BOOK IT. The rates go up if you wait because lots of people start booking and so they raise the rates.

 

I have total fun by myself because I don't feel alone on the ships. I live alone at home so cruising by myself it is the same as being home except I am on a ship with lots of fun people.

 

Some of the cruise workers fall in like with me because they like to hear the stories I tell them about the news. They move to other ships so I sometimes get to see them again.

 

When people ask you if you are cruising alone just say that you are cruising with a group of cruise critics. Always join a Carnival Roll Call because we always meet on the ship at a MEET & GREET. We get to know eachother as time passes and we cruise over and over on different ships and cruise lines.

 

On the Custom form they ask what family MEMBER is cruising with you. I just write that I am cruising with "FRIENDS". They never ask me who they are.

If they ever did ask I will just say I have my own transportation that will be picking me up. Most important is to be friendly to the officer. THEY just want to hear your voice because they can tell if you are an American. Since I am an American with an accent since I speak 6 languages.

 

I have a story to tell you. A friend of mine is cruising on the Crown Princess by herself and I asked her to give a message to a crew worker that I know.

We all get to make friends with some of the crew workers.

 

Why do you write Friends on the Custom Form? They aren't making a judgement. I always put in 0, never had a question.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Why do you write Friends on the Custom Form? They aren't making a judgement. I always put in 0, never had a question.

Not making judgments? Ha! Last time I cruised solo, I got taken into a separate room, for a pat-down, a full bag search, and a review of the last 10 years of my travel history. (If it makes a difference, I'm male and I was 29 at the time.) The only redeeming part of it was seeing a combination of "oh man, he's got nothing" and "oops, we screwed up with this dude" looks on the officers' faces. They even offered to help me repack my bag, but I angrily refused. And one officer smiled a little bit when I talked about my trip to Israel with a visit to the Western Wall. They begrudgingly returned my passport, and sent me on my way.

 

That happened in Port Canaveral. My experience in Miami was much better, although the officers was still jerks. Maybe because Miami had Epic and Getaway, so they're used to seeing solos. Port Canaveral is heavily influenced by Disney, which all about families and couples.

Edited November 27, 2014 by LandlockedCruiser01

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

I have done it once, earlier this year based on seeing how many others here on these forums seem to love it. I enjoyed it also and am about to pull the trigger on another one in early December. I usually cruise with family but once in a while it's fun to go on my own just to get away from everything. Most cruises seem to have a lot of solos and carnival is good at putting solos together at dinner from my experience. There is plenty to do and plenty of people to meet and I guarantee you won't be bored or feel lonely. It is also plenty safe and secure as long as you use general common sense and are aware of your surroundings both on and off the ship. This time of year especially, carnival does do away with the single double occupancy rate and you can get your own cabin for a ridiculously low price. You just have to look for it and be somewhat flexible in your desired travel dates and you will find something. I would definitely try it if you have ever though about doing it.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Not making judgments? Ha! Last time I cruised solo, I got taken into a separate room, for a pat-down, a full bag search, and a review of the last 10 years of my travel history. (If it makes a difference, I'm male and I was 29 at the time.) The only redeeming part of it was seeing a combination of "oh man, he's got nothing" and "oops, we screwed up with this dude" looks on the officers' faces. They even offered to help me repack my bag, but I angrily refused. And one officer smiled a little bit when I talked about my trip to Israel with a visit to the Western Wall. They begrudgingly returned my passport, and sent me on my way.

 

That happened in Port Canaveral. My experience in Miami was much better, although the officers was still jerks. Maybe because Miami had Epic and Getaway, so they're used to seeing solos. Port Canaveral is heavily influenced by Disney, which all about families and couples.

 

Funny you bring up the ICE guys giving you problems as a solo when you got back to the U.S.. I cruised solo into Miami this past May and had no problems at all. I only had a 22" rolling suitcase and a backpack and didn't buy any souvenirs or anything with my sail and sign card so there was really nothing for them to look for. I am a 33 year old single dude also but yeah I haven't had a problem in all the times I have re-entered the country both by sea or air. I am guessing ICE/CBP gets a list of potential problem people when they get their paperwork on arrival and if you're not one of their targets they pretty much leave you alone.

 

But back to solo cruising, I love it and some of the rates I have seen are even lower than the $100 for 4 days. Way lower. I have vacation to use up before the end of the year and I figure I can't stay at home for a week and spend less than a hundred bucks. The whole package simply cannot be beaten. Dining is always a good experience as a solo and if you don't like where you're seated or who you're seated with, you can usually get it changed.

[gapearl]

I just took my 7th solo cruise a few weeks ago and I'm currently planning my 8th. I love cruising solo! I take solo land trips as well. You get to do what you want, when you want. I enjoy the freedom of doing things on my own time and don't have to worry about conversations that go "what are we doing, I don't want to do that, I wanna go here...." There were quite a few solos on my last cruise. Carnival has some great last minute deals with no single supplement going these days. Even paying 200%, I've noticed Carnival is still cheaper than Royal Caribbean or NCL's studio cabins. Don't be worried about going by yourself. You'll have a great time so go for it!

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Funny you bring up the ICE guys giving you problems as a solo when you got back to the U.S.. I cruised solo into Miami this past May and had no problems at all. I only had a 22" rolling suitcase and a backpack and didn't buy any souvenirs or anything with my sail and sign card so there was really nothing for them to look for. I am a 33 year old single dude also but yeah I haven't had a problem in all the times I have re-entered the country both by sea or air. I am guessing ICE/CBP gets a list of potential problem people when they get their paperwork on arrival and if you're not one of their targets they pretty much leave you alone.

My experience in Miami was pretty decent too. They looked over my declaration form, asked me about my job ("IT professional", I told them), and sent me on my way. My theory for such a huge difference between the two embarkation ports are the ships in them and the city's reputation. Miami is quite the party town, plus there was Epic and Getaway with their studio cabins, so a single dude is common there. Port Canaveral/Orlando is Disney-oriented, with both Disney World and Disney Cruise Line, so a single dude is likely to raise eyebrows, even if sailing on Carnival. (That, or there was a guy my age onboard trying to smuggle drugs from Nassau or something.) Still, it makes me wonder what kind of retraining the agents in Port Canaveral will get if one of NCL's studio ships ever moves in there.

 

Ironically, my experiences in the respective airports were the reverse of the two. Miami TSA agents were a little better than Sgt. Hartman from "Full Metal Jacket". Orlando TSA agents were very friendly, and one of them even apologized to me when I bumped him with my backpack while taking off my belt. (Then again, I also saw them hassle an old lady in the same line as me.)

Edited November 28, 2014 by LandlockedCruiser01

[RuthlessBoss]

I've never had a problem at Canaveral, but on Nov., got "frisked" trying to board Getaway in Miami:eek: Gee, that was kind of embarrassing.

[SkyMaster]

I've never had a problem when returning to any of the Florida ports, SOLO. Of course, that may be because I'm a bit older, (retired), and I more often than not, wear a U.S.M.C. T-shirt when returning to the good ol' U.S. I rarely buy anything, so have nothing to declare, and usually it's just, "Good Day Mr. Jones", and I'm on my way. :cool: Yep, unlike Mr. Dangerfield, I get respect. :D

 

"SKY"

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

My experience in Miami was pretty decent too. They looked over my declaration form, asked me about my job ("IT professional", I told them), and sent me on my way. My theory for such a huge difference between the two embarkation ports are the ships in them and the city's reputation. Miami is quite the party town, plus there was Epic and Getaway with their studio cabins, so a single dude is common there. Port Canaveral/Orlando is Disney-oriented, with both Disney World and Disney Cruise Line, so a single dude is likely to raise eyebrows, even if sailing on Carnival. (That, or there was a guy my age onboard trying to smuggle drugs from Nassau or something.) Still, it makes me wonder what kind of retraining the agents in Port Canaveral will get if one of NCL's studio ships ever moves in there.

 

Ironically, my experiences in the respective airports were the reverse of the two. Miami TSA agents were a little better than Sgt. Hartman from "Full Metal Jacket". Orlando TSA agents were very friendly, and one of them even apologized to me when I bumped him with my backpack while taking off my belt. (Then again, I also saw them hassle an old lady in the same line as me.)

 

Maybe they don't see a ton of singles in Canaveral or the mco airport so they look more carefully at them, could be a theory. A lot of conventions take place in the Orlando and cape Canaveral area now though so it's not just families. It might depend on the agent you get or the general level of scrutiny they are putting on that port of entry or ship. As an interesting aside though, we were told during a tour in Freeport a few years ago that some island nations in the Caribbean have actually asked the us coast guard and navy to patrol some of the more heavily traveled channels to cut down on the trafficking in recent times. But I would think or hope at least that contraband smuggling would be very rare on any cruise ship. Due to surveillance from all levels and penalties for getting caught, why would anybody try it in the first place?

 

Customs at JFK airport didn't even ask what I did for a living when flying home from Europe a few years ago, and no CBP guy in any port has bothered to ask either. They probably don't care as unless you are on their target list I'm guessing either. I'm thinking unless you have a long sail and sign account record and a lot of items on your declaration form, they really don't want to spend the time with you if there are other people who they want to focus on.

 

I usually don't have a problem with tsa either and generally don't have to wait more than a few minutes too get through but at some places they will give everybody an attitude. They are cool at most airports though and just want to efficiently get everyone thru, as long as you are couteous to them they usually return the favor.