Taking the plunge

[BJs mom]

2 hours ago, NSnJW said:

I lost my wife of 46 years just 3 years ago.  My whole life centered around her.  Now I have to make a new life.  Cruising, whether solo or with family, is one of the things we really enjoyed together.  Now I enjoy cruising and remembering the time we had together.  I also found I like cruising just for the sake of cruising and I hope to continue doing it in the future.

Eating alone is not the end of the world.   I have often eaten in the buffet alone just so I can get back to other things quicker.  I always find something to occupy me while I eat.  You can watch the sea or scenery go by or people watch.  Some of the ships had outdoor tables where you could eat and watch bands, dancing, or participation games.

In short, don't panic and just enjoy your cruise.

I hope you have great cruises ahead.

Thank you,  I'm getting excited a new adventure for me and I have a feeling this will not be my only solo cruise.  I'll still cruise with family and friends as well  but in between off I go.

[Judyrem]

On 10/20/2019 at 4:27 PM, BJs mom said:

Thank you,  I'm getting excited a new adventure for me and I have a feeling this will not be my only solo cruise.  I'll still cruise with family and friends as well  but in between off I go.

I am so happy for you, have the best time ever!😁

[BJs mom]

3 hours ago, Judyrem said:

I am so happy for you, have the best time ever!😁

Thanks, I'm so looking forward to the cruise but admit I'm still a little nervous but I still get nervous going to the dentist and I've been there many time. I want to go and experience what life has to offer and not sit back someday and regret the things I didn't do. 

[rkacruiser]

On 11/20/2019 at 12:46 PM, BJs mom said:

I want to go and experience what life has to offer and not sit back someday and regret the things I didn't do. 

 

😀  Absolutely!  Life is meant to be lived! 

[Gypsymimi]

I thought Heald retired long ago. I was on a cruise with him in 2006.  I haven't cruised entirely solo yet, but I did take my teenaged granddaughter on one cruise. She quickly made friends, and I really only saw her for dinner, so I was on my own a good deal of the time. It was fine. No one really knows that you're along most of the time. Last year, I was on a cruise with 5 friends, and we noticed a woman who always dined alone near us. I admit that we felt a little sorry for her. One night, she was joined by another woman- I guess they had met up somewhere. There are, of course, other options besides dining along in the MDR- but I admire this woman for not being embarrassed. 

[brillohead]

13 hours ago, Gypsymimi said:

There are, of course, other options besides dining along in the MDR- but I admire this woman for not being embarrassed. 

What is there to be embarrassed about???? 

[Lois R]

3 hours ago, brillohead said:

What is there to be embarrassed about???? 

I was thinking the same thing...…..why would she be embarrassed? Because she is sailing solo? Dining solo?

Maybe it is her preference.  I have been sailing solo since 2003---not embarrassed about it

in the least....I LOVE IT actually

[Gypsymimi]

22 hours ago, brillohead said:

What is there to be embarrassed about???? 

Many women are reluctant to dine by themselves. I know women who won't go to the movies by themselves! And a woman dining alone may feel that others are looking at her and pitying her. I don't feel that way- I travel for business and often dine alone. But not everyone feels comfortable doing that. 

[Lois R]

37 minutes ago, Gypsymimi said:

Many women are reluctant to dine by themselves. I know women who won't go to the movies by themselves! And a woman dining alone may feel that others are looking at her and pitying her. I don't feel that way- I travel for business and often dine alone. But not everyone feels comfortable doing that. 

Yes, that is correct but why would you automatically assume the diner was embarrassed? I dine alone

as well.  You know what they say about assuming......

[Joanne G.]

5 hours ago, Gypsymimi said:

Many women are reluctant to dine by themselves. I know women who won't go to the movies by themselves! And a woman dining alone may feel that others are looking at her and pitying her. I don't feel that way- I travel for business and often dine alone. But not everyone feels comfortable doing that. 

 

I do many things by myself - go to shows and movies, attend art fairs and community events, visit museums, and once I took a one-week beach vacation by myself.   But as I look forward to my first solo cruise (after many cruises with my sister or friends), the dining issue is making me a little nervous.   I have never gone into a sit-down restaurant by myself on any of my solo outings, including on many business trips.  I eat at casual places like Pret a Manger or museum cafeterias when out of town.   On that solo vacation, I was in a condo and bought basic groceries to fix my own meals.   On business trips, I ordered room service or ate take-out deli food.  

 

My cruise is on NCL, with freestyle dining, and I want to resist the urge to eat every meal by myself in the buffet.  I understand NCL often makes a special effort for solos, such hosting a gathering before dinner for those who would like to eat in a group.  That sounds like a good idea for me.   As for entering the dining room alone, I wouldn't mind being seated with others, but my concern would be being seated with others who didn't necessarily want company.  I imagine I will meet people on board, but I don't want to invite myself along for any activities or meals.  My fear of feeling unwelcome is stronger than my fear of being lonely.    

 

I will board with a positive attitude.  I want to have a good time, and I want to enjoy it enough to plan other solo cruisers when I can't find a traveling companion. 

 

I enjoy reading of others' experiences as I plan for my first solo cruise.  

[Lois R]

Hi Joanne, sounds like you are up for doing things on your own at home. You may end up quite enjoying yourself

if you tried one of the sit down restaurants on your own. Normally (well in my experiences) the wait staff in the

Specialty restaurants are very accommodating and the food and service are usually excellent

[coastcat]

3 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

 

My cruise is on NCL, with freestyle dining, and I want to resist the urge to eat every meal by myself in the buffet.  I understand NCL often makes a special effort for solos, such hosting a gathering before dinner for those who would like to eat in a group.  That sounds like a good idea for me.   As for entering the dining room alone, I wouldn't mind being seated with others, but my concern would be being seated with others who didn't necessarily want company.  I imagine I will meet people on board, but I don't want to invite myself along for any activities or meals.  My fear of feeling unwelcome is stronger than my fear of being lonely.   

 

One thing which really attracted me to NCL was having no assigned seating. I am perfectly content to dine solo but would feel less happy about being seated as the lone and unwelcome outsider at a table full of family members. That's like the worst Thanksgiving ever!

 

With Freestyle I don't know if you can even request to be seated at a group table, since it's not like a traditional dining room where everyone arrives and starts the meal at the same time.

 

If you'd like, attend the solo gathering before dinner. I've never seen any NCL daily that did not list such a thing every day. On Bliss there was a group dinner arranged every night (rotated between the three MDRs) plus arrangements for shows. You might meet other solos or friendly groups at the roll call meet & greet, if there is one for your sailing.

 

The servers and staff were perfectly gracious and I enjoyed proper 3-course meals while dining solo. Sure, there's no one to split a dessert with, but there's also no one to scold you if you order two desserts...

 

Oddly enough, I think the buffet was the most difficult place to dine as a solo. It got really busy there, and there was no one to grab/retain a table. If you wanted a second plate of food, you might return to find the table cleared and someone else sitting there!

 

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by coastcat

[NSnJW]

For solo dining at the buffet, I have seen people leave a book at the table.  This seems to hold a table fairly well.

[Joanne G.]

10 hours ago, coastcat said:

 . . . .  Sure, there's no one to split a dessert with, but there's also no one to scold you if you order two desserts...

 

Thanks for making me laugh at something that is making me a little nervous.   😁

 

That's good to know about NCL not asking about sharing a table.  Most of my NCL cruises were some time ago, either pre-freestlyle or shortly after the implementation of freestyle, when we were asked if we wanted to share.   On Carnival's version of non-traditional dining, we were asked if we wanted to share or not, and on Princess, it was pretty much an assumption that you would share unless you spoke up otherwise.   It's good to know what to expect.

 

Thanks also for pointing out the issue with being solo I in a busy buffet area.  

 

[brillohead]

11 hours ago, coastcat said:

I am perfectly content to dine solo but would feel less happy about being seated as the lone and unwelcome outsider at a table full of family members. 

I have never had this happen to me as a solo, nor have I ever had it happen when dining as a group/family.  
 
As a solo, I've been placed at a table with other solos. 

When traveling in a group, our linked reservations were always seated together with no "outsiders" included. 

When traveling with my teenaged son as a two-person family, we were either assigned a two-top, assigned a four-top with another two-person family/group, or assigned at six-top with a four-person family with children in the same age group as my son.

[Gypsymimi]

23 hours ago, Lois R said:

Yes, that is correct but why would you automatically assume the diner was embarrassed? I dine alone

as well.  You know what they say about assuming......

In my post, I said I admired her for NOT being embarrassed. No one was assuming she was embarrassed. But some women are. 

[oakridger]

On 12/15/2019 at 6:30 PM, coastcat said:

.......Oddly enough, I think the buffet was the most difficult place to dine as a solo. It got really busy there, and there was no one to grab/retain a table. If you wanted a second plate of food, you might return to find the table cleared and someone else sitting there!

 

Hi coastcat!  I sail solo  most of the time and made myself a sign on a neon colored 3X5 card that said "I'll be right back!".  When I found a table in the buffet and left to get my food I left the card at my place as well as when I got up mid meal to get extras or dessert. The waiters all loved the idea and I've not had my food removed or chair taken since.  It worked great at the bar for bathroom breaks too!!!  I even lent it to a couple other solos at the bar when they left for the bathroom.  It makes a great conversation piece too 😊!

Happy solo sailing,

~Nancy

[coastcat]

57 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Hi coastcat!  I sail solo  most of the time and made myself a sign on a neon colored 3X5 card that said "I'll be right back!".  When I found a table in the buffet and left to get my food I left the card at my place as well as when I got up mid meal to get extras or dessert. The waiters all loved the idea and I've not had my food removed or chair taken since.  It worked great at the bar for bathroom breaks too!!!  I even lent it to a couple other solos at the bar when they left for the bathroom.  It makes a great conversation piece too 😊!

Happy solo sailing,

~Nancy

You are my new hero! That's a brilliant idea.