First time solo travel?

[colesc15]

Hi all. Curious for opinions and thoughts. My wife and I have done roughly 25 cruises over the last handful of years. We have a number of them coming up. There's one I want to take, but she wouldn't be able to go.. For those who travel normally with their significant other, did you enjoy it? I'm not super outgoing, we typically like to do shows and hang out in the bars at night. She usually sparks up the conversations with other couples. 

 

I can't decide if I'd enjoy it or not. It's comped through the casino, but her pto is maxed out. For what it's worth, her and I are cruising beginning of October and beginning of November, and this one in eyeing is second to last week of October with a dirt cheap flight. 

[twangster]

A bigger concern might be what if you enjoy solo cruising and want to book more solo?  😇

 

Seriously as a frequent solo cruiser who sometimes cruises with family or friends I've come to enjoy the solo approach of doing what I want, when I want, where I want and only paying for one on shore excursions.  Then I cruise with someone and it cramps my solo freedom.    

[Hoopster95]

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

A bigger concern might be what if you enjoy solo cruising and want to book more solo?  😇

  

 

THIS ^   50 million percent! 😛👍

 

7 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

I can't decide if I'd enjoy it or not. 

 

Just do it. You will love it.

[Southern Dan]

I want to book a solo cruise or two for 2025 since my wife has limited PTO.  Still figuring out the best way to bring it up to her.  I can have fun anywhere and think I'd have a blast cruising solo.

[Cherful59]

@colesc15 try it, if you hate it, don’t do it again.  Since it is comped with cheap airfare you won’t be out much.  
 

I usually sail with my sister, but have cruised on my own as well and will again.  

[OCSC Mike]

7 minutes ago, Cherful59 said:

@colesc15 try it, if you hate it, don’t do it again.  Since it is comped with cheap airfare you won’t be out much.

 

I like this answer.

 

I don't see myself ever sailing solo for various reasons but I've wondered how much I'd enjoy it, hypothetically. I'm confident I wouldn't hate it but my wife and I are on the same page as far as routine goes and it's so laid back to begin with that it might go from relaxing to boring if I were to do it alone. Plus I need her picture-taking skills for my live blogs, lol, b/c mine are lacking.

[shandryl]

I have done both and prefer "Solo" you can be as busy as you want or do nothing. You decide everything.😊 

[Oceansaway17]

56 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

Hi all. Curious for opinions and thoughts. My wife and I have done roughly 25 cruises over the last handful of years. We have a number of them coming up. There's one I want to take, but she wouldn't be able to go.. For those who travel normally with their significant other, did you enjoy it? I'm not super outgoing, we typically like to do shows and hang out in the bars at night. She usually sparks up the conversations with other couples. 

 

I can't decide if I'd enjoy it or not. It's comped through the casino, but her pto is maxed out. For what it's worth, her and I are cruising beginning of October and beginning of November, and this one in eyeing is second to last week of October with a dirt cheap flight. 

you don't say if this is a sightseeing cruise or just a relaxing Caribbean cruise. Each has a different vibe.

 

As someone who travels solo all the time, I find people to talk to and I get to do what I want on my terms.  I chat with folks in theatre while waiting for show to start, I chat with folks in sitting areas as well as restaurants.  Oh, and the crew will be chatty if they see you are alone as they too are alone and away from family.

 

I would say try it once and make sure to bring a good book along for company and walk around the ship and enjoy the views of the water.  Make it an adventure and consider it good practice for when one day this is how you might have to travel.

[colesc15]

53 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

I like this answer.

 

I don't see myself ever sailing solo for various reasons but I've wondered how much I'd enjoy it, hypothetically. I'm confident I wouldn't hate it but my wife and I are on the same page as far as routine goes and it's so laid back to begin with that it might go from relaxing to boring if I were to do it alone. Plus I need her picture-taking skills for my live blogs, lol, b/c mine are lacking.

This is 100% her and I. We're very laid back so my only concern is going from laid back to being bored. I'd probably do another live trip report to keep me occupied.

 

Her pto is maxed, but when I saw I could go solo on symphony for $180 in Port fees and like $150 round trip air from my local, it got me thinking. 

[colesc15]

29 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

you don't say if this is a sightseeing cruise or just a relaxing Caribbean cruise. Each has a different vibe.

 

As someone who travels solo all the time, I find people to talk to and I get to do what I want on my terms.  I chat with folks in theatre while waiting for show to start, I chat with folks in sitting areas as well as restaurants.  Oh, and the crew will be chatty if they see you are alone as they too are alone and away from family.

 

I would say try it once and make sure to bring a good book along for company and walk around the ship and enjoy the views of the water.  Make it an adventure and consider it good practice for when one day this is how you might have to travel.

Caribbean. It's symphony out of jersey so a pretty lame itinerary that I'd likely only get off in Coco cay. We did the itinerary a few weeks ago. Awful itinerary but I love symphony. 

[colesc15]

1 hour ago, Southern Dan said:

I want to book a solo cruise or two for 2025 since my wife has limited PTO.  Still figuring out the best way to bring it up to her.  I can have fun anywhere and think I'd have a blast cruising solo.

When I brought it up, she was 100% on board. She misses when I'm gone but she likes having full control of everything we home when I'm gone lol 

[Another_Critic]

4 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

This is 100% her and I. We're very laid back so my only concern is going from laid back to being bored. I'd probably do another live trip report to keep me occupied.

 

Her pto is maxed, but when I saw I could go solo on symphony for $180 in Port fees and like $150 round trip air from my local, it got me thinking. 

Plus another 14 points for C&A (assuming you have the same or more points than your wife).

[SoloAlaska]

What is it that makes a trip enjoyable and will you succeed in achieving that on your own. I adore solo cruising. The extra storage space in my cabin is fabulous. Coming and going and deciding my schedule on the fly is fabulous. The only part I didn’t like was on my first cruise at restart there was no solo dinning table so I was sitting alone against a wall. I made friends however the next day and ate dinner with my “cruise mom and siblings” from then on.

[OCSC Mike]

7 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

Awful itinerary but I love symphony.

 

No such thing as a boring itinerary to us. We're happy to be on any Oasis class ship (especially Wonder) and enjoy CocoCay so we don't even look at the ports. OK, I look at them after the fact, but we'd go anywhere during our usual sailing times and then decide on excursions once I know where we're going.

 

We have what many would consider an awful itinerary booked for 3X in the future... Utopia B2B's just so we can go to CocoCay twice and otherwise not leave the ship... but we did one before and it works for us. It also helps offset rising cruise costs and Utopia inflation by not spending a penny on excursions (other than tipping on voucher drinks while on CocoCay).

[colesc15]

15 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

No such thing as a boring itinerary to us. We're happy to be on any Oasis class ship (especially Wonder) and enjoy CocoCay so we don't even look at the ports. OK, I look at them after the fact, but we'd go anywhere during our usual sailing times and then decide on excursions once I know where we're going.

 

We have what many would consider an awful itinerary booked for 3X in the future... Utopia B2B's just so we can go to CocoCay twice and otherwise not leave the ship... but we did one before and it works for us. It also helps offset rising cruise costs and Utopia inflation by not spending a penny on excursions (other than tipping on voucher drinks while on CocoCay).

People always look at me like I'm crazy when I say I don't know the itinerary on an oasis class ship. Lol. I'm content on the ship all week with a stop at Coco cay

[colesc15]

26 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Plus another 14 points for C&A (assuming you have the same or more points than your wife).

Right now we're at the same points, but from my understanding, if I get to pinnacle first, she'd also become pinnacle because being married. 

[OCSC Mike]

19 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

Right now we're at the same points, but from my understanding, if I get to pinnacle first, she'd also become pinnacle because being married. 

 

Correct. It goes by whoever has more points. If you have different point totals, you will each see the higher total when either of you log into the app/website but behind the scenes, you each have your own point total.

 

Hope that made sense. I see my wife's D+ point total in my account but I'm individually nowhere near 180 pts b/c I married into a chunk of points (she sailed with her family as a kid, I didn't cruise until my honeymoon).

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, colesc15 said:

Caribbean. It's symphony out of jersey so a pretty lame itinerary that I'd likely only get off in Coco cay. We did the itinerary a few weeks ago. Awful itinerary but I love symphony. 

 

Check my latest video from Symphony in late May. There are some episodes about ports too. If Wonder is sailing from Port Canaveral on the day of your arrival Symphony will be docked at the very first (Carnival) dock and you can easily walk to the beach. You can do the same thing in Nassau. I was with my husband, but I wouldn't have been bored alone too. So much to see and do.

 

 

[silentbob007]

I've cruised 3-12 night cruises solo ... it is definitely a different experience.  I'm not overly social in my normal life but with things like the Crown Lounge, I've been able to meet people and get some great advice (such as with my first cruise in Europe).  It is nice to be in complete control of the itinerary, etc.  I've sometimes tried to do large tables for traditional dining and that has generally not gone the greatest with people either not showing up or just not liking that they were assigned to a large table.  I started just going to the buffet (this was before they shortened service) as a 2-hour dinner sitting alone at a table for 10 was not the best experience.

[Tatka]

1 minute ago, silentbob007 said:

.  I've sometimes tried to do large tables for traditional dining and that has generally not gone the greatest with people either not showing up or just not liking that they were assigned to a large table.  I started just going to the buffet (this was before they shortened service) as a 2-hour dinner sitting alone at a table for 10 was not the best experience.

 

You can request a table for 2 for yourself  (MTD). We sail with my husband and request a table for 2. We almost never eat desserts, but may order several appetizers and on (rare) occasion several entries. Our dinners last 45 minutes (1 hour on rare occasions),

[colesc15]

I'll report back on what I decide. I'm leaning towards giving it a try. 

[smokeybandit]

13 minutes ago, Tatka said:

 

You can request a table for 2 for yourself  (MTD). We sail with my husband and request a table for 2. We almost never eat desserts, but may order several appetizers and on (rare) occasion several entries. Our dinners last 45 minutes (1 hour on rare occasions),

That's been our experience.  Appetizer, entree, and out the door in 45-55 minutes. Our record is 40.

[Another_Critic]

19 minutes ago, Tatka said:

If Wonder is sailing from Port Canaveral on the day of your arrival Symphony will be docked at the very first (Carnival) dock and you can easily walk to the beach. 

 

Symphony switches to Tuesday port call at Port Canaveral after the August 9th sailing night.  Cape Liberty departure switches from Friday to Sunday starting August 18th.  She is scheduled to dock at CT1 (Royal Caribbean's main dock) from the switch until the end of the Northeast season..

[colesc15]

Well, booked it. I paid the $60 to upgrade to the last boardwalk balcony in the row on deck 9 so I can see the ocean and catch the aqua show a few times. I'll likely do a trip report for it since I'll have more time on my hands. I'll be excited and nervous! My favorite bartender from two weeks ago goes on vacation in September unfortunately so I'll miss him by a month. 

[livingonthebeach]

I've done both as well. Sailed solo multiple times at the restart and made many cruise friends. There's so much to do you won't be bored and you have the freedom to do whatever you want when you want to. Enjoy!