The dangers of travelling solo

[davecttr]

I travel solo, this leads to lots of problems when cruising.

 

You are forced to make a choice between window and aisle seats on the plane, no being squashed in the middle.

The people sitting next to you provide the boiled sweets.

No sharing a cabin, use ALL the space

Too many drawers, I only have one suitcase to fill 9 of em plus a double wardrobe.

A double bed just for you, outside single cabins have double beds.

Leave your clothes all over the floor, they mysteriously get tidied up, there must be somebody sneaking in with a tidy fetish.

Leave the bathroom door open when showering, its amazing how far the water scatters.

You spend a lot of time in the bar, the bar staff like you.

You spend a lot of time eating.

Decks chairs are easy for singles, always a spare somewhere.

You put on 9lbs weight :eek:

You have to make your own choice of excursion.

You meet other solos and have a laugh about all the suspicious looks from the 'couples'.

You trigger a maternal instinct in the female bar staff and they all end up hugging you, I can take any amount of hugging :D:D:D

You get to talk to a bloke at the bar about a common interest in the difference between the Rolls Royce Merlin and Griffin aero engines

His wife is not amused.

You never see him again.

 

I am so put off by solo cruising that I will have to go on 2 more this year and next years brochures should be out soon.

[Luluchan]

Sounds far more pleasurable than sharing. Have a good cruise

[Single Traveller]

I'm going on cruise in August - alone. Don't really know what to expect. Are there many singles on board? Is it easy to meet people? Any tips?:o

[davecttr]

I'm going on cruise in August - alone. Don't really know what to expect. Are there many singles on board? Is it easy to meet people? Any tips?:o

 

Thomson ships don't have that many single cabins unlike say Fred Olsen which have quite a few. On my last cruise of 13 nights on the Spirit there were probably under 20 as the ship only has 18 single cabins. There is always someone who has managed to book late and get a double at a single price.

 

There are debates about the difference between solo and single cruises but for me solo means you are travelling on your own without the desire to hook up with someone. As such you may already have a partner at home but for whatever reason are taking this holiday on your own. I travel solo to visit all the places I missed during my long work years and hopefully my health will hold out long enough for dozens of cruises!.

 

Check out the solo forum elsewhere on this site for lots more information and moral support etc..

 

Back to my 13 nighter, on boarding there was a letter in my cabin inviting me to lunch with the social hostess Victoria so I went along to see what happened. About 18 solo cruisers attended and Victoria broke the ice and we even had a free drink with lunch- yipee. Throughout the cruise there were invitations posted in the daily cruise news inviting us to various venues, we had:

breakfast

lunch

dinner

pre dinner drinks

etc

 

Note that none of this was compulsory and the number of people attending varied although there was always a core of around a dozen.

 

I got together with a group of others who decided that, as the restaurant was open seating, IF you did not want to go in on on your own to meet outside at a set time so we could go in together( actually some of us met half an hour earlier in the bar!), others did their own thing so there was a varying number of people present.

 

For the rest of my time I did my own thing although you do bump into other solos from time to time. Surprising someone who met for dinner had the cabin next door to me and I did not know until the last morning.

 

Ages? on this cruise I reckon early forties to eighties although age does not matter as some were still in the High Spirits bar after 2am!

 

As for meeting people, no problem and I did more talking in a week than a normal month!.

 

the thing to do is go with a open mind and if you get any funny looks from couples just think that of the 700+ couples on board how many would actually rather be travelling on their own!

 

Dave

 

ps a couple actually did strike up a friendship as they started eating together etc so good luck to them.

[Single Traveller]

Thank you. Have been out today with the girlies:D You have put my mind at rest. hope you do not mind if i tell you how i got on when i get back! going for one week cruise one week in spain:)

[vwgolf]

I feel sorry for you having all of those problems just because you travel alone. I've just returned from a cruise with my family and have enjoyed the following:

 

1 The four of us squeezing into a nice cramped cabin and falling out over drawer/wardrobe space.

2 Arguments on whose turn it is to use the bathroom next.

3 Giving up my meal to my wife shen she decides that mine looks better than the one she ordered.

4 Spending a day by the pool instead of visiting archeological sites or marvelling at ancient architectural ruins.

5 Walking around shops similar to those found in a British High Street instead of visiting archeological sites or marvelling at ancient architectural ruins.

6 Being told "you've had enough" even though you have booked All Inclusive.

7 Being poked in the ribs every time you glance at a young lady in a bikini.

 

Yes, I really do feel sorry for you!

[john_l]

 

6 Being told "you've had enough" even though you have booked All Inclusive.

 

lol - Being poked in the ribs again when you walk into the Horizons bar in the evening with the DW, and the bar man asks do I want my usual pint of lager and a whisky to go with it, after I have told her during the day that I was only popping in for a quick glass of lager :eek::eek:

[capasamari]

You don't say how old your children are vwgolf, but seriously a cruise holiday is one where you can sometimes be a little bit selfish and say you are going on an excursion (by yourself if necessary if no-one else wants to go sightseeing with you) while the rest of them laze by the pool or go shopping, and you can all meet up again later in the day. Apart from anything else it gives you something new to talk about.

 

As for the A.I., well as long as you're not making a fool of yourself (did someone mention the free rum punch on the boat trip in Antigua :o??) then just enjoy, you're on holiday!!

 

We pay a lot of money to go on our cruises and there is no point coming home not having made the most of it.

 

Carol x

[tez21]

Can anybody advise what/where/when are the best deals to be had for solo cruisers. I would love to go but those supplements are a killer.

 

Tez