RedgeToo

Tbh. I wouldn't trust the train service and would go the day before When I considered using the train to get to Southampton cruise terminal, I found it was cheaper to fly to Heathrow, stop over night, and get the coach the following day In a month I'll be driving down because I have parking included

Agreed

FB has lots of solos groups

I was on Epic last October and had a great time meeting other solos. Epic has a solo lounge where many solos meet for a pre-dinner drink after which some went to dinner together. If you're not in a solo cabin, ask for your keycard to give you access to the solo lounge. Even if you can't get access go to the lounge early evening and someone will let you in ;) Emir was the solo host. He was very good although a little too much of an organiser - I prefer to go with the flow, not be herded around the ship (JMHO and I respect some people who like to hang around in groups). Show Emir my picture, he'll remember me as I hosted one of his events when he needed time off. Have a great time

Yeah, I get that. My preference is to fly during my day and sail back to Blighty or Europe.

Yep, I'm a Brit and my 3 TAs to date have been West to East. Much better IMHO

JMHO: Next time you cruise solo, I would urge you to eat in the main dining room. It's much better in my opinion. Try asking for a sharing table or boldly state table for one, hold your head high and walk to your table. Read a book or engage in small talk with the adjoining tables. You'd be amazed how many solos, couples and families are desperate to talk to someone new 🤣 I honestly love walking into the restaurant on my own, being led to a sharing table - you get to meet some fascinating people.

I'm originally a Manc (from Manchester) and I would love to tell you the weather will be warm and sunny, but Manchester is in the UK. If you're fortunate, it'll be 25C and sunny, you'll need sunblock. If you're less fortunate, it'll be 10C and raining with an overnight low of 7C. So, regardless of the weather on the crossing, you most likely will need warm clothes to survive the summer in the UK. Enjoy Clapton

I've recently been on NCL Epic (Oct 23 - Mediterranean) and was only asked for my passport. I don't think there is a requirement for an ID and a passport, it wouldn't serve any purpose.

Hi Ima, I'm a long-time cruiser and have cruised solo since 2019 with Royal Caribbean(2x), NCL(1x), P&O(1x), Princess(1x), Cost(1x), Marella(1x) and MSC(3x). "I’m quite happy to go off and do my own thing but generally my cruise mate/s would at least meet up for dinner and we’d run into each other at different times and in different parts of the ship." Me too. I love my own time to read, think or just watch the world go by. I'm still happy to do things with others I have met if the "thing" interests me. In the evenings, I try to arrange a pre-dinner drink using this forum and/or FB. Generally, this works well with the highest attendance being 35 people. Then I either have dinner with whoever turns up or Igo the main dining room and ask for a sharing table. A sharing table is a bit of a gamble, but in all honesty, I've been very fortunate to eat dinner with some very interesting people. This is probably due to the nature of the people who ask for sharing tables. Go for it! "What can you safely leave on your deck chair or table?" I think the easiest way to save your place in a bar, restaurant, around the pool etc is just to leave a book on the table. "If your solo cruising level is set to anything higher than ‘Novice’, I’m interested in hearing your tips or tricks to get the best solo cruise mileage." IMHO, I would skip MSC. MSC don't cater very well for solos and there is generally only one meet-up per week. If you board on meet-up day, you miss the chance to meet other solos and could well spend your week isolated from others. Many people swear MSC are the best, they're certainly good value for money, but not for this solo. NCL were superb with a solo-only lounge which allows you to meet like-minded people, arrange for dinners, trips ashore etc. The lounge has a bar and an NCL host, who will book seats for the shows etc. On my NCL cruise, I met lots of people and had a great time, whilst being quite content during the day to sit and read. P&O have daily coffee mornings for solos. RC, Marella & Princess have daily evening meet-ups in bars Costa does nothing for solos AFAIK, but my Costa cruise was booked the day before it was due to sail and was my first solo after my divorce so I wasn't really in the mood for socialising so I could be wrong. That's it from me for now: You didn't say which cruise line you're sailing with, so please feel free to ask about the specific cruise line if you want to.

Oops, my bad Enjoy your cruise

Assuming you are flying from Heathrow, it will depend on how you travel to the airport. For example https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Southampton/Heathrow-England Don't forget you need to be checked in 2-3 hours before the flight. Personally, I'd be looking at an afternoon flight in case anything goes wrong.

Lots of info for you there. I'll be on my 3rd TA in November 2024 from Miami to Southampton with NCL (Encore). My first was with MSC from Rio de Janeiro to Marseille and I couldn't recommend MSC less for solo travellers, and my 2nd was with P&O from Barbados to Southampton. This trip was much better than MSC as there was a daily solo meet-up (only too early - 9 a.m. for my liking). I met some great people on both trips and I'm still in contact with a few of them. I'm just off 11 nights with NCL (Epic) around the Med. This was my first time with NCL and it was a blast. I prefer east to west because I don't see the point of trying to sleep on a plane. Weatherwise, I've been very lucky. Both TAs were in early spring and there was hardly a breeze with the Atlantic like a mill pond. The worst part for me was the journey from Southampton up to Cheshire Enjoy!

That's fine. I just prefer the MDR for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The world would be a dull place if we were all the same

I don't eat in the buffet - I prefer the MDR