New Member - First time cruiser!

[Earth Angel]

Hello everybody :)

 

My name is Susan, I'm 36 and from Milton Keynes, England.

 

I am going on my first cruise on 3rd September on NOS Royal Caribbean. Single traveller! Bit Scary but I'm sure I will be fine.

 

Are there any other single female travellers going to be on that cruise??

 

I am getting very excited now that it's getting close, although I'm very un-decisive as to what trips to do. Any tips/recommendations anyone? I'm visiting - Labadee, Ochos Rios, Georgetown, Cozumel.

 

Look forward to hearing from you all!

Susan

[celebrity]

There is a wealth of info on this board. Please read as much as you can. You will love Labadee! It's a fun day on a very safe island. There is a very nice barbeque lunch, lots of places to explore. You can sign up for kayaking if you want & it was great except that on the way back you stop at a small strip on the beach where the natives are selling hand made souveniers. It was a bit upsetting as this is the poorest island in the Western Hemisphere. My son wanted maracas & I didn't have any money so the tour guide told me I could buy them & she would give the man the money on the way back. When I returned back to the starting point I heard the man calling me over at the fence so I ran over to him to give him the cash. A guard tried to stop me from going to the fence and I pleaded with him to allow me to pay for my purchase. Thankfully he relented. The only other comment on islands is Cozumel. Loved it! I didn't sail with RCCL on that trip but the snorkeling at Palancar Reef is awesome! Very gracious people there. You are very brave to travel alone. Good for you & Bon Voyage!

[Earth Angel]

Wow! Thanks for your quick reply.

 

Yes I am a bit brave, my friends all think I'm mad but as I said to them there are so many people on the ship that I am sure I will meet a few other single travellers so I'm not too worried.

 

It's a shame that there are so many less fortunate people than ourselves, but on the other hand it's good to know that our visits to their islands help bring in a bit more money for them and their families.

[kenandlaura06]

Good for you! Have a wonderful trip--I think you will find this board to be very helpful.

[caviargal]

Congratulations on your first solo cruise! As you will see on these boards, there are lots of us out there. It is a great experience and I would be surprised if you don't come back ready to go solo again.

 

You picked a very good ship for your age group and cruising solo. There is much to do and the nightlife on this class of ship is excellent. RCI has always done a great job of seating me with compatible singles when I sail single and this is nice as well.

 

Wish I could join you but I KNOW you will have a blast!

[Earth Angel]

Thank you for your replies :)

 

I have already picked up some fab tips for cruising, in fact I have been searching through for so long I have done very little work this morning :eek:

 

I can see this site is going to be ever so slightly addictive :D

[AngieBaby161]

Susan...If you have not done so yet, you should go to the Meet & Mingle board and see if there is a thread going for your specific cruise. There you may find an answer to your any other singles a bit easier.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

BTW...is Milton Keynes near Bletchley Bucks? We have a chap & his wife on our cruise from there.

 

Also there is another board section for port of calls, that may help you in deciding on what to do.

In Grand Cayman I would suggest the Swim with the Sting Rays. Wonderful expierence, you will never be that close to that many Rays at once again...unless of course you do the tour again! :D

[jagsfan]

hi.......one of the many things I love about cruising is the friendliness of the

people on a ship. you can talk to anyone, and they're happy to answer back,

because it is a totally nonthreatening atmosphere. To get into trouble, you

would have to really work at it. Whether you dine with singles, or couples,

you should be able to enjoy your new friends........have fun!

[Tony O]

Hello everybody :)

 

My name is Susan, I'm 36 and from Milton Keynes, England.

 

I am going on my first cruise on 3rd September on NOS Royal Caribbean. Single traveller! Bit Scary but I'm sure I will be fine.

 

Are there any other single female travellers going to be on that cruise??

 

I am getting very excited now that it's getting close, although I'm very un-decisive as to what trips to do. Any tips/recommendations anyone? I'm visiting - Labadee, Ochos Rios, Georgetown, Cozumel.

 

Look forward to hearing from you all!

Susan

We just got back from Voyager cruise. We were in all the places except for Cozumel.

Labadee is a beach day. It's RCCL's private island very pretty. We just explored the island and rented a beach mat to float the day away in the water. They do have other things to do but you need to go to RCCL's website to see what's available.

In Ocho Rios we went on a private tour by Peat Taylor there are many post about him in the port of calls section. He was great !! We got to many places before others did and boy that really made a difference.

In Georgetown DH and DD went on a private tour by Nativeway. The snorkled went to stingray city and up to rum point beach for lunch. I opted to just to a quick tour of island and just hang around town.

I would recommed that you go to the port of call sections and decide for yourself.

I know Peat and Nativeway tours are very aware of when you have to be back to the ship.

I would not hesitate to use private tour operators but read what people have to say and then you decide since we all have different opinions.The prices were much cheaper than booking through cruise line and alot less crowded.

I do have some pictures posted so you can get somewhat of an idea on where you will be headed.

Oh yes one thig I forgot to mention. when you are in Labadee or Ocho Rios ther are many merchants selling their wares. They are somewhat agressive so you just need to be firm and say "no thank you "and walk away.Don't let them put anything in your hands as it's almost impossible to give it back. Also if they ask you you name just say "no problem" as they have certain items they quickly engrave with your name on it and will pester you into buying it since they engraved your name on it. so just look and don't touch unless you want to buy it.

Also never pay the price they quote you .You need to negotiate with them .We bought several items for 1/2 they asking price on items.

Hope this has been helpful

[EllieD]

Hey!

 

If you haven't already checked it out you might also browse or post on on the "singles cruising" forum (under the heading of 'special interests'). I've been toying around the idea of solo cruising (I enjoy land travel with myself) and found the forum to be incredibly helpful! Many folks in the forum having been cruising solo often and have lots of helpful advice, give great suggestions on what to do in ports, and seem to be really supportive of fellow solo cruisers.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Earth Angel]

Thanks for all your replies guys...

 

YES Bletchley is near me, in fact approximately 3 miles from where I live! Hope they are having a womderful time:)

 

I had heard about going it solo on the trips, but as a single traveller I would rather be in a group just for security reasons..it's difficult to know what to do for the best really. Do I book the trips now to guarantee my place, or wait till I board the ship in the hope that I will "pair up" with someone to go on private trips, but then run the risk of the trips I want being fully booked if I am alone :eek:

I take on board the comments about the sellers, thank you very much for those tips as I am a bit soft when it comes to people trying to sell me things! I will just have to be more strict with myself....or else it's going to cost me a fortune! LOL

[jst4fun715]

I have not cruised solo, but thought I would mention that I think there is a meeting for single cruisers nearly day somewhere on the ship. I remember seeing this on the daily Compass. Also, as someone else mentioned, you should look on the roll call boards to see if there is one going for your particular cruise. Enjoy your trip! BTW, we're doing a land vacation on your side of the pond in October. Flying into Manchester and staying with friends who live in Yorkshire.:D

[Earth Angel]

I have registered for the meet & mingle now so I am a bit more relaxed about being on my own :)

 

A holiday in Yorkshire...good for you, it will be cold up there in October so bring some warm clothes!!