Any tips for cruising Oceania (relatively) young and solo?

[roothy123]

I think you'll have a great time. While some people apparently feel Oceania is not the best cruise line for singles (and it very well may not be!), I truly don't feel it is a BAD cruise line for singles. Oceania does what it does quite well for the price (and not just the food) but it's not like Celebrity, which in my opinion tries to do too much for all groups of people (e.g., info in multiple languages, get-togethers for various groups - singles, gays, people from Canada, veterans, AA, service groups, hosted Roll Call get-togethers, etc. - although Oceania may do some of the same stuff). In my book, it's certainly not bad to do special things for certain groups, but if you have limited resources, it's probably better that you spend those resources making the cruise experience better for ALL people.

 

I would not look at your experience with taking one of two open spots for a tour as being that the group was kind enough to go along with that but rather I would assume that everyone was more than happy to have you join along. It is, after all, just the number of seats a bus or van or whatever can hold, not an ark in which the animals go "two by two"! Maybe another single person will sign up later, or one person from a couple or group will - won't be the first time this has happened, I'm sure!

 

I wasn't aware there was an old Soviet prison in Tallinn. That sounds like something I would have liked to have done, and I definitely would have done it alone, using buses if possible, taxi if not. I have a husband who is not into doing as much walking and going "off the beaten path" as much as I am, so we more than just occasionally go our separate ways. I would recommend that you do go to that prison if at all possible. If you want, I'm good at researching how to do things using public transportation, so let me know if you want help. I also have info on where Marina docked on our cruise, summer a couple years ago, plus where the shuttle bus went, if that will help. I can't guarantee things will be the same for your cruise, but it's a start. Also, inyourpocket.com and tomsportguides.com are good sources of info for Tallinn.

 

As for finding travel companions, my husband would like to cruise with friends. However, we have difficulty doing this, too, as most of our friends don't have the money to cruise, feel they have too many family obligations to get away, are afraid of getting norovirus, and on and on. However, the suggestion by the previous poster to go to the singles section of the forums is a good one. Portoftallinn.com is port's website and they probably list the ships due in by date and location, or cruisett.com will also show you information, although it's not as reliable as the port's site.

 

Good luck. I think you'll find the people on O to be a down to earth, accepting group. There are many extroverts on cruises, too, so I doubt you'll feel alone very often, or maybe just the first day or two.

 

Now I'm off to research that former Soviet prison...By the way, if you know of another cruise ship that's going to be in Tallinn the same time and roughly same hours, you might post on their Roll Call to see if anyone wants to pair up with you.

Edited February 12, 2015 by roothy123

[Hawaiidan]

While I've been "young" and on Oceania before, it was always with my daughter and we were able to find plenty of fun and safe mischief to get into. Especially on those evenings in port when we'd usually end up in these wonderful out of the way places with the ship's entertainers. I'm doing this next trip solo and I'm looking for any tips on where to best socialize in the evenings, find ways not to be the third wheel at dinner (or have to eat in my stateroom every night), and finding small tours to tag along with (I am using the roll call function, here I'm looking more for the advice or experiences of others that have done this solo, especially in the Baltics.

 

Any tips are appreciated, I'm rather an introvert, prefer (actually love) hearing other people's stories rather than talking myself, and a real history buff. Daughter has to make her own way in the world now and there are too many places in the world I want to see so I can't wait until she can afford the time and money to be my traveling companero (companion) again!

 

Oceania is total wonderful for couples and groups traveling together. The entire focus of the line/ambiance is for couples. You can do anything and survive . You will not however thrive...

The entire focus is not on singles.. People will be nice but you will have very limited options for any interaction....

Maybe one here and one there but yes you will be that 5th wheel......The one people feel sorry for but will only extend a hand once...to be polite.

 

While it is a fantastic experience for 2 it is poor at best for 1

My suggestion is to take Crystal which has healthy discounts for singles AND meet and mingle programs to further enable single passenger's

Cruise lines have a personality that is designed to fit and extol a specific demographic and Single is NOT it.

Do not waste your money till your are ready to fit in the mold...Not with other etter options......please understand this line, no matter how you frost it will not deliver happiness to you !!!

[roothy123]

Well, I completely disagree with H-Dan's post. My husband routinely meets people by simply going up to them and chatting, though I'm an introvert, so tend to meet far fewer. However, I didn't come back here to debate suitability of Oceania for single pax.

 

I came back here to mention that I looked at the website for the Soviet prison, and the prison looks fascinating. It says it opens at noon, so you have plenty of time to get there, and perhaps even meet up in the port with someone from another cruise line if that's a possibility. The website says you can take a tram or bus from center city and then walk a bit, or of course, I'm sure a cab could take you. My husband took a tram to the zoo from close to where the shuttle bus from the port dropped us. He said it was pretty easy. (I think you'll need euro coins, though, and of course you'll want to check the tram schedule, take port agent info with you, take enough money for a cab back if needed, and watch the time while there.)

 

You might want to get off the ship early, do a little exploring in Tallinn, and then go to the prison. Tallinn's old town is pretty nice.

[oceanbill457]

She is already booked on a cruise. It is hardly appropriate to suggest she has no hope to enjoy it.

[Mura]

Personally, I don't accept at all that passengers won't accept a singleton. That has not been our experience at all.

 

Way back when (on Renaissance) my husband was ill one night -- not sick, he'd just been eating too much! So I went into dinner on my own and shared a table with 3 other couples. They were very welcoming. We had a lovely time.

 

Likewise, when I've been in charge of a Meet & Greet and know that someone is traveling alone, we have invited that person to join us for dinner. Many others do the same.

 

It bothers me when people act as if a singleton is not welcome at a table. I have just never seen that.

 

People traveling on their own simply should not feel that they are required to be alone at a table. (Maybe in Terrace, but some have no problem asking if they can join people at a table where not all seats are taken.)

 

In the GDR you can just ask to join others, and yes, they talk to you! You can also sign up for the specialty restaurants and say you want to share. It's not all that hard.

 

Is Oceania geared towards couples? Sure. But that doesn't mean that everyone on board is hostile towards people traveling alone.

 

I know from reports that this can be a problem for someone who has been widowed. Suddenly the couples' friends ignore them. But I've never seen anything like that on board ship.

 

As to private touring, I don't think I'm alone in liking to have an empty seat or two on the bus! So we DO welcome a single passenger in a tour that we have set up. It doesn't really affect the per person cost all that much.

 

When I set up private tours, it's first come, first served. I don't worry if it's one person or two.

 

Mura

[mksedwards]

Alaala, do you mind letting me know how it went? I see some 2016 Oceania itineraries that are very attractive to me (more so than the Crystal ones) and am in a similar position where I would be traveling solo. Thanks!

[cruisingxpert]

One of my best cruises ever was traveling solo on Oceania to Alaska last year. I met another single and a couple and we did several tours together. We had such a good time we booked another cruise. The other single and myself will still get our own cabin.

 

The suggestion to sign up for La Reserve is a good one.

 

Also check the Offers for Singles on home page. There are currently 29 cruises offering a 25% or 50% single supplement and they keep adding new ones periodically. That's how I ended up going on the Alaka cruise - I was looking for something affordable for a solo. It was a great deal.

[bitob]

Go to the needlepoint group. You will meet a lot of women there.

 

I think a lot of one's success or failure traveling as a single is dependent on the individual. I have a friend who travelled as a single on oceAnia for years after she was widowed. She had more dinner invitations than there were evenings.

[jollyjones]

To the OP - just stick a smile on your face and go out and about the ship, join in whatever interests you, and the odds are that you will have a great cruise.

 

However, for information for any future cruises you might consider, I have cruised a lot, always solo, on NCL, HAL, Costa, Celeb, Princess (elite with them) Oceania, and Silversea and IMO, Silversea offers by far the best experience (and value for money) for solo young (or young at heart) ladies like us.

[I_r_a]

Hey ala,

 

Maintain course and speed.

 

It's worked until now, right?

 

Enjoy your trip.

 

Ira

[sitraveler]

You did realize that this is an old thread???

[Hawaiidan]

Leslie, excellent advice. "Don't travel solo on Oceania." You have been warned. Let the buyer beware. Oceania is a couples ship: If you are not a couple or traveling with someone else-Oceania makes it clear that we do not want you. The two groups that Oceania is not interested in having are children and solo travelers.

 

 

Thats reality that you need to recognize ...or suffer.

[DeanoNorthPerth]

You stated you are a history buff. In that case, you will be a very valued member of an afternoon (usually 4:30 PM) or evening (usually 8:45 PM) trivia team. Although I have not traveled solo yet on Oceania, I have played trivia solo and have met a lot of wonderful people that way.

 

That is the best advice on this entire thread. I have met some wonderful people, including many solo travellers, at trivia including the delightful Sukey who has posted above.