Dining - for me the most difficult part of soloing

[cruizergal70]

Comments about not wanting to eat with random strangers make me smile.

 

I travelled to meet up with two 'random strangers' that I met on Adventure of the Seas a few years ago. Sadly one of our group couldn't make it due to a bad fall.

 

Random strangers can become good friends.

 

I'm not looking for friends.

[AdoraBelle]

I'm not looking for friends.

 

 

Ditto. I badly need the alone time. :)

[Tura Lura]

Ditto. I badly need the alone time. :)

 

Agreed. I'm not going to meet people, I'm going to get away from people! Solitude, doing what I want when I want, not worrying about anyone else.

[Flamencacha]

Your story is my fear. Three solo cruises and I've never eaten in the MDR. I know everyone says they put solos together but I really don't think there are other solos. I never see anyone else alone. I feel like people look at me weird for being alone. I would hate to be seated with a family and feel like I'm intruding on their dinner.

 

 

 

4 solo cruises and 2 more coming up. Dining Traditional if it's available. If not like NCL, always ask to be seated with someone. My next NCL, I started the Roll Call, and already have met other Solos. NCL seems to cater and have get togethers for their SOLO travelers. My last NCL never had dinner alone, a group of Five hooked up and had a great time.

 

I will be cruising in December during Christmas and New Years. Already setup for Traditional Dining and late seating. So don't fear. Cruisers normally are friendly people don't let the odd ******* ruin your cruise.

 

 

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[crusinpsychRN]

Your story is my fear. Three solo cruises and I've never eaten in the MDR. I know everyone says they put solos together but I really don't think there are other solos. I never see anyone else alone. I feel like people look at me weird for being alone. I would hate to be seated with a family and feel like I'm intruding on their dinner.

 

Ask to be seated alone and read a book. I got tired of strange tablemates, it's such a crap shoot.

[Tura Lura]

Ask to be seated alone and read a book. I got tired of strange tablemates, it's such a crap shoot.

 

My kindle is fully loaded!

[Saint Greg]

Ask to be seated alone and read a book. I got tired of strange tablemates, it's such a crap shoot.

 

That's my plan. I signed up for your time dining and I plan to get there right when they open and see if they can slip me in. I recently realized they have a Monday Night Football double header on the first night. I'll likely be in the sports bar all night. I won't eat in the MDR on elegant night either.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Saint Greg

[CARNIVALCRUISE3]

I have sailed solo 4 times out of my 28 cruises. I had always eaten on lido when sailing solo. This last cruise in July, I decided to go see the Maitre D' to see if I was seated with other solos. Carnival couldn't have chosen more perfect table mates. We had so much in common, and 3 of us are teachers. We always hung out after dinner enjoying the shows and entertainment after dinner. We are planning to cruise together next summer.

[April_2000]

That's lovely to hear Carnivalcruise3. I had a similar experience cruising on RCCL Adventure of the Seas back in 2013. I was seated at a table with 6 other solos and have become good friends with 3 of them. The four of us still meet up when we can coordinate it and cruise together when we can. I couldn't wish for better cruise buddies! :)

[SandraDJ]

That's lovely to hear Carnivalcruise3. I had a similar experience cruising on RCCL Adventure of the Seas back in 2013. I was seated at a table with 6 other solos and have become good friends with 3 of them. The four of us still meet up when we can coordinate it and cruise together when we can. I couldn't wish for better cruise buddies! :)

 

Not just great cruise buddies, but also lasting friends!

[April_2000]

Indeed Sandra! :)

[Midwestern Cruiser]

Very good to hear your comments, CarnivalCruise3, April2000 & SandraDJ! I think at least starting out with others is a good idea ... though having the kindle ready is a good Plan B :-}

[UtterCaro]

I've cruised solo for years, and dining has never been a problem for me. Traditional and anytime seatings, large tables, small tables, all by myself -- I've eaten dinner with some delightful people and some real duds, just like on land.

 

For me, the most difficult part of soloing is finding a likely-looking person to be my sunscreen buddy every day ("I'll do your back if you'll do mine!"). :o Compared to that, eating dinner is a cakewalk.

 

Caro

Edited September 12, 2016 by UtterCaro

[Robinola]

Anyone remember Ramone the pool guy on Seinfeld? He REALLY wanted to be Jerry's friend. Finally, Jerry says, "You know Ramone, I've already

got three friends...I just can't handle anymore!!..." Ramone says, " Jerry...! But...But Jerry!!..."

 

Jerry says, "I'm sorry, Ramone...I really am...goodbye, Ramone"

 

Classic.

[AhhCruising]

So far out of the 4 or 5 solo cruises I have taken I have had very good luck with table mates.

 

I became a solo cruiser when everyone in my party canceled their cruises at last minute except one couple, who informed me that they had changed their dinner reservation to a different table and dinning room just before dinner. I was quite angry with them, but after my first dinner I realized what a favor they did me. My table mates were a retired minister, his wife, a retired constitutional lawyer and several other retired folks all around the age of 80. Anyway they were a hoot and so interesting. The minister ended up having breakfast with me every morning because his "women folk liked to sleep in" and the lawyer and I took turns buying the shot of the day at dinner every night and split a couple of bottles of wine. I believe they were best table mates I have ever had.

 

One other memorable trip I did anytime dining(never again), I met a nice young lady and we ended up paling around most of the cruise and went to dinner together every night and ended up having different table mates every night. We pretended we were a couple off on a secret cruise, when the photographer would come to take our pictures at dinner we would refuse by saying "my wife would kill me if she saw a photo of us together" we got some strange looks... NOTE we were both single.

Sounds like a blast! Next time you can take on the persona of an "international secret agent"......

[spinnaker190]

Whenever I have sailed on carnival, with fixed time dining, as a solo, i've always been sat with other solo's and its been a great experience, made some great friends that way. In fact Carnival's John Heald has said if your sailing solo, to message him to make sure your at a table with other solo's.

 

When I have sailed with NCL solo, I was in a solo cabin so we had a solo host that would organize a dinner each night for those that wanted to join in.

[Getaway Girl 73]

Sounds like a blast! Next time you can take on the persona of an "international secret agent"......

I love it!

 

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[PROCRUISE]

Thanks for all the information I gathered from this site. After 28 previous cruises with my traveling buddy, all over the world, he was buried last week after dying from the effects of agent orange in VietNam. I was his hospice nurse until the very end and he hoped that I would continue on cruising in his memory.

After adjusting to the increase in prices, I'm trying to prepare myself, a male, to cruise solo. Luckily, two of the next three cruises are on WindStar and Viking Ocean so dining will be with a fairly small number of fellow guests. The other cruise is with Celebrity, so I've read all your comments carefully.Thanks for your insight.

Edited December 29, 2016 by PROCRUISE

[Go-Bucks!]

Thanks for the post. Sailed solo for the first time at Christmas and had anytime dining. First time in the MDR When I got to the head of the queue no one wanted to share a table so I stood there for a while. Eventually 3 couples were persuaded to share but they all seemed to only want to interact with the other couples. One gentleman didn't even want to sit next to me and made his wife swap seats... Way to make a girl feel good! After that uncomfortable meal I stuck to the buffet. Hopefully I'll have a different experience on my Christmas HAL cruise - there must be some people up for a chat, surely?

 

 

Sadly, I had a similar experience on my solo cruise in 2014.

 

I showed up for anytime dining and was seated at a table where 9 people were eating. I was seated in the last open seat but the rest of the group were already eating their appetizers! Not one of them said anything to me; I started to think I was invisible! The waiter never came to get my order so I got up and walked back to the host. I told him what happened so he took me to a completely empty 8-top table and said that others would be seated with me soon. I sat there for 10 minutes but all the new incoming passengers were seated at other tables. Eventually people sitting nearby started looking over at me sitting alone at a huge table and tears started welling up in my eyes. I walked out of the MDR and told the host that he did a very poor job of seating a single diner and I wouldn't be back again.

 

From then on I ate in the buffet and was much happier. This experience showed me that solo cruisers don't always get treated appropriately on certain cruiselines.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Go-Bucks!

[Duck Creek]

My first experience with ATD was on Royal Caribbean and was not good. (late booking so had no choice)

I asked for a table on my own expecting that I would at least be next to other 2 top tables with people at them.

No, I was put in an area where there was no one else at all (not even big tables)

While the wait staff were very nice I felt so conspicuous and uncomfortable.

 

After that I went to the buffet.

 

Had previously always had fixed dining with no issues.

[MaryKEllis]

I am so sorry for the experiences you have had with dining on some ships. Fortunately, I have never had that experience.

 

I travel NCL and truly enjoy their solo travelers groups. They are meet ups for people who happen to be traveling solo--regardless of what their situation is at home it is NOT a "singles" group-with all that implies. I am a widow who is NOT looking! Almost every group there has been at least 1 woman who is married but her husband doesn't like to travel-so she travels solo. We usually meet at a specific time for a drink and then most of the time at least a group of us goes to dinner together. Yes, there have been a couple of groups that have been "duds", but for the most part we have had fun.

 

I don't like eating in the buffet alone--1st, not a buffet fan to start with & 2nd--the staff in the buffet has been so efficient at times that I get up to get something & come back & find my table cleared off!

 

At breakfast & lunch I usually do take my ipad with me so that I can read--but I always tell the hostess that I am willing to "share". But that I do like the way NCL doesn't make me wait till there is someone---if someone shows up in just a couple minutes, fine--but if not, then they go ahead & take care of me.

[rabidstoat]

So for those who mention asking to be seated at a larger table with other solo or small group cruisers, when do you do this? On day 1 of the cruise? Or the first night? Or in advance?

 

I'm doing a solo trip on Allure of the Sea this summer, and I enjoy dining with others. This will be my sixth solo trip. Of the first five, I had other tablemates at four of them and sat alone on one of them. I very much preferred sitting with other tablemates.

[AhhCruising]

You can ask your travel agent to specify in the booking, or you can do it when you board the ship. Or, depending on where you get seated on the first night, you may be happy where you are and have no need to change.

[Lois R]

I just got home today from a cruise (solo;)) and these were my experiences,........(ALL GOOD)...........

 

3 nights I ate in the main dining room...twice I asked to be put with others and both tables were very nice and

1 night I ate with a couple I had met and the 3 of ate together.

 

1 night was the SUPERBOWL and I ate in the main theater with 100's of other people....they had all kinds of

foods.

 

2 nights I ate Specialty....once on my own and once with another couple I met and became friendly with and we went together. (not the same couple as in the MDR)........so I met some friendly folks overall.

 

1 night I was part of a culinary excursion during the day and we had dinner together back on the ship.....9 people

and it was really fun.:)

[dim1_1]

Hope you enjoyed my ramble, I think it's some type of therapy because I'm ready for another cruise.

 

Thanks for your thoughtful post. I've done it about every way. My last cruise was Celebrity and, having booked a suite, I ate mostly in the intimate suite restaurant. Took my ipad and read or sometimes visited with nearby tables depending where I sat. Felt like the staff's mascot by the time the cruise was over.