Traveling solo

[Livetolove]

I just lost my husband a few months ago.  We traditionally cruised every year for my birthday.

I made the decision to continue the tradition on my own.

Does anyone have any experience and/or suggestions for me as a solo traveler?

Any insight is appreciated!

Thank you! 

[1emerald1]

7 minutes ago, Livetolove said:

I just lost my husband a few months ago.  We traditionally cruised every year for my birthday.

I made the decision to continue the tradition on my own.

Does anyone have any experience and/or suggestions for me as a solo traveler?

Any insight is appreciated!

Thank you! 

Over the last few years I have traveled solo and love it.  I actually prefer it.  One thing I do each cruise is to try something I haven't done on previous cruises.  Such as, I've never done the afternoon tea so on my upcoming cruise I am going to try it.  It is very easy to meet people and strike up conversations when you are solo.

 

I am sorry for your loss and I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruises.

[chrysalis]

There is a thread elsewhere in CC devoted to this, which may be of interest...

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

21 minutes ago, Livetolove said:

I just lost my husband a few months ago.  We traditionally cruised every year for my birthday.

I made the decision to continue the tradition on my own.

Does anyone have any experience and/or suggestions for me as a solo traveler?

Any insight is appreciated!

Thank you! 

Sorry for your loss.  

[Livetolove]

16 minutes ago, 1emerald1 said:

Over the last few years I have traveled solo and love it.  I actually prefer it.  One thing I do each cruise is to try something I haven't done on previous cruises.  Such as, I've never done the afternoon tea so on my upcoming cruise I am going to try it.  It is very easy to meet people and strike up conversations when you are solo.

 

I am sorry for your loss and I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruises.

 

[Livetolove]

Thank you so much! Afternoon tea is now on my agenda. 

I had offers from my friends to accompany me however I decided on want to try it on my own so I can do whatever I want and when I want. Thanks for your reply! 

[john watson]

Always book fixed dining either first or second sitting, big table.  They often group solo travellers onto specific tables and you then can touch base with people you know at least once every day.   Study the  "Princess Patter" every day and highlight anything you think is a must.  Anything aimed at solo travellers in the newsletter, attend and get there around start time.  Things like Trivia Quizzes always need teams of up to six participants and many under strength teams will like to have extra people.  Technically, a good mix of different nationalities and people from different backgrounds boost the teams score enormously.

 

Book only tours that you really do not want to miss often you can find tablemates who are considering a particular tour.  After a few evening meals you can work out who will make good buddies.   I have also found the casino a good place to meet people.  I limit myself to one night and twenty dollars, if I end up in pocket I return the second night and so on.  If I lose the twenty that's it and I stick to Black Jack (21's) and they often have training on each of the games for free to try and increase the revenue on other nights later in the cruise.  I stick to $20 on Black Jack even if they have run training on anything else.

 

You can also "share tables" in the Main Dining Room in the morning for breakfast, more contacts.  This is random people and last Princess cruise I went on first breakfast I shared with two Japanese couples but we got through.  Second morning I shared with a British couple plus one of the original Japanese couples who were delighted as we seemed to be able to communicate to effectively to some extent.  The Maitre'D  sorts out Evening table allocations with more thought than the random breakfast MDR table shares.

 

Regards John

[DrivesLikeMario]

I'm so sorry for your loss.  I've done many solo cruises due to my DH's lack of vacation time. 

-Joining your roll call is the best thing to do.  It really helps you feel connected.  It's a great way to make friends and join in on private, or even cruise line tours. 

-Traditional Dining is better IMO because you don't have to explain your story over and over again like you would at Anytime Dining.  That can really get old.  When I first starting going solo about 7 years ago, I'd get tired of the shocked looks I'd get when people would ask why I'm cruising alone.  I'd have to basically defend my position at every turn.  Now more people are cruising solo so it's not quite a surprise.

-Join in on the solo cruisers meet ups onboard.

-Bring plenty of books to read or crafts to do.

-Join in on ship games like trivia.  Don't be shy.  Just ask groups if they need one more person.  The more the merrier.
-Just GO FOR IT!   Get out there and see the world and don't let anyone or anything stop you! 

[geocruiser]

Have you ask a TA if the cruise you want has a solo group booked.  That way you have a group to be with if you want.  You will not be tied to them.

Here is the solo cruise board.  You may find some hints.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/279-solo-cruisers/

Very sorry for your loss.  

Edited October 27, 2018 by geocruiser

[riclop]

You may love it and if you don't go with a friend or family member next time.

[vmom]

I always cruised with my husband also. He passed away 6 years ago and I didn’t want to stop cruising and traveling. 

 

Now I cruise solo and also with friends. I love cruising solo and have had some great experiences meeting fellow cruisers at meals and through the meet and greets.

 

For non-cruise travel I usually go with a tour company. 

 

It wont be the same as traveling with your husband but it’s still a great experience. 

You will be surprised at how many solo travelers there are.

[MJSailors]

You might consider booking a lounger in the Sanctuary. The staff there will pamper you and it is a pleasant place to relax.

Joining the roll call for your cruise is also a good idea. Usually, people on the roll call plan get together events,such as gathering together for sail away, a Meet and Greet where you can connect with those on the roll call and meet some of the officers and ship staff, a Slot Pull in the casino, a Cabin Crawl where members of the group can view other members’ types of cabins , shared lunches or dinners and port excursions.

I hope that you enjoy your cruise !

[Ombud]

Sorry for your loss

 

Cruising solo is a lot easier than traveling solo. By booking TD you will always have dinner partners. Tours are easy places to meet up with others with similar interests as well. You will now get to cruise credits for each cruise you take, which get you to those extra benefits faster.

 

I solo cruise and I'm not interested in doing it on a ship that has half size solo rooms. Sticking to Princess

Edited October 28, 2018 by Ombud

[Crystal04]

I cruise solo a lot and enjoy it, and sometimes with friends.  Im in my late 20s.   The only awkward part is dinner in the beginning, but I could really care less.  I do anytime dining and sit by myself.  I would just suggest doing your research on the excursions you want to do and be aware that you will stick out if you are venturing off alone, and be safe.   It's an empowering feeling after you finish your first solo.

[donswife]

On my last cruise, on the Caribbean Princess, there was a meeting time and place listed each port day in the Patter for solo travelers that might like to venture out together. I have no idea how many showed up.

[lovetoholiday]

15 hours ago, Livetolove said:

I just lost my husband a few months ago.  We traditionally cruised every year for my birthday.

I made the decision to continue the tradition on my own.

Does anyone have any experience and/or suggestions for me as a solo traveler?

Any insight is appreciated!

Thank you! 

I am in the same position and am sorry for your loss.  You will be fine, there is so much you can do on a cruise on your own and not look out of place. 

My only advice would be to book select dining as others have said, it's much easier to sit with the same people every night.  My first cruise on my own I had anytime dining and always asked for a sharing table, but this seemed to be a struggle for some reason (it was never a problem when my husband was alive) this was with Celebrity, one night I ended up at a 6 top table sitting on my own.

My next cruise I had set dining and my table mates were 3 couples and they were lovely we had a lot of laughs. So much better.

Go for it and enjoy your cruise, it will be different but you will still enjoy it.

[Livetolove]

1 hour ago, lovetoholiday said:

I am in the same position and am sorry for your loss.  You will be fine, there is so much you can do on a cruise on your own and not look out of place. 

My only advice would be to book select dining as others have said, it's much easier to sit with the same people every night.  My first cruise on my own I had anytime dining and always asked for a sharing table, but this seemed to be a struggle for some reason (it was never a problem when my husband was alive) this was with Celebrity, one night I ended up at a 6 top table sitting on my own.

My next cruise I had set dining and my table mates were 3 couples and they were lovely we had a lot of laughs. So much better.

Go for it and enjoy your cruise, it will be different but you will still enjoy it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I’m sorry for your loss as well. 

You have definitely helped alleviate my fears. 

It’s difficult moving on without my love but I promised him I would. 

I made up my mind to do this and I know I will enjoy it! I can’t dwell on what was, I have to focus on what can be. 

Thank you! 

I wish you happiness and peace. 

[Livetolove]

10 hours ago, MJSailors said:

You might consider booking a lounger in the Sanctuary. The staff there will pamper you and it is a pleasant place to relax.

Joining the roll call for your cruise is also a good idea. Usually, people on the roll call plan get together events,such as gathering together for sail away, a Meet and Greet where you can connect with those on the roll call and meet some of the officers and ship staff, a Slot Pull in the casino, a Cabin Crawl where members of the group can view other members’ types of cabins , shared lunches or dinners and port excursions.

I hope that you enjoy your cruise !

Thanks so much! The Sanctuary is a great place to hang out on sea days. I’ll drfinitely look into the Roll Call. Great advice thank you! 

[Livetolove]

16 hours ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

I'm so sorry for your loss.  I've done many solo cruises due to my DH's lack of vacation time. 

-Joining your roll call is the best thing to do.  It really helps you feel connected.  It's a great way to make friends and join in on private, or even cruise line tours. 

-Traditional Dining is better IMO because you don't have to explain your story over and over again like you would at Anytime Dining.  That can really get old.  When I first starting going solo about 7 years ago, I'd get tired of the shocked looks I'd get when people would ask why I'm cruising alone.  I'd have to basically defend my position at every turn.  Now more people are cruising solo so it's not quite a surprise.

-Join in on the solo cruisers meet ups onboard.

-Bring plenty of books to read or crafts to do.

-Join in on ship games like trivia.  Don't be shy.  Just ask groups if they need one more person.  The more the merrier.
-Just GO FOR IT!   Get out there and see the world and don't let anyone or anything stop you! 

Thank you for the inspiration!

the Rocky theme song is playing in my head!😉

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

On 10/27/2018 at 1:13 PM, Livetolove said:

Thank you so much! Afternoon tea is now on my agenda. 

I had offers from my friends to accompany me however I decided on want to try it on my own so I can do whatever I want and when I want. Thanks for your reply! 

That is exactly why I prefer to do any traveling by myself! 

[lolane1]

I am really sorry for your loss.  You will find there is still a full, vibrant life out there if you are open to it.  I travel often with friends but also often solo. I enjoy both.( I actually love going solo)   Maybe book a balcony room and chill with a good book and a glass of wine and watch the ocean go by.   Get in touch with your inner self and learn to love your own company.  

Previous posters have given great information.  Definitely, dine at a large table at traditional dining each night. .  Also, book tours at each port.  You will get out and see things with the company of others.  Cruisers tend to be very friendly.  Get the wifi package and keep in touch with your friends and family, recapping your days adventures.

[phabric]

I cruised solo for the first time after loosing my DH.  At the theater and tours, I would ask the person beside me where they were from and then we would start talking.

[Nhsaltshaker]

I'm also a solo cruiser, most of the time and love it.  Here are my tips.

 

If going to the buffet, bring a sweater or a bag (no valuables) to leave on the table when you go to get more food.  It will save your place and the waiter/waitress won't take all your utensils/drink away.

 

Sit with a large table in dining room for conversation, but dinner usually takes longer. 

 

Depending on ports, book Princess excursions for safety.  When on an excursion, ask one of your shipmates to be your buddy.  They will look to see you made it back on the 'the bus', for example.  I was on a beach excursion last year and wanted to go swimming.  After finding trusting fellow cruisemates, I put my bag with camera and phone within their forward eyesight and promised I'd be back in five minutes.  The two ladies were delighted when I told them I would do the same for them so they could go swimming together.  They did.  We were friends for the rest of the cruise.  If I can't find anybody, I have a small cable (found on popular online shopping site) and several TSA locks.  My back pack has large zipper tabs, my valuables are kept in one compartment.  Using the cable, I loop through the locks securing the compartment and then around the beach chair.  Someone would have to be walking the beach with metal cutting tools(unlikely) or be able to drag a lounger across the beach with a back pack tied to it without being noticed.  Of course, once I forgot and put my watch in an unlocked compartment, went swimming, yep, gone in five minutes.  My choice was report it to the authorities or the popular hotel I stayed at for the day, or, get back on the ship.

 

Give a friend a copy of your final itinerary, including air, excursions, a copy of your passport, and insurance.  Leave them the Princess ship phone # for emergencies.

 

Get internet, post on a social media site or email someone you're back on the ship after a day in port.

 

Someone mentioned people questioning why you/I/we are cruising solo.  I get that all the time, they feel so sorry for me.  I just tell them, it must not suck too bad, this is my 13th solo cruise.  They still look at me weird.  Oh well.

 

Enjoy finding a seat in the theater!  That's the best!

 

Hope this helps.  Sorry for your loss, but so glad you keep cruising!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DRS/NC]

I'm another "senior" solo female cruiser.  It took me a couple of years to work-up the nerve after DH died, but now I've cruised solo 8 times in 6 yrs. w/another booked.  You've been given a lot of great advice here, so I won't repeat (much).

 

Please do go to the Solo forum; LOTS of good info & encouragement there.  (There's also a Singles forum; not the same.)  Also, be sure to join your Roll Call.  There maybe other solos on your cruise & some folks maybe creating independent tours.

 

Another vote here for the afternoon tea time.

 

Have fun!

 

[Mud_Shark]

While I am not in your position (and likely my wife will outlive me anyway), what would feel like it's missing when cruising solo would be the ability to share what you are experiencing with others.  This is the fear that would contend to hold me back.  But one thought I had was that if you start a travel blog, or video your cruise and post it to youtube, or do a "live from" on Cruise critic, it gives you the opportunity to actually share your experiences with others.

 

I enjoy watching people's cruise videos, so certainly there are others that would enjoy it if you shared.

 

Don