Traveling solo

[texascat]

On 10/27/2018 at 3:45 PM, 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! 

So sorry for your loss.  Hopefully, you will find this cruise will offer you joy and you will have a great time!  I will be taking my first solo cruise next year and while I am apprehensive, I am excited about the prospect.  I think that a cruise offers so much, that you will not have time to be board.

 

Did you say when your birthday cruise is?  I hope for smooth sailing and as much interaction with your fellow cruise guest as you want.

[Lucid Butterfly]

On 10/27/2018 at 3:45 PM, 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! 

First of all, I am truly sorry about your loss. By reading your post and others I am picking up tips and suggestions too on how to handle myself being alone. I will be taking a cruise September 2, 2020 on Seven Seas Voyager and it is my first time on Regent. I think it is a great suggestion from your fellow member to go to the Tea Room where you will meet others or even asking Customer Services if they have  meet ups program for Solos. I know they offered this on Norwegian and Seabourn. I met others even though I came on these cruises with relatives, I still wanted to socialize with others. Just because you go alone does not mean you cannot meet others through the solo program. My husband is not a traveller so you can see where I am coming from and he definitely does not begrudge me from going. He wants me to live my life and if I want to do some travelling then go for it. Have fun and maybe Livetolove we may connect sometime in the future. Enjoy the suggestions from fellow members.

 

Lucid Butterfly!😊

[StCroixCruiser]

I've traveled solo often since my husband died in 2009.  We lived in the Caribbean at that time and traveled constantly; so with all the other changes in life finding myself suddenly single, I didn't want to give up travel, too.  Solo cruises work well, both for the safety factor and because you have so many chances to have companionship for various things if you wish it or do your own thing when that's what feels right.  Sometimes I travel with a friend or a family member, but with my work schedule I tend to get sudden opportunities to take some time off.  I booked a 10-night trip today for 18 days from now, for example.  That makes it hard to find a travel companion.  Staying home alone or traveling alone?... hmmm... I'll take the traveling alone every time!

 

I dine solo some nights, but also enjoy joining a group for dinner to talk about our day in port or plans for the next day.  Often, there are quite a few solo travelers on board looking for that same loose connection.  I usually find a few people to group up for trivia or just for drinking wine and watching the ocean roll by.  The Roll Call and Meet & Greet are a good way to start.  For a Mediterranean cruise, the Roll Call was instrumental in arranging great tours with some fun people.

 

 

[Desert Cruizers]

My husband had a heart attack near the end of our Copenhagen TA in September of 2017 and he always told me if he ever decided he didn't wish to travel anymore or wasn't with me,  that I should continue because he knew I enjoyed it so much. He passed away after getting him home, and the daughter will be joining me this March and next year on cruises. I did cruise once with friends and he chose not to go and being a social person found it easy to get acquainted with people on cruises. 

[Lucid Butterfly]

19 hours ago, StCroixCruiser said:

I've traveled solo often since my husband died in 2009.  We lived in the Caribbean at that time and traveled constantly; so with all the other changes in life finding myself suddenly single, I didn't want to give up travel, too.  Solo cruises work well, both for the safety factor and because you have so many chances to have companionship for various things if you wish it or do your own thing when that's what feels right.  Sometimes I travel with a friend or a family member, but with my work schedule I tend to get sudden opportunities to take some time off.  I booked a 10-night trip today for 18 days from now, for example.  That makes it hard to find a travel companion.  Staying home alone or traveling alone?... hmmm... I'll take the traveling alone every time!

 

I dine solo some nights, but also enjoy joining a group for dinner to talk about our day in port or plans for the next day.  Often, there are quite a few solo travelers on board looking for that same loose connection.  I usually find a few people to group up for trivia or just for drinking wine and watching the ocean roll by.  The Roll Call and Meet & Greet are a good way to start.  For a Mediterranean cruise, the Roll Call was instrumental in arranging great tours with some fun people.

 

 

I am sorry for your loss and thank you my Canadian friend for sharing your information and I will certainly look into the Meet and Greet and look at the Roll Call and see if anyone is taking the same time as me. I am not able to highlight my roll call at this time and have let administration know this. As I mentioned to "LivetoLove" hope we meet up in the near future. Take care.😊

Edited February 1, 2019 by Lucid Butterfly
wanted to offer my condolences

[CynCyn]

I am planning my second solo cruise this evening.  I loved it! I never felt out of place or weird and sometimes felt I had ‘too much’ company at dinner.

 

This time around, I am going to do traditional dining and ask for a table for 2 as I am going in my cruise to unwind from being around lots of staff, parents, and kids all day, every day!

 

i hope you enjoy your adventure!

[Lucid Butterfly]

On 2/9/2019 at 7:32 PM, CynCyn said:

I am planning my second solo cruise this evening.  I loved it! I never felt out of place or weird and sometimes felt I had ‘too much’ company at dinner.

 

This time around, I am going to do traditional dining and ask for a table for 2 as I am going in my cruise to unwind from being around lots of staff, parents, and kids all day, every day!

 

i hope you enjoy your adventure!

I can understand that too many people around can be overwhelming but want to say I am glad you had a wonderful time. I am certainly going to take it one day at a time but certainly do not want to be eating alone so a table of 6 or a table of 2 will not bother me at all. I would really like to be paired off on excursions as when everyone goes off in couples that is when I feel out of place, otherwise I don't feel that way being entertained as I have a show to watch or even shopping because I am purposely looking for items and focussing on what I want to purchase. Does that sound selfish to you and can you relate to this?

[CynCyn]

I can totally relate! I’d much rather shop by myself.  

[SouthLyonCruiser]

I have seen a news story about a woman whose husband had passed after a long illness told her not to stop cruising. I believe that she must have been pretty well healed as she decided to live on a cruise ship and did so and may still be doing so. The crew got to know her and treat her as a member of the crew. Not a thing that many of us could afford but still a nice story. I wish that I could find it and post it here but you may be able to find it by net surfing.

Sorry for your loss and God bless you.