Single person

[jettyjo]

Hi 

can anyone recommend who looks after us singles the best for cruising as in meet and greet and get togethers ? I have been on quite a few cruises, and now I would like to go on my own, and I find most companies don,t cater for us.

[Essiesmom]

There is a forum here for solo cruising:

 

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

 

I traveled solo many times before my sister retired, and I never felt the need for someone to look after me.  EM

Edited July 23, 2019 by Essiesmom

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

That link above is great reading for Solo cruisers.

 

NCL has a couple of ships that have cabins just for solo cruisers and a special place where they can all meet.  Check them out and ask questions on the NCL board:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/64-norwegian-cruise-line/

[TxCityKat]

@jettyjo

 

Howdy and welcome to Cruise Critic! 👍

 

There is also a message board forum for Singles Cruises at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/85-singles-cruises/.

 

In addition there are Cruise Critic articles you will find helpful. Some are oldies but goodies that have not been updated since 2017 or 2018, but there is still a lot of good information there.

 

Check out a few of them as follows:

What to Expect on a Cruise: Solo Cruises https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1779

Solo Cruise Tips https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=21

10 Things Every Solo Cruiser Should Know https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1228

How to Find the Best Cruise Deals for Singles https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3379

 

And here is one just updated July 22, 2019:

7 Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=419

 

Last updated May 17, 2019:

The Truth About Solo Cruise Cabins https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1989

 

I sincerely hope this information will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 😊

 

Kat 🐱 

Edited July 23, 2019 by TxCityKat
additional info

[kochleffel]

NCL provides the most services for solo travelers and offers them even on ships that don't have any single cabins, although there will be more solos on the ships that do. In particular, a designated solo host will bring solo passengers (only those who want to) together for dinner each night after the first. This is nice if you would like company for dinner, because NCL is all "freestyle" dining with no assigned seating. Why they don't do it on the first night is a question that I can't answer.

 

I recently returned from a cruise on RCI, on a ship that has only three single cabins (and I didn't have one of them). There was a singles party late at night that I didn't attend, and there were singles trivia games with themes that I wasn't interested in. Nevertheless, I felt well taken care of and wouldn't hesitate to cruise on RCI again - which is a good thing because I have a booking on RCI for next year.

 

I would avoid MSC, which won't even accept solo bookings on some itineraries.

 

 

[Elaine5715]

15 hours ago, jettyjo said:

Hi 

can anyone recommend who looks after us singles the best for cruising as in meet and greet and get togethers ? I have been on quite a few cruises, and now I would like to go on my own, and I find most companies don,t cater for us.

As a solo cruiser, I neither need someone to look after me and would avoid any such activities geared towards solos.  I find I can easily join all onboard activities. 

[crystalspin]

Well, you are not the OP, who asked a valid question.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Carnival fan here, so answer may be biased.

 

I had nothing but excellent experiences with Carnival.  While their pricing for solos leaves a lot to be desired, their onboard atmosphere is very solo-friendly.  There are no solo-specific activities, and the singles gatherings are a joke.  But I had an easy time meeting new people, making friends, and finding women to dance with.  I got adopted by an existing group of friends early on, and we ended up hanging out together throughout the cruise.  Good times!  My suggestion would be to stick with smaller ships, which in Carnival's case would be the Fantasy class.  They have a "college campus" feel to them, with everyone pretty much hanging out in the same places, so you have a better chance of running into someone you clicked with.

 

The only place I caught any heat for cruising solo was in Customs.  They're suspicious of young single men traveling alone.

[kochleffel]

10 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

The only place I caught any heat for cruising solo was in Customs.  They're suspicious of young single men traveling alone.

 

I experienced this a few times when I was younger, but mostly at land crossings between the U.S. and Canada.

[brillohead]

On 7/23/2019 at 11:18 PM, Elaine5715 said:

As a solo cruiser, I neither need someone to look after me and would avoid any such activities geared towards solos.  I find I can easily join all onboard activities. 

Same here -- I've never needed someone to introduce me to the people around me.

[brillohead]

On 7/24/2019 at 11:35 PM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

The only place I caught any heat for cruising solo was in Customs.  They're suspicious of young single men traveling alone.

They're also suspicious of not-so-young women traveling alone.  

In 2013 I cruised with three other mom-friends, and when we were going through Customs, one of my friends went to a different line that was shorter.  She got the third degree from the agent because she was "traveling alone" like it was illegal to do so.  

[LandlockedCruiser01]

4 minutes ago, brillohead said:

They're also suspicious of not-so-young women traveling alone.  

In 2013 I cruised with three other mom-friends, and when we were going through Customs, one of my friends went to a different line that was shorter.  She got the third degree from the agent because she was "traveling alone" like it was illegal to do so.  

If what you're saying is true, then god help the Studio cabin passengers on Norwegian Epic. 

[brillohead]

Just now, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

If what you're saying is true, then god help the Studio cabin passengers on Norwegian Epic. 

They act like every solo passenger is smuggling drugs or something.... I hardly think that a 35-40yo mom is your prime smuggling demographic!  

[Elaine5715]

32 minutes ago, brillohead said:

They're also suspicious of not-so-young women traveling alone.  

In 2013 I cruised with three other mom-friends, and when we were going through Customs, one of my friends went to a different line that was shorter.  She got the third degree from the agent because she was "traveling alone" like it was illegal to do so.  

I have never had an issue other than the simple "are you traveling alone", usually said in a very kind yet quizzical way.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Last time I got the third degree, I was 29.  Which still passed for "young".  And young men traveling alone are fair game, it seems.

 

I'm mildly worried about my next cruise.  But I'm older now.  So perhaps I'll get the quizzical reaction, rather than the third degree.

Edited July 27, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[Traveling Mike]

On 7/23/2019 at 5:07 AM, jettyjo said:

Hi 

can anyone recommend who looks after us singles the best for cruising as in meet and greet and get togethers ? I have been on quite a few cruises, and now I would like to go on my own, and I find most companies don,t cater for us.

I went on a Trans-Atlantic cruise in April on the Norwegian Getaway.  I was in their Studio Cabin for solo cruisers.  The cabin was small 99sf but it was designed great and had everything I needed.  There was also a Studio Lounge that had snacks and allowed fellow Solo cruisers to meet each other.  The cruise also had a Solo Cruise Director that was dedicated to Solo Cruisers no matter what cabin you were in.  The Solo Cruise Director setup activities, group outings to shows and dinner every night.  Every night at dinner we had 3 large tables reserved that held about 15 people each. 

 

If you are looking for someone to help you on your cruise I think that NCL might be a good place to start.

 

[jocap]

I see that you're from Lincolnshire - P&O usually offer get togethers for singles, and have a special table at the formal afternoon tea.

Fred Olsen does have quite a few singles, and offers special rates on some cruises.

If you're old enough, the new Spirit of Discovery has about 100 single cabins, as they have a large number of 50+ single people travelling with them. All the cabins are balcony ones.

[jettyjo]

On 7/28/2019 at 9:20 PM, jocap said:

I see that you're from Lincolnshire - P&O usually offer get togethers for singles, and have a special table at the formal afternoon tea.

Fred Olsen does have quite a few singles, and offers special rates on some cruises.

If you're old enough, the new Spirit of Discovery has about 100 single cabins, as they have a large number of 50+ single people travelling with them. All the cabins are balcony ones.

Thanks for your help. I don,t like P & O , and have made enquiries with Fred O, , and also looking into your suggestion of Spirit of Discovery.