First solo travel experience

[latebuyer]

I had a great solo travel experience! I mainly ate in the dining room for dinner at a 6 person table. People were friendly. I even ate with a family and 2 couples who sailed together and i still found they talked to me. My one not so successful experience was afternoon tea at an 8 table, I find the table a bit impersonal but its partially the conversation didn't interest me. I had some success with the buffet as people would sit with me if they couldn't find a seat but i prefer the mdr. Lots of opportunities to talk to people, It was an alaskan Holland america cruise. I preferred to eat alone for breakfast.

[mef_57]

Thanks for sharing your methods of meeting and mingling. So many find mealtimes daunting. Glad it was a successful cruise.

[calliopecruiser]

I'm glad you had a good experience......becoming (being) comfortable travelling solo will open up new opportunities.  Get out and see the world!

 

[latebuyer]

Just a note that there were only 2 solo gatherings. The first night there was a solo gathering and no one came. There was a solo lunch on the first sea day and 8 people came. They said there would be a solo lunch the last sea day but there was nothing in the program.

 

Some popular topics if you want to start a conversation is Where are you from? Have you cruised before? What excursion did you do or are you doing? Lots of opportunities to have short casual conversations. Just a note I am an introvert although have become more experienced eating with strangers with going to dinner meetups.

[Go-Bucks!]

9 hours ago, christinand said:

Some popular topics if you want to start a conversation is Where are you from? Have you cruised before? What excursion did you do or are you doing? Lots of opportunities to have short casual conversations. 

 

Sadly, at the early-in-the-cruise solo luncheon, 2 women started talking American politics and made the rest of us quite uncomfortable! Definitely NOT a good conversation starter!🥺

[mef_57]

9 hours ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Sadly, at the early-in-the-cruise solo luncheon, 2 women started talking American politics and made the rest of us quite uncomfortable! Definitely NOT a good conversation starter!🥺

I have had similar where 2 of us were seated with 7 friends.  Big mistake. I have vowed that in the future, I would either speak up, or get up and leave. My rest-of-life is too short to suffer 'politely' and if they are going to be that rude, then I owe them nothing.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

3 hours ago, mef_57 said:

I have had similar where 2 of us were seated with 7 friends.  Big mistake. I have vowed that in the future, I would either speak up, or get up and leave. My rest-of-life is too short to suffer 'politely' and if they are going to be that rude, then I owe them nothing.

My tactic would be what I call "agree and amplify", or "A&A" for short.  It's meant to stop the person from pushing their views on you without overtly disageeing with them.  So, when someone gripes about ____'s politics, and you don't want to talk about it, go A&A on them.  Come back with: "Damn right!   How can ____ live like that?  I'd be embarassed to look myself in the mirror if I were him/her."  It's all in the tone and facial expressions, not unlike the old "oh, bless your heart!" remark.

 

I once had someone call my solo cruising "bizarre", and not knowing the A&A tactic, I started justying my choice.  Today, I'd come back with: "I know, right?  Those people cruising alone are an embarassment to society."  Again, it's all in the delivery, not the actual phrase being spoken.

 

A&A is a pop psychology version of the reductio ad absurdum method.

Edited October 1, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[mef_57]

16 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

My tactic would be what I call "agree and amplify", or "A&A" for short.  So when someone gripes about ____'s politics, and you don't want to talk about it, go A&A on them.  Come back with: "Damn right!   How can ____ live like that?  I'd be embarassed to look myself in the mirror if I were him/her." It's all in the tone and facial expressions, not unlike the old "oh, bless your heart!" remark.

 

I once had someone call my solo cruising "bizarre", and not knowing the tactic, I started justying my choice.  Today, I'd come back with: "I know, right?  Those people cruising alone are an embarassment to society."  Again, it's all in the delivery, not the actual phrase being spoken.

 

A&A is a pop psychology version of the reductio ad absurdum method.

We were outnumbered and intimidated.  So we suffered, but refused dessert. Thank goodness it was only lunch.

I have been known to pull out the 'You know, my mother taught me there were 3 things that shouldn't be discussed in public  religion, politics, and money'...and then segue into a more travel related question, but even that may not be worth my effort.

I'm willing to consider the A&A tactic though, if I like the rest of the table.

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by mef_57