Solo on Princess

[runner2013]

HI all,

I'm looking at a week long solo trip next Feb on the Caribbean Princess. I've been on Royal and Norwegian and wanted to try another line for comparison.

If anyone has been on her, or a sister ship, i'd appreciate your thoughts and input about how it was.  I'm 52 years old, and a bit more on the relaxed side- don't need crazy activities or to be running all over the place 24/7- but do enjoy meeting people and trying new things.

Thanks

[Dancer Bob]

I was on Ruby Princess a couple of years ago, with a group. Not much beyond group activities. I would have gone to singles meetings but can't recall any, so they must have flopped. Seemed to be a lot of families, cliques. I recall thinking many passengers were overdue to switch to Holland America, definitely on the “relaxed” side, activities geared to old people who normally sit watching television.

I had anytime dining, never a wait getting a table, but it closed early.

Overall a forgettable experience.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I will also be solo on Princess soon to Alaska.  It's my first cruise.  I'll be almost 45.  I chose Princess to be part of a group cruise but also I liked that it's elegant and will not be a party ship (that I've heard).  The main thing I"m worried about is that it could be awkward at dining but I'm hoping that being part of the group cruise will help with that.  

[QMG]

12 hours ago, runner2013 said:

HI all,

I'm looking at a week long solo trip next Feb on the Caribbean Princess. I've been on Royal and Norwegian and wanted to try another line for comparison.

If anyone has been on her, or a sister ship, i'd appreciate your thoughts and input about how it was.  I'm 52 years old, and a bit more on the relaxed side- don't need crazy activities or to be running all over the place 24/7- but do enjoy meeting people and trying new things.

Thanks

 

PC offers a book discussion group.  You may wish to call 800/774-6237 if interested.  Quincy

[coastcat]

12 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I will also be solo on Princess soon to Alaska.  It's my first cruise.  I'll be almost 45.  I chose Princess to be part of a group cruise but also I liked that it's elegant and will not be a party ship (that I've heard).  The main thing I"m worried about is that it could be awkward at dining but I'm hoping that being part of the group cruise will help with that.  

I chatted with a travel agent about HAL vs Princess for Alaska cruises. She strongly recommended Princess if you're older but reasonably active, seek a quieter experience than NCL/RCL/CCL, and prefer food that "humans with taste buds would like." (her words, not mine!)

 

I didn't quiz her about dining solo but definitely share your concern about the potential awkwardness. Sometimes I'm good with being social but most of the time the thought of being trapped at a table full of strangers is Not Fun. I'm completely happy to dine alone.

 

Something I love about NCL is that solo dining is easy and treated as perfectly normal there in all the restaurants, including specialty ones. The drawback to that, as I discovered on my last cruise, is that at Ocean Blue the server will give you an entire plateful of their ludicrously good bread and you will end up eating the whole thing because there's no one there to stop you...

[Safety Squirrel]

I travelled solo on the Island Princess - September 16-October 7th through the Panama Canal.  Roll call was not active.  The daily patter published a solo gathering one evening in the bar by the Theater (think it was the Wheelhouse??).  Anyway - when I went --there were mainly groups.  A Princess rep saw me and asked if I was looking for the solo gathering. She then introduced me to two ladies who were not there for the meeting but were travelling together.  I enjoyed my time with them.  (They were trying to visit each bar and have every drink at least once - I saw them again on the ship and they said they were having a great time trying the various beverages -- just not my style).  Next night I went down  -- no Princess rep and no solo travellers that I could tell.  Tried a third night and gave up.  As Dancer Bob said -- seems to be lots of families & cliques.    

 

I am a little older than other posters on this thread but like to join in on activities.  As for dining -- I usually have set dining and have had some good and bad experiences.  Some couples have asked me to join them in their daily activities and others just talk at dinner about day's activities.  I also do not talk about religion, politics etc.  I have only asked twice to change tables - once when a man was very obnoxious and rude to everyone at the table and the second time when I changed from late to early dining.

 

If you have not joined your roll call - that is a good place to start.  I have met some very nice people on roll calls and I am still in touch with some of them.  

 

There is also activities like Trivia, Bridge, Mahjong etc. where you can meet people.- and some excursions.

[QMG]

12 hours ago, Safety Squirrel said:

I travelled solo on the Island Princess - September 16-October 7th through the Panama Canal.  Roll call was not active.  The daily patter published a solo gathering one evening in the bar by the Theater (think it was the Wheelhouse??).  Anyway - when I went --there were mainly groups.  A Princess rep saw me and asked if I was looking for the solo gathering. She then introduced me to two ladies who were not there for the meeting but were travelling together.  I enjoyed my time with them.  (They were trying to visit each bar and have every drink at least once - I saw them again on the ship and they said they were having a great time trying the various beverages -- just not my style).  Next night I went down  -- no Princess rep and no solo travellers that I could tell.  Tried a third night and gave up.  As Dancer Bob said -- seems to be lots of families & cliques.    

 

I am a little older than other posters on this thread but like to join in on activities.  As for dining -- I usually have set dining and have had some good and bad experiences.  Some couples have asked me to join them in their daily activities and others just talk at dinner about day's activities.  I also do not talk about religion, politics etc.  I have only asked twice to change tables - once when a man was very obnoxious and rude to everyone at the table and the second time when I changed from late to early dining.

 

If you have not joined your roll call - that is a good place to start.  I have met some very nice people on roll calls and I am still in touch with some of them.  

 

There is also activities like Trivia, Bridge, Mahjong etc. where you can meet people.- and some excursions.

 

SS Canada, How did you enjoy your Panama cruise?  This 7 pm cruise from SF to MX is a test cruise.  The Panama Cruise looks so interesting.  Quincy 

[Croptop]

I've sailed solo on Princess multiple times -- in fact, I'm soloing aboard the Regal right now -- and I've always had a great time. I'm pretty low key and tend to keep to myself most of the time so I've never gone to the scheduled solo meetings that I've seen in the Patters. As for dining, you can share a table or sit by yourself as the fancy strikes you. Just choose "Anytime" dining as your dining preference.  

 

If you choose "Anytime" dining, when you show up at the dining room, you'll be asked if you are willing to share a table. Don't be afraid to say no and request a table for just yourself if that is your desire. The dining room staff will be more than happy to sit you at your own two top. I do that quite often and usually take my Kobo with me to read during my meals. Even so, I end up in conversations with people at the neighbouring tables more often than not.  On the evenings that I'm feeling sociable, I share a table and usually end up having a great conversation with my table mates (you're usually put at a table for 8 so there is plenty of conversation going on).

 

On this cruise, I decided to try "Traditional" dining and got a small table for two. I figure I can share a larger table at breakfast or lunch if the fancy strikes and keep my dinners to be quiet time. So far, I'm enjoying it.

[watson61]

I like Princess - I've gone on the Caribbean, Grand, Ruby and Regal (my favorite).  I went on the Caribbean with a singles group but had my own cabin.  That particular cabin was awful - an oceanview with bunk beds that didn't fold up so I kept bumping my head.  Also, like most oceanviews, it was on a lower deck and some godawful noise woke me up most mornings (either the anchor or the pilot boat - I forget what the steward told me).

 

My other Princess cruises were great as a solo.  I loved the afternoon tea every day where I met some really nice people.  I also met a lot of people by sharing a table in the MDR at breakfast.  The Regal was very port intensive (Canada/NE) so I met people on the excursions.  Also on the Regal I had two dinners solo at specialty restaurants (Crown Grill and Sabatini's) and those were great experiences.  I brought my Kindle to Sabatini's but never looked at it since the couple next to me was so chatty.