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Hints for first solo cruise


cruiser3775
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Not just my first cruise, but the first time I have ever taken a holiday as a solo.   I'm not confident at meeting new people, but I will try. Not into casinos or bingo. My biggest concern is with dining. What would experienced cruisers suggest?

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35 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

Not just my first cruise, but the first time I have ever taken a holiday as a solo.   I'm not confident at meeting new people, but I will try. Not into casinos or bingo. My biggest concern is with dining. What would experienced cruisers suggest?

Best I can offer is join the roll call for your cruise on these boards.  That way you can possibly get to know on line some folks that are cruising on the ship with you.  Let them members of the roll call know you are cruising solo and open to hearing from folks who would be happy to have you join them for dinner on board.   Most roll calls have a meet and greet meeting a day to two into the cruise where you can meet others and those you have been communicating with on the roll call.  

 

Looks like you are new to the boards.  Check for your roll call, under the cruise line roll calls, then look up ship and date of cruising date.  I hope this helps.  

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I took a bunch of cruises solo before getting married.... I always asked for fixed dining, and a large table for dinner... Only once in 10+ cruises was there a table mate that was horrible. Some else at the table got them moved to a different table.

 

I like doing the trivia games onboard. I've never had a problem asking people if they'ed like help.

 

Other than that, I just enjoyed being on the ship, watching the shows, and excursions on my own.

 

Aloha,

 

John

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Hi!  I just returned from my first solo cruise.  I loved it.  I think this was my favourite vacation ever.  I loved doing what I wanted when I wanted.  If your ship has a thermal spa, consider buying a pass.  My experience at dinners is that the tables are so close that if you say hi to the people sitting next to you they will engage in conversation . Several times people saw me at a table by myself and invited me to join their group.  I did not attend any solo gathering because I was too busy enjoying the sun but I did attend the Cruise Critic meet and greet and pub crawl.  I am very introverted so this whole cruise was a stretch but it ended up building my confidence and inspiring me to travel on my own even more.  Have a wonderful trip!

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Most ships have two options for evening dining in the main dining room(s), you might or might not be offered the choice .............

 

Fixed (traditional) dining

Every evening you dine at the same table, same time, same waiting staff, same table-mates.

Most ships put singletons together on large (8 to 12) usually circular tables, and this is a great way to meet others.

More often than not, those tables are the most convivial, they're often the last to leave the table or they go on to other venues (theatre, bars etc) mob-handed or in smaller groups.

And I see those groups together elsewhere on the ship and going ashore together.

Many times I've felt jealous of them 🙂 .

If you don't gel with folk on your table (unlikely that you won't gel with some) you can ask the Maitre D' to be seated at another table for future evenings. After the first or second evening the Maitre d' earns his salt by juggling table-plans.

Sometimes some table-mates won't be at table one night because they've booked in a speciality restaurant or just want a quiet lazy evening in the buffet. That's fine, but its thoughtful good manners to forewarn the others that they won't be at table that evening. 

 

My-time / Freedom / various other names for flexible dining,

You go to dinner at any time within dinner service hours, and you're put on tables with others who arrive at the same time. You also have the choice of dining alone. At the dining room door the Maitre d' uses his experience to match diners, you can ask to be seated with other English-speaking cruisers, etc. There are also ways to avoid the wrong sort of table-mates - if we don't like the look of others near us in the line, we'll hang back and intently study the menu, or one of us will go to the bathroom, & join the line near folk who look like "our type". This type of dining involves different table-mates each evening, which is a bit of a lottery - it can be interesting to meet lots of different people, but it can also be a chore remembering names, same-old small talk , etc. 

If you get on really well with a particular table-mate(s) you can arrange to meet-up with them the next evening & go to the dining room together as a two-some, three-some, foursome, etc. On one cruise the two of us just invited more and more of "our type" of people to the group each evening and after 3 evenings we had a brilliant table of about ten for the rest of the cruise.

 

Ships also usually arrange singletons' get-togethers for the first day or two - a singletons' breakfast, an afternoon sea-day social, etc.

Want to go to an on-board quiz? Anyone's welcome to join my team, more team-mates boost the chances of winning a wonderful (🙄) prize - like a lanyard or a pen 😃

And folk tend to be way more sociable when they're on vacation, you'll find fellow-cruisers are very friendly and helpful.

Even on a big ship where folk can be rather anonymous, if you choose the same watering hole most of the time you'll tend to meet many of the same people.

 

Every ship we've sailed has been very singleton-friendly, some folk find it difficult to come out of their shell but with a bit of effort you'll mix in fine.  

 

JB 🙂

 

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12 hours ago, jcl410 said:

I took a bunch of cruises solo before getting married.... I always asked for fixed dining, and a large table for dinner... Only once in 10+ cruises was there a table mate that was horrible. Some else at the table got them moved to a different table.

 

I like doing the trivia games onboard. I've never had a problem asking people if they'ed like help.

 

Other than that, I just enjoyed being on the ship, watching the shows, and excursions on my own.

 

Aloha,

 

John

Same here - sharing a large fixed dining table is a good way to meet at least one or two compatible shipmates.  I did this a number of times before re-marrying.  It helps to be active on the roll-call to identify possible others - ans to attend whatever get-together might be set up.   Of course, this was pre-COVID, whatever precautions you observe should be compatible.  

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16 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Not just my first cruise, but the first time I have ever taken a holiday as a solo.   I'm not confident at meeting new people, but I will try. Not into casinos or bingo. My biggest concern is with dining. What would experienced cruisers suggest?

 

CC has a group of Forums listed under "Special Interest Cruising" with "Solo Cruisers" being one of the Forums.  May I suggest that you access that?  Solo dining is often, and interestingly, discussed.

 

For me as a solo cruiser, I always request a table of 6-8, preferably a round table, because it makes it easier to carry on a conversation with others.  I have been seated at a table larger than that as well as a rectangular table.  I don't care for those because there is too many conversations taking place and I may have difficulty hearing what is being said to me.  Plus, if one is sitting at one end of a rectangular table, it is impossible to converse with someone at the opposite end unless everyone else remains quiet.  

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I often just eat at the buffet. It's fast, and very good as well ,and it gives me more time to do other things. I'd take my plate out to the seating areas in the pool area.

I am also a bit introverted , but I do love my time alone too.

And with covid, I'd rather dine alone anyhow.

 

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Just did my first solo and really enjoyed it. Used the time to really disconnect, people watch, enjoy the scenery, the ship’s activities, and great food.

 

I am an introvert and not at all into meeting people or making conversation. I ate all my meals at the buffet or cafés or room service and was just fine with that. Sometimes I ate lunch by the pool and watched a movie on the jumbotron. Other times I lingered over breakfast by a window at the buffet.
 

But if you like good food and like meeting people, give the dining room a try! If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go back. But for the most part, people are really friendly and chatty in situations like that and you may end up having a great time and making new friends. There’s also nothing wrong with doing specialty dining on your own if you really just want to go enjoy a new restaurant and some gourmet food. (Specialty dining are additional-cost restaurants on board that have great food.)    

Edited by Cruise Kay
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On 4/2/2022 at 9:47 PM, cruiser3775 said:

Not just my first cruise, but the first time I have ever taken a holiday as a solo.   I'm not confident at meeting new people, but I will try. Not into casinos or bingo. My biggest concern is with dining. What would experienced cruisers suggest?

 

Howdy @cruiser3775 emo22.gif

 

Thank you for your thread titled Hints for first solo cruise on the Ask a Cruise Question forum! 👍 

 

However, it is the forum for general questions regarding cruising & your inquiry is about sailing solo. To help you out I have moved your thread to the Solo Cruisers forum where it will be on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have sailed solo frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum l👀king for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that will be of interest to you.

 

And don't forget, after your cruise be sure to submit your review for publication. Many cruisers will benefit from your experience! emo49.gif See How To: Submit a Member Review.

 

I hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! emo35.gif

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat emo32.gif

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On 4/2/2022 at 11:29 PM, pris993 said:

Best I can offer is join the roll call for your cruise on these boards.  That way you can possibly get to know on line some folks that are cruising on the ship with you.  Let them members of the roll call know you are cruising solo and open to hearing from folks who would be happy to have you join them for dinner on board.   Most roll calls have a meet and greet meeting a day to two into the cruise where you can meet others and those you have been communicating with on the roll call.  

 

Looks like you are new to the boards.  Check for your roll call, under the cruise line roll calls, then look up ship and date of cruising date.  I hope this helps.  

Good advice!!  I would only add that the OP plan on attending the solo get-together for the first few nights of the cruise.  It's a good way to meet other singles early on.  The solo get-togethers are generally advertised in the daily activity flyer which identifies the location and time of said meeting.  These get-togethers vary widely from cruise to cruise.  Sometimes they are very useful for meeting others in a similar situation.  Other cruises they are a bust and poorly attended.  If they prove not useful, don't attend again after the 2nd night.  Happy sailing to the OP!!

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I concur with the recommendation to join your Roll Call here on Cruise Critic.  There are often Roll Calls on a certain social media site that we're not supposed to talk about (rhymes with case-cook).  Just search on your ship and the date of embarkation and you'll see if there's a group already established.

Sometimes people there will be looking for someone to join at dinner, or join on an excursion, or trivia, etc.

I *always* have my Kindle with me on a cruise, so if I'm ever dining alone, sitting alone waiting for a show to start, sitting in a bar alone, etc., I can whip out my Kindle and read.  I also always get the Wi-Fi package and keep in touch back home via case-cook, etc.  

I've met people cruising that I've become lifelong friends with and cruised with several times over.  In general, people on cruises are very friendly and eager to chat with others.  I tend to strike up conversations in the hot tub or pool a lot.  

 

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  • 7 months later...
On 4/2/2022 at 9:10 PM, YVRteacher said:

Hi!  I just returned from my first solo cruise.  I loved it.  I think this was my favourite vacation ever.  I loved doing what I wanted when I wanted.  If your ship has a thermal spa, consider buying a pass.  My experience at dinners is that the tables are so close that if you say hi to the people sitting next to you they will engage in conversation . Several times people saw me at a table by myself and invited me to join their group.  I did not attend any solo gathering because I was too busy enjoying the sun but I did attend the Cruise Critic meet and greet and pub crawl.  I am very introverted so this whole cruise was a stretch but it ended up building my confidence and inspiring me to travel on my own even more.  Have a wonderful trip!

I'm going on my first solo cruise in May 2023, Honolulu to Vancouver and then home to Castlegar. 

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