Sometimes I don't think cruise lines understand us

[Honolulu Blue]

I found this in my e-mail box a few minutes ago:

 

 

Well, I'm currently not in a couple, my friends choose not to cruise (but I love them anyway! 🥰), and let's just say I treasure time with my family... on land.  I don't see any options here for me as a solo traveler, so I guess I won't book with this cruise line.

 

Just kidding.  I have a couple of future cruises booked with Carnival.  They're a good cruise line, and I assume they still are - even though I've heard some disturbing rumblings and even though they sometimes release silly ads like this one.

 

OK.  Off my soapbox now.  Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to leave a donation in the tip jar.  🤑

[sophiesmom]

I have to agree with you.  I took a cruise on Celebrity last Christmas.  In many ways it was a huge mistake.  I had been recently widowed and didn't want to be home for the holidays by myself.  It would have been nice if the cruise line had offered some type of accommodations for dining other than eating all by myself,  That part was horrible.  By the way, I love cruises.  Now I am off the soapbox.

[Etta1213]

4 hours ago, sophiesmom said:

I have to agree with you.  I took a cruise on Celebrity last Christmas.  In many ways it was a huge mistake.  I had been recently widowed and didn't want to be home for the holidays by myself.  It would have been nice if the cruise line had offered some type of accommodations for dining other than eating all by myself,  That part was horrible.  By the way, I love cruises.  Now I am off the soapbox.

Would they have seated you with others if you had requested that? I'm not sure what I'd do -- maybe take the easy way out and go to the buffet with my kindle.

[Rothko1]

On 6/27/2023 at 7:24 PM, sophiesmom said:

I have to agree with you.  I took a cruise on Celebrity last Christmas.  In many ways it was a huge mistake.  I had been recently widowed and didn't want to be home for the holidays by myself.  It would have been nice if the cruise line had offered some type of accommodations for dining other than eating all by myself,  That part was horrible.  By the way, I love cruises.  Now I am off the soapbox.

 

And no one around you offered for you to join them?  That's very unfortunate.

[sophiesmom]

7 minutes ago, Rothko1 said:

 

And no one around you offered for you to join them?  That's very unfortunate.

 

[CruiseScrooge]

On MSC in the yacht club you can't ask to be seated with other people to meet fellow passengers. You can say you are Expecting mr and mrs Smith and Mary jones so you need a table for 4. But you can't say you'd be happy sharing your table with anyone since you are solo and don't want to eat alone. So sit by yourself or go the the main dining room.

[Honolulu Blue]

Just now, CruiseScrooge said:

On MSC in the yacht club you can't ask to be seated with other people to meet fellow passengers. You can say you are Expecting mr and mrs Smith and Mary jones so you need a table for 4. But you can't say you'd be happy sharing your table with anyone since you are solo and don't want to eat alone. So sit by yourself or go the the main dining room.

Good to know, thanks.

[Rothko1]

Do any cruise lines have communal tables in the MDR for solo travelers?

[Jamietravelstheworld]

Carnival is not geared toward the solo traveler. But other cruise lines are much more welcoming. Unfortunately, those are also the more expensive lines. I have done several cruises as a solo and am currently on a Princess cruise solo. The other cruises I have done solo were small ships (Regent Seven Seas and Azamara). I much preferred the smaller ships as a solo - it was easier to get to know people. Princess has tried to connect the solos but it's just too hard to reconnect with the people you meet because the ship is so big. On Regent and Azamara the solos would meet for happy hour and then often go to dinner together. I've made good friends that way. 

 

I've noticed that post-COVID the cruise lines don't do table shares anymore.

[Rothko1]

I know that Silversea has a special happy hour for solos, hosted by one or two of the crew.  And it seems to be popular, and a great way to meet other solos and then to go to dinner as a group.

[Denarius]

48 minutes ago, Rothko1 said:

Do any cruise lines have communal tables in the MDR for solo travelers?

Not sure about specifically for solo travelers, but Saga, P&O and Star Clippers certainly operate communal tables in their open seating restaurants. On entering the restaurant you will be asked if you are happy to share. Answer yes and you will be taken to a communal table occupied by others of a similar mind, usually a mixture of solo travellers and gregarious couples. You will be seated with different people most days, which is a good way of meeting new people.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

On 6/29/2023 at 11:10 AM, Jamietravelstheworld said:

Carnival is not geared toward the solo traveler.

 

This may be true for its rules and policies.  But I found its onboard social atmosphere to be very solo-friendly.  Fellow passengers treated me as a decisive traveler who does what he wants, and readily "adopted" me.  Crew members either treated me no differently than how they'd treat a group, or they gave me extra attention that didn't feel pitying or patronizing.  In fact, one woman I met even called me "bad-ass" for cruising solo, and defended me when someone said "couldn't he get a friend to go with him?".

 

All in all, I'd say give Carnival a chance as a solo, policies nonewithstanding.  One major caveat is that they eliminated paper menus and Fun Times schedules, which means you always gotta carry your cell phone around to scan QR codes.  So if that bothers you, stick with Norwegian instead.

Edited June 30, 2023 by LandlockedCruiser01

[Crumbled]

On 6/29/2023 at 5:09 PM, Rothko1 said:

Do any cruise lines have communal tables in the MDR for solo travelers?

NCL did when I cruised with them but that was in 2016. Someone in another thread recently spoke about a solo table on Celebrity but I didn't experience that myself. 

[calliopecruiser]

On 6/27/2023 at 11:30 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

I don't see any options here for me as a solo traveler, so I guess I won't book with this cruise line.

If you make advertisements your decision about whom to cruise with, you'll never go anywhere.  All of them understand solo cruisers, but none of them really want solo cruisers.....Still, the best of them will treat them well, because they treat everyone well. 

 

That's what I want as a solo passenger - to be treated like any other passenger. 

Edited June 30, 2023 by calliopecruiser

[pduncan]

   In my experience the ONLY line that truly tries to make the experience easy and fun for the solo cruiser is NCL.  They devote one activity staff member throughout the entire voyage to organize a one hour daily meet up and make group reservations for solo diners in the MDR and at the shows. The solo lounge is also a great place to meet other solo cruisers in a relaxed atmosphere. It even sort of makes up for the tiny solo cabins. 
   You can get lucky on Princess and on Cunard by finding your own group through your MDR table mates or by finding one or more fellow passengers who take it upon themselves to organize the group dinners which really create the opportunity to get to know other solos. Princess probably irritates me most because they assign a staff member on only the first night to “host” a solo gathering, but the host disappears 15 minutes into the gathering and is never seen again. You may get lucky with the people you meet that first night and find congenial travel mates, or you may meet only people with whom you don’t care to spend 15 minutes, much less dinner every evening of a cruise. I’d rather eat alone with my book in the MDR than try to make strained conversations with people with whom I have nothing to talk about. But that does not make for an enjoyable cruise experience.  
  The cruise lines need to wake up to the fact that there are a lot of solo cruisers and we want a better experience than what is out there right now. 

[oakridger]

On 6/29/2023 at 9:10 AM, Jamietravelstheworld said:

I've noticed that post-COVID the cruise lines don't do table shares anymore.

 

Holland America Line does.  You tell them when entering the dining room if you want to sit at a shared table.  I prefer to eat by myself unless I have met someone previously and we arrange to meet for dinner, but I am always asked.  

 

~Nancy

[B'Elanna]

On 6/30/2023 at 2:10 AM, Jamietravelstheworld said:

I've noticed that post-COVID the cruise lines don't do table shares anymore.

I've done 5 cruises (in Australia) post-Covid and they all have been shared tables of up to 10. On my last cruise that I got back from yesterday, there were 3 pairs and 4 solos. 

[calliopecruiser]

11 hours ago, pduncan said:

 In my experience the ONLY line that truly tries to make the experience easy and fun for the solo cruiser is NCL.  They devote one activity staff member throughout the entire voyage to organize a one hour daily meet up and make group reservations for solo diners in the MDR and at the shows.

Not at all what I want, and I would partake in none of that.  I find cruising solo very easy, and I don't lack for enjoyable things to do, even without an activity staff member or daily meetups.

 

I'm just pointing out that those things aren't necessary for someone to have a great cruise when they're solo - they may be of help to some solos who aren't comfortable or familiar with travelling solo.  I think cruising is the easiest way to travel solo even without special measures by the cruise director, and I also think that solo people shouldn't focus their efforts on just meeting other solo travellers. 

[Meander Ingwa]

I agree.  I see no need to be "taken care of"  IF the features are there for those who desire them, that is great!

I have always traveled alone.  I often meet folks who are amazed at a woman traveling alone.  This was when I was in my 50s

 

I dont understand that thinking.

[Crumbled]

17 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

Not at all what I want, and I would partake in none of that.  I find cruising solo very easy, and I don't lack for enjoyable things to do, even without an activity staff member or daily meetups.

 

I'm just pointing out that those things aren't necessary for someone to have a great cruise when they're solo - they may be of help to some solos who aren't comfortable or familiar with travelling solo.  I think cruising is the easiest way to travel solo even without special measures by the cruise director, and I also think that solo people shouldn't focus their efforts on just meeting other solo travellers. 

Couldn't agree more. Solo cruisers aren't all the same, and I am glad that there are a variety of different approaches by cruise lines to choose from. We all want different things from our holiday, whether cruising solo or not. I have sailed twice as a solo, once on NCL and once on Celebrity. NCL seems most frequently lauded as the "best" line for solos here on CC, and I did enjoy that cruise (I will enjoy any cruise where I get to, you know, cruise 😉) but Celebrity was infinitely better for me and my personality as I prefer to spend time by myself, dont want to feel any pressure to join in, and like the laid back approach. Whereas NCL was just too much, for me personally, and I felt sapped of energy most of the time. But we are all different.

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by Crumbled

[caribsun]

I have taken two solo cruises with Carnival and was assigned to a table with other solos and singles.

[Etta1213]

4 hours ago, caribsun said:

I have taken two solo cruises with Carnival and was assigned to a table with other solos and singles.

Did you get a solo rate from Carnival?

[Buckeye10640]

Some solo cruisers are not necessarily looking to meet people, dine at a table of 8, have special solo cruise activities, etc. Some just want to do their own thing.   What I would like, though, is to to find an affordable way to cruise solo without paying for 2 people!

[Meander Ingwa]

there are cruise and tour lines that do accommodate the solo passenger to the same standard as pairs.  The ones I have looked at include Tauck, Hebridean and OAT.  The first two are admittedly a more expensive vendor.  Hebridean provides a very focused and specialized trip with , if I remember correctly, 4 staterooms on their small ship that are for singles.  Tauck , as well has solo staterooms on some of their riverboats.  OAT is primarily a land based tour company .  They cater to the over 50 ( though not entirely) and offer solo pricing.  The few trips I have looked at, however, it appears that they dont have up front pricing on Pre - Post extensions.  I have to dig deeper.  They have an Ethiopia trip with Spice Island extension that sounds very unique and appealing and their Peru+ Galapagos  or Ecuador + G are very appealing with 6 days on ship.

 

The monster cruise ships can afford the single stateroom as they work on a volume basis.  I dont want to be on such a ship, posh penthouse or inside a sardine can , windowless room.

[Meander Ingwa]

23 hours ago, caribsun said:

I have taken two solo cruises with Carnival and was assigned to a table with other solos and singles.

This would be my nightmare.  I am not in grade school and I dont want to be "assigned" a place at a table.  I want to be able to dine when and where I choose.  Feel free to offer me a spot, but please do make me take a spot.