Solo get togethers only for solo travellers?

[SoloAlaska]

3 hours ago, kelib said:

I am finding between Cruise Critic and social media pages that people/solos start communicating prior to the cruise. On one cruise (right after Covid) about  5 of us met up for lunch and then cocktails prior to the solo meeting. We were all solo even though we walked in together. I have also met solos who are staying at the same hotel pre cruise, share transports to terminal then go to solo meetup together. 

I met my friend as we boarded a plane in Reykjavik. We hung out in the hot tub before the first solo meet up. My next TA I’m spending the night before with a cruise friend who I call my “cruise husband”. We both consider ourselves solo but we have been known to enjoy each others company on a cruise.

 

Im all for whoever self identifies as a solo wether traveling alone or being single or both being welcome at the mixers.

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

I often will arrange a specialty restaurant dinner for a group on my cruises and post an invite on CC or social.  While I identify myself as a solo, I absolutely do not restrict this to solos only and am happy to have both couples and solos respond.  The more the merrier, IMHO.  I recently had another solo find that idea of a friendly dinner with couples abhorrent and she only wanted to meet or mingle with other solos.  To each his own, I guess. 

 

To the OP, I would not be bothered at all by anyone who felt compelled to, attending a solo meet-up.   

[UnbridledEnthusiasm]

I've gone to several solo get togethers on NCL (4 sailings) and a few on 1 Princess sailing and I found each was kind of different tbh. 

 

On Princess, the average age was probably 70 and many spoke about being widows or widowers, divorced, etc. It was kind of depressing imo. Most were women but all were very nice.  I think they just wanted company at meals and for some on board activities. I don't remember any of them coming with another person. 

 

On 1 NCL Alaska cruise I went to one solo get together and everyone appeared to be single and a few singles came with single friends. Age group ranged from 20s-60s. 

 

On another NCL Alaska cruise I went to a few solo get togethers and I don't remember if we discussed being single or not but everyone appeared to be there alone. Ages ranged from 20s-70s. 

 

On 1 NCL Mediterranean group I went to most of the solo get togethers and ages ranged from 20s-70s and most were single and came alone, but some came with family but went to the the get togethers alone (not sure why but they were certainly welcomed...just thought this was kind of strange when they came with friends or family but maybe they just wanted to check it out?). My favorite was having a couple there who were on their honeymoon LMAO. 

 

On my last NCL cruise (POA), it was a really small turn out (guess it was due to the size of the ship). Ages ranged from 30s-60s and some people were single and others had spouses but attended solo. 

 

I think I like the idea of meeting more "singles" because I'm single and looking for love, but it's just nice meeting other people who are wanting to meet others who likely went alone. 

 

I still speak to from time to time 3 people I've met on my cruises. 

[shandryl]

On 3/4/2024 at 4:26 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

I've mostly heard of poor attendance at solo get togethers.

yes, very true. The daily event planner will read single/solo travelers meet up/get together at 5:00pm at such in such bar/lounge.  Most always no one shows up.  🤷‍♀️

[UnbridledEnthusiasm]

3 minutes ago, shandryl said:

yes, very true. The daily event planner will read single/solo travelers meet up/get together at 5:00pm at such in such bar/lounge.  Most always no one shows up.  🤷‍♀️

I'm curious. What lines were these on? On NCL the first few days have a pretty good turn out and then it starts to kind of die out (well cliques get formed so people sort of go with whoever they get close to). I think it also makes a big difference if they are hosted or not. I noticed when they are hosted, the turn out for the get togethers tend to be good because the host can often act as a concierge for the group  even if a place said that  they are booked for dinner. They have also reserved seats for us at shows so that after dinner, we got good seats. 

[shandryl]

12 minutes ago, UnbridledEnthusiasm said:

What lines were these on?

 

Princess for sure and its been a few years but pretty sure RCL does too. << I will know for sure next year. Got a RCL "Solo" cruise in 2025

Edited July 14 by shandryl

[UnbridledEnthusiasm]

5 minutes ago, shandryl said:

 

Princess for sure and its been a few years but pretty sure RCL does too. << I will know for sure next year. Got a RCL "Solo" cruise in 2025

Never been on RCL but yeah I imagine the turn out isn't that good. 

[Ellaleah]

2 hours ago, shandryl said:

yes, very true. The daily event planner will read single/solo travelers meet up/get together at 5:00pm at such in such bar/lounge.  Most always no one shows up.  🤷‍♀️

I was in NCL Bliss in December and there were so many solos showing up that they had to move it from the original place on the first night.  They really cater to solos.

[oojybooj]

Here is some clarification:  Single refers to marital status; not travel status.  Solo refers to travel status meaning that you are occupying a cabin alone and may not know any other travelers on the ship.  While It's possible to know others on the ship the differentiating factor is being the only occupant in a cabin.  Someone who is married can be traveling solo just like someone unmarried (single) could have a cabinmate. "Singles" cruises refer to those specially chartered or group sponsored cruises catering to cruise guests who are not married (widowed).  

 

The main reason why cruise lines were offering SOLO traveler designated events are to give those who are truly traveling ALONE to connect to others who are traveling alone to do ship/shore activities, excursions, dinner etc. I commend the cruise lines for doing this especially since true solo occupants pay an additional supplement.  

 

I was pleased to see MSC attempt to do some policing of their SOLO gatherings by requiring those attempting to enter the solo event to present their written invitation delivered to their  cabins. I wish all cruise lines offering solo events do more policing.  Cruise lines know cabins with solo occupants and send written invites to those cabins.  This prevented those with single cabinmates from piggybacking on a SOLO event even though they may be unmarried.  It was very irritating to watch single cabinmates crash the solo event and not mingling with others while having the ulterior motive of honing in on a possible "romantic" interest.

 

While I'm not opposed to anyone finding romance, as an avid solo cruiser I just feel people should respect events reserved for qualifying guests be it solo, military, Elite Status etc.  

Edited July 15 by oojybooj

[oojybooj]

1 hour ago, Ellaleah said:

I was in NCL Bliss in December and there were so many solos showing up that they had to move it from the original place on the first night.  They really cater to solos.

I wish NCL did more policing of solo traveler events. As an Elite status member NCL has the best solo traveler program  but because this has become well know, many cruisers not sailing solo crash the events. 

[calliopecruiser]

14 hours ago, oojybooj said:

This prevented those with single cabinmates from piggybacking on a SOLO event even though they may be unmarried.

I don't understand this.......It sounds like you expect solo cruisers not to be unmarried, or not to be looking for a romance or hookup.

[oojybooj]

8 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

I don't understand this.......It sounds like you expect solo cruisers not to be unmarried, or not to be looking for a romance or hookup.

Not at all. I mentioned earlier in the post that solo travelers can be any marital status;   People of all status' are free to look for romance or hookups as they choose.  My point is for people to respect the integrity of the solo events intent which is to provide an outlet for those cruisers traveling solo to connect with other solo travelers, just like other events and spaces such as Elite status, Captains Table, military, Teen Lounges etc.

[calliopecruiser]

1 hour ago, oojybooj said:

My point is for people to respect the integrity of the solo events intent which is to provide an outlet for those cruisers traveling solo to connect with other solo travelers

Yeah......So why even bring up their marital status or plans in that part of your post?  I still don't understand what you're saying in the part I quoted in #36

[stinkyharriet]

On 7/14/2024 at 10:51 PM, oojybooj said:

I wish NCL did more policing of solo traveler events. As an Elite status member NCL has the best solo traveler program  but because this has become well know, many cruisers not sailing solo crash the events. 

I did two solo cruises on NCL this year and didn’t see any evidence of non-solo cruisers trying to crash the solo meetings.  The closest to a non-solo joining the solo group was a woman traveling with her teen daughter and the teen daughter’s teen friend.  They didn’t want to hang out with mom.  To me, she’s pretty much a solo.  

[NSnJW]

When I did a Buenos Aires to Santiago cruise this past March with my 13 year old granddaughter, she wanted pizza and ice cream for every meal so I took her to the buffet and then I went to the solo meet to get real food and talk with someone who wasn't wearing headphones.

The solo group knew my situation and didn't seem to mind.  I am not looking for romance, just a meal and conversation.

There were others who were sharing a cabin in the group.  Everyone seemed to get along fine.

[dahirsh]

On 7/14/2024 at 10:51 PM, oojybooj said:

I wish NCL did more policing of solo traveler events. As an Elite status member NCL has the best solo traveler program  but because this has become well know, many cruisers not sailing solo crash the events. 

why exactly do you think people are crashing the solo events?  

[shandryl]

On 6/28/2024 at 3:26 PM, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

I would not be bothered at all by anyone who felt compelled to, attending a solo meet-up.

Agree! Does not matter to me.  Missed opportunities to make new friends/memories regardless whether or not the person is "solo or not".   

[Lois R]

On 6/28/2024 at 5:26 PM, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

I often will arrange a specialty restaurant dinner for a group on my cruises and post an invite on CC or social.  While I identify myself as a solo, I absolutely do not restrict this to solos only and am happy to have both couples and solos respond.  The more the merrier, IMHO.  I recently had another solo find that idea of a friendly dinner with couples abhorrent and she only wanted to meet or mingle with other solos.  To each his own, I guess. 

 

To the OP, I would not be bothered at all by anyone who felt compelled to, attending a solo meet-up.   

Hi Kim, Sometimes people are really odd (in my opinon). The person who thought a friendly  dinner with a couple abhorrent? All I can say is WOW.......I always sail solo and some of the nicest people I have met over the years have been couples. They turned out to be my friends. They didn't care that I was solo and I certainly didn't care that they were married. Met the nicest folks last year on a cruise from Southampton to Copenhagen. We even had dinner together post cruise in Copehagen. It was great🙂 I would love to join your table!

As you said, to each their own. 

[dappledumpling]

On 7/14/2024 at 7:12 PM, shandryl said:

 

Princess for sure and its been a few years but pretty sure RCL does too. << I will know for sure next year. Got a RCL "Solo" cruise in 2025

I have been on 4 RCCL solo cruises this year and Very few attended the solo meetups. Depending on ship they have been at 5 or 7  .. I have 7 more cruises this year 6 solo (one going with my son).. Love solo cruising  and meet lots of people around ship so i am meh on the meetups... also not looking for love just a group of fun people to enjoy a drink with..

[bluetardis]

I have sailed quite a bit, I am a solo or independent traveler. I enjoy the solo meetings. I think NCL does the best job for the independent traveler. I have had success with Princess meet ups as well. It’s nice to have a drink and socialize …maybe dinner with new people. I have no issues with people of mixed travel arrangements coming to the meet ups.

[shippmates]

I travel solo and enjoy the solo meetings. Most of the cruises are Transatlantics with a cruise in between returning to the states.  Cunard has a wonderful solo program that meets every morning at 9:30 in the Carinitha Lounge.  They are well attended by solo travelers where male or female.  I still atended the one time I sailed with a cabinmate.  We are both solos just sharing a cabin.  It is nice to meet people to chat with, have lunch with and sometimes even do an excursion with. I know there have been some attending that are married but left their spouses at home.  To me that is no big deal as they are traveling solo on that cruise.  Whatever your status is enjoy your cruise.