Cruising Solo

[WinnieinWA]

I cruised RCI last March and was seated at traditional dinner with 4 other solo women in my age range....45-55....it just so happened that the 4 of us got along so well we did a lot of things on the cruise together.

 

I am cruising Carnival for the first time next March.....I need sun during winter and Carnival gave me a great solo rate to Mexico .

 

I was wondering if any of you previous solo cruisers could give me a hint about how Carnival sets you up for dinner seating. I chose early. To have more older solo singles at my dining table should I choose the later seating? I'm not looking to hook up.... just wanting conversation that I can relate to.

Thanks

[Muumuu]

They usually do pretty good.

Couple of years ago adult daughter and I were taking our yearly mother daughter and we were placed at a table of all professional women.

We had a blast. Others asked if they could join our table when we had an empty seat.

[seafun]

I did a B2B on Carnival Glory as a solo in November and chose the later seating both weeks.

At first I had a little problem - I was seated with an extended family of 7 from Alabama that I had almost nothing in common with and felt like I was intruding on their table. I spoke with the Maitr'D and asked for a different table, so the next night I joined a nice table with people I got along with great.

Second week, different table, 8 singles --- nice mix of single people, although some didn't come to dinner every night we had plenty of things to talk about.

I choose the later dinner times since there are usually fewer small children, who can sometimes be fussy in formal dining situations.

[Longin2cruise]

Every time I have cruised solo I have been seated with other singles so I'm assuming that Carnival makes an effort to seat singles together. I always select early dining but I'm sure dining time doesn't make a difference. I've met all kinds of people: the great, the ok, & the not so great. I think it's just the luck of the draw.

[pungo3]

I agree, I think it's really the luck of the draw. However, after the first night, I wouldn't hesitate to ask to be moved if your tablemates are less than satisfactory. I've done several cruises without my husband and on most of them, had lovely tablemates. Some were single and some were like myself, cruising without their spouse. Have a fabulous cruise.

[SouthernCaribbean]

I have ended up being seated with other Singles in all 12 of my solo cruises. I would imagine if there are too many singles cruising, they would end up putting people anywhere they could, I just havent had that experience.

[Luckysll]

My first 2 Carnival cruises, I travelled with my sis-in-law. The rest I've done solo. On both those cruises we asked for, and got, early seating. I just can't eat past 7 pm and sleep well.

 

On my Alaska trip I asked for early seating and got late. First night, I was seated at a table for 8 and no one showed. Second night was formal night and two other solo travellers, both men, showed up. One had a heavy accent and said almost nothing the whole meal. The other did nothing but complain about the food, the lack of a decent wine selection, his cabin, etc. I was dreading the rest of the week, but they never showed up again, so I had a table to myself all week. I had offers from a couple of the surrounding tables to join them, but I was fine by myself. Got great service from the staff :D .

 

My cruise to the Mexican Riviera, I requested early seating, but got late again. Asked to change as soon as I got on the ship, but never got changed. It was alright, though, as this time I had 6 others at my table, two solo men and four women travelling together and they were all fun and it was a great week.

 

It's all the luck of the draw, but Carnival does seat solo travellers together.

[BARBARA J.W.]

HELLO WINNIE,,

I always ask for early dinner......

Carnival is good with sitting Solo/single

cruisers together.........

 

Sometimes maybe sisters traveling together...

Or friends,,Mothers traveling with their grown

children........

My last cruise on the Celebration

there was 1o women & one man......

 

I was the only solo cruiser at that table.....

All the ladies was single,except one and she was

married to the man.........it was a good table...

We all had a good time chatting.....

 

Now there has been times I have been with

families,,One time a table of couples with me & a

single male.......well that was nice.....no..

There was a older man that talked,talked ,talked...

I was only at that table one night........

 

And another time I was with three couples & teenage

children,,,,,Not happy there.....

I had met two ladies on the ship,,maybe at lunch....

And they ask me to come to their table for dinner........

So I ask If I could move...........

If you aren't happy with the tablemates ask to be moved........

My last few cruises have been back to backs.....

 

So I'll do one week in the dining room....

The second in the lido.....

HAVE A GREAT CRUISE............

[mj]

When traveling solo, I have always been place with other singles. Like a poster said above, there have been great, so-so, and the bad with this experience. Most of the time it has been a very large table. Don't hestitate to ask to be moved if you are not happy with your table.

 

That reminds me of a story while on the Triumph on 2002. I met some wonderful people at the table and became friends. However, we had one guy who did not return after a couple of nights. The waiter later told me that he walked in the dining room at 8pm and demanded that breakfast be cooked immediately. The waiter explained that it was dinner time and could not do anything and he said the guy was rude and yelling at him. The guy also did not like that fact that people did not sit in same seat when we were seated the second night at dinner. When I got there, people didn't sit in the same seat. Well, the whole night, he complained the entire time.

 

We had another two ladies who were matched as roommates at this table. Well, one of the ladies in the room did not like having someone sleep on the bed that come down from the wall. So, she basically put the ladies suitcases outside the door and refused to let her in the room. The lady that was thrown out had to get Carnival involved and they had another room available and put her in it. The lady that threw her out did not return after the first night. She came in late and then started being very demanding to the waiters.

 

That table did have some wonderful people and we hung out the entire week. Fortunately, the ones that were not so nice didn't show up after the 2 or 3rd night and made for a wonderful dining experience.

[CynLovesCrusing]

My experiences are:

 

2001- traveled with a group so the group was seated together

 

2006- traveled with my teenage daughter & was seated at a table with all other mother/daughter daughter couples, except one mother had both daughter and son....but we were basically grouped by travel companions

 

2007- traveled with my daughter and my friend with her teenage daughter & we were seated @ a table for 4

 

2008- traveled with my friend on a girls only cruise and we were seated with other female girlfriends traveling together