I'm no stranger to cruising alone, but eating by myself always feels a little strange.
I booked a 5-night cruise on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas without my family because I wanted to review the ship again and see some of the changes that have been made, like a new casino offering.
If you ask my wife, I never shy away from booking a cruise alone. It's not ideal, but I've cruised solo enough times that I immerse myself in my work to keep me busy. Plus, the ship always has a lot of activities I can indulge in as well.
But the only time I truly ever feel alone is at dinner because I enjoy a nice sit down meal to round out my day, and sitting alone at a table makes me feel sort of left out.
I decided to embrace the solo cruise experience and go to dinner the way I prefer.
I would have chickened out if I didn't have a table alone
I'll admit that my entire decision was pinned on having a table with no one else at it in the Main Dining Room.
Royal Caribbean may assign you a table for dinner with strangers or just for your party. It's kind of a crapshoot as to what you'll end up getting.
Your table assignment is written on the bottom of your SeaPass card. It has a deck number and dining time. Your dining time is something you select when you book the cruise, and you have the choice of My Time Dining or Traditional.
On embarkation day I walked into the Main Dining Room, and found my table. Sure enough, it was a table for two and that meant I'd certainly be seated alone.
As an added bonus, my table was right by the window. Unfortunately due to daylight savings time, it was too dark to see anything out of the window.
No one really cares if I'm eating alone
The singular truth about eating alone is that no one else cares what you're doing, and few barely even probably notice.
My concern with eating alone stemmed from the notion I'd feel out of place, in the way someone might feel if they showed up to a black tie party in shorts and a t-shirt.
The truth is it never felt anything like that.
Any time I scanned the area around me, everyone was immersed in their own conversations and meals. Plus, I was either enjoying my food.
When I didn't have something to eat, I had my phone to keep me occupied. Fear not, I wasn't "one of those people" that had music or audio playing. I used my phone to text friends and family, check social media, and otherwise keep me quietly occupied.
The downtime between servings is probably when eating alone would feel awkward, but the phone helped bridge that gap. I suppose reading a book would be another option too.
The speed of service helped tremendously
One of the top reasons I came back for dinner in the Main Dining Room on night two was how quick the meal was.
When I first started cruising, dinner could take two hours or more. While I enjoy a relaxed meal, I think that's just too long.
One of the initiatives Royal Caribbean undertook as part of its Main Dining Room overhaul in 2023 was to address speed of service.
The cruise line saw this as an opportunity to serve hotter and fresher food while also addressing consistency.
All of my dinners took between 45-60 minutes from start to finish. Full disclosure, I skipped dessert every night, so that saved some time too.
Because I knew I could enjoy a plated meal without fear of feeling "stuck" there, I enjoyed the experience even more. To be clear, the servers never made me feel rushed. They just served my food at the pace I was consuming it.
Why didn't I just go to the buffet?
If you are wondering why I didn't just opt for the Windjammer buffet instead, it's because I was eating other meals there and I wanted something different.
I love the cruise buffet, but the quality of the food in the Main Dining Room is always going to be a little bit better. As an example, the French Onion Soup served in the Dining Room is always going to be presented better than the DIY version at the buffet.
Part of the appeal of cruising is the level of service it comes with, and I enjoy what the Main Dining Room represents in that regard.
I'll gladly eat alone in the Main Dining Room again
I think this was the solo dining experience that solidified I could do it again without any trepidation.
I had a great team of waiters (shoutout to Renz and Jonathan) who made it all flow so easily. One night I asked Renz to have a bowl of French Onion Soup waiting for me before they close for the evening, and he was happy to oblige.
The truth is few other passengers notice you're alone, and fewer care.
Some might have read this article and wondered why I didn't ask to sit at a larger table with strangers so I wouldn't feel alone.
My issue with sitting at a table with others and being alone is inevitably there are down times in the conversation and I'd feel rude being on my phone or reading a book. If I'm cruising with my wife and we are seated with others, then I have her to fall back on for a quiet conversation.
Anyone who's concerned about eating alone in the Main Dining Room should remember it's not as big a deal as you probably think it is. Bring something to keep you occupied between servings, and enjoy the added service.
