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First-Time Cruiser - Going Solo?


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Hello! I have been looking into doing a cruise for a while now as it's something I've always wanted to try. I've found a time that would be perfect for me to go, but I haven't been able to convince any friends/family to go with me. Would it be too crazy to try and do a solo cruise as a first time cruiser? Let me know what you think!

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Welcome to the blog !  There are many people who cruise alone.  Just remember that most cruise prices are based on double occupancy so you would have to pay for 2 unless you can find one of the few single cabins in the Royal Fleet. Some of the newer ships offer single cabins but they are few and far between.

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9 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Welcome to the blog !  There are many people who cruise alone.  Just remember that most cruise prices are based on double occupancy so you would have to pay for 2 unless you can find one of the few single cabins in the Royal Fleet. Some of the newer ships offer single cabins but they are few and far between.

Thanks! I have the double occupancy budgeted, but mainly just wondering if a one had tips/advice for someone going solo that has also never been on a cruise before. ?

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@ashonthesea it seems like there are several folks here on this blog , who go single ( i asked a similar question)... i figure if we get to know folks here... it might be possible to plan to go on some of the group cruises and make friends.... there are also facebook groups for specific cruise dates... so can meet people you might be cruising with, ahead of time.... that is kind of what I plan on doing some in the future, when I can't get someone to go with me!

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Lots of ppl cruise solo and enjoy it.....I guess it all comes down to the type of personality you have and comfort level being alone or interacting with ppl you don't know.

 

I would say cruising is great for solo ppl..lots going on and lots of opportunities to meet other people. But if your more laid back and quiet, lots of time and space to do that. For your very first cruise, there will be lots to learn and experience compared to doing a land/resort vacation experience imho.

 

The only thing I would probably recommend is a shorter cruise for your first one to get a feel for it and make sure you enjoy cruising...whether solo or not!

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I've come to love it. I traveled out of the country for the first time solo last month on a tour and I loved every single second of it. Solo cruising is great. I learned I have a limit of solo-ness if I'm truly by myself - 5 days. I have another solo booked for next summer (and the unofficial group 2021 but I'm not really sure that counts) but friends are threatening to come, I'm good either way. As long as you enjoy alone time, it's fantastic. I'm an only child and can amuse myself for a long time. I love people but I love making decisions based on what I like to do. I travel with friends 1-2x a year and the solo cruise has been a lovely addition.

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4 hours ago, ellcee said:

I'm an only child and can amuse myself for a long time. I love people but I love making decisions based on what I like to do.

I am the same way! All that alone time growing up taught me to keep myself easily entertained, I guess. Traveling solo is so nice, I am looking into trying my first solo cruise next spring!

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My first cruise was a solo vacation.  My friend backed out on me and I hesitantly decided to make a go of it.  It was the best cruise I had ever been on. I was young and single and a lot braver than I am now. I ended up meeting a friend the first day and my now husband. That was 18 years ago. I am an only child and love my alone time but had very few moments alone. Fast forward to 18 years and a few cruises later and I’m dying for another solo vacation.

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21 hours ago, Jazzykatt said:

My first cruise was a solo vacation.  My friend backed out on me and I hesitantly decided to make a go of it.  It was the best cruise I had ever been on. I was young and single and a lot braver than I am now. I ended up meeting a friend the first day and my now husband. That was 18 years ago. I am an only child and love my alone time but had very few moments alone. Fast forward to 18 years and a few cruises later and I’m dying for another solo vacation.

Welcome to the blog, Jazzykatt !!

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On 7/23/2019 at 10:33 PM, WAAAYTOOO said:

Welcome to the blog !  There are many people who cruise alone.  Just remember that most cruise prices are based on double occupancy so you would have to pay for 2 unless you can find one of the few single cabins in the Royal Fleet. Some of the newer ships offer single cabins but they are few and far between.

I have been thinking about a solo cruise myself for a while now. I thought it would be peaceful for me and I am fine on my own. I have never seen the option of the single room when booking online and I am not willing to pay for double occupancy. How do you find the solo cabins? When we were on Anthem in May to Bermuda we had a junior suite. It was a strange set up. We had a door from the hall that went into another small hallway and there was another cabin door before ours. I didnt realize until a few days in that it was a single! Is this a travel agent specialty or do you have to call RCL (ugh - whenever I have called in the past with questions I seem to get different answers on things depending on the rep)

Any tips are greatly appreciated.

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1 hour ago, whenismynextcruise said:

I have been thinking about a solo cruise myself for a while now. I thought it would be peaceful for me and I am fine on my own. I have never seen the option of the single room when booking online and I am not willing to pay for double occupancy. How do you find the solo cabins? When we were on Anthem in May to Bermuda we had a junior suite. It was a strange set up. We had a door from the hall that went into another small hallway and there was another cabin door before ours. I didnt realize until a few days in that it was a single! Is this a travel agent specialty or do you have to call RCL (ugh - whenever I have called in the past with questions I seem to get different answers on things depending on the rep)

Any tips are greatly appreciated.

I’ve been using a lovely local travel agent to find my cruise. None of the ships that offer single cabins were available for the dates I was looking for, so I will be paying the double occupancy. If you’re more open on dates, I’m sure a travel agent could find you a single cabin for your first solo cruise. ?

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1 hour ago, whenismynextcruise said:

I didnt realize until a few days in that it was a single! Is this a travel agent specialty or do you have to call RCL

You don't have to call RCL to book them and you can actually do it yourself on the website if the room is available on the ship you are looking at.  It would pull up the solo cabin as one of the available rooms provided you put in the right search criteria.  It so sooo much easier to get a TA do all the work in locating one for you, though. 

I've also found that sometimes the solo cabins aren't that much cheaper than a regular double-occupancy room anyways.  There are also sometimes sailings that reduce the extra premium for cruising solo so you won't have to pay an entire extra person's fare.  The search that the TA has access to is much more robust for finding what all is out there.  

Using a TA is free and there's no obligation for getting a quote so might as well take advantage of it!

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1 hour ago, whenismynextcruise said:

I didnt realize until a few days in that it was a single! Is this a travel agent specialty or do you have to call RCL (ugh - whenever I have called in the past with questions I seem to get different answers on things depending on the rep)

Get with MEI Travel (They sponsor this site) and let them figure it out for you, a lot less hassle and they deal with Royal and you don't have to. It's no charge so you might as well let them look for you and present alternatives on solo rooms.

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2 minutes ago, Jack_Lime said:

I just booked  cruise to go solo myself. Thanks for starting this topic, reading all the replies makes me feel a little more chill about it. I am now certain I will get what I am expecting out of it. Will be my first cruise after all.

Congrats!!! You'll love it. Feel free to ask anything about it. There's a bunch of a us who solo it for all different reasons.

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The vast majority of my cruising is solo and I love it!

There is always the opportunity to make new friends and to talk with new and interesting people every day from all parts of the country and even the world. Being on vacation on a cruise ship, people tend to be more open with a great attitude and happy to engage with fellow cruise members whether at a bar, the theater, dinner, on excursions or any other venue. I have learned a lot about cruising and visiting various ports from fellow cruisers and have also shared my experiences with others. Cruising solo does not mean cruising alone.

Enjoy your solo cruise and be prepared to love it so much that you will be booking again and again!

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23 hours ago, tiny260 said:

Get with MEI Travel (They sponsor this site) and let them figure it out for you, a lot less hassle and they deal with Royal and you don't have to. It's no charge so you might as well let them look for you and present alternatives on solo rooms.

Thanks for the tip. I personally haven't had the best of luck with travel agents in the past. I understand that people have personal relationships with their TA's but we are not that rich frankly. We travel twice a year, typically cruises, junior suite is the best we can afford and that is only once a year if the price is right. I don't think a TA would get much out of working with us and our small budget. I will have to start polishing up my search skills and be more flexible with dates and see how that goes. 

Thanks for the tips folks.

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53 minutes ago, whenismynextcruise said:

Thanks for the tip. I personally haven't had the best of luck with travel agents in the past. I understand that people have personal relationships with their TA's but we are not that rich frankly. We travel twice a year, typically cruises, junior suite is the best we can afford and that is only once a year if the price is right. I don't think a TA would get much out of working with us and our small budget. I will have to start polishing up my search skills and be more flexible with dates and see how that goes. 

Thanks for the tips folks.

That's the point, MEI gets or takes nothing from you, doesn't matter what your budget is, they get paid by Royal Caribbean, you do don't get charged a fee in anyway on any cruise MEI books for you. As a matter of fact when looking at your booking papers the only fee listed is "Taxes, fees, and port expenses" and those are a fee charged by the ports not Royal.

I used to be like you, I only booked 1 cruise a year and at first I was going through AAA, they were doing nothing for me, plus they were charging me a fee, so then I took back control and did all of the planning and organizing myself, then I got up to 2 cruises a year, summer and Fall Break (Wife works at a school), then life happened and I didn't have the time I felt I needed to properly plan so I went to MEI. I now have 7 cruises booked through MEI through April of 2021.

If it's a control thing I get it, even now when I book some cruises I email my MEI representative and tell them exactly what I want (Because I've already researched it), after MEI books the cruise for me I still have full control over the cruise in the Cruise Planner, if a new "special" comes out from Royal I not have to go mess with trying to re-price the cruise, I email or call my MEI Rep and ask them to re-price and see if I get a better deal.

It's just something to consider, if it is something you might be interested in ping or PM @AnnetteJackson and she can get you a representative assigned.

If you work with them and still don't like it, then ask for the cruise back and resume control for yourself again.

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