Tips for Solo cruiser ?

[Wafa]

Hi everbody 

I wanted to ask if anyone has any good tips for a solo female traveler  - also happens to be a first time cruiser ?

I'm excited but I fear that the Royal Caribbean  cruise line doesn't cater to single travelers .I  booked the wonder of the seas 7 day Mediterranean cruise starting from Rome.

Any tips are truly  appreciated

Thanks 

W

[Ampurp85]

I am often a solo female cruiser, and my advice is to live your best life.

I am a cautious woman, so I still do all the safety things I should, but mostly I am just free. I have done Europe as a solo woman and would often do special tours and group day excursion.............where more often than not, I am invited to join couples and friends. It will be your choice as to who you want to be around when invited and what you want to participate in.

The amount of freedom that comes with doing anything solo is amazing but if you aren't used to doing things alone, and even when you are, there will be small periods of loneliness but that can be easily remedied especially on a cruise. Most people who cruise are wonderful and friendly, so you won't ever have to be alone unless you want to be. 

 

[BeachGal]

@Wafa I do a lot of solo travel, and I echo what @Ampurp85 says.  The best part of solo travel is being able to do what you want to do.  I love traveling with friends and family, but there is truly a freedom to being on your own.  The wonderful part of a cruise is that you can be around people or just enjoy your own company and a good book.  When I want to meet folks, I find that doing the trivia is a great way to strike up a conversation(I love Schooner Lounge). 

I'm not sure what you need in terms of 'being catered to' as a solo traveler.  Whether you are with companions, or by yourself, your trip is what you make of it.  I don't feel as if I am treated any differently being a solo traveler.  I may have to pay a bit more for my room, but I do a lot of work to find fares that work within my budget.  

Tips that work for me as a solo traveler:  I'm a bit of an introvert, so I keep a book with me so that I always have something to do.  In terms of excursions, if I don't know the port well, I make sure to book a tour through RCI.  If I am comfortable after the tour, I might wander on my own in the city.  You will love your trip.  Do lots of research about your ports and find the things you want to see before you get on board.  Last, but not least, enjoy yourself!

[ellcee]

I can echo everything everyone has said and will add a few:

Expect people to question and comment why you're alone- have a reply crafted so you won't be caught off guard. It will happen multiple times if you are around people. I just posted this recently but people like to tell female solo travels how brave they are and let you know they could never travel alone. It's annoying but they mean well. Restaurant staff will also comment. You said Mediterranean - I toured solo in Italy in 2019 (met so many people I still keep in touch with, best trip ever) and  every time I dined alone, which actually wasn't often, the wait staff was shocked and would ask me several times to make sure. Sigh.

Do the things you want to do and don't let being alone hold you back.

For dining at buffets - being a bag or book or something that isn't expensive so you can claim a table or a seat to get your meal.

The Cruise Compass will say "solo trivia" or something similar. It was never solo when I went, always couples or groups. 

Solo travel is what you make of it. Cruises for me tend to be quiet and truly solo while land travels I met tons of people. I can waver between making friends easily or being completely unapproachable. Expect to be alone but know you have the opportunity to meet others. 

 

 

[Pattycruise]

If there is a Facebook group for your sailing, or a group on these pages (usually less people here), create an event for a meet and greet for the first day.  Someone did  this on my first solo cruise this past year and I met some nice solos at the sail away meet and greet she created.  we went to the dining room and had us all seated together for dinner. We also met for trivia every morning (not a European cruise).

 My next solo cruise I ran a meet and greet and it was a disaster (I’ve never met so many travel agents throwing their cards around). I was alone in the dining room and  sat 18inches away from a couple who ignored me and they barely talked to each other.  I should have asked for a table change but instead I chose to stay in that seat and hoped I made them uncomfortable!  lol (for this sailing they were not allowing shared tables, but we could sit 18” apart! Lol)

My next solo cruise I had put out in the FB group I was looking for a solo to join me at a shared table that had 3 couples.   (I had gone to the dining room when I boarded to see my table arrangement) Well one person replied and someone didn’t reply and took it upon herself to take a seat  when I showed for dinner there was no seat at MY table for me and I was moved and seated at a shared table with a family of 4 who ignored me, so I sent out an SOS in the FB group asking for anyone to join me, and a lovely older man came to my rescue and we had lovely conversation.  After dinner I spoke with the manager of the dining room about the mix up and was told to “show up earlier for dinner to get my original seat”…so I did.  They ended up adding a 9th chair too.  I enjoyed that shared table the rest of the week.  

Another solo sailing it was just me and an older couple. At a table that could seat 8.  They were very nice. It’s too bad more people weren’t seated at our table. 

So you can see all these sailings had different experiences.  

when traveling with my 19 yo daughter we were at a shared table with an older couple   They were super nice. Someone in the FB group for that sailing sent out an SOS for someone to dine with (f/24) and I told her our stats and our table # and she joined us.  The older couple pointed out a solo gal at a table behind me and said “can we ask her too, she’s been alone a few days, at a table for 6!”…I had not seen her because she was behind my view. so we adopted her too .  So perhaps consider putting out an SOS if you find yourself dining alone and want to sit with people.