I’d traveled long distances solo by plane and train — so why not try cruising alone?
In April 2022, I went on my first cruise by myself. During my seven-night solo voyage on board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, my ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; and Royal Caribbean’s own private island in the Bahamas.
As a longtime solo traveler and first-time cruiser, a few things surprised me about cruising alone. From booking the trip to setting sail, here’s what I didn’t expect.
When booking my cruise, I was surprised to find that the room rate was higher for just one person than for two.
Because most cruise ship staterooms are meant to hold at least two people, booking a room by yourself often means you still have to pay higher prices. Some cruise ships have solo cabins for just one person, but mine didn’t.
When I booked my cruise, the listed rates for my ship were per person, not per room. But when switching between one and two guests in my search, the cost per person doubled when I had just one person selected. This is known as paying a “single supplement,” as it helps the cruise line make up for the revenue it would have generated from having a second person on board.
For $2,000, I got an ocean-view stateroom to myself. It would have cost about half the price per person if I had brought someone with me.
It was easier to meet people on the ship than I expected it would be as a solo traveler.
As someone who is typically shy around new people, I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to other travelers on the ship.
Couples, families, and other solo cruisers seemed open to chatting and sharing their experiences with me around the pool decks and at various eateries and common spaces. After all, we had at least one thing in common — being on this epic vacation.
I thought I’d have a hard time navigating the ports to find my excursion groups, but since I booked through the cruise line, there were so many signs and directions that made it easy.
At each cruise port, passengers may disembark to spend their time as they wish. They might sightsee independently, take a taxi to a beach, link up with a local tour guide, or join an official cruise-line excursion.
I joined a cruise-line excursion at every port and was nervous about finding my group amid the large crowds. However, I was given clear directions on where to meet my group each time, and there were so many posted signs that it was easy.
I figured that since I was a solo traveler, I’d experience the ports alone, but I found that many people on excursions were looking to meet new people. It made making friends easy.
I found that excursions were the easiest way to meet people on the ship. With group activities like hiking and plenty of downtime on bus rides to and from the tour locations, I spent most of my time socializing. On a guided hike in Roatán, Honduras, I met couples, families, and one other solo traveler.
But I was shocked to be mistaken for a child every time I entered or exited the ship.
“Where are your parents?” was a question I had to answer nearly every day of my cruise.
Cruise-line workers were quick to assume that I was a lost child rather than a solo cruiser each time I entered and exited the ship. This could be because I look young (in my opinion), but it also made me think that solo cruising might be less common at 26, my age at the time.
Even as a single person on the world’s largest cruise ship, it can be hard to find a chair on the pool deck after noon.
Wonder of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, so I thought that it would be pretty easy to find a single pool chair on the ship at any time.
But by midday, most of the chairs were occupied or covered with towels. While saving chairs with towels wasn’t allowed on my ship, I didn’t see the rule enforced, so I had to arrive early to secure a good spot.
While I thought my first cruise was still enjoyable alone, if I were to take another one, I’d prefer to bring a buddy.
Despite the social activities and friendly cruisers who loved to chat with random strangers like me, I still found myself feeling lonely on the ship. I longed to have a conversation with someone who knew me or to share my experiences in new places with a loved one. Being surrounded by so many families and groups of friends made me wish I could be with mine.
If I cruise again, I’ll definitely bring my own crew.
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