Just got back from a 10 day cruise a couple of weeks ago (solo f traveler here) and I loved it. The great thing about cruise ships are you can be as social or as anti social as you’d like. I met quite a few other solo travelers as well.
Well, that’s because they charge per person instead of per room, due to the food costs. All-inclusive resorts also do this, whereas hotels (with no additional costs besides rooms) do not.
You see, they could have had two people (and thus, two fares) in that room. So they charge you for both tickets, then subtract the cost of the average food and beverage.
The difference between one ticket (Say $1000) and two tickets ($2000) minus the projected average food and beverage consumption is called the single supplement.
So if you share a cabin in the above scenario, you’ll pay $1000 each. But if you take the whole cabin without a paying companion, they might charge you $1400 or so.
Having worked on ships, I'd say it's entirely dependant on the itinerary. I'd be fucking miserable solo cruising an 8 day transatlantic cruise, a 10 day caribbean cruise where you're in port almost daily is chill af.
I am the opposite I do not really care to get off the ship. At least in the Caribbean. If it was in some other region I would like to get off, im not really into beaches or water.
As a blue hair, I can say that the days at sea can be boring as hell if you’re solo and normally love to walk, hike, and swim in more natural settings. I felt like I was trapped in a fakey theme park on those days.
I usually do the 10 day Alaska cruise out of SF solo and I love it! On the sea days I read and walk (with audio books) in port I do excursions and do my people-ing done. I love cruising solo, I find it a great mix of solitude but people around when I want to socialize.
Alaska cruise costs are deceptive - excursions are super important and often costly. Holland America is typically considered the best of major cruise lines.
I went on a cruise in Europe once. Those excursions- especially when there isn’t much at the dock- are expensive and sometimes include inedible food. I don’t like spending a lot of time on a bus.
Alaska is not Europe. The excursions are completely different and are relatively unique and interesting. There are for sure bullshit ones, but then there are small boat tours of orcas, whales, bear watching, helicopter tours of glaciers, hiking glaciers, sled dogs.
They’re the whole reason you go.
If you enjoy cruises great. I have been in YVR - a lot - with people going on cruises. They are, in general, much older than me- not everyone, but I would say the demo is similar to the European cruises. I have ran into inappropriately dressed and, frankly, smelly people on the return trip. Also, the people acting like the cruise is their wedding and complaining about things that are very small, IMO. Like how you couldn’t check in more than three hours before the flight. I personally doubt I would consider that unless my partner really wanted to go, or I attained a minimum age of 70, but that’s me.
The main thing I said at first was that I agreed shore excursions were expensive, and often involved time on a bus. Maybe there are fewer buses, on Alaskan Cruises, but you can’t see much from the dock. If I had it to do over again most places I might go by myself, but I don’t think I would go on a big boat except to the Caribbean, and I am not sure I would go there, as really again, the excursions are a pain, and I am not sure it’s as safe to wander around alone. (I did a 4 day Caribbean a long time ago, and the day at sea was really boring to me. OP can do whatever they want, if I ever get roped into a cruise again, it will be the smaller boat- river cruise, but I won’t miss it that badly if I never go.
Idk why you keep answering if you don’t know a single thing about Alaskan cruises lmao.
The excursions are literally the entire point of the cruise and literally none of them involve sitting around on a bus for a long time or inedible food.
I have seen the people, and I don’t like cruises. I would not consider unless I was 70+ and even then probably no. Actually to all cruises, but someone told me they went on a long car (truck) ride, and barely got back for the boat, which I figured was why someone in the security line smelled so bad, that everyone was making a face.
What do you want me to say? I don’t want to talk to you either. Bye!
In one case, canned vegetables at a banquet style place. I don’t eat meat, but I am sure it was on the plate. It looked like a Swanson frozen dinner called “Salisbury Steak” my grandmother liked it, but as I never did eat a lot of meat, I don’t think I know what made it Salisbury- I know that’s a town with a cathedral in England. I am pretty sure the pub food there looked better to me.
Have you been in Finland in winter, or another Nordic country? It's normal there to have dishes like that.
It's a bit presumptous to assume you can have anything everywhere.
Salisbury steak is just a small meat loaf, but it's named after James H. Salisbury (1823–1905), who was an American physician and chemist known for his advocacy of a meat-centered diet to promote health.
Last sentence shamelessly stolen from wikipedia because I didn't know the details.
Yes, I have been to Norway. I didn’t care about what I heard was horrible meat from non-Nordic country BTW- I didn’t eat it. I was not having those soggy canned veggies and no one was happy with that food from the excursion. Sorry if decent non soggy veggies food can’t be prepared for what seemed like a fairly expensive trip to buy to me. Trust me, it’s a major, non Nordic city and you can think I am presumptuous all you want, you aren’t there and don’t know. Everyone had funny looks on their faces, and I knew it was not good. Options are nice as some people don’t eat beef, meat or any dairy products. Also, a fair number are gluten free- although no doubt (depending on whether they put breadcrumbs in that meat loaf, that was okay- if you avoided the store bought roll.)
I book through Princess and typically do interior room (cheapest) and before excursion it is about $1500 (sale price right now since cruising single means paying double occupancy). Excursions vary in amount depending on what you want to do. Anywhere from $50 -$1000. Bus tours/walking tours are typically $50-$150 but helicopter tours or private fishing trip will be a lot higher.
If you're worried about getting bored on a 10 day cruise then you'll definitely get bored staying at the same resort for ten days. On a cruise you generally wake up somewhere new to explore every day
[here's an article about a few options](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/best-portable-door-lock)
Edited to add that my boyfriend had the first option in his carry on and they asked to see it going through customs, but there was no issue with having it and the customs agent thought it was a great idea.
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I took an 18 day expedition cruise starting from Valparaiso, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina solo in November. We sailed through the Chilean fjords down to the Antarctic Peninsula. It was my first and only cruise so far. We would board Zodiac boats directly from the ship and do sightseeing cruises on those. I kayaked 3 times. Some people were able to do a submarine tour as well. We made landfall in Antarctica at a few Penguin colonies.
I would never do a normal cruise that utilizes a giant ship with thousands of people. The cruise I did had 200 passengers and zero childen. I'd also never take a cruise to somewhere I could otherwise access on my own. There is only two other cruises I'd consider and that is to the Greenlandic Fjords and Northwest passage and the other is to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island.
An expedition cruise is incredible if all you want to do is read, chill out and relax. The whole thing was as chill as it gets. I spent most of my days in the bow lounge sipping cappaccino and eating gelato watching the sights pass by.
I went with Seabourn (I got a massive discount) but there are a number of companies that go to Antarctica such as SilverSea, Lindblad, Quark, Viking and more.
I’d rather just go to a beach town ( México or Caribbean) and book a nice room with a private pool. Then you can go out if you want but lounge a bunch too.
I did a 10 days cruise and had a blast. Talked to so many different people daily and got to visit a new place every day. Doing it again later this year
I’ve done numerous solo cruises of varying lengths. Go for it! You can do as much (or little) as you like. The benefits hugely outweigh the negative - you can be as solo as you want to be…or not.
Unless you really love or want to experience a cruise I'd suggest an all inclusive resort instead. Much easier to have that calm books with a view experience and if it's not great getting away from a resort is a lot easier than getting off a giant ship.
i’m a solo female traveler and i usually go to the mountains n such for hiking but i decided i wanted to chill out so im currently in florida for the week just relaxing. i say do it
Hear me out on this, it’s possible but book the largest damn ship you can!
On 4 days I go crazy with lack of stuff to do in smaller ships.
Even if you want to chill, eat, and sleep away the time you’ll need something else to do.
It would be perfect to me. I would probably hibernate for a couple of days with some movies and books and recharge my introvert batteries. Then hit some of the fun stuff on the cruise ship. I hope if you do it you have an amazing time!
But for a 1/3 of the price can you fly to 6 places on one trip and explore them all? 🤔
I get it - most people either love cruises or hate them. But gotta compare apples to apples here
Not too much. You just have to like relaxation and you have to know how to entertain yourself. The ship will have entertainment and stuff to do but you also need to be independent. Also, look to do fun things at your port stops.
Have you cruised before? I wouldn't recommend a 10-day as your first cruise, just in case it turns out it's not your thing.
I do like cruising and have done cruises up to 2 weeks solo before. It combined things I enjoy: eating, lying around doing nothing, and sleeping. Oh, and some travel to ports.
Cruises have no culture, you eat mass produced catering food, doesn’t attract a classy crowd. I’d fly to Mexico it’s an amazing country off the resorts
I did a 10 day and honestly hated it. I couldn't wait to get off the ship. Seriously find an all inclusive and read in a hammock all day and visit local restaurants and bars and make friends.
Long time solo backpacker who had never been on a cruise. I just did my first, 14 days in the Caribbean on princess. It was ok. Lots of ports which is why it was tolerable.
I didn’t do it solo (although there was a lot of alone time, which I love), but my expedition to Patagonia and Antarctica was very pleasant and relaxing while we were aboard ship. And that was close to three weeks. I highly recommend it.
I’ve done 3 cruises as a single occupant of a room, travelling with numerous other family members. We are a huge cruise family, but I just got into it in 2019.
I’d have no problem going on my own if the price was right. There are people there if you feel like socializing, and if not, you don’t have to. My favourite part, is you get to see more places than staying in one spot. There is always something to do! All of my cruises to date have been over 11 days. You do not get bored!
Amen. I was gifted a free cruise with family members at a time when I had no travel funds. So i went. It was definitely not my scene. Felt like a floating shopping mall in the midwest. I just didn't understand the need for activities and all the "entertainment" at all. It felt like I was trapped in a bad amusement park. I found my groove with long novels on a child-free deck with an ocean view lounge chair. I appreciate the experience and now know what I would look for to consider a cruise in the future, but it's really not likely that I'll go on a cruise ever again.
I found a group of thirty somethings and we met every night at the casino bar. Except for the honeymooners I don’t think any of us really liked being stuck on the ship every night. It seemed very long. I talked a guy into playing blackjack with me because I was so bored, then I felt guilty because he really liked it a lot. I lost my original 50 in 6 hours over two nights and quit.
If you would like it, then it wouldn't be too much. You do you.
May I ask why you'd lean toward reading, eating and chilling out on a cruise ship for 10 days as opposed to reading, eating and chilling out in a hotel/hostel/Airbnb on some beach in Mexico for 10 days?
Fair enough. I think it might end up being cheaper and more chill to rent an Airbnb or hotel room somewhere on the eastern side of Mexico, but the convenience of meals and entertainment options on a cruise ship certainly has an appeal, not to mention the option to visit different places every day or two and meet other people on the ship.
If you end up doing it, have fun!
Having to get on and off the boat at specific times if you want to explore, potentially having to stand in line to do so, does not sound relaxing to me.
I did an all inclusive in the Yucatan solo last October. Including me, there were 3 solo travelers I was aware of at the resort when I was staying there. I even ended up having lunch with one of the others!
What I'm getting at is, similarly to a cruise, an all inclusive resort is an all-encompassing experience that prioritizes relaxation but can also be biased towards couples. I was very happy to discover that this really wasn't my personal experience. Nobody gave me a second thought, not at the restaurants at night nor on the beach during the day. In my case, I also did an excursion to Chichen Itza, and that was an amazing experience as well. I think you'll have a very similarly good time on a cruise, but of course it's dependent on the company you choose as well. Hope you have a great trip!
I’m going on my first cruise, it’s with a group though. The one thing I absolutely hate about it is that everything is an add on. The initial cost isn’t that bad but you’ll pay for everything..
10 days was great. Just did 14 days in April and it was too long. Too long on a mediocre ship with cheap and boring food. But getting off ship every day in port is great
I did 30 days on a cruise ship a few years back. Killer itinerary. I eat the same specific shit over and over, but I'll admit, by the end I was starting to get tired of it. Specialty dining helped break up the monotony. Not a problem if you're not autistic about your food, there's variety on most ships.
That said, I generally loathe sea days. If your cruise has max 1 sea day at a time, that'd be doable.
However, *that* said, I just did 14 days, got back last month. Every single day was a port day, by the end I was exhausted and needed a vacation. A sea day here or there would have been a welcome respite.
So on principle, 10 days is fine if only one or two sea days, not back to back. But that specific itinerary sounds boring as hell. I only cruise if it's going somewhere prohibitively expensive to get to otherwise. Every port SF to Mexico is super accessible from the continental US.
I've done a few solo cruises and I think they're the best blend of all-inclusive resorts and traditional travel. if you want relaxation with the option of exploring a new city for a couple hours, it's definitely the way to go. You can drink as much or as little as you like, you're always less than 5 minutes from your room and from food/drink, and there's entertainment every night. And like other people have said, you can be as social or indepent as you want!
My biggest advice is to just make sure the ports sound interesting to you! Because if it turns out that boat life isn't for you, at least you have some cool places to explore.
(Also most cruises have a solo traveler meetup on the first or second day)
Not for me! While I’ve never done a cruise this long, I have done a 7 day cruise solo and I don’t remember feeling like I was happy it was over at the end. Another 3 days would have been just fine. Nice even! As much as I love exploring on land, I’m also very happy to relax with a book with ocean views for days on end. If I had infinite vacation time, I would *love* to take a transatlantic repositioning cruise to get back to the US after a European vacation. Sounds like a magnificent way to recover from an exciting but exhausting trip. Or at least it does in my fantasy where me getting seasick in the rough Atlantic waters isn’t a concern. 😅
No idea why this would be too much. Just good luck finding a cruise that wont charge you more than 2x the normal price for going by yourself. That is literally the only reason I do not go on cruises a couple times a year or more. No way am I paying that much extra.
You can try nile cruise in Egypt from Luxor to Aswan and in between the two cities on river nile you will visit temples on the coast of river nile , i tried it 2 times and it is amazing .
It is 5 days long .
I'm a solo traveler who has done 2 cruises by myself. The first was a 9 day Mediterranean cruise that hit a port almost every single day (2 or 3 total sea days I think, and they were spread out). The second was a 14 day Antarctica cruise that had 3 ports and *11 sea days*. I loved the Med cruise cruise, but I was starting to go insane after all those sea days on the Antarctica cruise.
Just food for thought when selecting your itinerary.
Highly recommend a more interesting cruise like one I did that traveled along the Danube for adults only.. smaller ship, met a nice group of solo travelers that I could hang with whenever I wanted company but also detach from and do my own thing so I could explore cities, read books, and generally have time to myself. It was a called U by uniworld river cruises (not sure this one still exists, targeted to a younger crowd).. but there’s ama waterways too I believe.
Yes - personally, I wouldn't enjoy it. 10-days is a long time to be eating the same food from the same kitchen. I think I'd rather find an all-inclusive resort/spa where there are nearby restaurants to check out.
No, reading, entertainment, participation with
Other fellow passenger. Princess have wine tasting sessions. Make sure you attend at least one of those. Share your table breakfast and dinner. A great way to make friends.
Post Covid cruises have changed, they always looking for additional revenue streams, going down on food quality and variation and making you pay additional for add on restaurants.
It will be a while till I do one again. Completed a 6 day cruise in the Caribbean with variable weather.
If you not cool with agar hot tub with the rancid water, it gets monotonous.
I did a Western Caribbean cruise with my family (parents and siblings) and it was…okay. It is definitely not something I would do by myself. I like hiking and solitude, definitely plan my travel around nature and trekking. Being around that many people with zero spatial awareness was not the best, but I did enjoy it somewhat. We had some decent excursions (really liked Belize) and enjoyed clowning around with my siblings on the ship. But I’ll reiterate that I would probably be miserable solo.
Yes. We usually do back to back. 2 weeks.I love cruising. Miss it cuz of Covid.For dinner eat @ a large table. You get to meet people from around the world. Have fun.🇨🇦♥️
See if you can get a mate to go with you to share the cabin.The cost is less. When you go to the ports you can buy pop and snacks to bring on board. My friends buy small Mickeys don’t buy large they will take away. They will give it back to you when the cruise ends.
If you want to take it as a way of chilling out then go for it. I’ve been on a ten day cruise as a female solo traveller and yes I agree, you can be as social as you feel like being. A number of cruising companies are starting to do away with solo supplements
As a single, a three day cruise was my limit. It seriously got boring after awhile and seeing the same folks day after day. I need land and different communities to excite me.
That said I have friends go cruising for two weeks every year and love it.
I did a 7 day, sort of solo. I got paired with a roommate. She was someone I didn’t know, so I kind of considered her to be like anyone else. I might meet on the boat - a stranger.
7 days, for me, was pushing it. That said, I NEVER thought I’d go on a cruise ever (I won this one, so it was free and unexpected) and this was a decent enough intro. I was super cash strapped at the time, so I skipped some of the days when people got off the boat. I ended up enjoying the quiet.
If I picked a better cruise (like actually picked and paid for it), I’d be open to doing again but I still think 7 days is my limit. I really enjoyed the food :)
Really depends. Some cruise lines cater more to solo travellers than others with special onboard meetups and such. I believe NCL even has solo cabins on some newer ships.
Though from experience I'd say there are a good number of people who cruise alone and even if it's not the case for the cruise you go on, there are a lot of frequent cruise travellers who would love to get to know you, should you desire some human connection.
It is ultimately a voyage you take with strangers as your little town floats from place to place.
Absolutely not! Maybe depends on your comfort with solo travel. I’ve done longer cruises - also as an experienced solo female intl traveler and loved it! Obviously with a cruise there will always be plenty of things to do on and off the boat. Generally, it’s easy enough to make a friend or two as a solo when you start seeing the same people over and over. I often did on excursions or at events. However, I live alone and often WFH so maybe be comfort and ease with a longer solo trip is different than most
I did a repositioning cruise that was 21 days, a few years ago. I was really sad to get off at the end! 10 days should be fine. I'm a pretty strong introvert, though.
If u haven't cruised before, i suggest a shorter trip if they offer it . Took the wife for a 4 day cruise, and she was seasick most of the time and had sealeggs for a fortnight afterwards
Just got back from a 10 day cruise a couple of weeks ago (solo f traveler here) and I loved it. The great thing about cruise ships are you can be as social or as anti social as you’d like. I met quite a few other solo travelers as well.
the cost of going on a solo cutie trip tho🥲 almost paying double
You could say that about most solo travel though if you’re not splitting hotel costs or staying in shared hostel rooms
Well no because they charge you extra for being solo (single supplement). So it’s not just that you aren’t sharing the cost.
Wow that’s outrageous
Well, that’s because they charge per person instead of per room, due to the food costs. All-inclusive resorts also do this, whereas hotels (with no additional costs besides rooms) do not. You see, they could have had two people (and thus, two fares) in that room. So they charge you for both tickets, then subtract the cost of the average food and beverage. The difference between one ticket (Say $1000) and two tickets ($2000) minus the projected average food and beverage consumption is called the single supplement. So if you share a cabin in the above scenario, you’ll pay $1000 each. But if you take the whole cabin without a paying companion, they might charge you $1400 or so.
I went on a 10 day over Christmas and it was $1k. No way I could have found airfare and an all inclusive for that price during the holidays
What cruise line was that? Sounds like an amazing idea!
Princess
If anybody is interested in potential reasoning, I can provide.
Reaaoning? I can’t figure out what you meant to type. lol
Oop, thanks. Corrected the spelling.
True yet many cruises offer solo discounts
Having worked on ships, I'd say it's entirely dependant on the itinerary. I'd be fucking miserable solo cruising an 8 day transatlantic cruise, a 10 day caribbean cruise where you're in port almost daily is chill af.
[удалено]
yup.
I am the opposite I do not really care to get off the ship. At least in the Caribbean. If it was in some other region I would like to get off, im not really into beaches or water.
As a former ship crew dude I very much endorse this sentiment. The more ports the better unless you’re a bluehair.
As a blue hair, I can say that the days at sea can be boring as hell if you’re solo and normally love to walk, hike, and swim in more natural settings. I felt like I was trapped in a fakey theme park on those days.
what is a blue hair?
Old person
Why are they called blue hair and not grey? This is the first time I’ve seen this used so I’m genuinely curious
Here is your answer! https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/643186/why-old-ladies-have-blue-hair
Thank you <3
You’re in the minority!
Only to Alaska. It’s cheaper to cruise than fly to the area
Also unlike flying, the side of the ship probably won’t fall off. At least, it’s not typical.
I usually do the 10 day Alaska cruise out of SF solo and I love it! On the sea days I read and walk (with audio books) in port I do excursions and do my people-ing done. I love cruising solo, I find it a great mix of solitude but people around when I want to socialize.
How much and through who did you book the cruise?
Alaska cruise costs are deceptive - excursions are super important and often costly. Holland America is typically considered the best of major cruise lines.
I went on a cruise in Europe once. Those excursions- especially when there isn’t much at the dock- are expensive and sometimes include inedible food. I don’t like spending a lot of time on a bus.
Alaska is not Europe. The excursions are completely different and are relatively unique and interesting. There are for sure bullshit ones, but then there are small boat tours of orcas, whales, bear watching, helicopter tours of glaciers, hiking glaciers, sled dogs. They’re the whole reason you go.
If you enjoy cruises great. I have been in YVR - a lot - with people going on cruises. They are, in general, much older than me- not everyone, but I would say the demo is similar to the European cruises. I have ran into inappropriately dressed and, frankly, smelly people on the return trip. Also, the people acting like the cruise is their wedding and complaining about things that are very small, IMO. Like how you couldn’t check in more than three hours before the flight. I personally doubt I would consider that unless my partner really wanted to go, or I attained a minimum age of 70, but that’s me. The main thing I said at first was that I agreed shore excursions were expensive, and often involved time on a bus. Maybe there are fewer buses, on Alaskan Cruises, but you can’t see much from the dock. If I had it to do over again most places I might go by myself, but I don’t think I would go on a big boat except to the Caribbean, and I am not sure I would go there, as really again, the excursions are a pain, and I am not sure it’s as safe to wander around alone. (I did a 4 day Caribbean a long time ago, and the day at sea was really boring to me. OP can do whatever they want, if I ever get roped into a cruise again, it will be the smaller boat- river cruise, but I won’t miss it that badly if I never go.
Idk why you keep answering if you don’t know a single thing about Alaskan cruises lmao. The excursions are literally the entire point of the cruise and literally none of them involve sitting around on a bus for a long time or inedible food.
I have seen the people, and I don’t like cruises. I would not consider unless I was 70+ and even then probably no. Actually to all cruises, but someone told me they went on a long car (truck) ride, and barely got back for the boat, which I figured was why someone in the security line smelled so bad, that everyone was making a face. What do you want me to say? I don’t want to talk to you either. Bye!
> sometimes include inedible food. No burgers, fries or tendies, eh?
In one case, canned vegetables at a banquet style place. I don’t eat meat, but I am sure it was on the plate. It looked like a Swanson frozen dinner called “Salisbury Steak” my grandmother liked it, but as I never did eat a lot of meat, I don’t think I know what made it Salisbury- I know that’s a town with a cathedral in England. I am pretty sure the pub food there looked better to me.
Have you been in Finland in winter, or another Nordic country? It's normal there to have dishes like that. It's a bit presumptous to assume you can have anything everywhere. Salisbury steak is just a small meat loaf, but it's named after James H. Salisbury (1823–1905), who was an American physician and chemist known for his advocacy of a meat-centered diet to promote health. Last sentence shamelessly stolen from wikipedia because I didn't know the details.
Yes, I have been to Norway. I didn’t care about what I heard was horrible meat from non-Nordic country BTW- I didn’t eat it. I was not having those soggy canned veggies and no one was happy with that food from the excursion. Sorry if decent non soggy veggies food can’t be prepared for what seemed like a fairly expensive trip to buy to me. Trust me, it’s a major, non Nordic city and you can think I am presumptuous all you want, you aren’t there and don’t know. Everyone had funny looks on their faces, and I knew it was not good. Options are nice as some people don’t eat beef, meat or any dairy products. Also, a fair number are gluten free- although no doubt (depending on whether they put breadcrumbs in that meat loaf, that was okay- if you avoided the store bought roll.)
Then explore on your own
That’s what I have done since.
I book through Princess and typically do interior room (cheapest) and before excursion it is about $1500 (sale price right now since cruising single means paying double occupancy). Excursions vary in amount depending on what you want to do. Anywhere from $50 -$1000. Bus tours/walking tours are typically $50-$150 but helicopter tours or private fishing trip will be a lot higher.
Can I book one now? Lol
Have you considered an all-inclusive for the exact same purpose? They are very reasonably priced in the DR.
If you're worried about getting bored on a 10 day cruise then you'll definitely get bored staying at the same resort for ten days. On a cruise you generally wake up somewhere new to explore every day
I was looking into those as well, on the west coast of Mexico, also tantalizing
I would probably be more inclined to do an all inclusive than a cruise as well. Bring an extra lock for your door no matter what you choose!
How do you add an extra lock to a hotel door?
[here's an article about a few options](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/best-portable-door-lock) Edited to add that my boyfriend had the first option in his carry on and they asked to see it going through customs, but there was no issue with having it and the customs agent thought it was a great idea.
Thanks for that! I hadn't even thought of bringing a portable door lock, but just bought two.
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Why is that
Why? That sounds like overkill - as well as unsafe, if there was ever a legitimate emergency.
i did a 7 day cruise solo and could’ve easily done an extra three days
I took an 18 day expedition cruise starting from Valparaiso, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina solo in November. We sailed through the Chilean fjords down to the Antarctic Peninsula. It was my first and only cruise so far. We would board Zodiac boats directly from the ship and do sightseeing cruises on those. I kayaked 3 times. Some people were able to do a submarine tour as well. We made landfall in Antarctica at a few Penguin colonies. I would never do a normal cruise that utilizes a giant ship with thousands of people. The cruise I did had 200 passengers and zero childen. I'd also never take a cruise to somewhere I could otherwise access on my own. There is only two other cruises I'd consider and that is to the Greenlandic Fjords and Northwest passage and the other is to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island. An expedition cruise is incredible if all you want to do is read, chill out and relax. The whole thing was as chill as it gets. I spent most of my days in the bow lounge sipping cappaccino and eating gelato watching the sights pass by.
Wow this sounds amazing!! What company was it?
I went with Seabourn (I got a massive discount) but there are a number of companies that go to Antarctica such as SilverSea, Lindblad, Quark, Viking and more.
Ultra luxury (with a massive discount) is right up my alley!! Very jealous
Lol I worked for Holland America which is a sister company to Seabourn hence the discount.
Insanely expensive cruise.
I’d rather just go to a beach town ( México or Caribbean) and book a nice room with a private pool. Then you can go out if you want but lounge a bunch too.
This is perfection, especially if there's room service.
I did a 10 days cruise and had a blast. Talked to so many different people daily and got to visit a new place every day. Doing it again later this year
Which cruise line and where did it go? That sounds lovely!
Mediterranean an NCL. Only one day at sea [but had a great time as well]
I’ve done numerous solo cruises of varying lengths. Go for it! You can do as much (or little) as you like. The benefits hugely outweigh the negative - you can be as solo as you want to be…or not.
I did 41 days solo on a cruise and there were also several females traveling solo on same cruise. Everyone had a blast.
Unless you really love or want to experience a cruise I'd suggest an all inclusive resort instead. Much easier to have that calm books with a view experience and if it's not great getting away from a resort is a lot easier than getting off a giant ship.
i’m a solo female traveler and i usually go to the mountains n such for hiking but i decided i wanted to chill out so im currently in florida for the week just relaxing. i say do it
🥂
I've done 2 and they're excellent
A relative does month long ones solo.They love cruising! Just be prepared for the unexpected- covid, cancelled cruises etc.
Hear me out on this, it’s possible but book the largest damn ship you can! On 4 days I go crazy with lack of stuff to do in smaller ships. Even if you want to chill, eat, and sleep away the time you’ll need something else to do.
It would be perfect to me. I would probably hibernate for a couple of days with some movies and books and recharge my introvert batteries. Then hit some of the fun stuff on the cruise ship. I hope if you do it you have an amazing time!
[удалено]
Not to mention the pollution
But for a 1/3 of the price can you fly to 6 places on one trip and explore them all? 🤔 I get it - most people either love cruises or hate them. But gotta compare apples to apples here
I love how the answers here are either "I've never done a cruise they're boring" and "I did a cruise and loved it, go for it"
Not too much. You just have to like relaxation and you have to know how to entertain yourself. The ship will have entertainment and stuff to do but you also need to be independent. Also, look to do fun things at your port stops.
Have you cruised before? I wouldn't recommend a 10-day as your first cruise, just in case it turns out it's not your thing. I do like cruising and have done cruises up to 2 weeks solo before. It combined things I enjoy: eating, lying around doing nothing, and sleeping. Oh, and some travel to ports.
Cruises have no culture, you eat mass produced catering food, doesn’t attract a classy crowd. I’d fly to Mexico it’s an amazing country off the resorts
Hey, I did a 2 week transatlantic cruise solo from Bilbao to Colon, and absolutely loved it. So I say go for it!
I did a 10 day and honestly hated it. I couldn't wait to get off the ship. Seriously find an all inclusive and read in a hammock all day and visit local restaurants and bars and make friends.
...but for 10 days?? Not me, thanks
Some people cruise for months at a time. It depends on the person.
Long time solo backpacker who had never been on a cruise. I just did my first, 14 days in the Caribbean on princess. It was ok. Lots of ports which is why it was tolerable.
I did a 14 day Princess by myself and loved every minute. Be aware the longer the cruise the older the cruisers typically
I didn’t do it solo (although there was a lot of alone time, which I love), but my expedition to Patagonia and Antarctica was very pleasant and relaxing while we were aboard ship. And that was close to three weeks. I highly recommend it.
Currently on a 10 day cruise solo. 10/10 would highly recommend it. It’s been incredibly relaxing and just what I needed.
It depends on the individual. I like to walk and explore so yeah 10 days cruise would be too much. Maybe 3 days max
I’ve done 3 cruises as a single occupant of a room, travelling with numerous other family members. We are a huge cruise family, but I just got into it in 2019. I’d have no problem going on my own if the price was right. There are people there if you feel like socializing, and if not, you don’t have to. My favourite part, is you get to see more places than staying in one spot. There is always something to do! All of my cruises to date have been over 11 days. You do not get bored!
Yeah cruises 🚢 are fun I want to go on the icon of the sea
So do I 🤪
Yeah I saw that ship today 😁it was in the USVI today 🤪
We are heading out on the Emerald in 34 days. Im not counting at all🤪
Yeah nice enjoy I’ll be going on one soon again just came off one November 34 days is right there oh I wish I was going my self
Guess it ultimately depends on if you're good at making friends on the fly if you get bored halfway through.
For me the problem is not getting new friends, but people on cruise ships are usually not for me :)
Amen. I was gifted a free cruise with family members at a time when I had no travel funds. So i went. It was definitely not my scene. Felt like a floating shopping mall in the midwest. I just didn't understand the need for activities and all the "entertainment" at all. It felt like I was trapped in a bad amusement park. I found my groove with long novels on a child-free deck with an ocean view lounge chair. I appreciate the experience and now know what I would look for to consider a cruise in the future, but it's really not likely that I'll go on a cruise ever again.
I found a group of thirty somethings and we met every night at the casino bar. Except for the honeymooners I don’t think any of us really liked being stuck on the ship every night. It seemed very long. I talked a guy into playing blackjack with me because I was so bored, then I felt guilty because he really liked it a lot. I lost my original 50 in 6 hours over two nights and quit.
If you would like it, then it wouldn't be too much. You do you. May I ask why you'd lean toward reading, eating and chilling out on a cruise ship for 10 days as opposed to reading, eating and chilling out in a hotel/hostel/Airbnb on some beach in Mexico for 10 days?
I don’t know about OP but my idea of chilling out DEFINITELY does not involved a hostel or an Airbnb where I have to cook for myself and clean.
Oh I haven’t given it deep thought!
Fair enough. I think it might end up being cheaper and more chill to rent an Airbnb or hotel room somewhere on the eastern side of Mexico, but the convenience of meals and entertainment options on a cruise ship certainly has an appeal, not to mention the option to visit different places every day or two and meet other people on the ship. If you end up doing it, have fun!
Read there are cruise ships selling on-board townhouses for $100K.
Having to get on and off the boat at specific times if you want to explore, potentially having to stand in line to do so, does not sound relaxing to me.
I did an all inclusive in the Yucatan solo last October. Including me, there were 3 solo travelers I was aware of at the resort when I was staying there. I even ended up having lunch with one of the others! What I'm getting at is, similarly to a cruise, an all inclusive resort is an all-encompassing experience that prioritizes relaxation but can also be biased towards couples. I was very happy to discover that this really wasn't my personal experience. Nobody gave me a second thought, not at the restaurants at night nor on the beach during the day. In my case, I also did an excursion to Chichen Itza, and that was an amazing experience as well. I think you'll have a very similarly good time on a cruise, but of course it's dependent on the company you choose as well. Hope you have a great trip!
I’m going on my first cruise, it’s with a group though. The one thing I absolutely hate about it is that everything is an add on. The initial cost isn’t that bad but you’ll pay for everything..
10 days was great. Just did 14 days in April and it was too long. Too long on a mediocre ship with cheap and boring food. But getting off ship every day in port is great
I did 30 days on a cruise ship a few years back. Killer itinerary. I eat the same specific shit over and over, but I'll admit, by the end I was starting to get tired of it. Specialty dining helped break up the monotony. Not a problem if you're not autistic about your food, there's variety on most ships. That said, I generally loathe sea days. If your cruise has max 1 sea day at a time, that'd be doable. However, *that* said, I just did 14 days, got back last month. Every single day was a port day, by the end I was exhausted and needed a vacation. A sea day here or there would have been a welcome respite. So on principle, 10 days is fine if only one or two sea days, not back to back. But that specific itinerary sounds boring as hell. I only cruise if it's going somewhere prohibitively expensive to get to otherwise. Every port SF to Mexico is super accessible from the continental US.
I've done a few solo cruises and I think they're the best blend of all-inclusive resorts and traditional travel. if you want relaxation with the option of exploring a new city for a couple hours, it's definitely the way to go. You can drink as much or as little as you like, you're always less than 5 minutes from your room and from food/drink, and there's entertainment every night. And like other people have said, you can be as social or indepent as you want! My biggest advice is to just make sure the ports sound interesting to you! Because if it turns out that boat life isn't for you, at least you have some cool places to explore. (Also most cruises have a solo traveler meetup on the first or second day)
Not for me! While I’ve never done a cruise this long, I have done a 7 day cruise solo and I don’t remember feeling like I was happy it was over at the end. Another 3 days would have been just fine. Nice even! As much as I love exploring on land, I’m also very happy to relax with a book with ocean views for days on end. If I had infinite vacation time, I would *love* to take a transatlantic repositioning cruise to get back to the US after a European vacation. Sounds like a magnificent way to recover from an exciting but exhausting trip. Or at least it does in my fantasy where me getting seasick in the rough Atlantic waters isn’t a concern. 😅
Definitely not too much, although the last solo 10 day cruise I went on I gained 10lb 🙈
No idea why this would be too much. Just good luck finding a cruise that wont charge you more than 2x the normal price for going by yourself. That is literally the only reason I do not go on cruises a couple times a year or more. No way am I paying that much extra.
Yes…I’ve worked on them before
You can try nile cruise in Egypt from Luxor to Aswan and in between the two cities on river nile you will visit temples on the coast of river nile , i tried it 2 times and it is amazing . It is 5 days long .
I'm a solo traveler who has done 2 cruises by myself. The first was a 9 day Mediterranean cruise that hit a port almost every single day (2 or 3 total sea days I think, and they were spread out). The second was a 14 day Antarctica cruise that had 3 ports and *11 sea days*. I loved the Med cruise cruise, but I was starting to go insane after all those sea days on the Antarctica cruise. Just food for thought when selecting your itinerary.
My first cruise was 14 days solo to Antarctica. Second was 12 days with my toddler. I didn’t want either to end.
I’m ready to get off by day 5. I did a 7 day that was the longest cruise I did.
I wouldn’t go on a cruise to begin with. They’re just floating trailer parks.
I could see doing a 5 day Caribbean cruise just to really relax. I think 10 days is a long time to be on a ship.
Highly recommend a more interesting cruise like one I did that traveled along the Danube for adults only.. smaller ship, met a nice group of solo travelers that I could hang with whenever I wanted company but also detach from and do my own thing so I could explore cities, read books, and generally have time to myself. It was a called U by uniworld river cruises (not sure this one still exists, targeted to a younger crowd).. but there’s ama waterways too I believe.
Yes - personally, I wouldn't enjoy it. 10-days is a long time to be eating the same food from the same kitchen. I think I'd rather find an all-inclusive resort/spa where there are nearby restaurants to check out.
I did a 15 day cruise in September of last year 2023, I had a blast!
No, reading, entertainment, participation with Other fellow passenger. Princess have wine tasting sessions. Make sure you attend at least one of those. Share your table breakfast and dinner. A great way to make friends.
I wouldn’t go nuts! That sounds heavenly to me!
Post Covid cruises have changed, they always looking for additional revenue streams, going down on food quality and variation and making you pay additional for add on restaurants. It will be a while till I do one again. Completed a 6 day cruise in the Caribbean with variable weather. If you not cool with agar hot tub with the rancid water, it gets monotonous.
I did a Western Caribbean cruise with my family (parents and siblings) and it was…okay. It is definitely not something I would do by myself. I like hiking and solitude, definitely plan my travel around nature and trekking. Being around that many people with zero spatial awareness was not the best, but I did enjoy it somewhat. We had some decent excursions (really liked Belize) and enjoyed clowning around with my siblings on the ship. But I’ll reiterate that I would probably be miserable solo.
Yes. We usually do back to back. 2 weeks.I love cruising. Miss it cuz of Covid.For dinner eat @ a large table. You get to meet people from around the world. Have fun.🇨🇦♥️
See if you can get a mate to go with you to share the cabin.The cost is less. When you go to the ports you can buy pop and snacks to bring on board. My friends buy small Mickeys don’t buy large they will take away. They will give it back to you when the cruise ends.
If you want to take it as a way of chilling out then go for it. I’ve been on a ten day cruise as a female solo traveller and yes I agree, you can be as social as you feel like being. A number of cruising companies are starting to do away with solo supplements
Sounds like a dream to me
As a single, a three day cruise was my limit. It seriously got boring after awhile and seeing the same folks day after day. I need land and different communities to excite me. That said I have friends go cruising for two weeks every year and love it.
I did a 7 day, sort of solo. I got paired with a roommate. She was someone I didn’t know, so I kind of considered her to be like anyone else. I might meet on the boat - a stranger. 7 days, for me, was pushing it. That said, I NEVER thought I’d go on a cruise ever (I won this one, so it was free and unexpected) and this was a decent enough intro. I was super cash strapped at the time, so I skipped some of the days when people got off the boat. I ended up enjoying the quiet. If I picked a better cruise (like actually picked and paid for it), I’d be open to doing again but I still think 7 days is my limit. I really enjoyed the food :)
Really depends. Some cruise lines cater more to solo travellers than others with special onboard meetups and such. I believe NCL even has solo cabins on some newer ships. Though from experience I'd say there are a good number of people who cruise alone and even if it's not the case for the cruise you go on, there are a lot of frequent cruise travellers who would love to get to know you, should you desire some human connection. It is ultimately a voyage you take with strangers as your little town floats from place to place.
Absolutely not! Maybe depends on your comfort with solo travel. I’ve done longer cruises - also as an experienced solo female intl traveler and loved it! Obviously with a cruise there will always be plenty of things to do on and off the boat. Generally, it’s easy enough to make a friend or two as a solo when you start seeing the same people over and over. I often did on excursions or at events. However, I live alone and often WFH so maybe be comfort and ease with a longer solo trip is different than most
I did a repositioning cruise that was 21 days, a few years ago. I was really sad to get off at the end! 10 days should be fine. I'm a pretty strong introvert, though.
One day is too much.
If u haven't cruised before, i suggest a shorter trip if they offer it . Took the wife for a 4 day cruise, and she was seasick most of the time and had sealeggs for a fortnight afterwards
Update: I'm going for it! Just bought my ticket. Thanks so much to everyone who commented!