How I Cruise Solo Better (& Cheaper!) Than Anybody Else

As 9 put of 10 of my cruises are as a solo cruising passenger, I am frequently asked to share my tips on how to travel cheaper, how to avoid the large 100% supplement most lines charge, how to avoid being left out or feeling lonely on board a cruise ship as a solo traveller, and also how do I make the most of cruising solo traveller.

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ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 96 cruises I have done to date.

#SoloCruiseTips #SoloCruising #cruisetips

00:00 Start
00:40 Where Solo Cruisers are wanted
02:44 Ship size and solo cruising
04:20 Avoiding solo cruise supplement
09:54 Solo cruise on board tips
14:15 solo cruise dining tips

[ChickenFriedCorgi]

Wonder if I'm in the minority that enjoys solo cruising but not out to hang with strangers. I get enjoyment from just walking around the cruise. Listening to podcasts. Reading my kindle. No problem sitting and talking with folks at the dining table, but I'm not cruising to socialize lol.

[stacihayward]

Thank you for this video! I'm a 43 yr old single female w 6 weeks vacation a yr and I don't want to sit around and wait for someone to travel with me. These were excellent tips!

[bradmack]

I appreciate your points but for me the bigger the ship the easier it is to get lost in the crowd and I love being left alone.

[travelerak]

I always want my own cabin..even if I’m traveling with a friend or family. I like the idea of booking two solo cabins when traveling with a good friend. They have their space and i have mine. Not sure if others feel the same way but the cruise line could make money on the solo cabins because of this. Thanks for the video!

[stargazer]

I'm a solo traveler and don't like to be included....I'm there to enjoy peace and quiet.

[lairdmichaelscott]

Yep. After my last kid got out of high school, I took an NCL cruise with a solo cabin in the Med because I did not want to be a lone single person in a horde of couples. And it worked. At age 49, after having spent 12 years as single-parent and widower, I suddenly got a taste of what it must be like to be "big man on campus." After the first evening group get-together I never got to do anything alone again. Everybody was constantly grabbing me to go do whatever. I enjoyed it. I certainly had no intentions of getting involved with anyone . . . neither did she. Two years later we married and that was 14 years ago. Still can't believe my good fortune.

[lynnsmith]

I just did a solo cruise on NCL Getaway and it was a great experience. The solo gathering was hosted by the same staff member each night, she had a 30-minute activity for us and a standing reservation in the dining room for whomever wanted to join that night and a reserved row in the theater. There were about twenty people that regularly attended and we became quite good friends.

[NinjaBooKitty]

You would think the travel industry would recognize us as having more discretionary cash and would cater more to our specific needs and desires. I exclusively travel alone and am researching cruises, so I appreciate this post!

[vikkinovak]

I did an NCL cruise to the Mediterranean. I had a solo cabin. It was amazing. There was tons of closet space. In the morning, I would wake up and walk to the exclusive lounge for singles...I would get my coffee, so I had something to drink while getting dressed. After I returned from my land tour I would pass through the exclusive single lounge and get a glass of wine before I cleaned up for dinner.

[ericl]

Princess are one of the few cruise lines that you can search by 1 guests. Doing this allowed me to find a cruise for 1 on Ruby out of Galveston on Jan 15 . The current solo rate for that date is still starting at $340 for 1 & no single supplement charge. A balcony is $645. Happy cruising yall.

[charlesdeperpignan]

Traveling solo is also about avoiding interaction. For some
solo travellers there is no point on engaging in group activities.

[richardc]

I just returned from a solo cruise on Windstar. On the first night, the amazing cruise director invited all four solo travelers to join her for dinner. It made the cruise incredible. I never dined alone, my solo friends were so gracious, and I also met several couples. Start with a smaller ship. It was amazing. Excellent advice from Gary.

[beingmarilyngail]

I prefer cruising solo. Loneliness is not a problem because I'm a friendly person so I'll mingle with people on the cruise and when I want my alone time, I can go off by myself without offending anyone. Except for my adult children, I can't share a cabin with anyone especially not a stranger.

[Rose-qrxn]

I’m 68; been widowed since I was 47. It NEVER NEVER gets easier to be in a large group of “couples”.
I’m going to count my Pennies and take a solo Oceano cruise.

[adjmm]

I must be the old grump who loves being solo. I am a very social person but if I’m travelling alone then for the most part I eat alone, never had a problem getting a single table, I spend thr majority of my time on board reading, walking, enjoying the cruising. When I want to be social I join an LGBT meet and greet or play the card tables in the casino. I seldom do group excursions as I find many are boring. I love to go exploring on my own and in truth I have had many wonderful adventures far exceeding what the people on excursions have enjoyed. So grumpy old man does not fit you typical listener this time but keep up the good work. Oh yes, I really hate the ‘supplement’, years ago one could get a 50% supplement or some other deal. Not any more, greedy greedy greedy these lines have become.

[lesliellama]

I’ve also noticed that when cruises do cater to solo travellers, they do one of two extremes - 20 something partiers or the over 50’s. I fall into that middle area as a single in my 30’s that’s not interested in partying, and find there’s VERY little out there for people like me.

Add in living in the southern hemisphere and there’s even less local options.

[mike]

I'm in my late thirties and have taken 9 cruises now with NCL, more than half of them solo and the rest with my parents (so I tend to go off solo here and there anyways and let them do their romantic thing). I feel Norwegian does a very good job with their Studio cabins, the solo lounge, and the dedicated events and staff member for the solo meetups. They seem to go out of their way to treat solo travelers with respect, and I've never found it awkward going to dinner in the restaurants or even specialty dining and just asking for a table for 1. Unfortunately I don't have another cruise line to compare it to, as NCL started the whole Studio cabin thing with their NCL Epic (my first ever cruise) and I've been loyal to them ever since.

[janiekcarney]

You are my favorite source for cruising info. Thank you. Your voice is soft. You don’t scream in the microphone when someone gives you money. Very pleasant.

[tpiety]

I actually usually don’t want to meet people. So the tips for that don’t apply for me, but the other stuff is really helpful!

[stoehrcov]

Gary is one of the best on YouTube. Also, a personal friend of Mason. Booked my first solo cruise. Not sure what to expect. Eating alone is awkward. I am not a buffet person for every meal.
Thanks