Cruise and Tattoos

A few days have passed since I concluded my very first solo cruise. While this wasn’t my first solo trip, it was my first cruise alone, and I am glad I chose to do this on Norwegian. 

You may hear that NCL is best for solos, and while I can’t speak to other cruise lines necessarily, I can say NCL having a hosted solo meet and greet and solo dinners each night is a testament to their commitment to the solo traveler. 

We had quite a large amount of solo travelers on my ship and it made me wonder – why don’t more cruise lines try to cater to the solo traveler? 

When I look up cruises, I have found that sometimes Royal will have a solo designated rate, but mostly it is NCL and Virgin Voyages who offer specific rooms for solo travelers. 

Which is a shame, because I loved my Princess cruise back in December, and when trying to find a cruise for the deposit I made when I was on board, a good majority of the cruises are prohibitively expensive when I am by myself. So, while I’d love to continue sailing with Princess, I am just not sure it will ever be feasible. 

On paper, NCL is perfect for me. They offer an educator discount and solo designated staterooms. In practice, I’m not so sure. 

The service was immaculate – I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful every crew member I interacted with was.

It was just the vibe of the entire cruise that felt off somehow. 

People I met were friendly and I made friends with other solos, which was fun. But, the size of the ship meant spaces were crowded, people often moved in unpredictable, run-into-you-because-they-stop-suddenly, type of ways. Often, I felt overstimulated without really a great place to go to decompress that wasn’t my stateroom. I typically am not a hang-in-the-stateroom kind of gal. I enjoy being outside because it makes me feel less like a hermit, but I found that I often had to retreat to my room just to find some peace. 

So, while I had a wonderful time on my cruise, I found myself really wishing for more quiet spaces on the ship. My favorite space was the Waterfront on Deck 8. I think this is a wonderful part of NCL’s fleet – outside space with spectacular views and really comfortable furniture – something I was missing on my Princess cruise. 

The only issue was that it often was below 50 degrees fahrenheit, meaning it was VERY cold for someone like me (Texan). My stateroom had no blanket and it wasn’t really something they offered on Deck 8. I wish I had thought to ask if there was a blanket I could use from my room steward, but I didn’t, which is totally my own fault. But, I will say, I wish my room had just come with one, so I could be outside, under a blanket, enjoying that space. 

I’m curious to try NCL again in different circumstances. Perhaps taking a warmer weather cruise on an older, smaller ship (or the newer, smaller ships) would be more my vibe. I think the product NCL is offering is strong, I just think it had some moments that were overwhelming for me as a solo traveler. 

So, overall, I enjoyed my first solo cruise and I am so glad I got to experience Alaska. I am grateful for the other solo travelers I met; they were some incredible and inspiring women. I look forward to continuing to cruise solo, so I can meet more incredible people and experience everything this world of cruising has to offer.