SUNDAY, MAY 29 , 2022. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ EE F5
BY CHERYL MAGUIREWhen the pandemic hit, “no-
sail orders” suspended cruises for
15 months. Once the ban was
lifted, Marcello De Lio, an avid
cruiser from New York City,
couldn’t wait to get back onboard.
But his girlfriend of three years
didn’t share his enthusiasm.
Even though he had never
sailed solo before, De Lio, 26, a
construction company owner and
travel blogger, began researching
his options and found promo-
tions designed to entice custom-
ers to return. He set off alone
from Miami for a four-night
cruise to the Bahamas in Septem-
ber on the Norwegian Cruise Line
Getaway ship. The trip, De Lio
said, was a fantastic adventure
that provided him with the op-
portunity to step outside of his
comfort zone and meet new
people.
“The trend of solo cruise travel
picked up during the pandemic,”
said Darley Newman, a travel
host and an executive producer in
New York City. “Many cruise lines
offered deals to drive occupancy,
and one of those special offers
was waiving the single supple-
ment for solo cruisers, meaning
greater savings.”
The “single supplement” sur-
charge, which forces solo travel-
ers to pay extra if they are in a
cabin designed for two, has been
an ongoing issue of contention in
the cruise industry. “Even if [solo
cruisers] can afford it, it still bugs
them to pay that extra amount,”
said Stefan Bisciglia, director of I
Cruise Solo and co-owner of Spe-
cialty Cruise & Villas travel agen-
cy in Gig Harbor, Wash.
Bisciglia launched I Cruise
Solo in February 2020 to cater to
solo travelers who were fed up
with paying those high fares.
Even though he is married and
has three children, he frequently
cruises solo as a leisure traveler
on trips unrelated to his business.
“I really enjoy traveling that way,”
he said.
The first ocean cruise line to
offer one-person cabin options
was Norwegian Cruise Line in
2010, which remains a favorite
among solo travelers. It also of-
fered a solo cruise host and a solo
lounge to give passengers the
opportunity to meet one another.
Other cruise lines have followed
suit. For example, Oceania Cruis-
es will add a total of 56 solo
staterooms to its ships this year
after receiving feedback from
guests and travel partners that
solo cabins are sought after.
Solo cruise travelers are differ-
ent from vacationers who opt for
singles’ cruises. Typically, all trav-
elers on a single’s cruise are not in
a romantic relationship, whereas
a solo cruiser may be married,
partnered or single and travels
alone on a cruise ship whose
population includes families,
partnered people and other solo
cruisers.
Why cruise solo?
Have a safer experience. For
vacationers who want a solo ad-
venture, a cruise may feel safer
than traveling alone on land. The
cruise ship staff “know you’re
there, because they’re going to
check to make sure you got back
on the ship,” Newman said.
“There’s a comfort level” with
that sense of security.
Vacation the way you want.
One of the biggest advantages to
traveling solo on a cruise is hav-
ing the flexibility to plan your
vacation based on your interests.
You don’t need to check in with
anyone else or feel guilty about
not wanting to participate in
cruise activities that a travel part-
ner might like.
“You do whatever you want. If
you want to nap, then you can
take a nap, since nobody is stand-
ing there saying, ‘Mom, get up,’ ”
said Anna Easton, 65, a frequent
solo cruiser who is retired in
Vancouver, Wash. “You’re leaving
behind anyone that has expecta-
tions of you,” said Janice Waugh,
founder of Solo Traveler.
When you cruise solo, you also
can decide on the type of ship,
destination, time of year and trip
excursions. “I wanted to go to
Egypt for my birthday. Who was
available? The answer was just
me,” said Elizabeth Avery, found-
er of Solo Travel Pricing Tracker
in D.C. “You don’t have to follow
Navigating your options if you’re considering sailing soloSHUTTERSTOCKNORWEGIAN CRUISE LINEsomebody else’s schedule, which
most of us have to do at work or
with our families” when not on
vacation.
Another advantage of solo
cruising is having the freedom to
change your mind about your
plans. “You’re able to be a lot more
spontaneous. If you feel like get-
ting up in the morning and taking
a cab to go explore [off the ship],
you can do that,” Bisciglia said.
Move outside your comfort
zone. If you’re shy and traveling
alone, a cruise atmosphere can
help you overcome your social
anxieties. There’s a sense of cama-
raderie on cruises, because every-
one is on the same boat for a
specified time, which can lead to
friendly exchanges. “It’s a nice
way to interact. I met people
while standing in line chatting,
waiting to get into a restaurant,
and ended up joining them for
dinner,” Easton said.
If you are used to traveling
with a partner, they may book the
dinner reservations or plan the
trip excursions. But when you are
traveling solo, you’ll need to be
self-sufficient and plan activities.
You might try new experiences,
because you have that freedom.
“It can be really liberating,”
Newman said. “And you learn a
lot about yourself when you ex-
perience challenges.”Tips for trying a solo cruise
Spend time alone before your
vacation. Most of us are not used
to being alone for an entire vaca-
tion. Before you book a solo
cruise, Easton recommends try-
ing to do activities alone at home.
“You have to start with the baby
steps,” she said. One way to do
this is to take yourself out todinner at a restaurant or a movie.
She likes to use the phrase “I took
myself” to emphasize the impor-
tance of intentionally going alone
and enjoying the experience.
Research different price op-
tions. Post-pandemic travel has
been a mixed bag, and cruises are
no exception, so it pays to shop
around. Cruise lines will often
offer last-minute deals if their
cabins are not full, but this is
rarely the case for solo cruisers.
“Book a year ahead if you can,
because once the ‘no single sup-
plement’ slots are booked, there’s
probably none left,” Avery said.
Understand the room config-
uration. Avery recommends ask-
ing about how the solo cabin is set
up. During one of her solo cruises,
her cabin had bunk beds, which
she didn’t enjoy. “I couldn’t read
on the top [bunk], and I hit my
head on the bottom [bunk]. It was
dark, so I had to sit on the floor to
read.”
Research the onboard options
for solo cruisers. Even though
you are traveling solo, you may
want the opportunity to meet
other people. Some cruise lines
offer activities for all of the solo
cruisers onboard. Or they may
have a dedicated solo cruise
room. “Some cruise lines have a
cocktail hour for the solo cruisers,
or you can ask to be seated at a
table with other solo travelers,”
Bisciglia said. By asking the
cruise line or your travel agent
about the options for solo cruisers
before you book, you can make
sure you’ll have the solo cruise
experience you want.Maguire is a writer based in
Massachusetts. Find her on Twitter:
@CherylMaguire05.NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Some cruise lines are removing
surcharges for solo travelers; Norwegian Cruise Line was
the first ocean cruise line to offer one-person cabin options;
its lounge for solo travelers; Norwegian’s Getaway ship.NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINES0114 6X2.25
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