Solo Cruises: The Ultimate Guide to Cruising Solo | Celebrity Cruises (2024)

Tips For Making New Friends During Your Solo Cruise

Just because you’re cruising solo doesn’t mean you have to be alone, unless you want to be, of course. Here are a few ways to make friends—and memories—onboard.

Get to Know the Crew During Your Solo Cruise

One of the best things about sailing with Celebrity is the friendly, engaging crew from all around the world. Many guests enjoy talking with them and learning about the area of the globe they’re from.

Finding a bartender you get along with so you can have your own “local” bar on the ship is an easy way to feel comfortable in a lounge while cruising solo.

Get to know your cruise director, who you’ll often see walking around the ship. If they know you’re a solo cruise passenger, they may give you some insider tips on upcoming activities or entertainment you won’t want to miss.

Join New, Dedicated Events for Solo Travelers

Meet fellow solos in a friendly environment at Celebrity Cruises’ new Solo Travelers’ Gathering and Dinner, hosted by the Activity Team.

Check the time in your Celebrity App or Celebrity Today daily program and head for the Sky Lounge (on Millennium and Solstice-series ships) or luscious Eden on Edge-series ships, where you can meet fellow solo travelers. The friendly Activity Team will help break the ice.

The Shore Excursions team will be present to facilitate bookings should you meet a potential buddy to join you for excursions.

There will also be a special solos’ table at dinner that night, and an unhosted solos’ table every night thereafter for anybody who is enjoying the company of new friends for dinner. This is the perfect opportunity to get together with other people traveling solo.

Get Out & Mingle

You might be tempted to unwind in your stateroom after busy days ashore. However, spending time in public spaces on the ship is a great way to meet new people.

Strike up a conversation and make some new friends on the very first night of the cruise. Perch at the bar for drinks if you feel awkward sitting alone at a table. Get chatting on shore excursions, and join group activities on board.

Celebrity’s ships are equipped with high-speed WiFi so it’s easy and convenient to start a WhatsApp group to arrange activities and meet-ups with newfound friends.

Say Yes to Dining With New People

Joining people for dinner is a great way to make friends and have a fun meal at the Main Restaurant or in a specialty restaurant.

People will likely be intrigued by you traveling on your own, want to get to know you better, and enhance their own dining experience. Even couples like to socialize and meet new people on vacation. Since you’re all travelers who enjoy seeing the world, it’s easy to swap travel stories.

The solos’ table is also always an option. Sitting here is a great way to meet other adventurous solo travelers and swap stories.

Opt for an Assigned Seating Time for Dinner

As a solo cruise traveler, you may benefit more from doing a traditional assigned seating time instead of dining at different times.

With an assigned seating time, you’ll be sat at the same table each night with other cruise passengers and the same crew waiting on you. It will give you some familiarity as your tablemates, server, and sommelier get to know you and your dining preferences—and sparkling personality!

If you don’t feel totally compatible with the other folks at your table, talk to the maître d’ and ask for a different table.

If you’re seated at a table on your own and feel self-conscious, have a book or journal on hand. A journal is a lovely way to pass the time at dinner, giving you the opportunity to reflect on the day and write about all the amazing things you saw in port or did on the ship.

Book Shore Excursions Through the Cruise Line

Celebrity’s shore excursions highlight the best parts of a destination and provide unforgettable experiences. Bond with fellow passengers by exploring the port together. You’ll have the chance to run into them again on the ship for more fun and conversation.

When you book a shore excursion, you know you’ll be spending your day surrounded by other travelers on your ship. Most ports have multiple ships calling at them each day, so it’s better to spend the day making new friends with people who will board your ship at the end of the day.

Choose an excursion that features a hands-on activity. This gets people out of their element and provides easy conversation starters.

Chatting with others while hiking through a rainforest or waiting on a zip-lining platform can lead to fun conversations. Choosing a tour like a wine tasting or a cooking class is a great way to break the ice with fellow passengers.

If you go on a sightseeing shore excursion on a bus, try to sit up near the front so you’re close to the guide. They’ll usually be open to conversations and are a wealth of knowledge on the destination you’re visiting.

You can ask questions and also learn about what it’s like to live there. It’s a way to have some socialization throughout your solo cruise day in port while also learning more about the city or town you’re visiting.

The best part? All the details are taken care of for you. You’ll be conveniently guided right to your shore excursion transportation from the ship. You’re guaranteed to be back to the ship in time before it leaves for the next port.

Take Classes Onboard

Join in beverage and culinary programs on board and mingle with like-minded passengers who, like you, appreciate a glass of fine wine or an expertly prepared meal. Onboard classes and seminars give you the chance to see cooking demonstrations, learn about the art of wine tasting, and more. You can even create your own wine blend onboard.

If wine isn’t your thing, you can learn the art of bartending in a Mixology 101 class. Sample a martini flight at the Martini Bar. Into whisky? Try the Macallan Flight Experience, which lets you taste a trio of whiskies. Or join one of the gaming classes in the casino; once you’re confident to try your luck at the tables, it’s easy to strike up a conversation.

If you like to work out, the classes at the Fitness Center are a great way to meet like-minded travelers. Workout classes on cruise ships tend to attract a core of enthusiasts, after the initial well-intentioned rush during the first day of the cruise, and you could find yourself making plans to meet new friends every day for yoga, or F45.

Start Planning Your Solo Cruise

Ready to cruise solo? Browse itineraries and book your single stateroom today.