“I was alone with a suitcase and a reservation. And days to live however I chose”
– Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, Stephanie Rosenbloom (2018)
This was my first cruise experience as a nervous solo traveller, and Comedian Julie Barr was working the post-dinner crowd one evening in the massive Vista Lounge aboard Holland America’s ship MS Oosterdam. At one point, she paused and asked if there were any children in the audience.
“Yes”, shouted an excited 10-year-old.
“Great”, she said, “Is this your first cruise?”
“Oh no,” he responded, “This is my 21st!”
When the astonished laughter subsided, he explained that he was, in fact, not homeless, but the lucky guest of his well-travelled grandparents. I wondered if they could stuff me into their suitcase.
Wall of China just 75 km northeast of Beijing. Photo by Ian Carter.
Little wonder this cruiser kid and his family travel the seas so frequently: that little guy would be quite at home in this ship’s video arcade, sauna and pools. But they were a family of three, company for each other, and here I was, simply alone.
The Pleasures of Freedom
In her April 6, 2018 Globe and Mail article, “Being alone together: How to embrace a universal feeling,” writer Elizabeth Renzetti says, “Loneliness is a sign that the brain craves contact with the rest of the herd.”
If you too have been caught alone, grab a copy of Alone Time, Stephanie Rosenbloom’s distinguished book that endorses the pleasures of travelling alone. This powerful little narrative can be life-changing: it is a startling reminder of the sensations of solitary travel and the rewarding emotions you feel when abroad by yourself in a strange location. I was surprised to learn that a large and growing segment of the world’s population is made up of single people. An increasing number of all tourists are people who are either alone by circumstance, like me as a widower, or are people who have consciously decided to travel alone. I was reminded that it takes courage to confront my fears of the unknown, and instead of bemoaning my solitude, why not exult in the possibilities?
And yes, if you have never taken a solo cruise it can be unnerving for the first day or two. But after that, you’ll find your rhythm and it’ll be an enchanting experience. You can do everything on a cruise ship, or nothing at all. I planned to do everything while celebrating the pleasures of being independently owned and operated.
Sail Away to New Horizons
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
– Andre Gide
That first cruise was just five years ago and, several sailings later, I have discovered that the modern cruise industry offers up an astonishing array of possibilities. The classic cruise lines (Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, and others) deliver colossal and mid-sized ships with all the entertainment possibilities and dining options you would expect to find in a floating city. Smaller ships with Seabourn, Viking, Avalon Waterways and others resemble boutique hotels, a rapidly expanding piece of the market. These ships specialize in expeditions aboard river cruises, luxury yachts and tall ships often going to less travelled destinations such as Easter Island, the Galapagos and Antarctica. Your choice will be determined by whether you’re looking for romance, enrichment, or rest and relaxation.
For me, solo cruising is all about enrichment and the opportunity to sail beyond new horizons. On that first expedition, I was determined to learn what a cruise experience could offer me and other solo travellers on my cruise of choice: a 28-Day South Pacific Crossing. I arranged to meet with Mila Castellon, Guest Relations Manager, aboard ship. She assured me there were plenty of onboard activities designed for single travellers, including meetings for lunch, pub trivia, cocktails and Sip and Savour events. New acquaintances would become a bonus, with lots of casual “hellos” and friendly smiles throughout the voyage, and although we were alone, we were never lonely.
Five years later, I have now crossed the equator more than 15 times and explored dozens of ports in most corners of the world. One of my significant learnings is that cruising is the easiest and least expensive way to visit multiple cities in a handful of different countries and eat the finest of local cuisines without ever having to change rooms. So, if you are still cleaning up your bucket list, this is the best way to explore a world of infinite possibilities.
My family lives in Australia, so Sydney is the launch pad for most of my cruise experiences. This Canadian has to return home somehow, and a cruise beats airport transfers and a 30-hour flight every time!
My solo South Pacific adventure delivered me home to Vancouver via 15 exotic ports of call, across an ocean that covers one-third of the Earth’s surface. Rosenbloom reminds us that one of the gifts of solo travel is the joy of inspiration, and an occasional reach for beauty. Dravuni Island, Fiji captures that notion perfectly: this tiny island jewel is located within the famous Great Astrolabe Reef, inhabited by about 200 friendly villagers with a tribal chief – a tender transferred us to a pristine beach in tropical Fijian steamy sunshine at 28C. Well-worn, manicured grassy trails wind among shady palms that snake along the shoreline of this unspoiled beach. A brief visit to the local primary school and a long, leisurely swim in crystal-clear blue sparkling lagoons were the order of the day on this remote Fijian island.
Nawiliwili, Kauai is the most northerly island in the Hawaiian chain and the next to final port of call before disembarking in Vancouver. Kauai is so magically captivating that it has been a set for such classic Hollywood films as South Pacific (Lumaha’i Beach, 1958) and Elvis’ Blue Hawaii (Coco Palms Resort, 1961). It is also home to the new Koloa Rum Company – good rums, no tours, takeaways encouraged.
I had heard that this is an island where the spiritual energy of mana (life force) of the ‘aina (land) is palpable – it hits when you least expect it. I had forgotten that curious little item from my Lonely Planet Guide – until a short walk along beautiful Kalapaki Beach and the Kauai Marriott gardens footpath where mana made itself astonishingly real as the hair on my arms suddenly bristled with electricity in the tropical sunshine. I was taken by surprise by this remarkable sensation, discounted it as impossible, then became an immediate believer when the phenomenon repeated itself several times: mana is real in Kauai. I plan to return.
A second cruise aboard MS Volendam renewed my love of large cities during a 28-Day Far East Discovery Cruise. Ancient and modern worlds collide in Vietnam and Cambodia and cities like Bangkok and Beijing. The future is embraced in the frantic bustle of metropolises like Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo. Solo travel in chaotic cities invites total immersion without the distraction of a companion.
Last winter found me on a 15-Day South America and Panama Canal Crossing.
I indulged my passion for early civilizations on Chile’s Easter Island and an acrobatic flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines, 1,000m above a Peruvian desert. On Good Friday morning I am aboard the Celebrity Infinity in the Caribbean Sea, nine degrees north of the equator.
This South American journey was a shortcut to the Atlantic Ocean and on to Eastern Canada. We had sailed through four time zones in 15 days, celebrated crossing the equator with King Neptune, and just completed a daylight passage between two oceans in 10 hours. The Panama Canal is a marvel of engineering created more than a century ago in an age before bulldozers and chainsaws. It spans 80km of jungle, swamp and the Continental Divide, and took 33 years to build at a cost of $400m USD and more than 20,000 lives – 90 per cent of the workers were foreign black Haitians paid in a few silver coins, the remaining whites were nurses, doctors, engineers and crew bosses paid in gold. The world is filled with astonishing beauty and cruel injustice.
For me, the joy of solo cruising is not about life aboard ship, admittedly a rare and much appreciated luxury. It is the exhilaration of multiple ports of call, each a new adventure – and this most recent Panama Canal crossing was a singular event. This “Gateway to the World” leads me home, one more time.
Cruise Control: 12 Top Tips for Solo Cruisers
1. First, the bad news: the single supplement can be expensive unless you shop carefully. The good news is that an increasing number of cruise lines are starting to offer single cabins for solo travellers. If you prefer, several cruise lines like Holland America will attempt to match up solo travellers with same sex roommates, and if the line can match you, you’ll pay no single supplement. But I prefer to travel alone and always seek out a substantially reduced supplement on an already deeply discounted fare by purchasing the least expensive inside cabin and save thousands.
2. Your choice of cruise line, ship and ports of call will be driven by your goals and budget: if you’re looking for a special somebody, you will want a smaller, more intimate ship. The best way to meet people is get out there and join in on a tonne of activities such as cooking classes, lectures, language lessons, or brave the karaoke and trivia sessions. If you yearn for rest and relaxation, then a library, cinema, pools, spas and a fitness centre will be critical. If you’re looking for more exotic adventures, check out the ports of call and shore excursions. The possibilities are endless!
3. Repositioning cruises are the best bargain in the industry. Monitor fares and special deals for months before sailing – do your research and you will save thousands.
4. Luggage: less is always better and remember to bring a small backpack for day excursions. Travelling light through airports increases your freedom and mobility.
anchored off a tiny island beach in Fiji while lifeboats tender passengers ashore. Photo by Ian Carter.
5. Large cruise ships offer several dining options. You can opt for something like “As You Wish Dining,” which means you can walk into the main dining room any time and ask to be seated alone or with others. Sitting alone gives you time for people watching, previewing tomorrow’s itinerary, using your iPad to read a good travel guide, or even listening to a favourite podcast. If you select “Fixed Dining,” you will likely be assigned a table with a group that could also remain fixed throughout the voyage.
6. Internet on most cruise lines is expensive and costs as much as $0.75/minute with several packages including 250 minutes for about $100 – connection is painfully (and expensively) slow. I look for better value, like the free wi-fi available in most cruise terminals.
7. Consider organizing independent shore excursions to save more money: your pre-cruise research should include online resources providing city maps, suggestions for top sites and local restaurants. You may be deluged by mobs of independent tour operators and taxis at the end of the gangway all competing for your dollars. Just pre-book independently in exotic ports, have a plan, walk past the crowds of hawkers, and remember, the price of a taxi drops dramatically as you walk the length of the wharf.
8. Navigating a new city: do your homework, download city Google maps so you can access them offline, grab print material and useful tips at cruise terminals and hotel receptions, carry a charger, travel in a group, leave valuables such as your passport and an expensive watch and jewellery in your cabin safe, and follow the same common-sense rules you would follow at home in any large city. I travel with several credit cards, but only carry one on my person in case of loss.
9. Shop carefully on board and keep a vigilant eye on your spending. Everything is for sale and there can be intense pressure to purchase gifts from the gift shop and pop-up poolside markets, shore excursions, photos, future cruises, and drinks peddled at every opportunity, including beachside. There are moments when it’s hard not to feel nickel and dimed for all the extras. Your stateroom keycard (crew often call it “your fantastic plastic”) is used to charge all purchases aboard ship – try to keep it in your pocket.
10. Use your Canadian debit card at ATMs in port cities to nail the best currency exchange for cash at the lowest rate: you must have a four-digit password. International bank ATMs are everywhere, and the best part is you will just be charged the spot rate for the day plus a few dollars. Not only is using ATMs the cheapest way to get money, it’s also the safest way since you’ll never need to carry large amounts of cash.
11. Budget for gratuities: a daily “hotel tax” (most recently, mine was $18 per day) is often added to passenger accounts – each cruise line is different but most of them will increase, decrease or eliminate it by request.
12. A plethora of online resources and apps can be found to create a memorable solo cruise; the final chapter of Stephanie Rosenbloom’s book details many. If that’s not your style, befriend a local cruise specialist who understands your goals, expectations and budget, and you’ll be ready to satisfy your wanderlust.
My Takeaway
“Hey I be gone today
But I be back around the way
Seems like everywhere I go
The more I see
The less I know.”
– Say Hey (I Love You), Michael Franti
Ian Carter is a retired educator and mental health professional, published author, freelance writer, photographer, and inveterate world traveller. He welcomes contact at: heritagematters@bellaliant.net
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A retired educator and mental health professional, published author, inveterate world traveller, freelance writer and photographer. He welcomes contact by email.