Solo Trip

[KittyKat1978]

I am thinking of doing a solo trip on the June 24th cruise to Alaska on the Wonder.

Has anyone gone solo before? What kind of activities do they have on board to keep you busy? Are there shows every night?

Can someone explain the dining to me? The servers follow you?

Thanks

 

[everydaymathchick]

I have looked at going solo, but it's so expensive. It costs a solo person pretty much the same price as 2 people would pay. That said, if you can swing it, awesome! I found on my last cruise with my family that there were plenty of things I could do solo and be plenty happy! I'm curious about dining too...

 

[Four Swampers]

I am thinking of doing a solo trip on the June 24th cruise to Alaska on the Wonder.

Has anyone gone solo before? What kind of activities do they have on board to keep you busy? Are there shows every night?

Can someone explain the dining to me? The servers follow you?

Thanks

I have not gone solo, but can answer a couple of your questions.

There are shows every night. Sometimes a Broadway-style production, other nights might have a comedian or a ventriloquist or a variety act or something of that nature. In addition to the main show, several / most nights will have a late-night, say 9:30, adults-only show in the lounge / dance venue. Then late-night music, dancing, bars, etc. Of note, the late night scene on a Disney ship tends to draw fewer people than it would on a Carnival ship. Probably more than it would on a Princess cruise.

As for dining, there are three main dining rooms (MDRs). On the Wonder, they are Triton's, Parrot Cay, and Animator's Palate. For dinner, DCL puts you in a rotation, like APTAPTT. Then if you choose to go to the MDR for dinner, you go to Animator's the first night, Parrot Cay the next, Triton's the next, etc. Of note, there are casual service places and other options. The MDR's are the showpiece dining venues. They are themed, the dinners are four course affairs, and one of my family's favorite parts of the cruise!

Anyhow, as you rotate to each restaurant each night, your serving team stays with you. So if you have Jane as your server and John as your assistant server, they will be your server each evening. That is nice because they learn your preferences.

Breakfast and lunch are wide open: different MDR's or casual dining spots will be open, like a breakfast and lunch buffet at Beach Blanket Buffet or sit-down service at Triton's. Venues and times will be listed in the newsletter left in your stateroom the night before and available from guest services. You might run into your servers at breakfast and lunch, or you might not.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am thinking of doing a solo trip on the June 24th cruise to Alaska on the Wonder.

Has anyone gone solo before? What kind of activities do they have on board to keep you busy? Are there shows every night?

Can someone explain the dining to me? The servers follow you?

Thanks

Yes, others have cruised solo. Be aware on DCL solo travelers pay 200% single cruise rate. You have to pay the cruise fare for 2 people in the room, but only the taxes and fees for a single.

The activities onboard are basically similar to what you would find on any of the DCL cruises. Check out the Navigators posted on the "Staterooms" tab in the red bar above for an idea of what may be available.

Yes, there are shows every night. 3 production shows, Welcome Aboard show, Till we Meet Again show, and entertainers or movies the other 2 nights.

There are 3 Main Dining Rooms onboard (Triton's, Parrot Cay, and Animator's Palette). You will be assigned a rotation when you checkin at the port. It will be printed on your KTTW card and will look something like this: TAPTAPT. You will be assigned to a specific table number (with other guests possibly). You will be seated at the same table number in each MDR, although the table will not be in the exact same location within each MDR, but close. Your serving team will "rotate" with you through each MDR.

 

[KittyKat1978]

So there are only three MDR's and you will eat in 2 of them twice and one of them once? Is the menu the same so you will be eating from the same menu for two nights?

Also what is the dress code? I went on a Royal Caribbean Alaskan cruise and we could wear jeans in the MDR, just not on Formal nights. Are there formal nights on the Wonder?

 

[ludari]

I am thinking of doing a solo trip on the June 24th cruise to Alaska on the Wonder.

Has anyone gone solo before? What kind of activities do they have on board to keep you busy? Are there shows every night?

Can someone explain the dining to me? The servers follow you?

Thanks

I have done six solo Disney Cruises and I have reservations for three more solo cruises. You can enjoy the same activities as any other adult passenger would. You have the daily shows, pool, spa, gym, clubs or movies not to mention the various port adventures you can do. Disney Cruise Line will also host a few singles luches if you are interested in but you are not obligated to attend. As far as dining you will be assigned to a table with preferably other solo travellers but you might get assigned to a table with other adult couples. I prefer to have my own table but you will have to request that if you are interesting in dining alone. I believe the rotational dining and servers has been already explained in prevous postings.

Feel free to send me a private message if you have another questions regarding cruising solo. I like to think I have become an expert after six solo cruises.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So there are only three MDR's and you will eat in 2 of them twice and one of them once? Is the menu the same so you will be eating from the same menu for two nights?

Also what is the dress code? I went on a Royal Caribbean Alaskan cruise and we could wear jeans in the MDR, just not on Formal nights. Are there formal nights on the Wonder?

On a 7 night cruise you will be in 2 of the MDRs twice and the third one 3 times.

Each MDR has it's own Signature menu. That takes care of 3 nights. Then there's Pixar night (on the Alaska cruises) - another night. Welcome aboard & Till We Meet Again - 2 nights. And formal night (Golden Mickeys) - making 7 nights.

Except for the Signature menu nights, the same menu will served in all MDRs on the same night.

The dress code for dinner is cruise casual. DCL requests "no shorts, tank tops, or swim suits" for dinner. Jeans are acceptable for cruise casual nights. There will be a formal night and a semi-formal night (usually on a 7 night cruise)

 

[KittyKat1978]

I read that the buffet is not open for dinner? The only options then are the hot dog place and the pizza place & goofy's? What if I want a decent meal but don't want to dress up or pay extra?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I read that the buffet is not open for dinner? The only options then are the hot dog place and the pizza place & goofy's? What if I want a decent meal but don't want to dress up or pay extra?

The buffet area is open for dinner, BUT it's not a buffet. It's a sit-down table service with a limited menu of selected items from the menus available in the other MDRs that evening. Plus a salad bar and carving station. And it's not open for dinner first and last night.

You don't have to "dress up" for dinner. Most nights it's cruise casual. I generally wear a t shirt and pants or capris for dinner.

There's also room service. But the menu for that is a bit limited also.

 

[ImprovGal]

I am thinking of doing a solo trip on the June 24th cruise to Alaska on the Wonder.

Has anyone gone solo before? What kind of activities do they have on board to keep you busy? Are there shows every night?

Can someone explain the dining to me? The servers follow you?

Thanks

I've cruised with DCL 16 times, 6 of those solo (and 1 that was solo in cabin, but linked for dinner with friends). Whether I'm cruising solo or cruising with friends, I spend my time the same way. I'm social and enjoy the assigned dining of the MDR and like meeting new people via the "dine with strangers" roulette. I enjoy the organized activities listed in the Navigator. During the day I go to the art of entertaining, adult trivia, or game show type things. I prefer the longer cruises for the additional enrichment activities like guest presenters and workshops. At night, I may see the mainstage show but I spend most of my time at the main dance/cabaret club (on the Wonder, it's Wavebands) for the family cabarets and then later the adult-only shows and events.

On sea days, there's usually a "Singles Lunch". On port days there may be a "Cruise Staff Lunch". Sometimes there are "Singles Mingle" events up in the Cove Cafe in the late afternoon. I make it a point to attend all that I can. They are all hosted by cruise staff so even if no other guests show up, there's someone to chat with.

The Alaska cruise is a wonderful itinerary! If you want an organized tour, the Port Adventures offered have a good variety of activities. If you want to roam on your own, Ketchikan is great for that. It has a great area right at the port.

Just one comment regarding the solo pricing. Yes, DCL has aligned with the other mainstream cruiselines and gone to a 200% single supplement. However, I've noticed that some itineraries actually have a lower single supplement (spotted on repositioning cruises) and I'm seeing that when many itineraries have gone to *GT restricted pricing, the single supplement on those is lower as well. Currently, I'm trying to decide which *GT I'm booking for the Sept WBPC.

 

[Four Swampers]

I read that the buffet is not open for dinner? The only options then are the hot dog place and the pizza place & goofy's? What if I want a decent meal but don't want to dress up or pay extra?

You don't have to dress up for dinner. Nice to not wear shorts and to wear a nice top, but you don't have to get fancy. Even on formal night there will be people who are very casually dressed.

Note that you do not pay extra for the MDRs.

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

I love solo cruising. I've got two solo cruises booked with DCL.

Yes, it does cost that 200% cruise rate. Although I preferred it when DCL was doing the 175% rate, most cruise lines are charging that same way. Of course there are times that they drop the single supplement down for cruises that aren't filled.

I like having my own cabin and importantly a real bed. (don't want to bring up the hotly debated topic but this is my opinion)

On my last cruise I went solo on a different line. Didn't know anyone in advance. I had a great experience. Still my first choice would be to sail DCL for a solo cruise. It's my comfort zone because I love Disney.

One piece of advice if you are concerned that you'll be totally alone would be to join the cruise meet thread for your cruise. This is what I did when I went on the other line. I "met" people on there that I ended up doing some excursions with. What I loved was that when I felt like socializing it was easy. When I just wanted to chill by myself I found that easy to do. I was never bored.

You've already gotten answers about shows and dining. If you do join a Meet thread and you find people who seem compatible, you could link dining. Or you could wing it and see who DCL puts you with. I winged it on my cruise with the other line and I ended up with the best dinner mates! It was somewhat of an eclectic mix, but that is what made it so great. We had a 90 year old man who had traveled extensively and had the best stories. Two other couples, and the gentleman's two daughters and myself. We all looked forward to talking about our days as we all did very different things.

What was funny to me is that I was expecting the "oh, you poor thing you are cruising by yourself" attitude. Mostly rather I got, "wow, you get your own cabin!!"

 

[horselover]

I have done six solo Disney Cruises and I have reservations for three more solo cruises. You can enjoy the same activities as any other adult passenger would. You have the daily shows, pool, spa, gym, clubs or movies not to mention the various port adventures you can do. Disney Cruise Line will also host a few singles luches if you are interested in but you are not obligated to attend. As far as dining you will be assigned to a table with preferably other solo travellers but you might get assigned to a table with other adult couples. I prefer to have my own table but you will have to request that if you are interesting in dining alone. I believe the rotational dining and servers has been already explained in prevous postings.

Feel free to send me a private message if you have another questions regarding cruising solo. I like to think I have become an expert after six solo cruises.

I've cruised with DCL 16 times, 6 of those solo (and 1 that was solo in cabin, but linked for dinner with friends). Whether I'm cruising solo or cruising with friends, I spend my time the same way. I'm social and enjoy the assigned dining of the MDR and like meeting new people via the "dine with strangers" roulette. I enjoy the organized activities listed in the Navigator. During the day I go to the art of entertaining, adult trivia, or game show type things. I prefer the longer cruises for the additional enrichment activities like guest presenters and workshops. At night, I may see the mainstage show but I spend most of my time at the main dance/cabaret club (on the Wonder, it's Wavebands) for the family cabarets and then later the adult-only shows and events.

On sea days, there's usually a "Singles Lunch". On port days there may be a "Cruise Staff Lunch". Sometimes there are "Singles Mingle" events up in the Cove Cafe in the late afternoon. I make it a point to attend all that I can. They are all hosted by cruise staff so even if no other guests show up, there's someone to chat with.

The Alaska cruise is a wonderful itinerary! If you want an organized tour, the Port Adventures offered have a good variety of activities. If you want to roam on your own, Ketchikan is great for that. It has a great area right at the port.

Just one comment regarding the solo pricing. Yes, DCL has aligned with the other mainstream cruiselines and gone to a 200% single supplement. However, I've noticed that some itineraries actually have a lower single supplement (spotted on repositioning cruises) and I'm seeing that when many itineraries have gone to *GT restricted pricing, the single supplement on those is lower as well. Currently, I'm trying to decide which *GT I'm booking for the Sept WBPC.

I love solo cruising. I've got two solo cruises booked with DCL.

Yes, it does cost that 200% cruise rate. Although I preferred it when DCL was doing the 175% rate, most cruise lines are charging that same way. Of course there are times that they drop the single supplement down for cruises that aren't filled.

I like having my own cabin and importantly a real bed. (don't want to bring up the hotly debated topic but this is my opinion)

On my last cruise I went solo on a different line. Didn't know anyone in advance. I had a great experience. Still my first choice would be to sail DCL for a solo cruise. It's my comfort zone because I love Disney.

One piece of advice if you are concerned that you'll be totally alone would be to join the cruise meet thread for your cruise. This is what I did when I went on the other line. I "met" people on there that I ended up doing some excursions with. What I loved was that when I felt like socializing it was easy. When I just wanted to chill by myself I found that easy to do. I was never bored.

You've already gotten answers about shows and dining. If you do join a Meet thread and you find people who seem compatible, you could link dining. Or you could wing it and see who DCL puts you with. I winged it on my cruise with the other line and I ended up with the best dinner mates! It was somewhat of an eclectic mix, but that is what made it so great. We had a 90 year old man who had traveled extensively and had the best stories. Two other couples, and the gentleman's two daughters and myself. We all looked forward to talking about our days as we all did very different things.

What was funny to me is that I was expecting the "oh, you poor thing you are cruising by yourself" attitude. Mostly rather I got, "wow, you get your own cabin!!"

OP thank you for starting this thread! I'm doing my first solo cruise in Aug. on the Fantasy. I'm also not thrilled about the single supplement but what are you going to do. All the cruise lines do it. I did have several options but I chose DCL for exactly the reason ThePhantomsGirl mentioned. I've sailed them before with family & feel very safe doing so again alone (that plus I hear CC calling to me on pretty much a daily basis ). The only thing I'm slightly worried about is dinner because I am quiet & shy by nature. We'll see how that goes. I did join a meet for my cruise.

Question for all you previous solo cruises on the singles lunches. Is it really a singles lunch or a solo traveler lunch? I don't want to show up if it's really meant for people that are single which I am not. Just not traveling with the hubby or kids this time.

Thanks. Great info on this thread! Good luck to you on your decision to cruise solo OP!

 

[Dug720]

Going solo in February! If I waited for friends to agree and want to do something, I'd never go anywhere. I love traveling alone - I've gone to London, Dublin and Florence on my own and had a blast. I can do what I want when I want and not worry about what someone traveling with me wants to do!

 

[baleeve]

I did a 1500 mile road trip through CA last year solo. Like Dug said, if I waited for others I would never go anywhere

I wish there was a WDW / DCL solo (not single) meet.

I was tempted to do NCL Epic because of the great solo cabins but its in Europe during the summer which is when I could go

 

[gumbypee]

I was very fortunate that this past oct 2012 I only had a 150% rate for the dis cruise. I was shocked when I tried to book another and was told 200%!!

But I LoVE traveling alone-went to Africa 11 days alone best thing I have ever done!

Do what u want when u want and not worry about anyone else-awesome

 

[horselover]

Going solo in February! If I waited for friends to agree and want to do something, I'd never go anywhere. I love traveling alone - I've gone to London, Dublin and Florence on my own and had a blast. I can do what I want when I want and not worry about what someone traveling with me wants to do!

Exactly! Traveling alone is a not a bad experience just a different experience. I go to WDW by myself all the time. I always have a great time.

 

[qits]

Going solo in February! If I waited for friends to agree and want to do something, I'd never go anywhere. I love traveling alone - I've gone to London, Dublin and Florence on my own and had a blast. I can do what I want when I want and not worry about what someone traveling with me wants to do!

Life is so short. Experience this beautiful life while you can.

 

[ilovetexas]

I'm planning my first solo cruise and first TA this fall. Too bad Magic will be sailing back empty; I had hoped to get a long, relatively inexpensive DCL cruise. I can't wait for the cruise though; I'm with Dug and baleeve, if I wait for others to join me...I have to wait too long!

Go and enjoy your trip, I've seen plenty of solo travelers on cruises and they always seem to be having a great time.

 

[disneylove69]

I have been solo and ended spending many hours with a group of people I metvwhil taking a stage tour they had on the ship. I like my own room and doing what I want. Dont like the 200% rate though thatb limits how many I can take.