I am feeling #BLESSED, man. This March, I was given the opportunity to take a sponsored 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Getaway. That’s right. COM. PLI. MENTARY. It was an amazing experience and I’m happy to be able to share it with all of you on the blog!
It just so happened that no one was available to tag along on the cruise with me, so I decided to be brave and do the cruise alone. Traveling alone doesn’t bother me, but I’d never been on a cruise before and I’d never been out of the country by myself before, either.
As I boarded my ship, the Norwegian Getaway, I felt nervous. I didn’t see anyone else traveling alone. Most people were with their families or groups of friends and had someone next to them to share in their excitement. All I had was…me.
The chandelier that hangs in the staircase that connects the main decks (6, 7, and 8).
Once you’re on the ship, you have an hour or two to explore while the crew finishes cleaning up the cabins from the previous cruise — the cruises sail for 7 days, return to Miami to disembark and re-embark, then set sail again! While I waited, I walked all around each deck to see all the restaurants, pools, and things to do, and my nervousness faded into excitement.
I took this as the ship set sail for the first port!
I had an amazing time on my solo cruise, so in this post I thought I’d talk about…
All the reasons you should absolutely take a cruise all by yourself!
You’re on your own schedule
I woke up when I wanted, worked out when I wanted, ate when I wanted, and went to bed when I wanted. If I wanted to take a 2-hour nap in the middle of the day because I had too many margaritas in the sun, I did.
Sunbathing and listening to my fave podcast
There are very few times in your life where your schedule is completely up to you. Even if you live alone, you probably have work obligations and deadlines. If you live with others or are in a relationship, compromise is the name of the game. On a solo cruise, none of these things apply and it’s all about y-o-u.
You get to pick what YOU want to eat for every. dang. meal.
Pretty much the same reasoning as above, but extra fun because of all the dining options there were to choose from on the Getaway.
Meals are included in the price of the cruise! Some of the restaurants on board are excluded from the all-inclusive pricing, but there are enough complimentary dining choices that if you don’t want to splurge beyond the price of the cruise, you don’t have to.
This is Savor, one of the complimentary dining rooms. It looks so fancy!
If complimentary-only is the way you decide to go on the Getaway, it won’t feel like a sacrifice at all. Your options include a casual buffet, three dining rooms that feel quite upscale (one has entertainment at dinner!), a 24-hour pub-style dining room, and my favorite — a noodle bar called Shanghai’s.
You don’t have to look cute if you don’t want to
On Norwegian Cruise Lines, there is no dress code (except resort casual in the more upscale restaurants) so what you wear is completely up to you!
There are “dress up nights” where you are welcome to fancy it up a bit and have your photo taken at a portrait station, but it’s purely optional.
The activities are fun even by yourself!
Each day, you’re given a schedule called the Freestyle Daily of all the day’s activities. There are free shows in the ship’s main theater (a barbershop quartet and a spicy dance show), interactive games in the Atrium, and live music all the time.
My room attendant left me a turndown lobster along with my Freestyle Daily
I made reservations to see Wine Lovers: The Musical for lunch one day. It’s a wine tasting, musical, and lunch all in one!
Wine Lovers: The Musical
My favorite thing to do was to come to the Atrium, grab a drink, and sit and watch the games — they hosted things like trivia, a newlywed game, dance lessons — I actually learned the Thriller dance one night — and Minute to Win It.
This is what the Atrium looks like
One of the games I sat and watched!
If you don’t always want to be alone, there are meetups for people with common interests
Meetups are also included in each day’s schedule — in particular I noticed a daily LGBT meetup and one specifically for solo cruisers.
I had some planned activities with a group of other influencers, so I did get to enjoy their company from time to time. We were invited to a margarita mixology class at Margaritaville at Sea!
Norwegian cruises offer perks for solo cruisers
You can book a studio room at a discounted rate if you’re sailing alone, including access to a lounge specifically for studio cruisers. The studio rooms have very positive reviews online from what I’ve seen, and next time I think I’ll give one a try!
My top Norwegian cruise tips:
Book a one day pass for the Mandara Spa. It’s a private spa with a hot tub, pool, steam room & sauna, heated loungers, and plenty of other things to help you relax. Napping on a heated lounger was one of my favorite things I did on the cruise!
Spring for the beverage package. It’s worth it, trust me. You’ll be able to use your keycard to get as many drinks as you want for the duration of your cruise (as long as they’re under $15).
I am so happy I got to go on this cruise, and proud of myself that I did it solo!
I would not hesitate to take another solo cruise, and if you need some R&R and are able to take some time out, I’d highly recommend a solo cruise to anyone. Thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line & Margaritaville for inviting me to participate in this amazing experience!
NIKKI says
September 6, 2017 at 3:17 pmOh wow, I so needed to read this! Im contemplating an October NCL cruise to Canada and NE Solo! But kept getting mixed reactions from friends and family….so guess what….I think Im just gonna do it!! No timetables, no meeting half ways, no compromises….just me doing me!
Janella Panchamsingh says
April 9, 2017 at 8:13 pmThis is something that I would love to do myself. I need some me time badly
Annemarie LeBlanc says
April 8, 2017 at 7:11 amWhen I was young and single, I took some trips alone. I mostly did it to relax and unwind. However, I have not tried going on a cruise alone. You sure looked like you had a great time. You just showed us that being alone is not a reason to not have fun!
Toughcookiemommy says
April 8, 2017 at 6:15 amThat must have been an amazing experience for you. I had heard that there are lots of fun activities on cruise ships for single people to enjoy.
Our Family World says
April 8, 2017 at 5:47 amWhat a great way to give yourself some me time. And you definitely did it in style! I have never been on a solo cruise because of course, my husband would not want to be left out. Haha. Happy to know you had a great time!
Chanelle says
April 10, 2017 at 11:05 amLol. I don’t blame him!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly says
April 7, 2017 at 10:54 pmI do a ton of travel alone, but so far all by airplane, I am a cruise virgin! I love solo time quite frankly! 🙂
Cassie Tucker says
April 7, 2017 at 9:43 pmI can totally see the draw to taking a cruise on one’s own. However, I just can’t imagine leaving my hubs behind, lol
Kelly Hutchinson says
April 7, 2017 at 8:28 pmWow! What a great opportunity for you! I would love to take a cruise by myself. How fun!
Louise Bishop says
April 7, 2017 at 4:39 pmI have no doubt it would be fun alone. However, I don’t like traveling alone and would have MORE fun with my besties!
Kristin says
April 7, 2017 at 4:03 pmLooks like an insanely relaxing getaway for sure. It’s been too long since I went on a cruise with my bestie! But hey, I’d take one by myself. All that sleep. Bwah!
Melissa says
April 7, 2017 at 3:01 pmWhat a way to recharge the batteries. I would never go alone but it looks like a great idea if I did. Learn to make margaritas and then drink what you learned what a great activity.
Jeanine says
April 7, 2017 at 12:24 pmI think a cruise alone sounds like heaven. I would love to do it, just once, and see how much fun it would be. All I can think of is how amazing the relaxation would be on a cruise alone! Heck yes!
Amanda Love says
April 7, 2017 at 12:24 pmI think it’s awesome to go on a cruise alone. It’s a great way to get away from all of the stress and the people too, lol. It’s nice that you got to go on a 7-day cruise, it’s a long time to refresh and unwind.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
April 7, 2017 at 9:39 amThat sounds so fun! A me time on a cruise ship! That’s amazing!!
Lisa Collins says
April 7, 2017 at 8:05 amIt looks like you had a ton of fun solo! I’ve always wondered this as not all of my family has the desire to cruise but I would love to experience one!
Stephanie Jeannot says
April 7, 2017 at 2:16 amOh my goodness. I have got to get on a cruise someday. It looks like such a nice way to vacation.
Mitch says
April 6, 2017 at 11:53 pmWhat a great trip! And very brave of you to travel alone, I would do it a well if it were the only way to go! I can happily entertain myself if need be! Love the pictures!
Theresa says
April 6, 2017 at 11:34 pmI love the idea of a solo cruise. Doing what you want when you want is reason enough for me! Looks like you had a fun, relaxing time!
Sarah says
April 6, 2017 at 10:46 pmYou have no idea how lovely the thought of a little solo R&R sounds to this tired mama. Heck, even just one of the naps you took would be amazing! It looks like it was a really relaxing and fun cruise!
Christine says
April 6, 2017 at 10:24 pmMy husband and I went on a Norwegian cruise last year and it was AWESOME! You are brave traveling alone, but I def. think going on a cruise would be the best solo travel ever. I saw so many people talking to random people, and we even made new friends. Great experience.
keikilani says
April 6, 2017 at 9:11 pmA cruise would just be amazing! Hubby and I have gone on two. I would do anything to go on another right now! Looks like you had an amazing time.
Chelley @ A is For Adelaide says
April 6, 2017 at 8:31 pmThis is such an awesome trip! We really want to take a family cruise in the next few years!
Shauna says
April 6, 2017 at 8:25 pmIt looks like you had a great time. What an exciting trip! I never went on a cruise before but I will have to add it to my bucket list.
Lois Alter Mark says
April 6, 2017 at 8:25 pmGood for you for going alone! I love cruising and think it would be terrible to miss an amazing opportunity to go on a trip like this. It’s great that you’re encouraging others to do the same.
Kelly says
April 6, 2017 at 7:54 pmI am glad you enjoyed yourself, solo trips are so much fun. It has been years since I travelled on my own but I loved it.
Marcie W. says
April 6, 2017 at 7:48 pmI love the thought of a solo cruise! It take a lot of guts to travel alone, but I can see it being beneficial on so many levels.
Rebecca Bryant says
April 6, 2017 at 7:24 pmWhat a fun time you had. I would love to go alone just so I could read and relax. My son would enjoy a cruise alone too.
Veronica Solomon says
April 6, 2017 at 7:21 pmI better try this! I love doing things by myself actually. Sounds like a cruise is in the near future
Dawn McAlexander says
April 6, 2017 at 6:33 pmYeah, you can have fun on a cruise by yourself. There’s just too much fun stuff to do to get bored. I love cruising!
Rachel Ferrucci says
April 6, 2017 at 6:26 pmI could totally go away on my own. I went to Canada by myself and it was awesome. I have been wanting to do a crusie so I’ll have to look into it!
Neely Moldovan says
April 6, 2017 at 5:22 pmI truly think I could. I loved the cruise I went on but Im glad my hubs was there
Pam Wattenbarger says
April 6, 2017 at 2:42 pmThat margarita mixology class sounds really cool! It looks like there was a lot to do on this cruise.
Jessica Harlow says
April 6, 2017 at 2:07 pmI LOVE the water. The ocean, specifically, and I live on the coast of Maine. And, yet, I’ve never been on cruise which is utterly ridiculous to me. After 13 years of marriage to a man who was afraid of the ocean, now I’m single and ready to check it out. Taking a cruise on my own really appeals to me!
Chanelle says
April 6, 2017 at 7:04 pmYou should do it as a treat for yourself!
Kristina Paché Ferency says
April 6, 2017 at 2:00 pmI’ve never been on a cruise but my hubby and I are going for our anniversary/honeymoon next June! I think you can definitely have a lot of fun if traveling alone. So much to see and entertainment to keep you busy.
Alicia says
April 6, 2017 at 1:17 pmThis looks like so much fun!!! I have never been on a cruise but have always wanted to go on one. Maybe someday 🙂
Divya says
April 6, 2017 at 11:43 amI’ve never actually traveled alone before but I imagine I would enjoy it immensely! That’s on my bucket list. Hopefully I can do a solo cruise trip within the next few years!
Ashley says
April 6, 2017 at 11:07 amI had no clue this was an option!! Sounds like it would be sooooooo relaxing. Hmmm, I wonder if my family would be okay with me taking one LOL.
Jess C says
April 6, 2017 at 11:07 amWow what a lucky girl! I just LOVE cruises! It would definitely be an interesting experience going alone! Will have to do it one day…
Jen Rattie says
April 6, 2017 at 10:59 amThat is the most awesome thing ever! I would LOVE to take a cruise away from everyone. Just me and the cruise ship and the ports of call. Awesome.
Colleen Lanin says
April 6, 2017 at 10:58 amI think a solo cruise might be a lot of fun. It’s great to explore and adventure with the family, but I imagine that doing exactly what you want to do whenever you feel like doing it is amazing.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
April 6, 2017 at 10:57 amI can’t imagine why you couldn’t have a great time on a solo cruise. I mean, when you think about it, you get to do whatever you want to do at all times.