Cruising Solo Is A Great Way To Make Friends

Cruising Solo

By Theodore W. Scull

I married a woman several decades ago who loved travel but had never been on anything like a traditional cruise ship of any size. She was ever so eager to try one.

To stay with the within the parameters of QuirkyCruise, which did not officially exist then, we chose an oceangoing Greek ship for a week sailing to Bermuda and back along with a hundred other passengers.

She thoroughly enjoyed meeting other people who had already taken to cruising and we would share mutual experiences on a daily basis. We also enjoyed choosing others we might join for meals, and soon we developed a number of shipboard friendships.

As both of us were in education, we shared several annual periods when we could travel, and a cruise was usually a part of the plan. Quirky Cruise was born during this happy period.

After 31 years of marriage, I sadly lost my wife to cancer, and for some time I did not want to go aboard a quirky-sized vessel as a single man.

Looking Back

When much younger, ocean liner travel I had experienced always included many other single passengers who were headed to Europe for further education or a summer travel experience.

It was easy to strike up a conversation and make shipboard friends, and a new-found pal might continue if we were both headed for the same summer program.

With the small ships of today, most of my friends are married or otherwise occupied, and so the pool to ask one to join me is pretty limited. But, if the ship or the itinerary is especially quirky, someone might get permission from the other half and join me.

With a strong desire to sail on a small ship cruise, I drew upon my knowledge of certain regions and occasionally came aboard as an enrichment lecturer or a reporter on assignment. That made meeting others easy as some had already met me.

Ted aboard a cruise ship, as a lecturer, headed half way up the Hudson River during the fall foliage season. * Photo: Ted Scull

Have you cruised solo?

We’d love to hear about your experiences. Our small-ship-cruise-loving Quirky Cruise audience would be interested to hear about your experiences cruising solo.

The more responses we get the more likely we can widen this topic in new directions. So we encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences.

Just drop us a note at the end of this story!

My longest friendship aboard a ship began as one of two teenagers headed eastbound from New York to France; thanks to many days at sea, we had time to get to know each other and became friends. After a long absence with the two of us living on different continents, we met again at a ship enthusiast gathering and have remained in touch on a regular basis.

Back to my summer college days. A woman, with whom I shared a transatlantic crossing, became a shipboard friend that led to us renting a car and touring southern France and northern Spain before heading to our respective summer schools. As the schools were not far apart, we continued the friendship while using the excellent Swiss trains instead of renting a car.

One January, two fellows that I met aboard an Alaska Marine Highway vessel were featured in an article I wrote that ended up being published as an off-beat travel story in 10 newspapers. Most editors said no one will make this trip in the dead of winter but they will enjoy reading about it. The joy for me was meeting Alaskans who were returning from Christmas in the Lower 48. As Alaskans they provided excellent content for my articles.

On a three-week trans-Pacific voyage from San Francisco to Sydney, I shared an assigned table with seven others and my first encounters with Australians. They all invited me to visit, and years later, I learned that my wife knew two of them. And by the way, on subsequent trips to Australia, I ended up staying with all my table mates.

When it comes to small cruise ships in more recent years, I have found that American Cruise Lines is especially welcoming for singles. Before dinner, ACL offers a complimentary hour-long Happy Hour social in the lounge that leads to open seating at tables for four and six.

One might join others then and there or head for an empty table. On ships without the social hour, passengers may decide to join someone already seated like me or start their own table. I have always found company one way or another.

The conversation usually begins with where is home. When asked, I simply reply, New York, and that usually starts a conversation. I have heard or endured all the remarks both negative and positive.

Then it’s my turn to ask about their domicile, and if they say Nebraska, I am at a loss for words. Often, after a one-word response, they may not say more; then it is up to me to ask for more. If I don’t chime in, silence reigns.

I do pride myself at having been to all 50 states, and so that helps move many conversations along. The last, my 50th, was no more than stepping off a train enroute from Chicago to Houston onto the brick platform at Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Ted in front of an LIRR wall decoration at Grand Central Terminal * Photo: Ted Scull

Small Ship Cruises are Inherently Solo Friendly

My final two cents is that small-ship cruising is indeed conducive to solo traveling. As small vessels are inherently intimate in size and design, it’s easy to meet and mingle with others when cruising solo.

Besides cocktail hour and mealtime, as mentioned with American Cruise Lines, shore excursions, especially active ones, are another good setting for making new friends. For example, on an UnCruise in Alaska, the many hikes offered are a great way to bond with fellow travelers, during the trek and later at Happy Hour, recounting the day’s shared accomplishments and adventures.

Island Windjammers is another small-ship company where solo cruisers are common; their classic schooners carry just 10 and 26 passengers a piece. Most of the time is spent hanging out up on deck or at the dining table, so you’ll get to know your ship mates in no time.

In general, small-ship cruises with lots of North American passengers tend to be friendly and chatty settings that will make solo cruisers feel at home.