Developing your confidence on a cruise for excitement and romance
Very few people in this life really enjoy being alone. There are the odd few that thrive on it of course, but for most of us we feel much happier when we have someone else to share our life with. Depending on your age and lifestyle, there may be reasons why you have found it hard to connect with anyone recently. On the other hand, it could be down to a lack of confidence owing to being out of practice in the dating game or having just got out of a bad relationship. Fred Olsen cruises and other companies offer a great opportunity to get back in the groove again and spend some time socialising with new people as well as visiting some exotic places around the world. A wonderful moonlit night on the deck of a luxury liner can turn the most inept of us into a smooth talking Casanova. Apart from the obvious advantages that the atmosphere on a tropical holiday has to offer, you will find that some lines arrange special events for their single passengers such as meet and greet nights when you first board. Caribbean cruises are a favourite for those interested in a bit of romance - the balmy weather and exotic setting providing the perfect backdrop for an evening of fine dining and getting to know each other a little better. If you simply do not like hot weather, there are of course many other destinations to choose from that may suit you better.
"Just returned from a cruise in the Med. with my husband. We chose the Artemis P. & O cruise. She is a beautiful middle sized ship 45,00O tons or thereabouts about 1300 passengers. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The facilities were top notch , including wonderful up to date washing and drying facilities." - Mundy, Wilmslow on 28th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)
Getting a good deal
One slight irritation when deciding to travel alone is the supplementary charges for single travellers. In many cases you may have to pay the same as if there were two of you in the cabin instead of just the one. P&O cruises and some others do offer something called a cabin-share though. The way this works is that you tell them when you are booking that you are a single traveller and you are prepared to share your cabin if they can find someone else who is willing to do the same. They will then try to match you up with someone of the same sex (no early start on the romantic front!) and a similar age. There is the risk that you may end up with someone that you do not get along with doing this though. Other lines like Cunard cruises have started to reduce the supplements they charge single passengers so things are beginning to get better. One potential plus point of the cabin-share scheme is that if the company cannot find you someone suitable to share with, you will still get a double cabin but do not have to pay a supplement. It certainly pays to shop around as some operators will also offer extra reductions for singles at certain times of year. Although these are usually off-peak times, that does not really matter with many destinations. Princess cruises are on of the others who are also worth looking at, as they arrange hosted singles trips.
"I only had an inside cabin but it was quite spacious and very comfortable and kept spotless by my 'invisible' steward? Well someone must have serviced it because it was always done and some interesting 'friends' left behind on the bed to keep me company! ( TOWEL animals)" - Twynham, Prestatyn on 27th Sep 2009 (Holland America Cruises)
Where to leave from
You will find that on almost all of the regular trips offered by the major companies, you are free to join and leave the ship pretty much anywhere that you choose - you have to book first of course. This means that however long you plan on travelling, you can go to anywhere that they sail to. All you will need to do is to arrange the flights to and from the ports that you choose to meet the ship and disembark from, and you are ready to go. Royal Caribbean cruises have many journeys that start from their home base in Florida for example, and visit several tropical islands in the course of a week or two. If you like the idea of meeting up with some single American ladies then this could be a good choice for you. Many of these shorter trips will return to the same port that they left from, which makes the logistics of flying there and back a bit simpler. If you are not all that keen on flying or would rather keep the cost down a bit then cruises from Southampton go to many places as well. If you are looking for a long term relationship then this will at least give you better odds of meeting someone that lives nearer to you than you may get if you join a vessel at a remote port. Another approach could be to advertise for a travelling companion before you leave, and share the costs.
"This was our first time cruising so we decided upon a mini break to see if we enjoyed it. It was fantastic, the cabin far nicer than we expected and the whole ship was clean and in good decorative order.The bars were very interesting and the dining room superb.The entertainment was brilliant mainly because Derren Brown was on." - Hughes, Macclesfield on 27th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)
Cuddling up for warmth
If you are of the opinion that you are more likely to get closer to a new friend in colder climes, then you will be pleased to know that there are just as many vessels plying their trade in such areas. NCL cruises are one option if you have always fancied discovering Denmark and seeing the famous "Little Mermaid" on the waterfront. There are some wonderfully romantic cities in Europe which you may find are just right to enjoy with a new companion. If you happen to enjoy a bit of culture as well, then you could look forward to wine tastings in France or visiting the art galleries of Florence together. If on the other hand you had something a bit colder and a bit wilder in mind then Alaska could be the place for you. Celebrity cruises are one of the companies that sail here and the Alaskan wilderness is a thing of beauty that would be great to share with a special lady. It certainly gets cold enough to offer your partner a hug in this part of the world, so do make sure to pack plenty of warm clothing if you have your heart set on this location. Apart from the atmosphere onboard ship and the chance to see whales in the waters off the Alaskan coast, you could go on a helicopter tour of the glacier fields for your first date! Closer to home, MSC cruises are one choice for visiting the beautiful Norwegian fjords.
"The staff exellent ,accomadation more than adequate, special thanks to our cabin stewardess, and all the bar staff especially Jessie and Christian in the Carinthia bar, Food good and certainly enough of it" - Traynor, Widnes on 27th Sep 2009 (Cunard Cruises)