You're free to mix and mingle, and in the peculiar "closed environment" of a ship you will be having a great time before you've left port!

Some ships organise a singles get-together meeting ... it's worth taking a look, but I've found the bars, the casino and most of all the shore excursions are better for meeting people.

About 12 years ago after becoming single, I decided on trying a cruise again.

I was just short of fifty and at the dining table I demurred as to my background and occupation.

After a few days, I admitted being a CIA operative.
This really got things moving.

Going to Karaoke and starting things off usually helps.

If you start getting close to anyone, its usually best to complain that you have to have another round on on the subject of alimony after the trip.

quote:

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Originally posted by Garry Sanham:
Thanks 4 your help & advice guys & girls. Now what cruise line would you recommend?

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A big question! It's like asking which car should I buy? It all depends on what you want and how big your budget is:

[**What sort of itinerary are you looking for? One week, two weeks, sun, scenary or culture; which area of the world?

**Do you want a fly-cruise or a return cruise from a UK port such as Dover, Southampton or Harwich?

**Would you like to be with people of your age group, or does that not really matter?

A big ship, small ship, old ship, new ship?

Do you want a refined experience or a more lively one?

Do you want a British experience or is an European/American one acceptable?

Formal or informal i.e. do you mind dressing for dinner?

Tell us more about yourself, your likes and dislikes are and we will be better placed to advise you!

[ 06-06-2003: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

GAG!

I have always had a great time on whichever 'dam ship I have chosen.HAL suits me perfectly as not only are the passengers extremely friendly towards me but the crew is just incredible.And I love the ships.HAL is more "middle of the road" and laid back,which is fine by me.

I have always asked for a table for either 6 or 8 but have been assigned a table for 10(which I found a wee bit difficult due to the size of the actual table)a couple of times.

On HAL,there is always a Solo Travellers Meeting where one can meet some fellow singles.This casual meeting is where you can make friends(if you want to).But beware,Garry,a single man of 30,on his own will be inundated with lots of females desperate for company!! LOL

There is absolutely no reason for any solo traveller to be alone or feel left out(unless that is what you want).Everyone is there on vacation.I just go around with this huge grin on my face which always gets a great response from other guests.Yes,guests,Garry....HAL treats us like guests and not just passengers.

I have made many,many friends on my various cruises,some of whom I have not only sailed with again but actually visited with them in their homes.

If you want a laid back cruise then I recommend HAL.If you want a party-style cruise then HAL isn't for you.

Whatever you come up with,have a wonderful time and don't worry,just be happy!!

May I thank you for your advice on cruising alone. I have been on one cruise (Sunbird Feb 2000) and really enjoyed the atmosphere on board.

The type of cruise I would be looking for is a bit of partying, plenty of culture but most important Friendly. When my wife and I were on Sunbird everyone got on so well. The British actually got on with each other, the Canadians were brilliant, even the few Americans didn't moan too much!!

Budget may not be a problem and I would love to go to the Caribbean again. Basically I am looking to make new friends, enjoy myself but most important have a good laugh!!

However, if you want something slightly less ‘holiday campish’, I would recommend Royal Caribbean International (RCI). Their ships are big and state of the art. Check out our ship reviews and reader’s reviews (menu left).

The Radience class, ‘Radience of the Seas’ and ‘Brilliance of the Seas’ are simply stunning ships. I wrote a long review of ‘Brilliance’ last year (see our ship reviews). Alternatively RCI's ‘Voyager’ class are the world’s biggest ships and have amazing facilities.

If you want to go more upmarket, you could try Celebrity? NCL are very good value and Princess have a good reputation. There is lots of other options too, do check out the reviews.

[ 06-10-2003: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]