Blind Design: November 2012

Flying Solo

Since I was born, society made sure to remind me that anything worth doing required a mans assistance. Although I was raised by a single mother, I still thought there may be some truth to that way of thinking. It wasn’t until my teenage years that I realized that I could do anything I wanted to do, either on my own, or alone, and that men are conditioned to believe they can be a knight in shining armor for any damsel in distress. There is an upside to a mans way of thinking though. Although I know how to change my own tire, carry heavy boxes, or put together that god-awful dresser from Ikea, it is always nicer to make a man think their assistance is needed.

I know I’m not the only one who takes advantage of our perceived feminine fragility, but there are some things that women should be more than happy to do on their own. Although women tend to want to travel in groups, even when just going to the bathroom, there is something special about traveling on your own. Still not sure if you have the confidence to travel solo? Maybe traveling by train through Europe isn’t the best idea for the timid solo woman traveler, but cruising Europe, or Alaska, or even the Caribbean is. While there are more benefits to cruising than I could ever mention in one sitting, I hope that my next few words will have you calling your travel agent today to book your solo vacation.

Believe it or not, cruising is an affordable option for travelers, and a great option for single women. Upon arrival, you have a few hours to unpack your bag before setting sail to your destination. Us women tend to over pack anyways, so only having to unpack once, while visiting up to 6 places in a week, is so much easier than island hopping by plane, spending only a day or so on each island, while constantly packing and unpacking. Also, since you are the only one in your room, you can spread all your makeup, jewelry, and shoes wherever you want! Depending on the cruise line, and the room you chose, you will have a queen size bed, a full vanity, an in-room safe, first run movies, a private bathroom, and 24 hour room service.

Since sitting in your room all day is not the reason you decided to book your cruise, it is important to get out and meet people. If you don’t want to meet people, feel free to jump two paragraphs down, but if you do, the ships were designed for socializing. Not only should you take advantage of the party as you initially set sail (Caribbean sailings always have live music from a steel drum band and passed fruity cocktails), but you also have a number of other opportunities to meet like minded, or completely fun and crazy, passengers to fill up your free time. Dinner time is the best place to meet new people. All travelers are placed at a table, ranging from four to ten people per table, most time with people they have never met. Take this time to talk to your fellow diners because you will be spending every evening with them. That is, unless you decide to go to the buffet, but we’ll tackle that monster later.

Each ship has a number of special events. For example, Royal Caribbean has the signature Mens Sexy Leg Contest, the Belly Flop Contest, The Love and Marriage Game Show, and their adults only game The Quest. You would be amazed at how many conversations can be started about the amount of hair on the champion floppers back. There are also casinos, rock climbing walls, water parks, carousels, bingo, and culinary classes to name a very few.

So you don’t feel like loudly cheering on the bruiting man strutting his stuff on the pool deck to win a plastic Royal Caribbean medal for his toned calves? For those of you who don’t like to be overly social, or those who want to evenly split their time between socializing and relaxing, there are countless ways to cut loose while still maintaining your composure. One way is to spend an hour, or a day, at the adults only pool or whirlpool that most ships tout. If working out is your drug of choice, check out the boat’s gorgeous views from the gym that has treadmills strategically placed behind floor to ceiling windows overlooking the endless ocean. The gyms also offer classes like yoga and palates, and have saunas and showers in case you want to get cleaned up without having to go back to your room. And right next to the gym is the spa. The spa offers basic services like waxing, manicures, pedicures, and hairstyling; but it also offers massages, teeth whitening, Botox, detoxification, and an array of other services guaranteed to relax even the most uptight woman. And the best part is that most ships offer discounts on spa services if you stay on the boat while most people are off visiting the islands. If none of those relaxation options seem right for you, search the boat for the best bartender, grab a seat, and order your favorite umbrella drink. Don’t forget, you are on vacation.

One of the most intimidating issues for solo women travelers is not being on the boat, but getting off the boat in different ports. If you are an adventurous woman, grab your passport, some comfortable shoes, some spending money, and have a great time. If you have yet to find another solo woman that you want to check the islands out with, but you don’t feel safe traveling on your own, the ships offer a number of excursions at every port. Excursions cost more than discovering the island on your own, but are still very affordable. Once you purchase an excursion, you, and other guests who signed up, will be on your way to island discovery, fully backed by the cruise lines insurance policy. These adventures include beach getaways, history tours, heritage tours, culinary experiences, wine tastings, and marine life adventures to name a few. No matter what your choice is, make sure you’re back on the boat on time, or you will be left behind.

I know I mentioned some of the activities you can partake in to meet people, but not only are there signature events on every cruise for every cruise line; but there are also different forms of nightly entertainment. Each night has a different show. I have seen both Temptations and Beatles tribute bands, a Cirque du Soleil type show, ice shows that would make Ice Capades look like an amateur act, and a Broadway musical. How many people can say that? I also have ice skated in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, but I digress. You can’t imagine the entertainment you will see on cruise ships. Other than professional acting and singing, becoming a cruise ship performer is one of the most competitive careers for entertainers, so you are sure to get a good show. There are also comedians, including late night, raunchy, adults only comedy nights; and some ships even have The Blue Man Group performing.

Theatre not your thing? There are also theme bars and nightclubs. Each bar has nightly live music, as well as drink specials. My favorite is the Latin themed bar. Not only can you sip some delicious mojitos, you may meet a man who wants to swing you around the dance floor a few times. Some ships even have a special nightclub under the stars. One of Norwegian’s largest ships, the Epic, not only has a comedy club, a circus dinner show, and a water park that is open 24 hours a day; it also has the first ice bar at sea. That’s right, for a small charge, you are given a parka for your time inside the bar and two signature Svedka Vodka drinks.

If the reasons I have given you are still not tempting enough, let me get down to the good part. Food. Did you know that every item on the dinner menu is low calorie, sugar free, and low fat? Yeah, I fell for it the first time too. While the food may not be the healthiest, it sure is tasty. The cruise lines have worked very hard to have options for certain dietary restrictions, and will do everything they can to make sure you enjoy your dining experience. If you prefer the almost endless options of a buffet, each ship has buffets with international and local favorites, as well as deserts, fruit and salad bars. Plus, while you are on vacation, no calories count…or is it that you can’t get service on your iPhone, so you can’t count calories on your app? Either way, enjoy!

When it comes to food, your options are endless. Like I mentioned before, you can get 24 hour room service free of charge, unlimited buffets, 24 hour pizza and snacks, world class salad bars, and three course meals every night. And that’s just on most standard ships. Some ships even have sushi bars, steak houses, cupcake shops, Italian restaurants, Chinese restaurants, Dim Sum, mystery dinner theatre, and many, many more. Did I mention Tempanyaki? Yes, the Japanese style (think Kobe), steakhouse where chefs cook your food right in front of you. Yes, on a cruise ship! That’s right, you can go to all of these restaurants for either a very nominal fee, or completely free of charge. Does it get any better than that?

So, I realize that I have told you how wonderful cruising is, and how many options you will have as a solo woman traveler to not feel alone, unless you want to, but I think I have left out one important factor. Men. While my primary objective was to get you on a cruise ship to relax and get away from the stresses of everyday life, many times that includes men, but some of you will want to know if you will meet any on the ship. Yes. There are always single men on the ships. Most ships even have singles events that are advertised in their daily activity guide. Don’t worry, if you don’t see a posting on the first full day at sea for singles, make your way to the front desk of the ship where smaller group events are posted by travelers themselves. There are also nightly events, dinners, parties, bars, casinos, and excursions where you can meet men. Let me warn you, you will meet a number of men who are there with their partners, but don’t worry, there will be tons of single men looking for single women just like you.

The best part about a solo cruise is that you never have anyone making you do something you don’t want to do. Don’t fell like visiting Jamaica? Don’t! Don’t want to get dressed up for dinner? Don’t! Don’t want to brush your teeth before meeting that sexy guy for drinks at the pool bar? Err…I would suggest you brush your teeth, but I won’t be on the cruise with you, so do whatever you want. Don’t forget you deserve a break, you work hard. Cruise ship personnel are some of the most attentive service providers you will ever meet. And although they work mostly off tips, they aren’t pushy, and you would never know. Also, the service is so good you would leave them all your credit cards if you could. So if you don’t like relaxation, personalized service, island hopping, unpacking once, and doing whatever you want whenever you want for one low price, cruising is not for you. But if you are already imagining ditching your girlfriends to hit the high seas alone, I have done my job. It was once said that cruises were for the newlyweds and over fed, but as you can see, the single woman can have just as much fun.