I Took A Solo Cruise On Disney Cruise Line -Here’s How It Went
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I know, I know—Disney Cruise Lines is a family vacation. However, I really wanted to check out the new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point and get out of the grey, cold PNW weather.
I found a sailing only a few days away, and since nobody could take time off work that quickly, I decided to go by myself.
I received many questions on social media about going alone, so I thought I’d share my experience here.
Booking a Disney Cruise Solo
Right away, I found the most significant disadvantage of cruising solo on Disney: the double occupancy requirement. Even though I was going on the cruise, I had to pay for two complete guest fees.
Some cruise lines offer solo traveler rates and even specific cabins to those cruising alone. Norwegian, Virgin, and Royal Caribbean all offer cruise fares for solo travelers. Its too bad more lines don’t as I feel cruising solo could be a lot bigger option for solo travelers if it weren’t for the single supplement fee.
Anyway, I knew I would have to pay for two beforehand, so it wasn’t a surprise, although part of me kept hoping they would offer me some deal.
Cabin Choices on a Solo Disney Cruise
Essentially, you can book any cabin you want. I have always had a verandah family deluxe room on DCL, and I love the layout and locations of the rooms. Since I would be alone, I decided to try an interior room.
I did this for several reasons.
First, I wanted to experience a smaller room to help clients make educated decisions when I am helping them choose the perfect cabin. I now have a really good feel for the different rooms and what would be comfortable (or unbearable) for clients traveling in various situations.
Secondly, I wanted to force myself to get out of the room and be social sometimes, and I know myself enough to see if I have a lovely outside balcony I will have no reason to leave my room.
Third, it was simply cheaper. Since I didn’t need to care about spaciousness or double bathrooms, I didn’t need to spend the extra money on a larger cabin.
I ended up in cabin 9521 on the Disney Dream. This is an interior cabin (11A)
I was pleasantly surprised with the room for the most part and thought the magic porthole was so much fun.
Onboard A Disney Cruise As A Solo Traveler
A few things about me to help you understand my point of view during this story: I have anxiety. Not the kind of anxiety where I think the ship is going to sink and we are all doomed, but the type of anxiety where I feel I’m awkward and weird and don’t fit in. I don’t feel confident joining groups and don’t put myself “out there” in social situations. So, my main concern was people thinking I was “weird” for being alone on a family Christmas cruise.
If you have never been on a Disney cruise, they do a little differently than other lines: announce each family as they board for the first time. Cast members line the atrium and, with a microphone, say, ” Disney Dream, welcome the xx family”! Everyone claps, and Captain Mickey is there to wave and say hello. On our Hawaiian sailing, we even got welcome aboard leis! So fun.
Anyway, I was stressed about what to say when I was alone. Was I a family? Could I skip it? However, by the time it was my board turn, the cast member asked my name just like everyone else and announced me without making me feel different, so I just went with it. It was about 5 seconds and over, so I tried not to dwell on it and just explored the ship.
It was terrific being alone to unpack and get to know my room. I used the whole closet and drawer and had things just as I wanted them!
I spent the first afternoon getting to know the ship, taking a spa tour, and even making a facial appointment.
I went up to the pool deck to sail away and had a great time people-watching and watching Fort Lauderdale disappear out of sight as we sailed toward the Bahamas.
I went to a show, and that was okay, too. Nobody ever treated me differently or made me feel uncomfortable being alone.
My next biggest stressor was dinner. I was concerned about sitting alone (the horror) or, worse, sitting with a group of people who were all together, making me an outcast.
Dinner on a Solo Disney Cruise
I had the late dinner sitting, so by the time it was time to go, I was already tired and considered skipping it. I knew it would be more awkward to show up at night 2 if I missed the first meal, so I decided to get it over with. If it were too uncomfortable, I would resign myself to room service for the rest of the sailing.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I was escorted to my table. Four others were already seated. Instantly, when I sat down, they all started introducing themselves to me, and I quickly realized we were all solo travelers. This made me feel so much better, because nobody knew each other, we were all at ground zero and on equal footing.
Dinner turned out to be one of my favorite times of the day. Getting to have small talk and learn about other people’s lives was so much fun. It was also fun to hear what they did all day. When traveling with a companion, I usually only talk to them, so I don’t always know many things other people do during the day.
Our group included frequent Disney cruisers, frequent solo travelers, and first-timers. It was a fun mix of people and backgrounds. I’ve since learned that the dining staff on DCL take special care to put together cruisers at dinner that they feel will have commonalities. So, me ending up with a group of solo travelers wasn’t luck, or a fluke. It was intentional and it was perfect.
Sea Days On A Solo Disney Cruise
Sea Days were terrific on a solo cruise. I could work a little and also have free time to explore as I wanted. This was a short itinerary, and we only had one complete sea day, I would have been happy with a few more.
I got up in the morning and went to the cabanas for breakfast. Then, I went for a walk around the walking track. I would then get my laptop and head to the Cove coffee bar for work. I spent time in the rainforest room, enjoyed the Christmas decorations, and attended onboard activities like trivia and character meet-and-greets.
I loved the freedom to nap without explanation and not worry about what others wanted to do or if I was bothering them by working, sleeping, etc.
Port Days On A Solo Disney Cruise
On my cruise, we had three ports—Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Castaway Cay, and Nassau Bahamas. I initially decided to stay on the ship at Nassau and plan no excursions for the other two.
Lookout Cay was okay to do solo. I walked along the beach, explored the lighthouse, had lunch, and returned to the ship early to enjoy the spa. It was nice to come and go as I pleased without worrying about what anyone else wanted to do. It only felt lonely at lunch, but I probably could have sat with others if I had chosen to, which I didn’t.
Castaway Cay was fun solo, too. I ended up seeing one of my dinner mates at Serenity Bay and hanging out with her for most of the day. I had been before and gone snorkeling, but I really wanted to do the whole snorkel trail, so I did that, too.
The night before Nassau, I started to regret not making any plans, so I hopped on the Navigator app at the last minute to book a port excursion. Again, doing something I wanted to do without worrying about anyone else was fun.
My usual cruise buddies don’t swim, so I’m always hesitant to book snorkeling or water excursions, even though I love being on and in the water.
I booked a catamaran snorkeling trip through the cruise line and felt completely safe, even though I was not alone. When I’m not alone, I typically book third-party excursions.
On the excursion, I met a family: a couple my age and their adult son, my boy’s age. I spent the afternoon chatting with them, snorkeling, and enjoying the Bahamian water. After the excursion, I returned to the ship to change clothes and grab a free lunch. Then, I wandered around downtown Nassau for a while before returning to the ship for the evening.
Final Thoughts Cruising Solo With Disney
Overall, I enjoyed my solo trip with DCL. I would say the biggest issue is paying the double occupancy rate, but honestly, if you know that ahead of time and plan on it, its not a deal breaker.
Everything else was great, and I’m already planning to go on more solo cruises. If you have any desire to do one, I recommend it. Start with a short 4-5 day itinerary like I did.
Don’t worry about being alone, or not fitting in, there is a place for everyone. You can be as social or as alone as you want, and truly make the experience perfect for you.
If you have questions, I’d love to chat about my experience, and I can help you book your trip too!
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