Solo travel on Discovery Princess: Tips for making friends at sea

And if your aim is to meet a significant other, a long cruise like this is a great way to do it. Love, after all, needs time. And of course, the iconic TV show The Love Boat was filmed on an early Princess ship in 1976.

Discovery Princess departs Auckland, bound for Los Angeles. Photo / Princess Cruises

How to make connections at sea

Making connections does require stepping out of your comfort zone, especially if, like me, you’re more introvert than extrovert.

I’ve never been one for small talk, but I got quite good at it over dinner with those at the next table.

Who knew solo dining on a cruise ship would be a great way to connect?

I’ve cruised regularly for a decade, mostly with family or in a group and rarely interacted with my fellow cruisers. But I realised that would have to change on this cruise.

When I spied a solo travellers meet-up in the daily schedule, I cast nerves aside and attended. The group numbered around 35 – most retired or widowed – who now found solace and meaning in travel and found this long repositioning cruise a perfect way to cross the Pacific.

The Sanctuary, a sun-drenched retreat for solo travellers to unwind. Photo / Princess Cruises

All had been on multiple cruises, many on Princess.

One woman told me that after a long stint of travelling post-retirement, mostly through Southeast Asia, she got home and found herself bored and restless and immediately put her Gold Coast apartment on the market.

She’s now travelling full time and often uses repositioning cruises like this as an affordable and fun way to get to Canada, where she has friends.

Afterwards, many in the group went off to dinner together.

Meanwhile, I had a booking at – the rather good – seafood restaurant The Catch by Rudi, where I discovered that solo dining can also be rather awkward, after a couple next to me celebrated a significant wedding anniversary over a tense meal that went largely untouched, much of it conducted in grim silence. I skipped dessert that night.

The Catch by Rudi serves up seafood worth dining alone for. Photo / Princess Cruises

By the third week, I was on nodding terms with many on the ship and I’d invariably run into someone I’d chatted with and they’d recommend dishes in restaurants or convey important ship info like there’s no more oatmeal cookies in the buffet – “you’ll have to go down to the cafe, I’m going there now”.

It was strange – we weren’t friends, and we’d probably never see each other again after the cruise, but it was a community of sorts.

And no, I did not have to eat every meal alone. I met a lovely Oregon couple who shared my love of music and food – they regaled me with stories of seeing Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and Bonnie Raitt in the late 60s.

Spellbound bar, where strangers become shipmates over a drink. Photo / Princess Cruises

Without a doubt, the ugliest part of travelling solo is the cost – most solo travellers must pay double their solo fare to secure a cabin. While some lines do now cater to solo travellers with purpose-built cabins or discounted fares, it’s still relatively rare and they sell out quickly.

But this cruise will be memorable not only for the ports we called at – the gorgeous French Polynesian islands of Tahiti and Moorea and Honolulu, Hawaii – but because of the fascinating people I met; an elderly lady on a mobility scooter who was an expert on the Broadway musicals, the leader of a Canadian separatist party who wanted to talk politics over breakfast (I politely changed the subject), an American script doctor whose job is polishing Hollywood screenplays – and no, she wouldn’t tell me what she was working on.

Sun, sea and Hawaii — a highlight stop on the trans-Pacific crossing. Photo / Princess Cruises

While I enjoyed my solo three weeks on the ocean, I found myself on lengthy FaceTime calls back home and missed one of the true thrills of travelling – sharing the experience in real time with people you love.

But for solo adventurers, there’s no better way to see the world. It’s safe, you have a ready-made community on board, and you just might find the love of a lifetime out there on the ocean.

Top tips for cruising alone

Attend the solo meet-up on board and take part in activities.Long repositioning cruises are ideal for singles – more time to allow friendships to bloom.Solo dining is a great way to meet people. Tables are close together and cruisers are a garrulous lot.Get good at small talk, it’ll pay off later in the cruise.

Details

The next Princess repositioning cruise offering the same itinerary is scheduled for April 2027.

The writer was hosted by Princess Cruises.