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I Accidentally Sailed Solo On Ovation Of The Seas
I accidentally sailed Solo on Ovation of the Seas going to New Zealand, It was possibly the craziest cruise I've done, and here is the full story and what I learned about solo cruising for the first time. I went from a lonely solo cruiser to learning all the ropes and making friends as a shy person, to seeing some of the craziest things I've ever seen on a cruise in my whole life.
I was sailing out on February 21st, 2024- it was just myself and a friend going to New Zealand, however on the night before the 20th they pulled out last minute. After explaining they'd lose their money and that I didn't want to cruise solo, I thought I'd wait to see how I felt in the morning. That morning I committed to possibly one of the best trips I've had with Royal Caribbean on Ovation Of The Seas. Once arriving in Sydney it was really confronting not knowing a single person, and knowing I could be spending 11 nights by myself - but I press forward.
The first two nights I mostly scoped out the bars and made small talk with the staff I knew from past cruisers. I decided to pull the trigger and post in the cruise Facebook group asking if there was anyone I could hang out with. I almost felt ashamed but it turned out to be the best thing I've done and something I'll always do now.
I met up with the group of guys who turned out to be my best cruise mates for this cruise, there were 5 of us and they were some of the nicest funniest people I've met on a cruise. So from day 3 onwards, it was smooth sailing and just fun ahead.
Quantum Of The Seas Sky Bar
It wasn't really till around night 5 that I'd really consider cruising solo again, by this point I really had a great friend group and my own 'groove'. As much as I love cruising with friends and family I realized there was more relaxation, no commitments, honestly after doing it. I do it again - don't get me wrong the first couple of days were hard, however, it's worth it - not to mention the double points I got from the cruise. (Yes that's right people who cruise solo will earn double points - unless it's a studio cabin)
Let's quickly talk about the benefits and the cons of it - so to start with a big bonus is you'll be earning double points (If you're not in a solo cabin) which means you technically have to pay the twin share price. You'll have no commitments and you are open to making as many or as few friends as you'd like
Now for a slight downside, to get those double points you'll be paying the twin share price, and the same goes for the drink package. Meaning for double points you'll be paying double the cost
Now a little side note about respect, let's talk about the hard-working staff and that precious drink package. There are lines you simply don't cross and being aggressive or abusive to staff is one of them. During this sailing, I personally witnessed two counts of people getting aggressive from having too many drinks. Both times they ended up in handcuffs, so for those wondering what happens. You'll go to the brig / onboard jail until you sober up and could potentially lose your drinks package permanently
Remember to respect everyone!
Now don't let a few sour apples ruin your experience cause this doesn't always happen, but nonetheless, this was one of the best cruises I've done. I went all out and got the drinks package but made a point to not get the internet package, I wanted some me time. That is exactly what I wanted and got - I could have asked for a better cruise
Whats next?
Royal Caribbean Deluxe Drink Package – Everything You Need To Know 2024
Disclaimer: The video that was taken onboard Ovation of the Seas, this video is copyrighted and must not be reused in any form without permission. We are not affiliated with Royal Caribbean or any other companies mentioned in this article. This article is strictly a personal opinion piece and only - viewers are required to do their own research and fact-checking.
