Final Thoughts

Top 10 Highlights of My Solo Cruise

1. Perfect Day at CocoCay

Perfect execution of splitting up my time there to avoid overexposure to the sun, and to avoid peak crowds.
Really liked concept of spending time at a beach and a water park in the same place
Enjoyed the DJ spinning at the foot of the stairway to the slides
Only thing wrong was that I could not share this with someone

2. Silent Party

Enjoyed listening to the music, people watching
I really had a fun time. Would do this again

3. Seeing two couples from my excursion hang out multiple times on the ship afterwards

Hope that they become great friends and cruise together someday
Feel blessed to see a magical connection on a cruise

4. All the passengers left me alone

This was my greatest concern going into the cruise
Appreciated that I could have my definition of fun, along with time to relax and recharge
The challenge will be if this can be replicated on a 7 day cruise

5. 80s Party on Promenade

It’s my favorite decade of music. Was a teen when 80s began and entered into the real world at the end of the decade.

6. All Access Tour

Learned about inner workings of ship, got to see the bridge. Gratetful for this opportunity, would do it again on a different cruise line.

7. Great internet service

I bought internet package so that I could enable wi-fi calling in case family needed to reach me. Which took place on the first night, but was not an emergency. On my phone, it was as if I was on land at how fast it was. But I didn’t keep up with the news during my vacation.

8. My conversation with Ashley

The only person whom I met during the vacation came at the end of my Nassau excursion. I enjoyed our brief conversation about living in Florida and cruising.

9. Being on the helipad

Did this just before the ship left Nassau. Interesting to see a port city at day and at night.

10. Dinner at Chops Grille

Excellent meal and great service. Also got to eavesdrop on two older couples conversing at the tables to my right. Not too many people there.

What left something to be desired?
• The muster drill
• The breakfast room service

What I wish I had done
• Attempt to go to the helipad just before sunset in Nassau to take pictures and enjoy the sunset
• Gotten off the ship just as it got dark in Nassau to take exterior pictures of the ship at night
• Eaten 4 smaller meals during the sea day instead of traditional 3
• Done a 3rd rotation of the water slides at CocoCay
• Gone a second time to the Solarium to chill

What I will never do again
• Do water excursions. That means no SUB/BOSS, no Snuba, no Snorkeling, no jet skis, no paddle boarding, etc.
• Bid on an upgrade offer from the cruise line

What’s next?
• I know I want to go on another cruise in Spring or Fall of 2021.
• I know that I want it to include at least 2 of these destinations: San Juan, St. Thomas, Tortola
• I have no idea which cruise line to take

I would still have the same strategy of avoiding shared tables for dinner, avoid the bars, avoid the hot tubs, and take the stairs instead of the elevators.
In addition, I would still have to skip the audience participation shows.
I want to have a mix of excursions. One stop is all about history and culture, one stop is a fun beach day, and one is an adventure that I can handle, if it exists.
I want to have a nice variety of eating venues so that I don't have to eat at the same place more than twice for any of the meals.