After experiencing solo cruises on Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Carnival Cruise Line, I decided to try out Royal Caribbean's sister brand, Celebrity Cruises. I spent seven nights onboard their newest ship, Celebrity Ascent, sailing to the Eastern Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico, Tortola, and St. Kitts.
Taking a trip by yourself is always a little nerve-wracking; however, I've found cruises to be a great way for me to explore new destinations worldwide and make new friends while feeling a sense of safety and security.
Sailing on Celebrity's newest ship certainly didn't hinder the experience. In fact, it gave me high expectations for all my future Celebrity sailing. From the moment I stepped onboard, I was left in awe of the ship's modern design and upscale atmosphere.
Although most of my solo experience was enjoyable, certain aspects of my time alone weren't the most positive. After 7 nights onboard Celebrity Ascent, here are the pros and cons of cruising alone with Celebrity Cruises.
Read more: 4 things I loved and 4 things I hated about Celebrity Ascent
Pro: I love that I have to force myself out of my shell to talk to new people
While I don't consider myself an introvert, I'm not the most social person when I'm at home. I love spending lazy nights in with my finacée and dog while binge-watching our favorite television shows. Whenever I'm on a solo trip, however, I find myself making seemingly natural connections with new friends, many of whom I've kept in contact with since disembarking!
I can recall my first-ever solo cruise on Symphony of the Seas in January 2023 when I was essentially "adopted" by a family from Denver, Colorado. In addition to dining with them in the Main Dining Room nearly every evening, I also hung out with them at Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Since then, I've maintained almost daily contact with their eldest son.
My cruise onboard Celebrity Ascent was no different. On the very first evening, I attended an LGBTQ mixer at the Sunset Bar and met a lovely group of friends traveling together. Two nights later, I joined them for dinner in San Juan for a delicious meal at Cannon Club. What I initially thought would be just one dinner ended up turning into almost nightly drinks at the Sunset Bar, dining at Blu, and yet another meal at the specialty restaurant Le Voyage.
As luck would have it, they weren't the only new friends I made. When dining in Normadine on the first night, I met two friends traveling together, and I was invited to join them for dinner the following evening in Tuscan!
Afterward, we went to Shimmerbox in Eden, and I introduced one of the women to Roulette where she doubled her money! While our paths didn't cross again until the final night of the cruise, we met up at the Craft Social Bar before attending the silent disco in the Grand Plaza.
Truthfully, one of my favorite parts about cruising alone is that I have the ability to make connections with people from all different walks of life.
Con: While it's fun to meet new friends, cruising by yourself can be lonely
When you're cruising with friends and family, you're likely to spend a lot of time with them, whether it's in the cabin, at dinner, relaxing by the pool, or making new memories ashore. Perhaps one of my least favorite aspects of solo cruising is that shore excursions can feel exceptionally lonely.
On my Celebrity Ascent cruise, I booked a Celebrity excursion to the Virgin Gorda Baths, as well as a Safari Island Drive around St. Kitts. Both tours were filled with spouses and groups of friends, whereas I was the only person by myself. While I did strike up a few conversations, namely on the St. Kitts tour, with those around me, it definitely wasn't the same as experiencing the tours with my loved ones; I was limited to sending pictures to my dad and finacée.
The Baths excursion was the most isolating experience of my cruise, as what I thought would be a guided tour ended up being more of a solo experience, as my group walked to the first beach before being told to continue through the Baths on our own, meeting back at the starting point by 11:45am.
Read more: 10 tips for getting the best cruise shore excursion values
After navigating the Baths, I had roughly thirty minutes on the beach by myself. While there's no denying it was beautiful, I wasn't prepared with a book or other activity to keep myself occupied. I ended up doing a little souvenir shopping before finding a shaded spot to sit in for a little bit.
Aside from excursions, dining alone isn't always the most fun. I find myself burying my face in my phone and texting those back home. Oftentimes, though, I do strike up conversations with those at neighboring tables, even if just for a few minutes.
The wait staff on Ascent was particularly attentive when I was alone, and one waitress who was interested in my experiences cruising alone talked to me for about ten minutes! Either way, though, it isn't the same as dining with friends and family.
Pro: My stateroom felt like a mini-suite
Until now, all of my solo cruises had been in inside cabins. While I don't mind these staterooms when I'm alone, they can feel pretty cramped when traveling with others. Since I booked my Celebrity Ascent cruise just a few weeks before the sail date, the only available cabin was a Prime Ocean View.
At around 200 square feet, it was much larger than my inside rooms on Carnival Celebration and MSC Seashore. Having so much space to myself felt luxurious. I had more than enough storage for all of my clothing and toiletries. In fact, I ended up using one of the drawers as a "hamper" for my dirty clothes since there was nothing inside.
While I loved having natural light in the mornings, my favorite aspect of the cabin was the ensuite bathroom. I've stayed in some cabins before where my knees hit the sink when using the restroom. That, however, wasn't the case on Ascent. Truthfully, I feel as though there was enough space for two people to get ready at once without constantly bumping into one another.
My one and only gripe with the bathroom, though, was that I wish the sink was slightly smaller, as I would have preferred a little more counter space when getting ready in the morning.
Con: While mostly attributed to the fact I booked my cruise so last minute, I was subject to the dreaded single supplement fee
Since the majority of cruise ship staterooms are designed to accommodate two passengers, those who decide to sail in a standard cabin alone will most likely have to pay a single supplement fee, which is simply the cost to offset what the cruise line would have made if there was another guest in the room with you.
My total fare for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise was $2,879.50. To date, that's the most expensive solo cruise I've ever taken, as my fare for Carnival Celebration was around $1,900, with MSC Seashore's fare being the cheapest around $1,175.
Celebrity Ascent does have solo cabins; however, I didn't book far enough in advance to secure one. While onboard, though, I was able to tour a solo infinite veranda! These cabins come equipped with a true queen-sized bed, whereas my bed was simply two twin-sized beds pushed together.
While the room didn't have a sofa like my ocean-view cabin, two chairs faced the veranda's floor-to-ceiling window, which was slightly obstructed. Since I rarely used the sofa, I would have preferred this configuration, as I'd much rather face the ocean than the vanity!
One primary difference I noticed was that the bathroom had a different layout; it actually reminded me of my bathroom on Carnival Celebration! Rather than having the toilet directly across from the vanity, it actually faced the shower. While smaller, it was equipped with everything my cabin was, including the body lotion, makeup removal wipes, and hand soap.
Pro: I structured my around around my personal preferences
Whether it was indulging in a coffee from Café al Bacio or enjoying the made-to-order stir-fry station at the Oceanview Café for three days during the cruise, being alone meant having the freedom to organize my day according to my own desires.
Despite the con of solo shore excursions, the upside was that I could choose whatever activities I wanted to do. The Baths had been on my bucket list for years, so I loved being able to finally cross them off.
Similarly, the island drive in St. Kitts was a great overview of the island, whereas I know if I was traveling with my finacée, she would have probably wanted to do something beach-related
Con: Celebrity didn't have as many dedicated events for solo cruisers as Royal Caribbean or Carnival
Considering that Ascent does have cabins for those traveling alone, I was surprised to find that I didn't really see any solo-only events, which differed from my experiences with Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
While I don't usually attend these meet & greets, I always thought it was a great option for those who were by themselves, as the more timid travelers didn't have to worry about forcing themselves too far outside of their comfort zones by going to events in which they may not be the only solo attendee.
I remember how anxious I was when I attended my first-ever solo event on Symphony of the Seas. Thankfully, it was age-specific for those between the ages of 18 and 25, so I felt more comfortable knowing it was going to be a group of individuals closer to my age with, potentially, more in common.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
