I've taken 150 solo cruises. Here are my top 6 tips for cruisers sailing alone to have the best experience.

11.09.2023 - 10:06 / insider.com / Cruises

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeff Farschman, a 74-year-old retiree who lives in Dover, Delaware. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I went on my first cruise in 1988. A group of my friends invited me on a seven-day sail around the eastern Caribbean, and I figured I'd give a vacation at sea a try. We ate delicious food, went to entertaining shows, spent time in the casinos, and relaxed.

When I got back home, I was hooked. In the years that followed, I went on a dozen more cruises. Once I retired in 2004 from my full-time job at Lockheed Martin, cruising became a big part of my life. I kept my house in Dover, Delaware, but I decided to spend the majority of my time at sea.

Since then, I've been on over 190 cruises, and I still sail seven to eight months out of the year. I've taken about 150 of these cruises alone, including 12 back-to-back world cruises.

As a self-proclaimed professional solo cruiser, here are my top tips for someone who decides to cruise alone.

One added cost of cruising solo is the single supplement. While not every cruise charges this fee, some do. It's an added surcharge for staying alone in a stateroom that was designed for more than one person to occupy.

I understand the business reason cruise lines do this, and the added cost hasn't deterred me from taking a cruise alone.

A solo cruise typically costs anywhere between $150 to $300 a day, including the single supplement.

It can be overwhelming to pick activities and excursions, especially because you don't have anyone else's opinions influencing you.

Prebook as much as you can to avoid feeling lonely or unproductive on the cruise. Some of the best tours and activities are often booked before the cruise takes off, so spend a few days as far in advance as possible planning what you want to do.

You can also plan the activities you want to do during at-sea days through your cruise ship's website. There are offerings for everyone, like watercolor-painting classes, knitting groups, and more. My favorite onboard activities are hanging out with friends, working on my blog, going to a show, or seeing live music.

When I first began my travels, I sailed with Holland America, and I still book most of my trips with the cruise line. The only cruises I would never take are on huge ships that hold up to 6,000 passengers.

I've been to the Outback of Australia and the Taj Mahal on Holland America's guided tours. It's nice to explore with other people from the ship, and there's also the reassurance that the guide will get us back to the ship on time.

If you're cruising solo and you want to meet people, connect with other travelers beforehand. Search the name of your cruise line, the name of the ship, and