Entrepreneur Travel Tips…
You want a no-hassles vacation to an exotic location with an endless selection of activities to keep you occupied, or the option of doing absolutely nothing. Maybe you are trying to think of a safe and comfortable way to travel the world to gain first-hand knowledge about global destinations, observe different consumer markets in action, and catch-up on the business books you have wanted to read.
If you became an entrepreneur for the lifestyle freedom of managing your own schedule, you may have difficulty finding someone to travel with you. And feeling uneasy about trying to enjoy a vacation with no friends, you put off your travel plans until the point where you are thinking all day about taking a break.
To meet those goals, consider a cruise vacation. You can go alone. Even if you think it is weird to go on a cruise alone, this vacation option can meet the travel goals you are seeking without feeling like a strange, embarrassing out-of-body experience.
Instead of forgoing a fun, relaxing cruise because of the fear of being a solo traveller, here are tips to make the trip a perfect vacation. To follow is a summary of the eight travel tips you need to know. Read the details for more information.
To successfully take a cruise alone:
1) Grit your teeth and eat the extra cost. Yes the dreaded single supplement is the disliked 100 percent additional cost penalty for having no friends with your flexible travel schedule and extra cash. But never taking a cruise vacation because you have no one to travel with is a sadder fate. You can survive the penalty if you look at the cost from a different perspective.
2) Get over your embarrassment. No one really cares if you are traveling alone. In fact, you may end up meeting people you would never have met in another circumstance. And maybe even learning about opportunities you did not know existed that can be applied to your business when you return.
3) Have a dining strategy. Eating alone is the primal fear for solo travelers. On a cruise, at the buffets, carry a beach bag or sweater to leave on your seat when you find a table or want to get up for more of the endless food supplies. Have your book or eReader handy and enjoy the time to catch up on those business books you have always wanted to read. In the sit-down restaurants, depending on the type of person you are, take the offer to be seated with others if you want to talk to someone, or ask for a small table if you do not. Still take your book in case no one shows up at your table.
And take the table by the window if you want. You are not obligated to accept a less agreeable spot because no one wanted to take the trip with you.
4) Select relevant destinations. As a 21st century entrepreneur, you likely have a website which means you may have global customers. When selecting your cruise destination, if you do not already have a few must-see countries on your list, select places you are interested in visiting for business reasons.
But try not to plan on working like you do at home. Even if you buy the wi-fi package, service may be spotty. Instead of trying to keep up with every e-mail, think about your business in the background of the other activities you will be doing on the ship.
5) Strategically plan excursions. Think about the type of people who will pick a certain kind of offered excursion. Family-oriented activities will attract the people with kids. Bus tours will appeal to the less-mobile. Sports like bike tours should have athletic adventurers. Check the list early so you can decide which activity you want to do and get your reservation before space is gone.
By the way, no excursion is an excursion too. You can stay on the ship and enjoy less crowded access to the pools, spa or food.
6) Do activities you like to do. On-board lectures attract people with an interest in the subject. If you play bingo, go to bingo. If you want to learn line dancing, go at the scheduled time. Other passengers may be traveling in groups but they do not do every activity together. This means you can meet people who enjoy doing activities you enjoy, and are happy to have someone to talk to during that time.
7) Go to the singles’ events, or at least one. This is not a suspect pick-up opportunity (well, okay it could be.) Cruise ships know there are singles aboard so they invite people to mix and mingle. There is no pressure and no untoward overtones (if there is and you are uncomfortable report the offender to the appropriate crew member).
8) Go to the free drink events. Here you will not be drinking alone.
Here’s the detail for each entrepreneur travel tip:
- Cost
The dreaded single supplement is probably the number one turn-off to cruising alone. Cruise ships post prices for double occupancy only. If you do not want to share a room, you have to pay for two people, and in some cases even more.
To the solo traveler, the cruise ships decision to charge individual passengers double the fare is a penalty for your solitude. They want to encourage you to find someone, anyone who will travel with you. Cruise ships need as many people as possible because once on board you may purchase drink packages, wi-fi, excursion, overpriced souvenirs, even artwork.
The ship’s financial planning is based on having each room occupied by two people. Effectively, they are charging you for the room. If you have two people you can split the cost, if not, you pay the full load.
But one of the advantages of traveling alone is you can go at a time of year that is suitable for you. Because you run your own business, scheduling flexibility can help with your costs. You can travel at anytime of the year and do not have to wait for the crowded, and more expensive holiday seasons. If you can buy an off-season fare, you may end up paying the same as you would have paid to travel with a friend during peak season.
Of course, off-season may not be your preference. The weather may be unfavorable or the destination less appealing. For example, sailing the Queen Mary 2 on the classic crossing between London (Southampton) and New York City in January when the Atlantic Ocean waters are rough and tumble, is about half the price of sailing in the summer. But only those with strong stomachs will appreciate the deal.
Calculate the cost per day
Instead of considering the total price you pay as a 100% penalty for having no travel ready friends, divide the total cost by the number of days for the voyage. How much are you paying each day? Compare the cost to another type of vacation. Include hotel, food, transportation, and entertainment. You may find the price is the same as going on any other type of vacation.
Solo Cabins
Yes some cruise lines offer solo cabins, and do not charge double. On some Norwegian Cruise Line ships, the solo area includes a private lounge and dedicated concierge.
But the room may not reflect your idea of a perfect vacation. Solo cabins are typically ‘inside’ with no view. Although these rooms have the amenities, you may prefer to allow yourself the luxury of more space and sunshine.
As a hard-working entrepreneur aim for a vacation of comfort and style, you do not need to lock yourself in to the least expensive deal, when you can use other methods like off-season travel to keep costs within reason. One of the benefits of traveling alone is to have a quiet place to rest and work, you want the option of staying in your room to be part of your activity planning.
- Embarrassment
The cruise industry may secretly hate you for not having a friend with you, but no one is going to display their frustration. Unless the cruise is immensely popular, the cruise company would rather have an occupied room over an unoccupied one.
Every customer is a future customer. They have the opportunity to upsell you on another cruise. Repeat customers are critical to the business. Once you are on board, you will not receive unfair treatment. They do not charge extra to sit at a restaurant table alone.
At first, you may feel shy about being alone. But remember, this is likely the one and only time in your life you will see any of your 4,000 new friends. If people look at you with pity realize that once you tell them you have your own business and love to travel, their expressions switch from doleful concern to intrigued envy – and you are on your way. Now you are on a level playing field and can speak about a variety of subjects. Besides eating (see details below), there is likely no other time on the ship when you are reminded you are alone.
- Dining
Eating alone can make you feel self-conscious. But bring your books. Remember you are on a relaxing vacation and want to feel comfortable.
When you enter the buffet, just look for the empty table you want and deposit your bag or sweater. The bag should be like a beach bag or backpack. Cruise ships are not hotbeds for purse thieves, but do not leave any valuables you cannot see.
If people hover around your table when you are finishing up, do not feel obligated to move or pass on getting seconds (or thirds). These ships are organized for maximum capacity. There is always another table. Forget those sweet-looking senior citizens eyeing your strategic spot by the window. Enjoy your meal at a leisurely pace and leave when you are ready.
In the dining room or restaurants, you typically have a choice between eating alone or with randomly selected people. Make a decision based on your preferences. Or maybe go back and forth just to stay engaged. Sometimes you want to eat in a hurry to catch a show so you can tell the staff your schedule and they will accommodate you.
- Destinations
When you select a destination that is aligned with your business, you give your trip additional meaning and focus. Maybe you once received an e-mail from a customer in Barbados, but you do not know about the country and why people there may be interested in your product or service. Or perhaps you were thinking about having targeted global strategies and want to get an idea about a specific local market.
If you are feeling weird about being on the ship alone, do your research on the destinations and decide on your own excursions or activities you would like to do upon arrival. Sometimes you may just want to visit the local town and have lunch in a popular restaurant.
When you go on a cruise you do not have to spend all of your time by the pool or drinking and dancing. You can incorporate business goals into your vacation and take advantage of the facilitated travel to another location to learn more that can help you reach the global consumer marketplace.
But start your research early. Figuring out how you want to see the ports can take time. Some cruises stop only at their man-made tourist islands, far from the local population. Others stop at resort areas catering to tourists and provide little local flavor. But some trips like Viking River’s Danube River cruise leave you time each day to walk around cities like Belgrade where you can engage with locals, look in non-tourist shops and try specialized cuisine or drinks.
If you are planning your trip as an entrepreneur who wants a relaxing vacation with some substance, be selective in determining where you want the cruise to take you.
- Excursions
Excursions are the in-port trips planned by the cruise ship and either included in your fare or charged separately. Typically this includes planned trips to the local town or city, a beach, sports like snorkeling or hiking, and many others.
Go over the list and decide if any excursions suit you. Remember you can always go “into town” on your own. The ships are typically met by private taxis, buses or even walking options.
Practice standard safety procedures when traveling, and especially when selecting non-ship vendors. If you have questions about the locals, ask the ship concierge for assistance and advice. And double check your embarkation time. If you are doing an off-ship activity on your own, you do not want to be that one passenger left behind.
- On-board activities
The cruise ships go out of their way to make sure there is endless included activity to occupy a variety of different preferences. The creativity of these people is really extraordinary. Honestly between the excursions, activities, eating and maybe trying to read a book, you are fully immersed in your vacation.
You receive a daily activities list, usually the night before, and you can go through and decide your day. By the way, taking your activities list with you to breakfast, and planning while you eat is a great way to be occupied at your table.
Pick your favorites and go. On-board activities is where people who are traveling with others will go alone because they really want to see or do a specific activity.
But remember if you are trying to avoid people, you do not have to engage with anyone. Activities are typically designed to be interactive.
- Singles’ or solo traveler events
Look in the daily activities list for events marked ‘singles’ get-together,’ or solos meet-up’ or similar. Attending can be fun but also risky, in a non-threatening way. If you really want to be alone on your trip, you may end up meeting people who do not think you want to be alone. Those people, who are also traveling solo, will try and find you for meals or activities you may not want to do. Manage those situations as you do with all strangers, make polite excuses.
If you are looking for a hook-up with a male person, you are probably out of luck. With the exception of specific-themed cruises, the singles tend to be overwhelmingly female. And the male crew risk their jobs if they fraternize with passengers. Be prepared to make a few friends with no strings attached.
- Free drink events
Generally you expect to pay separately for your drinks. But surprisingly you can find events offering complimentary drinks. However, with the exception of the captain’s welcome event, free drinks come with a sales pitch. The events are usually shopping related but you are not obligated to buy.
If you did not want to splurge for the drink package, because you did not want to drink alone, you can check out these events and imbibe with some of your new temporary friends.
Of course, if you’ve got a drinks package and prefer to dance the night away in the clubs, you can enjoy having a night-out every night without worrying about safety (with the disclaimer to always be alert to your drink and the people around you) or driving.
Sometimes you take a vacation because you want to avoid burnout. You can feel stress and weakness building up inside you and you know it is time to get away. But the last thing you want is to pile on the chore by trying to figure out all the details for your potential trip.
A quick solution to both dilemmas is a cruise vacation – the vacation where you do not have to do anything. You start with a week or more of no cooking, cleaning, commuting, or activity organizing, and go from there.
If you have been working full-time on your business and need a break to catch-up on your reading or clear your head, the cruise gives you the space. If you are thinking, a cruise is a good idea but have always been afraid to go alone, take these tips and give it a try. You may surprise yourself, and change your vacation plan strategy going forward.
To find your cruise, you can get a good list of potential cruises: at sites like Cruise Critic, and Cruise Web.
The author, Case Lane has sailed with Carnival Cruise Lines (Mexico), Celebrity Cruises (Australia, New Caledonia), Cunard Line (Queen Mary 2 to England), Norwegian Cruise Lines (Caribbean), Princess Cruises (Caribbean), Royal Caribbean International (Caribbean, Panama Canal), Variety Cruises (Greece) and Viking River Cruises (China-Yangtze River, Europe – Danube River). And has been a solo traveler on about half these trips.
Questions: contactcase(at)readyentrepreneur.com
