Tips for a first cruise

Hi everyone! I’m used to sailing on a sailboat with two or three people—it’s amazing. But I’d love to try the experience of a cruise. Just to clarify, I’ll be going alone. My first question: are there other solo travelers on these cruises, or is it mostly couples and families?

For a first cruise, I’d prefer a short one (maximum 8 days). Do those exist? And on the smallest boat possible. I live in Marseille, so a departure from Marseille would work, but I’m open to other ports too. If you have a cruise line to recommend and a destination you’ve enjoyed, or if you’ve had a great experience on a more intimate-sized ship, I’d love to hear about it!

Thanks a million for your replies! Marie

Hi Marie, With COSTA/MSC cruise lines, there are usually meet-ups organized on board for solo travelers in the late afternoon. The ships range from 3,000 to 6,000 passengers, with couples, families, young people, and solos. The solo supplement is high. C-F-C, a ship with 1,100 passengers, also offers solo meet-ups and cruises departing from Marseille, some of which have no price supplement for solos but may be a bit more expensive upfront than MSC/COSTA. The ship is "older" but pleasant due to the French-speaking environment on board and interesting Mediterranean stops. Mostly "seniors" on board. Just check the cruise lines' websites and compare. C-F-C has promotions every Wednesday—just sign up for their newsletter. Hope I’ve answered your question. MUM49

Thanks so much, Mumm, for replying and giving me answers. I’ll look into all of that. I’m going to rule out the boats with Costa/MSC since there are between 3,000 and 6,000 people on board. I already know I won’t be comfortable on that kind of ship. I’ll check out the two other companies you mentioned, thanks. I also hope that if I find something that suits me, there’ll still be last-minute spots available for this summer, since I’m not the type to plan my vacation projects too far in advance, and I’d like to leave in July or August 2025. Have a good evening.