Solo Cruise to Key West and the Bahamas!

Hello my prideful pals!  I recently am back from a wonderful, 4-night cruise on Celebrity Cruises.  The ports were Key West and Coco Cay and the departure port was Ft Lauderdale. Below is my synopsis of this cruise aboard the beautiful Celebrity Reflection.  To note, I will be making an additional blog post soon that details most of the how-tos of solo cruising!

Day Prior To Cruise

First impression of Costa Hollywood Beach Resort?  Not great. I was greeted by a sweaty man at the valet stand who told me there was no parking. I stated, “Look, I have a room booked. I need to park” and they reluctantly accommodated me. It was Mother’s Day and apparently the entirety of South Florida was at the beach and they allow anyone to park there. So right away I was not impressed. My room was not ready until 4 p.m. so I checked my bag and then walked 1/2 block to the beach.

The beach was crowded and the sand hot, but the water was a gorgeous turquoise color and much warmer than I anticipated. Margaritaville Resort was nearby so I headed over there to check out the Landshark Bar & Grill! It’s upstairs so looks out at the water. The view from my table was nice, just above the flow rider.  It was fun to watch kids and adults try their hand at surfing! It took a bit to get served and staff kept calling me sir, but other than that it was nice. Prices high as expected in a high tourist area in South Florida. However, it was made up by the light breeze and the nachos were also amazing! I got a local beer from Hollywood Brewing …Mango IPA. Love it!  However, it warmed quickly in its plastic cup.  Would I come to this bar again?  Probably not. Afterwards, I took a stroll around the beach and did some people-watching before heading to the hotel.

Cruise Day 1

Overall, a peaceful evening and uneventful, which is always good. I experienced the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on. It was like a cloud! The morning of the cruise I was up early to check out and then headed to Lester’s Diner once again.  I visited this diner on my last trip to Ft Lauderdale.  It was excellent, as usual, with a huge serving size, amazing coffee and friendly staff. From there I went to the port, dropped off my luggage at the drop-off area, parked and moved through the check-in process.  It was fast moving with not much waiting and before I knew it, I was at the Sunset Bar enjoying a “Miami Vice.”

I felt over the moon! I met 5 solo cruisers and 2 were also LGBTQ+! They are both PhDs, in neuroscience and chemical engineering respectively! Wow! I felt so blessed! I was so excited I quickly blurted out about my blog.  They probably thought I was crazy…lol! Another solo is a female PhD in human factors who once flew jets in the military. Yet another, is a chiropractor! It is so nice to meet intelligent people who are so down to earth. Dang, I love solo travel! I topped off the evening at the bar by having a long conversation with a fellow LGBTQ+ traveler. I feel so encouraged by these people. I also met, who I now consider to be the world’s best bartender…Yann from Mauritius! I ended up retiring early. Tired from the first day’s excitement. But, that is the beauty of solo travel. You can do what you want, when you want and how you want. It’s pure freedom!

Cruise Day 2

I was excited to be porting in Key West, so I started the morning with a small breakfast and headed out to start exploring! I failed to confirm the time of my golf cart rental. I thought it was 8 but it was 9. No worries though! Called my mom and talked to my dogs and then sat on a bench overlooking the marina, watching the captains prepare for their day. Weather was gorgeous and partly cloudy… a good thing given I left my sunglasses on the ship. I also meant to grab a water before leaving the ship and forgot that too. Moral of the story… slow down and don’t let the excitement mess you up! 

I had such a great day in Key West. It was so much fun driving the golf cart all over the island and seeing the off-the-beaten-path areas. But, the show stopper was The Key West Butterfly Observatory. They have that so well put together. They even have a few birds and a pair of flamingos. Apparently, it is mating season, so they were a bit loud as he was working hard to impress her, but she did not seem impressed! I ended up going through twice! For at least an hour afterwards, I had a tingly sensation in my whole body. It was so very special!

Prior to that, I visited Hemingway House and arrived just as it opened, so it wasn’t very crowded. Very interesting, particularly the writing studio. It was very cozy. Certainly, a quiet spot to be inspired and write. I should mention that if you are allergic or don’t like cats you may not want to visit as there are more than 60 resident cats that are descendants of Hemingway’s cats. Nearly all have the polydactyl feature of Hemingway’s original cats.

I also visited a nice open-air bar with a guy playing acoustic guitar and singing Island vibe tunes. Service was very good. Dollar bills hanging everywhere, so of course I had to contribute. You can see my prideful life bill hanging next to the ATM. They served bar food as well. I didn’t eat any but the guy next to me had a burger and fries which he said were superb.

I walked down to the Southernmost Point but the line to take a pic there was a block long. To me, not worth the wait, plus as a solo traveler you’d have to befriend someone ahead or behind you to take your pic. Probably a fairly simple request if you offer to take their party’s pic as well.

Overall, a great day. I returned to the ship exhausted, thirsty and hungry, so I made a stop at Café Al Bacio, and to my delight, my favorite bartender, Yann was there.  I have to say that I was so impressed that after one day he not only remembered my name but my room number and drink package. Wowza! Once I chowed some delicious tuna sandwiches from the café, and maybe a few chocolate chip cookies, I went to the pool to cool off. I have never seen the pools … all of them, including the solarium, so full. Bather load, 28.  Actual number 39! Gross. I soon returned to my room and prepared to meet up with my fellow solos. 

After our group meetup, I enjoyed the company of one of the other solo travelers who is also LGBTQ+. Our bartender, Yann, continued to astonish me with his amazing service! That evening I asked for a particular IPA beer that I enjoy and though they did not serve that beverage at that bar, he went to another bar and brought me a stash so I could have it. Love that guy! ( I haven’t mentioned that much, lol!) We met some other ladies, sisters who were from Atlanta. We had decided they looked friendly and went over and introduced ourselves.  We had more fun with these ladies just talking and enjoying their company before I headed to dinner.  After dinner, I dropped a buck or two at the casino before retiring from a great day.  The gentle rocking on the open sea is oh, so nice! Zzzzzz

Cruise Day 3

Our port on day 3 was Coco Cay. This is a private island in the Bahamas owned by RCL.  Until recently, only Royal Caribbean ported here so it was nice to be able to visit this cool island. I had visited once before about 12 years ago or so. I decided to pay a little extra for Hideaway Beach as that beach does not allow kids. Nothing against children, but I prefer a more adult experience. I think I paid around $30 for that.  Note that while normally when you book excursions through the ship you will get a ticket for that excursion.  In this case, there is no ticket.  You just scan your card at the entrance and voila! You’re in! The only negative thing I can say about Hideaway Beach was the techno/dance music that they pumped out at the pool area. Thankfully, I had heard about this beforehand and found a nice spot on the far end of the beach where I could still hear it, but it was not bothersome. The little lagoon they have created there is really nice. Sand was white and soft, and the water cool and refreshing. It doesn’t get very deep, but I like to just wade in about shoulder deep so this was perfect.

I got there early, before 9 a.m., and left that area around one to get some food. I should mention that earlier, around 10:30, I ate at Slice of Paradise which serves pizza included in the admission fee. I had the island guava BBQ chicken. It was really tasty! But for the main lunch I had a fish sandwich and some fries at Hideaway Hut before heading over to On the Rocks Bar area. I was really hoping to get away from the techno, but alas... it was being pumped out over there as well. So, I had one watermelon margarita while sitting on an Adirondack chair overlooking the ocean and rocky outcrops where seagulls were feeding on bait fish. I also saw one pelican which I loved! But then I was pretty tired and somewhat annoyed by the music selection so headed back to the ship.

The line to take the tram back to the ship was ridiculously long so I decided to walk. Mistake. Being as fatigued as I was and as out of shape as I am, by the time I got to my room I was feeling ill. I laid down just to cool off for a few minutes and ended up falling asleep.

I was awakened by the vibration of the ship’s thrusters as we were leaving port. I had missed the scavenger hunt I was supposed to do with the other solos. Nonetheless, I showered and was able to meet up with them at our usual spot. And, as usual, we headed down to the LGBTQ+ meetup. I dragged along 2 of the non LGBTQ+ people and ended up having a nice conversation with the chiropractor from NY. However, I should mention that Yann saw me approach the bar and brought me my favorite beer served in a glass, the way I like, without even being asked! Super impressed by this gentleman. He got a comment card and a hefty tip before I left the ship!

I was so looking forward to silent disco but decided to fill the tanks first and went off to dinner! I did not do any specialty restaurants this cruise but I will just say that in my past experience they are all very good and a notch or two up from main dining in terms of food quality and service. I had dinner in the main dining room and was pleasantly surprised to have the same wait staff two nights in a row. A happy coincidence since I have “anytime” dining. Both waiters were amazing (yes there were 2: one assistant and one waiter). Most often you see the assistant, whom I have usually found to be more personable. Though this time, both were great. The assistant waiter reminds me of Urkel… big round glasses and braces. He is adorable! The sommelier helped me choose a nice wine to pair with the meal I chose… rigatoni. The meal was delicious! And the wine, impeccable!

Silent disco was amazing as ever. However, they cut it for a minute to announce “starcode” and a room number on my floor. I knew right away someone was in trouble medically. In all my cruises I had never heard that before. It basically killed silent disco as I think everyone knew what it meant. So, a short time later I headed to my room and sure enough, the staff was bringing a stretcher down the hall. It was disheartening. All I could do was send up a few prayers and positive thoughts to whomever was in trouble. Certainly, a sad end to an otherwise great day. 

Cruise Day 4

Our last day, an “at sea” day was the best day I ever could have asked for. A delicious, freshly made omelet and good coffee for breakfast in the buffet and the morning spent poolside sipping mimosas. As I was leaving the Solarium I met the Captain… yes, his name really is Captain Kirk! He was a kind man and I could see he had a gentle soul. He was just out and about mingling with the guests. I love seeing that. I later heard he rocked it out on stage the prior night! This shocked me as I could not believe the man I had just met could “rock it out” as I believed he was an introvert when I met him earlier.

I then met the other solos for a digital scavenger hunt and then we went to one of their rooms…a Sky Suite where her butler laid out a huge spread of snacks including a variety of cheeses, fruits, chips, salsa, guacamole and a pizza! We toasted to new friendships with 3 bottles of champagne and spent the afternoon enjoying one another’s company. By far the most intellectual conversations I have had in many years. I am so grateful to have met these amazing, kind, beautiful, humans. We then decided to all have dinner together, lots of discussion about wines where I learned a thing or two. We then went to see my favorite bartender, Yann from Mauritius, who continued to impress throughout the entire cruise. Important note: when you meet someone like Yann, please fill out a “wow” card that you can get from customer service and let the cruise line know what great service they provided. Reward them directly with a cash tip on the last night. This would be in addition to the shared tip they all get from the tips they impose on us. This act of recognition keeps the amazing service going. Plus, don’t they deserve that? Many of these people are working for the cruise lines to support their families back home. They spend about 6-7 months at sea away from family and friends before being able to get back home to see their loved ones. Not your run-of-the-mill bartenders and wait staff. As an amazing last drink, Yann made me a rum drink called “Above the Clouds”. It was a very interesting drink to observe being made involving this smoking apparatus that infused the rare rum with smoked apple. The taste was unbelievable! We topped off the night with some gambling. No wins but it was a heck of a fun time! I don’t know if I’ve ever been so sad to get off a cruise ship. The people and experiences have been second to none. I am so incredibly grateful! My cup is full.