New Year’s Eve on a Cruise: Celebrate at Sea

This was my first solo cruise for New Year’s Eve and honestly one of my favorite cruises so far. I didn’t have plans to sail again on the Norwegian Epic so soon after my 2018 cruise out of Barcelona, but I couldn’t pass up this itinerary out of San Juan and celebrate New Year’s Eve on a cruise.

Pre-Cruise in San Juan

I had never been to San Juan before, so I flew to Puerto Rico a couple days early and stayed at the Caribe Hilton resort. It was a lovely stay, and while it was a bit of a walk to Old Town, it was nice to get in some exercise prior to indulging on the ship. The island had a couple of earthquakes while I was there, which was also a new experience for me.

Now that I’m an old pro at cruising, I decided to wait to head to the port until a little later. Some people like to get on the ship as soon as possible, but I would rather wait to board until my room is ready, so I can unpack right away and get to the fun. Since I was already familiar with the ship, I unpacked and then headed straight for the upper decks for a drink and the views.

Solo Traveler’s Gathering

As with my other cruise on the Epic, I checked in at the Solo Travelers’ Gathering in the Studio Lounge on the first night to meet up with other solos for dinner. This cruise was a little different in that there was also a Hosted Singles Group on the cruise, many of them staying in Studio Cabins and spending time in the Studio Lounge.

They had a ton of events planned for their group, so it left a much smaller group of solo travelers for the nightly meet ups and dinner. That night, and for the rest of the cruise, I met up with a group of people I met that first night for dinner. We were quite a diverse group, spanning across four decades, but we really enjoyed each other’s company and had a good time at dinner and enjoying the entertainment afterwards.

Our first full day was a Sea Day while we headed south, and I enjoyed my favorite sundeck on 18 at the front of the ship that I had learned about on my previous Epic cruise. I personally prefer silence to the loud music and games they play by the pool.

First Stop, Barbados

Day two was New Year’s Eve and we were in Barbados. In the past, I had done all of my excursions through the cruise line, but there were a couple of stops on this cruise where I didn’t like their offerings and found something else through a third party. I was so glad I did. Both of those excursions were some of the best I’ve ever done.

In Barbados, I went on a Luxury Catamaran with Two Snorkel Stops excursion put on by a company called Cool Runnings. There was one other family from the cruise ship on the excursion as well as others who were on other ships in port or just vacationing in Barbados. It was so much fun. They places they took us were amazing, first to a shipwreck where we saw a ton of fish and turtles, then to a beach where we ate and drank and were able to jump off the boat.

There was a group of British friends on the excursion that welcomed me into their group, and we just had the best time. The food and rum punch they served was outstanding and we danced the whole way back to the port. It was a great way to kick off New Year’s Eve.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve

When I got back to the ship, I got in my fancy clothes and met up with some of the other solo travelers for dinner. Afterwards, we wandered through the different parties and entertainment on the ship before the big countdown in the atrium with a balloon drop. So much fun.

St. Lucia and St. Kitts

New Year’s Day was spent in St Lucia, and I had signed up for a Segway, Sightseeing & Beach Adventure excursion. It was my first time on a Segway and it was pretty fun. We rode around some wooded areas along the water for a bit and then took a bus to a beach where we could swim or sit at a bar and enjoy some local beverages.

I had originally signed up for a Bike tour in St Kitts, but it was cancelled so I signed up for an ATV excursion instead. It was my first time on an ATV and it was really fun. We rode through the hills, visiting an old Sugar Plantation and seeing some amazing views. I will definitely do something like that again.

Tortola Mangrove Paddle

I also ended up booking a third party excursion in Tortola after reading advice from someone else online. It was called Mangrove Paddle on Beef Island operated by Ground Sea Adventure BVI. Our ship was a little late getting into port, but Alex, who ran the tour was aware and was waiting for us when we arrived. The group was very small and we all rode in his van to the launch point. Everyone had the choice of a kayak or paddleboard. I was the only person other than Alex on a paddle board. Again, it was my first time doing something, but it went really well! I didn’t fall off at all.

We first went out in the ocean to get around to the entrance of the path we would take through the mangroves. The highlight was definitely the spot where we stopped for a rest in shallow water that was covered with jellyfish. Alex told us that they likely wouldn’t sting, but to be careful if we were susceptible to allergies. I just enjoyed sitting on my board watching them in their natural habitat.

Catamaran in St Thomas

Our final day was in St Thomas and I had again booked a catamaran excursion, this time through the cruise line. It was called St John Beach Champagne Catamaran Sail & Snorkel. I wish I could say it was as amazing as the one I did in Barbados, but it was definitely not as fun. The snorkeling was ok, the food and drinks were a bit of a disappointment and the push for tips at the end was just kind of tacky. It had been a long week, and I was tired and ready to head home.

Disembarkation and Travel Home

While I usually like to leave some extra time before and after a cruise in case there are issues, this time, I had a flight back home on the morning of disembarkation. Since I always keep my carry on with me instead of putting it out in the hall the night before, I was able to disembark first thing in the morning.

It was still dark when I exited the ship, and the taxis weren’t even queued yet. It was a little bit of a wait, but I was able to get an Uber and allowed another passenger to hitch a ride with me since there were so few available. I made it to the airport in record time and had plenty of time for a sit down breakfast prior to my flight.

From the excursions to the friendships, this was one of my favorite cruises so far.