Traveling alone doesn't have to mean eating alone. Ask the maître d’ to seat you with other passengers who are also interested in meeting new people. Several lines also have community seating options — Norwegian Cruise Line gives passengers the flexibility of choosing where they want to sit, and Princess Cruises has introduced a new restaurant by Curtis Stone called Share that has communal tables.

You’re obviously not going to meet anyone sitting alone in your cabin. Join the crowd by heading to fun activities like comedy shows, cocktail meet and greets, and crew-versus-passenger water volleyball games. Also, choose events where you’re likely to meet others with similar interests — a fitness class or an art auction, for example.

You’ve got one major thing in common with all fellow passengers: You picked the same cruise. Ask them what they’re looking forward to, what shore excursions they chose, or the big one — how many cruises they’ve been on (and where).

There are also topics of conversation you should steer away from anytime you meet someone new — and it’s no different on a cruise ship. In general, shy away from spouting off about hot button topics like religion or politics.

Chances are there will be multiple bars and lounges on your ship. Move between them until you find your type of crowd. If you are sailing on one of the latest Norwegian ships, there’s a lounge reserved for passengers staying in the studio cabin complex. This is an easy place to mingle with other solo cruisers over a coffee or drinks.