1,000 Strangers and Me: New Year's Eve on the Paradise

I booked this cruise on December 26th, which in retrospect was either the bravest or dumbest decision I've made in years. My ex-boyfriend was supposed to be my plus-one for New Year's Eve. Instead, he was suddenly "finding himself" in Colorado with his yoga instructor, and I was left with a non-refundable cabin on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, sailing out of Tampa on December 30th. My therapist called it "turning lemons into limes." I called it panic spending. But here's the thing about solo cruising: you can either hide in your ocean-view cabin and eat room service until your pants don't fit, or you can embrace the chaos. I chose chaos. The Paradise is exactly what you'd expect from a Margaritaville cruise—perpetually laid-back vibes with a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack playing somewhere at all times. The minute I boarded and saw the Jimmy Buffett's at Sea signage, smelled the salt air mixed with something tropical and vaguely coconut-scented, I felt something shift in my chest. Maybe this wouldn't be the disaster I'd imagined. My cabin was tiny but charming, with a porthole window that looked out onto the ocean. I unpacked my emergency cruise wardrobe—which included way too man…