Solo at Table 47: How I Learned to Love Dinner Alone on the Zaandam

I've done a lot of things alone in my life—traveled solo to three continents, attended concerts by myself, even taken a pottery class where I was the only person without a friend there. But sitting down at a table for one in the Zaandam's main dining room on my first night felt different. There's something about a formal dining room that makes solo dining feel less like independence and more like a glaring advertisement for your aloneness. I almost booked a table-for-two anyway, just to avoid the awkwardness. The thing is, I'd saved up for this cruise for two years after my divorce finalized, and I was determined not to feel sorry for myself. No plus-one needed. Just me, the ocean, and seven days to figure out what comes next. But as I made my way down to dinner that first evening, my stomach was doing flips that had nothing to do with the gentle swaying of the ship. The main dining room on the Zaandam is beautiful—all white linens, dim lighting, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the sea. Holland America does elegance well, but elegance can feel intimidating when you're walking in by yourself at 7 p.m. on a Friday night. Everyone else seemed to already be seated in twos,…