Montreal Marc

My wife and I are considering booking our first Oceania cruise on Marina (I have cruised extensively, and my wife just a couple of times).

Any suggestions please as to the best Oceanview cabin to book on Marina?

Many thanks,

Marc

Toronto

I have taken one of their explorer cruises to Antarctica on a newer ship (15 years old, actually - MS Midnatsol) and was very impressed. But don't count on them to provide a lot of activities onboard; that's not their shtick.

Just last week, I received a huge new brochure (120 pages) from them ("Connect With Your Inner Explorer"). Request a copy, and it should answer many of your questions. It is all about their non-coastal cruises. Otherwise, try this: https://www.hurtigruten.com/

And yes, they are very different than the big cruise lines. You need to be able to entertain yourself on a Hurtigruten cruise. Their shore excursions are world-class, but onboard fun is your responsibility. The spectacular scenery is their entertainment. I came home from my last cruise with almost 2,000 photographs!

If your hair dryer says 240 volts, then you only need an adapter for the plug, not for the voltage. Do not worry about the wattage when you buy an adapter. And you should check with Hurtigruten, because they may already supply a hair dryer in each cabin. Many cruise lines do.

I'm bald, so I don't even notice such things, sorry. :-)

Vacations To Go has a great website for solo travelers that shows cruises offered with lower-than-normal single supplements.

Look in the menu down the left side of the page for "Singles Discounts".

Marc

I have been travelling (mostly solo) on 2-3 cruises per year since about 2000. My preferred line is Celebrity, but I have had no problem meeting people on any line. There are many daily activities, as well as shared large tables for supper, so just go out there, put on a brave face, introduce yourself and join in the fun!

Marc

I'm Elite Plus on Celebrity, but have not yet tried AZ (although I've been considering it for years, but I most often travel solo).

In any case, I now have a courtesy hold for a few days on what would be my first AZ cruise (a transat on Quest), and am really enjoying your comments.

Many thanks!

Marc (now living back home again in Toronto)

As a longtime solo cruiser (about 35 solo cruises over the past 17 years), I would never book a cabin that's only 119 sq ft. Celebrity's doubles are all 170 sq ft +, and I wouldn't want to go any smaller than that. And if I can get them at less than the price of a 119 ft "Single", so much the better!

What a rip-off!

Earl, I travel solo a lot, and so I'm used to paying those prices, even if I don't like it.

But I think you might be confused about one thing. The $2,096 equaling over $2,400 is probably because of taxes and port charges, which are not included in the initial quotes. Unfortunately, Celebrity and RCL usually charge 100% single supplement. And only recently have they agreed to give us double credit on status points.

Marc

I have done about 35 cruises, of which 30 have been solo.

My advice would be to ignore MSC. Did a transat with them about 15 years ago and was very disappointed in the poor service, food and daily activities. You get what you pay for.

Haven't ever tried NCL, so no advice there.

And my last Cunard was 30 years ago, so it would be pointless for me to comment on them.

Best of luck, and don't be worried or nervous about cruising solo. You will meet lots of nice people!

Marc

Hurtigruten is offering select cruises with zero single supplement, if anyone is interested in their expedition-type cruises. I just returned from an 18-day Antarctica cruise on their Midnatsol, and was very pleased.

Marc

I generally cruise solo 2-3 times a year, mainly on Celebrity. I have tried Carnival, MSC, Cunard, Princess and HAL.

Celebrity is by far my favourite, having done over 25 weeks with them. I'm in my mid 50's, very well-travelled (65 countries on all 7 continents), and I just feel most comfortable on Celebrity. Good food, good service, good activities, nice fellow passengers.

Haven't tried RCCL because I have no children and am not lookinjg for the "family" experience. I'm sure they're fine, but not for me.

I would NOT travel again on Carnival or MSC. You get what you pay for.

Best of luck,

Marc

Toronto

Vacations to go has a section for solo. When they post the cruises they will give you the price pp or the price for solo. They do have good prices for solo that you can't get directly from the cruise line.

 

 

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But be aware that the Vacations To Go's prices may be in error and will not be honored.

This happened to me when they quoted several Azamara cruises at 9% single supplement a couple of months ago. They disavowed the price on the phone and shrugged their shoulders. I contacted an Azamara direct TA, and they laughed, saying that Azamara never discounts their single supplement below 150%.

Marc

Now that you mention it, on my last solo cruise, a 13-night transatlantic on Vision OTS, you made me just realize I had ZERO awkward solo moments.

 

I think with age and cruising experience we grow more comfortable, know the ropes, and feel more confident doing our own thing.

 

My most awkward solo cruises were among the first, when I was unsure of myself and how things worked on a ship. I also used to let couples who expressed surprise that a woman would ever cruise alone (isn't it LONELY? aren't you SCARED?) get to me and even make me feel sorry for myself. :(

 

Now I feel sorry for THEM, having to share a cabin and negotiate all the time on what to do next, where to go, when to eat, etc. :D

I get it completely. I now TURN DOWN offers from friends to share a cabin to reduce my cost. In my 50's, I refuse to sleep in a single bed!

I have done about 30 cruises solo, and have never experienced an "awkward moment."

I have made many friends on ships over the years, and sometimes now we arrange to go on the same cruise again, just to play trivia together.

It's always nice to see a familiar face, to nod and say hello, and maybe even have a drink together.

I cannot think of a better way to vacation, even if I'm travelling alone.

Marc

Toronto

Of my 35 or so cruises, about 33 have been solo. That includes 4 times on the Alaska run.

Just got back a few weeks ago from Iceland and Norway on Infinity.

Cruising is a great vacation for anyone, solo or not. It is always my first choice.

Marc

Funny, I was on Infinity at Harwich earlier this month, and there was indeed a ferry berthed next to us (west of Infinity, which was very close to the train station). Not sure which ferry it was, however.

If it is indeed the Hook of Holland (Rotterdam) ferry, you'll have no trouble walking from one to the other.

You can see the ferry terminal right beside the Harwich International Port (i.e. passenger terminal) on Google Maps.

Enjoy!

Marc

Hope there's someone who has recent experience with this. According to our itinerary, Harwich dock time is 4:00am. We have a noon flight out of Heathrow and have made private transfer arrangements for 7:00am. I know we can do self embarkation as soon as the ship is cleared, but we won't be able to manage our luggage by ourselves.

 

Does anyone know the time assigned for the first group off the ship who needs to collect their luggage?

 

Thanks.

I just got off Infinity in Harwich a week ago. First group off the ship was scheduled at 6:45 AM. And that included collecting your luggage ashore. There were no Customs formalities ashore; grab your luggage in the terminal and go.

Your arrangements should work just fine. I disembarked at 7:00 am and took a Celebrity bus to Heathrow. It left the pier about 7:30 and arrived at LHR at 10:00 am.

Marc

Hi Marc, I have close to 40 cruises as a solo. I guess we all have

different views. If we had a choice between double points and a lower

SS, I would choose the latter. I will never reach the ZENITH cagetory

(Elite Plus now) so a lower price would be my preference but that

is not going to happen either.

Lois, I agree completely with your point about preferring a lower SS to double points.

But since there is not a snowball's chance that X will lower their SS when most voyages sail at full capacity, double points (and double coupons) is the least they can do. Again, we don't eat the same amount of food as 2 people (or use the same amount of consumables like towels, shampoo, toilet paper, etc), but we still pay for that food.

Marc

I just returned from the July 24 sailing of Infinity.

While my shower floor wasn't bad, others on my cruise were complaining about this as an ongoing issue.

I mentioned to X in my post-cruise online survey that the ship needs a refurb, and that this is one of the issues they need to address.

Marc

Could someone kindly cut and paste the letter in, for those of us who didn't get it (despite getting almost daily mail from X, they said that "unsubscribe" had been checked?!?)

Here you go:

Can't view this e-mail? See it online.

To ensure proper delivery of future Celebrity Cruises Inc. emails, please click here

FOLLOW US

Dear "Celebrity Insider",

New: Double Club Points for Solo Travelers

Captain's Club is happy to announce a new benefit for solo travelers. When you sail with us as a single traveler in a stateroom, you will earn double the amount of Club Points*, based on stateroom category and number of nights sailed. This applies to all sailings on or after July 1, 2014, and to all Captain's Club members including Preview members.

Check out Captain's Club benefits for each tier here

*Double Club Points are for guests paying full fare and traveling solo in a stateroom.

If you wish to change your preferences or opt to be excluded from future commercial emails from Celebrity Cruises, click here or visit: Celebrity.com

I wrote a letter to Bayley about this exact issue on March 1st. I'm glad to see that my plea was finally heard.

I was actually sailing on Infinity when the announcement was made, so I didn't hear about it until I received the e-mail this morning.

I've done about 25 cruises with Celebrity as a solo traveller since 1997. For most of that time, I paid almost as much as 2 people did travelling in the same cabin category. So why shouldn't I get the same number of points as they do (combined)?

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Marc

I wrote a letter to Bayley about this exact issue on March 1st. I'm glad to see that my plea was finally heard.

I was actually sailing on Infinity when the announcement was made, so I didn't hear about it until I received the e-mail this morning.

I've done about 25 cruises with Celebrity as a solo traveller since 1997. For most of that time, I paid almost as much as 2 people did travelling in the same cabin category. So why shouldn't I get the same number of points as they do (combined)?

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Marc

I am a loyal X cruiser, taking two or three cruises with them (min 3 weeks) per year.

Just recently, I've noticed that, instead of quoting me 175% of the per person double rate, Celebrity is now quoting a full 200%. In other words, I am paying for two people, even though I travel alone.

I called Celebrity's Customer Service line today to ask them about it, and I was told that this has been the case for at least 3 years.

That does not sound at all correct to me, based on my experiences over that period.

Can anyone else shed any light on this please?

Howdy gang,

I may be a bit late to the parade, but I wanted to know what other solo travellers are thinking/doing regarding the conversion.

I have done about 23 weeks on Celebrity (22 of which were solo), including finishing a two-weeker yesterday on Eclipse. I have been Elite for several years, and am pleased with most of the benefits.

I have been pretty loyal to Celebrity, always promoting their brand to my friends and acquaintances as "the best of the mid-range cruise lines."

On Eclipse these past two weeks, many Elite Plus members with whom I regularly travel suggested that there is a movement afoot to get more credit for solo travellers than was originally offered by the line. Since we pay 175% of the per person price, we should get 175% of the credits, right?

Can anyone please point me in the direction of this Celebrity solo traveller movement?

Thanks,

Marc

The real question is: why would you risk getting off a ship in a foreign port WITHOUT a photo ID?!?!?!?!

Marc