OhJinkies

I have been solo cruising more and more. I'm what you would call an "extroverted introvert." I'm accustomed to spending time on my own and am content with my own company. But in a social situation, I have no problem starting up conversations with strangers.

I enjoyed the setup on the Norwegian Epic, where I always had the option of joining up with fellow solo cruisers for dinner. I've also met people in my roll calls that I've met up with for meals and excursions.

On other NCL ships with Freestyle dining but no solo program, I'm generally asked in the dining room if I'd like to sit with others. I generally say "yes," but I have also told them I'd like a table on my own. I love to read. On a ship, I'll carry my phone, iPad or book with me nearly everywhere.

Conversation is easy -- I ask lots of questions -- where are you from? Have you sailed before? What did you do today? What else do you have planned for excursions? Any future trips planned? And so on...

On the Carnival and Disney ships, they'll assign me to a table and it's a mixed bag (some solo cruisers, others may be groups of friends or couples), but the worst I can say about some of my table mates is that they are "interesting." I've never had anyone rude, exceptionally loud, overly forward, or fall-down drunk as table companions. So I guess I've been lucky!

I'm cruising Alaska in June -- next year!! I think it's never too early to start planning, but I'm having trouble researching hotels. Most sites want my travel dates to give me any information, but my dates are either out of range, or I get a "not available" message (they're probably not available for booking yet). It's not so much I want to book now, I just want to research and compare!!

I'm planning to stay in Seward overnight after my Alaska cruise next summer (to do the Kenai Fjords boat tour), then use the company I linked below for a transfer to Anchorage. The option I'm interested in includes a full day tour with stops along the way. I don't see any scheduled transportation that leaves mid day, but it appears that they may be able to schedule something just for you. It may be worth giving them a call.

https://alaskacruisetransfer.com

I'm not sailing until June 2017, but I would love to see the dailies as well!

Thank you - cathyem@aol.com

I took the NCL Pride of America inter-island cruise in 2014. I'll keep this brief since this is the Carnival Forum. I was cruising on my own and stayed in one of the Solo Studios.

The cruise departed from Honolulu, so I arrived a few days early to get caught up on the jet lag and do some sightseeing (Arizona Memorial, circle island tour, etc.). The ship mostly sailed at night and spent days in port. We had a day and a half in Maui, so I was able to do the Road to Hana tour on one day, and the Haleakala sunrise tour on the next day. Next day was in Hilo on the big Island, and I did a full day tour to visit Volcano National Park. I went with a small private tour company, and it was amazing. That night, we cruised around to the west side of the island, and spent the next day in Kailua Kona. This was our only tender port. I didn't take an excursion, but took it easy that day and did some shopping and lunch. Then we sailed on to Kauai, for another day and a half. On the first day, I did a combination coastal/helicopter tour. I will never forget lunch on Hanalei Bay and the wonderful views from the helicopter. The second day was a half day trip to Waimea Canyon, but we had rain, so I was glad that I saw it from the air on the previous day. The ship left in the afternoon and sailed past the Na Pali cliffs. Wow!

Then the ship returned to Honolulu. I thought I got a wonderful taste of the islands on the seven day cruise, and would recommend it to anyone!

My home airport is MCO, and I had a flight out of town a few weeks ago. The security line was quite long, however, security was walking through the line with dogs (not sure if they were checking for explosives or drugs). The good news is because of this, they did not ask us to remove our shoes or take out our liquids. This helped speed things up a bit.

I don't think that they are doing this for everyone, but it's nice to know that they're offering it as an alternative to keep the lines moving.

I discovered an outlet for larger sized swimsuits called swimsuits for all – check out their website. They have adorable suits and coverups, and I haven't been disappointed with anything that I have ordered from them.

I did a sunrise tour to Haleakala a couple of years ago in May. They warned us that temperatures could be in the 30s, but we lucked out and they were in the 50s. I would definitely bring some sort of pullover/hoodie, possibly in fleece. Layers are smart. Perhaps a scarf for your head and neck as well. Long pants are a must!

I was on the send Sensation back in February, and they were still using those chargers.

I'm a solo cruiser as well, and it's hard to find good deals. When I look at prices now, I just assume that I'm going to have to pay double. I did find a good price for the Splendor in early December, so I booked that.

I didn't think the Sun had solo cabins!

I don't sail until December but I love to research!!

I've heard that the cruise lines are having to switch (by law) to using low-sulfur fuel, which is more expensive than the fuel they've been using.

To save fuel and money, they're planning to travel slower. Since they'll need more time between ports, they're forced to reduce the amount of time IN some of those ports.

Thanks for the review -- I sail this Thursday! I've not been on this ship before but have read much about it to manage my expectations. I'm just going for a quick cruise getaway. I'm a Disney Cast Member, too, by the way!!

I sailed in a Solo studio on the Epic in 2013. I cannot specifically remember the closet setup, but I remember that the empty hangers kept banging against each other during the night as I guess we had a little bit of a rough ride. I finally had to pull them out of the closet and stick them in the drawer! I really liked the room set up, as well as the Solo studio lounge. There, you have the option of gathering with other solo cruisers and making plans for meals or other activities.

I have a couple of cruises planned… I booked the Carnival Sensation on February 5 as a quick getaway. I live in Orlando, and Port Canaveral is just a short drive away. I've never been on the ship before, but the price was right. It's only a three day cruise, and I may not attend any of the singles get togethers. I'm looking forward to meeting some new people at dinner, though!

I also booked a solo cruise on the Norwegian Sun for June 2017. I am seriously splurging on this, as I booked an aft balcony! After the cruise, I plan to spend a few days traveling inland, and will probably take the train into Denali national park for a day or two. I'm having lots of fun planning this trip!

Hi there! We just got back from a cruise on the Sensation. There are no hair dryers in the room. When you bring yours, you can only use it at the desk (the plug in the bathroom won't be compatible). The Carnival website stated there were mini fridges in the room but there are not.

 

As far as the shade, this is very, very hard to come by. I am of the age where I realize sun worshipping is not a good thing, and have no desire to bake in the sun. I was really hoping a cruise ship would have at least a few areas with lounge chairs and umbrellas for those who do not want to bake. However, they do not. All of the chairs are out in the direct sun. The ONLY way we found shade was to go by the whale tail (I don't know what the actual name of it is) but on the very top deck (11, I believe) depending on where the sun is you can get some shade from the whale tail. That's it. We really disappointed in this as we wanted to be able to relax in some shaded chairs under an umbrella with a drink by the water but couldn't.

Thanks cruzeworthy. Most ships have a promenade deck under the lifeboats with some seating and shade but I couldn't find this on the deck plans... how disappointing!

Since you just got off the ship, do you have any other tips or advice?

Thanks again!

I've sailed mostly with Carnival, Disney and NCL. I've enjoyed them all for different reasons. I do have to say that NCL spoiled me with their freestyle dining. Being able to eat where/when I want, choose which restaurant/menu sounds most appealing, dine on my own or with others, is something I really enjoy. Dinner on the other cruise lines now feels very restrictive.

The crew is very friendly, I like the ship decor (not as elegant as Disney but not as gaudy as Carnival), and the shows are usually fun.

I've never sailed in a suite (though I did visit a DOS on the Epic and it was QUITE grand). I've sailed with balconies, oceanview, interiors, and solo studios.

For your first NCL cruise, I'd recommend choosing one of the newer, larger ships (Getaway, Breakaway, Escape) or the Jewel-Class ships (Gem, Jewel, Pearl).

My next cruise is on the Carnival Sensation, which sounds like a few steps above a rustbucket, but I just want to get away for a few days at sea and it will be fine. Vacation is what you make of it! Bon Voyage!

I just booked the Sun for an Alaska cruise in 2017, so I'm eagerly awaiting news of the refurbishment!

I'm going to jump in here, because I'm also planning a DIY trip in Alaska before my cruise. I'm interested in accommodation options for Denali. I'll be on my own, so I don't need a lot of space, but I think I would prefer a nice hotel room. An on-site restaurant would also be a plus. I will spend at least two nights, possibly three depending on my activities. I want to do the full day Katishna Park tour, which is one reason why I'm doing this on my own. Any recommendations?

If you like music I suggest the piano bar - hubby and i loved it while we were there just to warn you though at 11 pm it gets naughty music in there

 

It's never to busy and you can request songs to be played there were times my hubby and i were the only ones in there so he just played everything we asked

Thanks -- I'll check it out. I had the late dinner seating on my last cruise and it generally dragged out past 10 PM - made it difficult to enjoy much of the evening entertainment! So I got the early seating this time.

I get email from vacations to go (I don't think I can actually put in the link) and when I go up to the website, there is a column on the left, that lets me look for Singles discounts. When you click on this link, you will get a large spreadsheet type table that lists out all of the cruises they know that are offering singles discounts. On the far right, you will see the percentage of the up charge that you pay. The name of the site is pretty much the same as what I put up above. I haven't actually booked through them, but they've been a good source of information.

As far as shady spots on deck, I'd check out the serenity area at the aft of deck 9. While some parts will be in the sun, there's an overhang from the deck above that keeps the back part of Serenity shaded most of the time. There are also big umbrellas over some lounge chairs that provide shade. This is the perfect place to just watch the ship's wake as you sail.

Thanks, jpm -- I saw a photo of the Serenity area -- I'll have to check it out!

Just bring your hairdryer....even if they have them...your's will be better.'

Wander about and look for shade..it varies, depending where the sun is, in relation to the ship's position!

There are no "must do's"...it's up to YOU what's important!

Thanks, cb!

I'll be sailing on the Carnival Sensation in early February. According to the website, it appears that there are no hairdryers in the staterooms. Is that correct? If there are hairdryers, please let me know if they are the ones with the long hot air tubes that get really hot (like on the Victory) so I can bring my own!

I also enjoy finding a spot to sit on the deck that is shaded - it doesn't need to be near the pool. I often enjoy sitting on the deck beneath the lifeboats but it looks like this ship has very little deck space. Do you have any locations to suggest where I could sit outside but out of the sun (I have an inside stateroom)?

Also, it looks like the Sensation is still using the old menus -- has anyone heard when they'll be transitioning to the American Table menus?

Finally, if you've cruised within the last few months, do you have any tips or recommendations as far as entertainment, "hidden" places to explore on the ship, yummy things to eat and drink, etc?

Thank you!!