OhJinkies

Did you fly to and from your departure port? You can pick up a lot of germs on an airplane! I always take Airborne a few days before I fly, and I also use saline spray (and sometimes saline gel) to keep my nasal passages moist. The air in an airplane is very dry and recirculated, and dry nasal passages are simply an invitation for germs to intrude. Also, clean surfaces such as your tray table and armrests with an antibacterial wipe.

Do the same thing in your stateroom aboard the ship. Wash your hands frequently, especially after using handrails on the stairs.

Wishing you healthy future travels!

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I just want to add for those of you looking for time away from the kids on a Disney cruise, Castaway Cay has an adults-only beach area called Serenity Bay – the tram will take you down to that end of the island. It’s a little slice of paradise, and has its own dedicated eating area. It’s been a few years since I was there, but they served a wonderful blackened prime rib steak at that location! There are also beachside cabanas where you can book a massage (you will need to do this in advance, and they are rather pricey).

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Usually yes, I've seen one case where they ran a little short one cruise and had some substitutions, this is really old news, I saw this in 2006. I haven't been in a land JR in about 2 years, they may have added, removed, or changed some item on that menu that hasn't changed at Sea, but I enjoy the smokehouse burger at both locationb.

Thanks – I guess I will have to check it out myself and report back. My local JR‘s makes wonderful fresh burgers.

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Can anyone tell me if the burgers are basically the same as Johnny Rockets’ burgers in their land-based restaurants? I really do love their original burger!

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Hmmmm... I also booked the Chops lunch special on the Navigator of the Seas for my embarkation day (in January). I did think it was a great alternative to a probably-crowded Windjammer Café. Maybe I should follow up with my TA?

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I am cruising with the RCI Navigator of the Seas in January. We are in Curacao until 8:00 PM. I would assume that the “all aboard“ time is no later than 7:30 PM.

I am interested in booking a “sunset cruise“ through a third party that departs from the east coast of Willemstad at 4:30 PM, with a duration of two hours. That should put me back on land at 6:30 PM, with an hour or less to get back to the ship. I’m not familiar with Curacao or traffic conditions there. According to Google maps, it should only be a 15 minute drive. I have no idea what traffic conditions might be, or if there might be issues with the bridge.

Any insight from past cruisers? Is this cutting it too close?

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I am not going solo, but next year December, I and a friend do have an inside facing room booked on the Symphony of the Seas. That means instead when at sea we see the same ocean we can people watch instead.

That sounds pretty cool to me! Do you have a Central Park view or Boardwalk view?

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So sorry for your loss as well.

 

 

 

Love the "taking the plunge" reference when talking about cruising :)

 

 

 

I started this thread, not only for people widowed and never did the 2 becomes 1 thing, but for anyone that found themselves in that position of having to cruise alone for the first time like Quilting_Cruiser above because they still wanted to travel but had no one to go with.

 

 

 

Up till now I have found lots of threads on those who choose to cruise alone for the freedom they have, the quiet vacation or whatever their reasons.

 

 

 

So I hope to get tips and tricks from those with experience or memories of their very first solo cruise and what hurdles that they found and how they over came them.

 

 

 

Which line have you chosen for your first solo adventure? Maybe if you listed some of the things that make you nervous, posters will have some ideas or tips to help alleviate those fears.

 

 

 

I know my 2 biggest fears are:

 

dining alone on a freestyle dining ship (I have the upgraded dining package for 3 nights but nobody to go to the restaurant with (this will be very strange for me to sit in a restaurant alone, I haven't even tried this on land yet, I feel very awkward). I could bring a book, but that seems very tacky in an upscale restaurant and people watching would be very rude. I see a piano in one of the main diningrooms. So if they play all through the meal times, I guess I could look in that direction and enjoy the music in between bites.

 

as well, although this sounds strange, I'm afraid of feeling very lonely on a 4100 passenger ship, because I have no one to do anything with.

I have dined alone quite often on the NCL ships. I don’t think it’s rude at all to bring something to read, if you’re sitting on your own. The waiters do stop by and try to start a conversation. I smile and nod, but most of the time I’m thinking, “please just go away.“ LOL!

But I do enjoy sitting with others and talking about our day, and what is their plan for the next day. I also enjoy trivia contests - I’ll look for two or three people and see if I can join their team. That’s a great way to meet new people.

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Has anyone here booked one of the interior facing balconies on the RCI Oasis class ships? I think these are generally listed as interiors, but they actually face either Central Park or the Boardwalk. They are less expensive than ocean-facing balconies. Also, they periodically offer a special for 50% off the second passenger. I have a cruise booked on the Navigator of the Seas in January to the ABC islands, in an interior with a window looking into the promenade. I booked during one of the specials, so I paid 150%. This will be my first cruise with RCI.

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I just sent them a message earlier inquiring about availability - please let me know how you liked your photo safari!

The Epic and the Pride of America also feature solo studios.

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If the only reason you’re going to Talkeetna is for Denali flightseeing, you might consider Rusts Flying Service who does these from Anchorage, including glacier landings. It would save you 4+ hours of drive time. They may not be comparable so you’d need to look at the details.

When I was researching my trip, I considered taking a Denali flightseeing trip out of Anchorage, but those flights do not include a glacier landing.

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Hi OhJinkies (I sound like one of the 7 dwarves :)), we're going June 2018 and, pre-cruise, heading to Seward first, then Talkeetna . Just wondering what flight seeing company you used in Talkeetna, which "tour" did you choose, and what time of day did you fly? We're thinking K2 Aviation, the 2nd most expensive tour (Grand Tour w/ Glacier Landing), and leaving around 11am. We weren't planning on driving to Talkeetna the night before, but we could if getting the 9:00am flight gives us better odds of getting the flight in due to weather. Thanks.

Hi, sorry for the delay in responding. I booked with Talkeetna Air Taxi, and chose their Mountain Voyager with Glacier Landing itinerary. I think my flight was around 10 or 11:00 AM. The weather was great, although we encountered some clouds as we first entered the Alaska range. We flew past the peak of Denali – it was stunning. We landed on Ruth Glacier, and from that vantage point, every now and then, the clouds around Denali would part, and we could see the peak.

This is confusing to me because it was my understanding that the table size preference was only associated with traditional dining, not My Time dining.

I thought it was pretty strange as well – but this being my first time with RCI, I wasn't sure what to expect. My final payment is due soon, and I will ask my travel agent to check on it again.

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We want to stay in a very convenient place, so we booked Harbor 360, which is where the Major Marine office is and right next door to where our Bear Glacier kayak tour begins and also near the train depot where we'll catch the Goldstar to Anchorage. It costs a little more, but it will save us because we don't have to rent a car.

 

 

 

For now, barring rain, we'll disembark around 8 am, do the Major Marine 7.5 hour national park cruise, and then get dinner in town (Ray's or Chinooks). The next day, we'll do our Bear glacier kayak adventure from 8-2, get lunch in town and get ready for the 6 pm Goldstar dome rail car scenic ride to Anchorage. It gets in at 10:15 pm, but we'll leave extra time to catch a 1:15 am flight.

 

 

 

Who knows? Maybe we'll see Denali another time, but I think that makes more sense on a southbound itinerary when we have more time as well.

Don't let a little rain stop you – I stashed my fleece jacket and my hooded rain jacket in my backpack (along with a knit cap, scarf and gloves). I ended up using all of them at one time or another, but the rain was just a drizzle and let up before lunchtime. I still had a wonderful cruise!

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Yes.

Thanks – I'm on a restricted diet right now, and can't eat any white bread, white potatoes, white rice, or regular pasta. It's a little limiting!

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They don't ask for table size requests with MTD...they are assuming you want to eat with ONLY your party. It's rare for others in MTD to want to sit with others. If you enjoy tablemates, it's best to do traditional seating...ask for a large table!

 

If you have a LARGE party, 10-12 is about the max at one table....any larger and it's impossible to converse with everyone, and service will be slow!

I booked through my travel agent, and she was told that I was assigned to MTD. I assumed it was because their traditional dining was already booked to capacity. She also asked about my table size preference, so the cruise line must have asked her for that information. That's when I told her I'd prefer to sit at a large table with other people.

I'm fine either sitting with a group, or on my own. It's just when they try to seat me at a smaller table and expect others to join me, or if they seat me with a couple or intact family, that it would get awkward. Since this is my first time with RCI, I'm just not sure what to expect.

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As to the worry about being seated with smaller groups, they did agree to sitting with others ? Maybe you are worried that people are too polite to say no to sitting in a larger table ?

 

My understanding is that the seating preference is a 1:1 conversation and they can always say no

 

From what I have understood from the responses , people who agree for sharing a table are placed with like minded folks

On my last solo cruise where they had open seating (this was NCL), I told the host that I was willing to sit with others. He placed me at a table for four. No one ever came and sat at my table, so it was just a very awkward situation. In the future, I will make it clear that if there is not a large table available, I would prefer to sit on my own.

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I'll be cruising for my first time with RCI in January. My travel agent tells me that I was assigned to my time dining. They asked whether I wish to sit at a large table with others, or on my own. I replied that I would like to sit at a large table (I enjoy conversing with others). However, I would prefer to sit on my own rather than with just a couple or small family, as I feel that my presence would be intrusive. I don't mind dining on my own – I always have something with me to read.

Would you recommend that I make dining reservations, or just show up whenever I'm ready to eat and take my chances?

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After my cruise this June, I stayed in Seward to take a Kenai fjords cruise. I chose Alaska Saltwater lodge, which operates a much smaller boat. I think there were about 12 of us aboard. They don't do a fancy lunch - just wraps and sodas - but it was a very relaxed, personalized experience. I loved it. I stayed overnight near the small boat harbor, then walked along the coastal trail into town the next day to visit the sea life center. I took the shuttle back to the hotel, and they gave me a ride to the train station. I stayed overnight in Anchorage, then rented a car and drove up to the Palmer area. I toured the Knik Glacier that afternoon, which was amazing. I stayed overnight in Wasilla, then drove up to Talkeetna the next day. From there, I took a flightseeing trip into the Alaska range, and I was very fortunate to spot Mt. Denali. We flew right past its peak, and landed on Ruth Glacier. That's as far as I got into the Denali national park. I stayed overnight in Talkeetna, then headed down to the Turnagain Arm area for my last night. I spent a lot of time planning out my land tour, and have no regrets!

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You need to think about what is most important to you. If you are prone to seasickness, and require a midship cabin, booking a guarantee is probably not the best idea. If you are assigned a cabin that is located fully forward on the ship, you will probably be miserable.

If you have a disability and require a cabin close to the elevators, dining area, etc., choosing a guarantee cabin may result in a very long walk.

Or if you are a light sleeper, your cabin might be located below the galley, where they may be working late into the night and early in the morning.

If cabin location is not that important to you, then it is probably a risk worth taking.

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I'll be cruising on the NOTS in January. This will be my first cruise with RCI. Does the Windjammer have whole wheat bread for sandwiches?

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I'm going to agree with most of the previous posters: the itinerary is the most important facet of an Alaskan cruise. First and foremost, you need to decide whether you would prefer a round trip cruise, or a one way cruise. If really experiencing Alaska is a priority, and you have enough time, I would strongly recommend doing a one-way itinerary. This will allow you to spend some time traveling beyond the ports for a few days. Most of the cruise lines offer add-on land tours prior to or after your cruise (depending on whether you are on a northbound or southbound itinerary). I definitely wanted a one-way cruise, but chose to plan my own land extension. Glacier Bay was also a priority for me. Since I already had a future cruise credit with Norwegian, I found a northbound itinerary that was perfect, and that included Glacier Bay.

Based on your choice, you will most likely cruise either from Seattle or Vancouver. Cruises departing from Vancouver are more likely to travel the inside passage. It also seems to me that the one-way northbound cruises generally originate from Vancouver.

As far as what cruise line "does Alaska best," that's open for interpretation, since it's all about the ports, not the ship. Focus on the itinerary, and your objectives for each port, find which ships meet your needs, and then pick your favorite ship. You really will not spend that much time on board.

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I listen to several cruise podcasts!

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I live in Orlando, just a few miles away from the Pulse nightclub. We are having an increasing amount of terrorist incidents here in the United States, whether with Islamist extremists or "Christians" - mass murder directed in a certain group of people is terrorism. It's everywhere, but not commonplace. It will never stop me from traveling. Traveling is the one thing we can do to gain insight into other people and cultures, and perhaps find ways to avoid acts of terrorism in the future.

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