spinnaker190

Check out the NCL Sky sailings, its all open bar, or a conventional NCL sailing where you can get the ultimate beverage package as a cabin perk.

Awesome review, I was on the escape last year on the same route. The painkiller at frenchman's quay is great eh! I loved spending a few hours their. I caught your line about international roaming, I dont know who your provider is (mine is Rogers) but the big 3 (Rogers, Telus, Bell) all have some sort of international roaming package,I know with Rogers it's a extra $5 a day, outside the US, it's $7 a day, and I believe Bell/Telus are 7/10$ for the same thing, and the data/voice/texts you use in those area's just come out of your normal buckets, Just make sure your plan is enabled for it (With rogers it's called roam at home).

P.S: With the way our exchange rate, NCL and Celebrity have been awesome for value/price, especially when you factor in the value of the perks you can choose with NCL/Celebrity at times.

This is something I have dealt with since I started cruising, my first cruise was a great deal, solo oceanview, I didnt know it was a solo sale at the time, but than I was hooked and just dealt with paying carnival's non solo friendly rates since, I have tried NCL with a solo cabin+free beverage package, and when I first tried NCL, the price difference between them and Carnival was almost $800 when the cheers package was factored in, whereas NCL i got it for free.

First preference is and always will be Carnival for me because I love the alchemy bar, comedy and a party/fun ship atmosphere but NCL had its pros as well, hopefully Carnival becomes more solo friendly with some sales etc.

Make sure to hit up alchemy bar! Great drinks, daily specials, martini tasting menu, mixology classes.

Whenever I have sailed on carnival, with fixed time dining, as a solo, i've always been sat with other solo's and its been a great experience, made some great friends that way. In fact Carnival's John Heald has said if your sailing solo, to message him to make sure your at a table with other solo's.

When I have sailed with NCL solo, I was in a solo cabin so we had a solo host that would organize a dinner each night for those that wanted to join in.

I've found cruising solo is great because you do have those times where you want to be a introvert and reflect and think, thats where I am reading a book on deck or watching the sunrise/set and taking photos, etc but cruising solo has also brought me out of my shell and given me confidence in how I carry myself, your on a ship with 3000 potential friends (who are just happy to be their on vacation) is how I look at it haha. You want to dance the wobble and cupid shuffle at sail away party? go ahead! its a freeing and liberating thing to do with all those people watching haha

I've found it great because you have the freedom to do what you want to do, want to be social and be apart of the life of the party? thats easily possible. Want to just sit at a bar with a good drink and enjoy the scenery or take in a show by yourself? thats possible as well, best of both worlds.

Never forget to join the roll calls on cruise critic, its a easy way to meet people as well. Organized meet ups and such.

All of my cruises have been solo and I have met some friends for life on them, In Fact some of the friends I have met while cruising, we now do a reunion cruise every year.

Dining- Never done your time dine solo, but with fixed time dining they have always been great in seating me with other solo's. John Heald from Carnival said to message him if you want to ensure your seated with solos as well haha.

Excursions- Always done carnival, but thats because I dont usually decide til the day before what I want to do haha.

Meeting people- Join the CC roll call for your group and be active, usually numerous meet ups on the ship with the CC roll call people, but also I've met enough people outside of CC roll calls, its great both ways.

I always load up a few books on my ipad as well for those times I want to just sit on deck and read for some quiet time.

Solo cruising is awesome, great memories and great friends, let yourself go, your on a ship with 3000 potential friends haha and everyone is just happy to be on vacation. Check out the solo and singles cruise critic forums as well.

Matt

Wow this is a awesome review ! Thanks for writing it. Read all 55 pages of it so far tonite haha. Now I know what ship is on my next list for my cruises.

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May 7th on the carnival glory on a western Caribbean!

Always went with assigned dinner and enjoyed dinner my table mates. I've always cruised solo and found I was at tables with other solo's or couples with no kids and it seemed always within +/10 years of my age (27), this has been my experience on the liberty and the glory.

Just booked the Norwegian Escape on January 9/2016 for my birthday cruise, first time on NCL, trying out the solo studio cabins! Hopefully meet some of ya'll on their!

The cyber sunday sales are up on the Carnival website, No sales for the sailings I have been watching in January and may but hopefully ya'lls will be on their tho. Saw some decent balcony sales in January (in the 1400$ range) for a 7 day. Let's hope cyber monday is a door crasher haha

Thanks for all the replies and ideas to save in the future for folks, much appreciated ! Love this forum, cruisers helping cruisers! :D

M.

The ones people posted here (VTG, goccl) are the ones I look for most, plus dont forget Cruise Critic's solo cruiser forum, their is a low/no solo supplement thread where folks post the deals they see or got.

M.

Howdy Ya'll

Just wondering if Carnival offers anything with regards to Canadian cruisers and paying in Canadian dollars, since our exchange rate is garbage right now and all.

I priced out a cruise for my birthday in January, 1500$ USD and with the exchange rate it came to almost just under $2000 for a 7 day oceanview (Going solo tho) not to mention the foreign exchange fees for charging in USD on the Canadian credit card.

Tried using the search function but nothing current, if Carnival does offer anything does it change if we get Vacation protection guarantee from Carnival (One TA I talked to said it did, and another said it didnt)

Happy cruising!

Matt

May 3rd liberty cruiser here, looking forward to your review!

Carnival Liberty out of San Juan, May 3 on a Southern Carrib iten here.

Noticed this as well, my first two cruises were a eastern carib and a western carib, I paid between 600-800$ for these, both oceanview cabins and just myself sailing, both taken in winter-spring. my 3rd-4th cruises were taken in summer-fall and same iten's but now I paid 1000-1500$ for the same iten's and oceanview cabin.

Carnival Liberty on May 3 out of San Juan on a southern caribbean route! 3rd time on the liberty, 5th cruise/5th solo as well! haha

Will be on the Carnival Glory on Jan 3/2015 out of Miami for a 7 day western Caribbean and my birthday is during the cruise as well! :D

Solo cruisers represent! haha, On the Carnival Liberty out of Orlando here on July 19/2014, anyone solo'ing on the Liberty as well?