rayness

Solo cruising has turned into my preferred way of cruising. Enjoy your cruise.

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I’ve caught colds on cruises before; always bring a variety of OTC meds.

 

 

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Same here. I just finished a 14 day cruise and I had a packing cube filled with all types of OTC meds. I caught a cold because this woman on a open air tour bus kept coughing into her scarf and then the scarf hit me in the face. The next day I started feeling bad and I had Zicam that I started taking right away and felt better in no time.

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Danish Viking thank you so much for starting this thread! I followed the 2016 thread too. I’m in your wonderful city and because of you, I took the metro from Crown Plaza to Nyhavn and did a canal ride. I’m a solo cruiser and I plan things in advance. I had everything planned out for my time here from researching things mentioned in this thread. I’m boarding NCL Getaway for the transatlantic cruise tomorrow. I want to travel here again so I can spend a little more time exploring and travel over to Sweden too.

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Stealing from Dave Ramsey...

 

"You will spend more if you use credit cards. When you pay cash, you can feel the money leaving your hand. This is not true with credit cards. Flipping a credit card up on a counter does nothing to you emotionally."

I follow him and did his program and now I’m debt free and working towards early retirement so I can cruise more often. My upcoming cruise next week I prepaid my OBC using my debit card. When I board the ship I put more cash down if I think I’ll need it. Haven’t used a credit card in over 10 years.

OP that’s another option for you too. Prepay your OBC before you board.

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There's no such thing as a surprise bar bill for $3,000. You sign a receipt with the price every time you purchase something and can check your bill on your phone or in room tv whenever you want... that's like going on a shopping spree and then being surprised when the bill comes at the end of the month.

 

 

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Tell that to the woman who was crying at customer service about her bill.

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If you charge something to your room of any type, it could be a surprise. Same as with cash, debit card, credit card, etc. Unless of course you "cash" is so low you can not charge.

 

I guess there is some reason you do not use a credit card - which is none of my business. Personally, we use it for everything. We get free trips around the world or cash back. It is great.

I should have clarified that. Surprise bill meaning a $3,000 beverage bill or something similar. Saw someone screaming and crying once because she had a huge bar bill at the end of her cruise.

The credit card thing for me is a whole other non cruise related thing. Haven't used them in years.

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Credit cards are the easiet way to go, but in all honesty, I like cash. I'll put down $100 - $200 depending on how much I think I'll spend and then I can always add some during the week. I don't mind going down the evening before to shut it down.

 

Quite frankly, I spend less when I put cash down! :D:D:D

Same here. I use cash instead of a credit card (which I don't use anyway). My last cruise I put $100 in my account and had an OBC and ended up getting some cash back at the end of the cruise. I didn't spend it all.

There's no set amount of cash you have to put in your account. The website suggests an amount but you don't have to put that much down. If you don't have enough cash in your account you can't use your card for any purchases. Using cash helps to not have a surprise bill at the end of your cruise too.

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They have another year until they're 21 and then they will have the rest of their lives to drink. Why risk getting your UBP revoked for someone who will be of legal drinking age the following year? You can go on another birthday cruise next year when everyone is able to drink on the ship. Don't rush adulthood!

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Can you really fault people for living in a hurricane-prone area anymore than, say, a north-easter-prone area, an earthquake-prone area, or a tornado-prone area?

 

Not sure that many of "us" in/on "hurricane-prone states/vulnerable islands" have specifically "chosen" to live here, in the same vein that "Ocean-based businesses" have chosen to operate here. I see your point, but...

I agree. I live in Florida and of course after the hurricane, my family is saying move elsewhere. Everywhere else has issues too. I visited California and was in a major earthquake. Had several tornadoes and earthquakes in the Midwest. For anyone saying there are no earthquakes in the Midwest there is a fault called the New Madrid fault. Blizzards up north and I don't like snow.

I feel bad for OP's friend. I didn't purchase trip insurance for my first cruise and thank goodness I didn't need it. Lesson learned by their friends now I'm sure. Hope their hurricane recovery isn't long and drawn out.

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Loved your review. One day I want to take my nephew on a cruise and it sounds like he will enjoy having unlimited ice cream.

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In a little over 60 days I will go on my second solo cruise. It's also my first time overseas and it's a transatlantic cruise. I'm so excited and I have declined invitations from friends who want to join me on this trip. I'm 41 and my first solo cruise was last year and I'm hooked. I have several more cruises booked and this will probably be my only method of travel from now on.

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Thanks for the thread resurrection. I'm sailing on Getaway in October and the only other NCL ship I've sailed on was Epic in a studio. This time I have a balcony so I'm glad someone posted about the storage. I'm going solo again so hopefully it won't be an issue. I enjoyed breakfast at Taste on Epic so I'm looking forward to it again on the Getaway. Plus I need to find the crepe station in the buffet at night. What time was is usually set up?

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When cruising from home port, we pack clothes not considering the use of the laundry service. Flying out, it is less clothes and use the ship's laundry service.

I'm going to do the exact things. I'm bringing enough clothes so I won't have to use laundry. I'm leaving on a cruise out of Tampa in January so I'm taking an Uber over to the port. I live real close to the port so this will be a new experience. I might bring an extra suitcase for purchases and I'm bringing a couple of real books instead of my electronic reader.

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My first cruise was with a group of 13. We discussed that we would meet for dinner and the comedy club before the cruise. This was with Carnival. We did end up eating more meals and other activities together because we always ran into each other on the ship. I still ended up doing things I didn't want to do though. I needed some alone time and didn't really get that because I shared a cabin with a friend of mine who is extremely outgoing. I'm the opposite so I tried to sneak in some alone time because I was plain exhausted from socializing.

I much prefer solo cruising like I mentioned before. I love doing what I want and when I want or doing nothing at all without having to compromise.

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I'm basically a solo cruiser and land based traveler as well. I took my first solo cruise last year and I was hooked.

I have another solo cruise booked for this October overseas and I'm so looking forward to it. I'm usually a planner and have everything planned to the minute in advance. I actually didn't plan anything except 2 shows. Like another person said it's so empowering. I actually prefer to cruise solo and get grumpy when someone wants to join me.

I look at overall cost of the cruise and book accordingly. NCL does offer studio cabins for solo cruisers. They are offered on Epic, Getaway, Escape, Pride of America, Breakaway and the new Bliss ship. If I forgot a ship I'm sure someone will add to it.

There's also a solo cruiser section on this board under special interest.

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I like NCL because it's solo cruiser friendly but I also have solo cruises booked on RCL and Princess and I'm seriously considering a transpacific cruise with Celebrity. I have a Bliss cruise booked next year and I want to do a b2b and I'm probably going to book a Celebrity cruise right after the Bliss cruise. I have the most cruises booked with NCL but I also want to explore other lines. For me I look at the overall cost and go from there.

Enjoy your Viking cruise and don't forget to report back and tell us about your trip.

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Love the theme! It's funny I was shopping with my mother and she saw a set of flamingo luggage that she feel in love with. I'm going to back and buy it for her first cruise next year.

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I now prefer to cruise solo. If I have to cruise with another person I will become grumpy. I have several cruises booked and 2 are with a relative and I'm getting grumpy just thinking about it.

I love the freedom of doing what I want, whenever I want and not having to compromise.

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I will be on my first solo cruise in September. I am not single - but I am now hooked on cruising. Everyone I have met on the Princess cruises so far have been nice... I have talked to solos at our tables - and they were quite content... The Maitre'Ds will seat you according to your wishes.

 

I cannot find enough persons to cruise with. The solo cruise is an experiment. I must admit that on my previous cruises I often wanted to do the opposite of everyone else and I am slightly hyper. So I often ended up doing things I did not want to do! I finally will be able to see how it feels to go alone to a dining room and share - and actually do precisely what I want to do. So - good luck to you... and to me.

Traveling solo is one of the best things that happened to me. I started on land based trips because I would plan trips and people would back out at the last minute. I love to travel so I went solo after people would cancel.

It's so liberating and I had my first solo cruise last year for the same reasons. I tried to get my friends to go on another cruise but no one wanted to go. I said forget it and didn't cruise for a while, plus I didn't like the cruise line from my first cruise. A coworker told me that I could cruise solo and I never looked back. I have 8 cruises planned and only 2 with a family member. The other 6 are solo and I couldn't be happier.

It was so nice getting up early walking around the ship and then having a relaxing breakfast in the MDR alone. I did everything I wanted to do and some days I relaxed for half the day in my cabin with room service. Give it a try and it may become your preferred way of travel SOLO!

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I'm mainly a solo cruiser and my upcoming cruise I might eat with the solo group for a couple of nights but won't be able to every single night. I love ATD because I can ask for a 2 top and eat alone. I'm an introvert and have an extrovert job (working on changing this). I like to travel solo so I don't have to be involved in the small talk, politics and religious conversations. I bring my iPad or book and enjoy my meal in silence.

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Enjoying your review! I'm going on a TA with another cruise line and we're stopping in some of the same ports. Plus I want to try Celebrity because the Edge has solo cabins and I'm a mostly a solo cruiser.

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I'm getting ready for my first transatlantic solo trip in October. I now prefer to travel solo. I had my first solo cruise last year and will never look back.

For years I tried to get someone to cruise with me and couldn't find anyone. A coworker suggested I cruise solo so I did and now I have a solo cruise addiction. I had already traveled solo on land based trips so I was already comfortable traveling alone. I'm so glad she suggested that and I have several solo cruises booked.

I am taking my mother on a couple of cruises but I'm secretly hoping she will cancel so I can go solo.

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We just returned from the May 12 Boston to Bermuda sailing on the Dawn. We were fortunate enough to stay in the Garden Villa. You have a full set of floor to ceiling windows overlooking the pool. Nearly every night there was a different couple "enjoying" the Hot Tub in the wee hours of the morning. They would all look around and see an empty deck and assume that no one could see them. You know what happens when you assume something...

So glad I don't use the hot tubs

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Don't be surprised if he does happen to cry and scream in her cabin that people around her will call guest services and complain about the noise. Not to be snarky but it sounds like he is well behaved because I've come across some 2 year olds and man oh man! The studio cabins are adults only. I've stayed in a studio and a cot will not fit, not sure if she will cosleep with him in the bed.

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Thai

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