coastcat

It’s been discussed here before:

NCL crew is quite accustomed to solo diners. Don't worry! I've always had excellent service in the MDRs and specialty restaurants when dining alone, which is almost always how I dine since I'm too lazy/forgetful to attend the solo gatherings when I'm not staying in the Studio area. But as noted, it's not likely that you'll be able to be seated with others if you just show up. If you'd prefer to not dine alone, be less lazy than me and attend the gatherings. 🙂 If you have questions about being an "independent cruiser," join us in the Solo Cruisers CC forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/279-solo-cruisers/

Is it just me, or does the Onda architecture look like you're inside a fish skeleton?

The internet is the tempting bit for me. I upgrade to unlimited anyway ($19.99/day), and Studios now only get a single dining credit for a 7-day sailing so the extra dining would be nice. Add in the espressos and maybe a Pellegrino and yeah, the FAS+ becomes more of a deal than the Starbucks package. I do like an occasional espresso martini, which is an upcharge on the regular PBP. The good thing about being a data analyst is that I'm happy to toss the numbers into an Excel workbook and calculate the best option. The bad thing about being a data analyst is that I can't just relax and click OK, I have to do the math. And I'm not kidding about using Excel to sort through cruise options. Maybe I do need that champagne.

There are. You just have to look hard, be lucky, or be flexible. Celebrity has a slew of sailings with low or no supplement (sailing through next April, I think). Within the last half year I've sailed on Princess with a small supplement and on Royal Caribbean with no supplement, both times in balconies. If you can handle a last-minute Alaska booking for this August or September, there are a bunch at 50% (or 150%, depending on how you prefer to describe it) or less for balconies on multiple cruise lines including Princess, NCL, and Celebrity. Solo balcony bargains in Alaska for 2023, well, I haven't seen any yet. However, I've cancelled my planned Alaska cruise for 2023 and will replace it with a last minute bargain with a view. Luckily both Seattle and Vancouver are drive-to ports for me.

It depends, I guess? I'd be tempted to book a Sail Away cabin, add the Starbucks package, and enjoy my Platinum specialty meals. My taste in alcohol isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate the PPBP offerings, and TBH I'd be content to limit my booze to just a mojito or two charged to the cabin. It's nice to have options. Now, how about a premium non-alcohol package which includes the coffees, bottled water, mocktails, and smoothies? (I'm an NCL fan but yeah, it was so nice to sail on RCI with the unlimited non-alcohol package)

Whoa... On deck 7 we have a restaurant that I don't think has been mentioned before: Nama Sushi | Sashimi.

The name of the hotel is Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor. If you search "San Pedro CA" on the IHG website, you've got to scroll down for a while to find it, and the description doesn't mention San Pedro. Here's the direct link to the hotel's website: https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/san-pedro/laxpv/hoteldetail? The CP is undergoing renovations right now and might still be a bit dusty in January. It's a good choice anyway - super convenient to the port, lots of restaurants nearby.

CC has a forum dedicated to sailing out of Florida and the logistics thereof: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/386-florida-departures/ There haven't been a lot of PC questions recently but here's a thread from a few months ago about hotels there:

Expect to recoil in horror when you see the chandelier in the casino-area atrium. The safest place to view it is from Sugarcane Mojito Bar because you'll need a potent cocktail to recover. Otherwise, it's a splendid ship for Alaska. The Observation Lounge is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the amazing scenery. Light breakfast/lunch buffets are served daily, including on embarkation day if you want to avoid the Garden Cafe chaos. There are plenty of photos of the Observation Lounge (including on page 4 of Bird's Alaska trip report linked above) but they cannot prepare you for how large and yet cozy this space is. It takes up about 1/3 of deck 15. The Waterfront promenade on deck 8 is an even better place for watching the scenery. You're outside and much closer to the water; keep an eye out for otters and whales.

Just book the cruise with any rep, or do it online. I've never booked through my assigned rep and couldn't even tell you who it is.

It would make better sense for a sea-intensive cruise if you're solo and want the premium drinks. The upgrade doesn't include ShoreEx but we have that anyway, being Guest #1. For a 12-day transatlantic, it's $504 to get two extra specialty dinners, unlimited wifi, and the upgraded beverage package. The wifi + PPBP would be $54.79/day ($657.48), plus whatever the upgrade cost is for the extra dinners, compared with $42/day for this new package ($504 total). It doesn't work well for me, though, since I'm happy with an ordinary mojito and prefer to upgrade to the streaming wifi. I am very pleased that NCL isn't penalizing solos with the pricing. That's a nice change.

You can decline the Premium Beverage Package. This removes the gratuities charge. Depending on what you prefer to drink, this could be a viable option. Agreed, it’s not a great beverage package compared to what’s available elsewhere.

That’s weird, you should have earned stars! I was on Encore in August and got stars. According to my transaction history, I earned 23.3 stars aboard Bliss this May. And yup, I’m loading up for Prima, although I’ll be in a Studio and thus get free espresso drinks in the Studio Lounge. Still need the occasional London Fog tea latte… 🥤

You do earn stars! If you’re participating in a Star Dash which does not require purchasing specific items, purchases onboard count just as they do for other licensed locations. I’ve completed Star Dashes while aboard Bliss and Joy. You can purchase Starbucks onboard using a gift card or the phone/Apple Watch app. Just to expand on the previous post: Premium Beverage Package = This is the beverage package included in the Free At Sea pricing. It does NOT include any specialty coffees. Premium Plus Beverage Package = This is the upgraded version, currently priced at $29 per day plus 20% gratuity (so it’s $243.60 per person for a 7-day cruise). This package includes specialty coffees from anywhere on the ship including Starbucks. You can also order non-Starbucks espressos at some of the bars and at restaurants. I think they use Starbucks coffee beans but the drinks are sold by NCL so you can’t use your Starbucks card. Even I can’t drink $35 worth of espresso drinks every day, so I just load up my Starbucks card. Regarding the service charge, you can prepay or let it be added to your shipboard account. It’s the same price either way.

Club Balcony gets the same amenities as regular balcony. That means your shower will be stocked with the "conditioning shampoo" but not a separate conditioner. Definitely bring your own unless your hair is fuss-free. If your cabin is located near The Haven, your room steward might be able to procure Haven toiletries (Bvlgari) if you ask very nicely. Don't count on this, though!

You just never know. I've been on cruises where I felt oddly isolated and others which felt more comfortable, even though I probably had the same (limited) interaction with people across the board. It's a combination of the passenger mix and my mood, perhaps. I've only cruised on RCI once, although technically it was twice (b2b combining a 3-day and 4-day on Navigator). The 3-day cruise felt isolated, mainly because there was a huge, huge extended family group (my room steward said there were about 700 people in that group). On the 4-day, the atmosphere felt friendlier. Same ship, same crew, same cabin, different passenger mix. My first Princess cruise was almost my last because it just felt uncomfortable (the crew didn't feel that welcoming either except for one splendid server), but I took advantage of a steep solo discount - same ship, new crew, different passenger mix, I had a fabulous time.

The cruise line shuttles will wait around, fill to capacity, and then head to port. You could be waiting for a while inside the bus, or standing around outside, or be herded from one area to another. I can't imagine it would be a pleasant experience for someone with mobility challenges. This would be a good question to pose on the Disabled Cruise Travel forum here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/ Unless you're on a strict budget, booking a Lyft/Uber from your hotel would be much more comfortable and allows you to set your own schedule.

I tried all of their Zero Proof cocktails last December. The Shirley Ginger was my favorite in the evenings: ginger ale spiked with limeade, orange juice, and grenadine. For afternoons, it was the strawberry limeade although I had it modified to be heavy on the club soda (a bit sweet otherwise). If the ship has a Lime & Coconut, get the namesake drink without rum; alternatively, just ask the bartender for something tropical without alcohol. Since I was on Navigator, there was a Johnny Rockets on the pool deck and yes, milkshakes are included in the Refreshment package. And of course, espresso drinks as far as the eye can see...

Princess, to the best of my knowledge, does not have any single occupancy cabins. They do offer deals sometimes. I had already cruised twice to the Mexican Riviera after the restart (NCL and RCI) and had no intention of a third so soon, but then Princess offered super low solo fares and my finger just couldn't resist the Book button to snag a balcony with a 117% single supplement. I've done some mock bookings on HAL's site but yes, what a pain. Royal Caribbean/Celebrity has the same issue. You don't see the solo pricing until you go through the mock booking process.

There's more math involved depending on the cruise line. NCL: If you book a Free At Sea room and pay a 200% solo supplement, the cost of those perks are built into the fare so you're paying for two and only getting one. Personally, I can't drink two beverage packages' worth of alcohol... But it's annoying that by paying the full cabin fare I should be entitled to two WiFi logins but only get one. So with NCL you need to do the math to compare a booking with perks and a Sail Away that only has that $50 ShoreEx. The differential could be enough to make the room assignment risk worth it, or not. Depending on the pricing structure at any given moment, Sail Aways can be priced higher than Free At Sea rooms. To me, the tipping point is a 180% solo supplement - that's enough to negate the extra cost of the perks you don't get. (none of this math applies to NCL Studios as they're single occupancy anyway) You can either keep checking for price drops and solo supplement drops, or accept the price and get on with your life. I'm a data analyst by profession so you know which option I choose. 😁 For example, a couple days ago I booked NCL Epic's April repositioning cruise from San Juan to NYC. I opted for a BB balcony at 200% solo supplement. The cruise is pretty cheap anyway (6 nights, $1517 for a deck 11 midship balcony) because of the one-way route and Epic being an older ship that's been hit with a ugly stick. I will probably call to downgrade into an oceanview or interior; prices are likely to drop enough after final payment that a very small amount of money will move me from there back into the BB category. Celebrity: Thank goodness they brought back the Cruise Only fare because Always Included was a terrible deal for solos since it included the beverage package, WiFi, and tips. I did read that you'd get two WiFi logins, so it could be worse. Celebrity also has some rocking good solo discounts at times. IIRC, they've got a 100% supplement right now. The math for the other mainstream lines is easier since they charge separately for perks. I love the Princess model with a base fare and a per-person charge for the Princess Plus bundle, which IMO was totally worth the reasonable upcharge.

LOL, I was trying not to dunk on LAX too much. It's an easy target. If you define convenient as the experience after you step off the plane, LGB wins that contest by a huge margin. If you define convenient as lots of airline options, lots of flight options, and lots of amenities, LAX wins.

Crab & smoked salmon roulade, bay scallops, and mushroom soup at Le Bistro. Appetizers are definitely the strong suit at this restaurant.

Short answer: LAX is cheapest and more convenient, LGB is closer and more pleasant. Long Beach (LGB): Closest to Long Beach and the cruise terminal. Small historic terminal is currently the entry, with a small modern terminal behind. It's small. I think my Mazda crossover is bigger than that terminal. Southwest is by far the dominant player. If you're a Delta loyalist you can connect through SLC, while American connects through PHX. If we still had non-stops there from Seattle, Long Beach would be my preference because it's cozy & convenient while LAX is a bit of a mess. LAX: It's a bit of a mess. Well, that's to be expected from a mega-major airport. It's perpetually under construction. Delta flyers should be happy because the first phase of the huge terminal 2/3 overhaul is complete. Uber/Lyft/taxis must pick up from the adjacent LAXit lot which is less convenient than curbside, although if you shell out the extra money for Uber Black or Lyft Black they can do curbside. LAX will have the cheapest fares and by far the most flights in/out. Twice the distance to LB, about 23 miles per Google Maps. John Wayne Airport/Orange County Airport/OMG there are thousands of kids here/whatever it's actually called (SNA): Furthest from the cruise terminals (about 33 miles from Long Beach), closest to Disneyland and the other Anaheim attractions. Flights to SNA are generally more expensive than to LAX but less expensive (and with many more options) than LGB. It's a boring airport but efficient - more amenities than Long Beach, less chaos than LAX. Is it worth the longer trip to Long Beach or San Pedro? Well, probably not, but I'm always tempted.