chefchick

In which case she could have said that and offered another premium wine instead. She brought out two wines on the standard pkg and poured them. They were as horrible as they were the night before so that’s why we were going to pay the difference for something decent in the first place. I assume she (and perhaps the bev mgr)? were misinformed and it wasn’t worth fighting about, but I would hate for this become another reason to force folks into upgrading to the premium pkg. Glad to hear others have not had the same problem. We off to Los Lobos tonight so I won’t have to fight over margaritas 😎

Currently on the Encore. Have the standard FAS drink pkg…when asking if we could order a glass of wine priced at $18 and $20 respectively and pay the difference we were told that those wines were ONLY available for those with Premium plus pkg. When we reiterated that we knew the packages were different and that we would even purchase the glasses outright at full price she said they keep those for premium pkg passengers only….is this a new policy? It was frustrating to say the least and maybe I should have asked to speak to the beverage manager (which is who our server said she heard this from) but has anyone recently encountered this?

I am also embarking the Encore for this sailing! It shouldn’t be hard to find a pink flamingo walking around right? 😜. Bon Voyage.

Thanks…i was hoping that was the case. My husband was actually looking forward to the behind the scenes tour, as was I (not enough to pay separately for it though 😎). I’d feel bad going without him, so I guess I’ll wait till I go solo again.

Well, I’m glad this question was asked….I assumed I could bring my husband to these now that I’m eligible but I guess I won’t bother to sign up for either until I take another solo trip. NEW QUESTION…I am platinum, he is not….I assume we can board together when platinums are called at embarkation?

The olive paintings look like something from the great masters compared to the ones that I can only describe as floating dog heads mixed with crashing waves on the shoreline….WHO is the hell buys these ugly things and hangs them in their homes? (I apologize in advance if you are a fan of Thomas Kincaid or anything one can purchase from Park West)…I don’t claim to be an art collector, but I do know there isn’t enough “free champagne” on the entire ship to get me to attend one of those shows.

I am newly platinum (yeah)! and would love to partake in the behind the scenes tour….is the cruise next desk where I go to sign up for this? I assume if I need to book comedy or rearrange dinner reservations that is someone else….like the social for example? Also, will you be able to post pictures of the dailies or MDR menus perhaps? Boarding the Encore on Sunday so I’m loving the preview 🌸

To the OP/Twocoasts -how was embarkation at pier 66 as far as drop off (via Uber, taxi, etc)? As a local, I know there is a TON of construction going on at the waterfront and some of the regular open streets (Alaska way, Bell st., etc) can be blocked to thru traffic? Did you have any problems with that? And, same with disembarkation….were taxi lined up at the pier or somewhere down the street? Boarding the Encore this weekend so would love a heads up…thanks.

As someone who prefers to “dress for dinner” I love that on Virgin Voyages anything goes. Want to dress in shorts and a ball cap?, great….a tuxedo?, absolutely. And more importantly no one will judge you either way. This seems to be the ONLY line on the cruise critic boards where there is not an augment about dress codes….hallelujah 🙌

So what kind of stuff will be replacing these…do we know? I have NEVER been interested in shopping on a cruise ship but I do remember walking by the Scarlet Lady stores and thinking some of those items actually looked interesting.

Dining alone seems to be the most common/biggest hurdle to many new solo cruisers…one of my favorite things about cruising solo is the opportunity to dine by myself. At home, I dine with my family or out with friends and of course, that’s great, but dining alone (just like cruising solo) allows me to focus on me…to pace the meal around what I want to do for the evening. I generally bring my headphones and listen to a podcast (which I love) and/or just people watch and focus on my delicious meal. I never feel lonely or pathetic…on the contrary, it is liberating. 🥂

I sailed solo on the Royal Princess to Alaska just a couple of weeks ago. There was a solo meet up in the Crooners Lounge on the first night. I was sitting there, having my customary pre dinner martini when a crew member/ entertainment staff member came up to me and asked if I was there for the solo meet up and was interested in meeting others? I said, sure and was introduced to two others solo cruisers. The crew member said he was just there for the one night and if we wanted to we should make arrangements for other nights. We had a nice time and saw each other a few times around the ship which is always nice to see a familiar face, but it was clear that on this particular voyage at least, that solo cruisers were not their focus. I still had a lovely time.

To the OP- I’m not trying to put words in your mouth (so please don’t take this the wrong way if I’m reading your question incorrectly) but if you will be at all uncomfortable with drag queens, sexual innuendo and/or sexual fluidity/other possible adult behavior PERHAPS Virgin Voyages is not the cruise line for you? Yes, you could avoid certain entertainment options but the whole vibe of the crew and some of your fellow passengers could bleed over into territory you MIGHT not be comfortable with? Again, to each their own, but one of things I love about VV is the adult vibe and the fact that everyone, including the crew are allowed to just be themselves. But again, I also believe strongly that vacations are for being comfortable and not every line is for every one…thank goodness. Whatever you decide, hope you have a wonderful time. 🥂

Funny, I’m wearing white both formal nights and I think I look fab….to be fair, my “white and gold” dress is really “white and silver” but if you’re looking that closely you better be related. 😜

All the lines you’ve mentioned I have sailed on…and they are all great in their own way. I am platinum on NCL and sailed solo the most times on many of their ships. But when status matching on Virgin and MSC became available I took advantage right away. To get high loyalty perks before you even step on a one of their ships is a game changer . I LOVED Virgin so much that I will be sailing their 14 day TA this October solo for my birthday! I also think MSC is great, but I have only sailed in the YC which is wonderful but I can’t really speak to what the experience would be like on the “rest of the ship”. I wasn’t expecting to like my Holland America cruise as a much as I did…it was one of the newer, bigger vessels and I really liked the service, the great pool area and the multiple live music venues. This was also a good example of a line that, although it doesn’t have “dedicated” solo meet ups, I met some wonderful, friendly people just organically at bars or in the evening and we became a small but mightily little group that did our own things during the day and then met up in the evenings for dinner and entertainment. Again, I am an introvert but sometimes if you are open to meeting others it just happens…cruise ships are full of friendly people. Will it be different than when you cruised with your partner? Yes, but it truly can be wonderful and I hope you have a great time…Bon Voyage 🌸

I live in Seattle and cruise to Alaska solo at least once a year, so I have sailed on most ALL the cruise lines. I really enjoyed my Royal cruise, in particular, the stateroom. I had virtual balcony and it was roomy, it had a coffeemaker (which I loved) and the entertainment was great. The itinerary wasn’t the greatest (which, in the case of Alaska is important) but I have been to these ports many times so I hung out in the Solarium and enjoyed an empty ship most days. YMMV

I think you will find as you cruise more as a solo that what makes a “good cruise line for solos” is a good cruise line in general. Sure, dedicated solo meet ups or shared tables in the MDR are great but only if the other people there are folks you’d want to hang out with. I am an introvert by nature, but I find I get out of my comfort zone a bit when I cruise solo and make the effort to “meet” others by sitting at the bar or joining a trivia team for example. When I cruise with friends or family we squirrel away and barley talk to anyone else. So yes, Celebrity is a good cruise line (although I don’t think I’ve found a BAD line yet, and I’ve tried almost all of them). I will second the suggestion to cruise in Aqua class of your budget allows….I found that I was treated like a Queen every night (just the way I like it) 😎

Your question is a good one, but let me ask you to think of it differently….if price is your biggest determining factor, then decide on a budget and go from there. Yes, solo supplements suck, but a $1000 cabin (for example) is a $1000 cabin wether you paid double occupancy or not. To me, itinerary, entertainment, service, food, overall vibe, etc is WAY more important than price alone. Yes, NCL for example has solo cabins and a dedicated solo host on most of its ships and that is great but not all hosts are “created equal” and solo get togethers (hosted or unhosted) are only as “good” as the solos themselves and if they are the types of folks you might want to spend time with (if that makes sense). My suggestion is pick a line and itinerary that interests you at a price point you can afford, go with an open mind, and try it out. I’ve been solo cruising off and on for about 5 years or so….I am a retired, married woman who’s husband likes to cruise but also loves his job so I obviously have more “time off”. I decided long ago to try as many lines/ships as I can. Each has pluses and minuses, but a solo cruise is empowering and I never tire of it. Let us know what you decide. Cheers 🥂

Can I ask how much they charged?

Assuming my sailing on the Royal has a Super Tuscan wine dinner, where do I sign up for this? I am assuming when I first board but where do I go to ask if there will be one?

I have cruised solo many times (not with VV yet)….regarding hanging with others, I would suggest you see if there is a roll call for your voyage here or even a group on other social media platforms. Often I will find that there are many other solos (or other kind folks) on my cruise that I can introduce myself to and perhaps make plans for an informal meet up on the first day. Otherwise, trivia or even just sitting at the bar is a great way to meet others. Regarding dinners, I believe on Virgin there is often a solo meet up on the first night (check the app when you board) and those interested will go to dinner together. You can always ask if there is a communal table at each of the dining venues, but I’m not sure if that is common on Virgin? Hope this helps. Solo cruises are great!

Regarding the solo supplement….Make a budget and stick to it. If you dig your heals in and refuse to pay the supplement you could very well not only be missing out on a great itinerary or cruise line, but you might also be paying more. I have seen MANY times where the double occupancy price of a regular inside, an OV or even a balcony is less than the cost of a solo cabin simply because of supply and demand. I understand it’s “not fair” that solos pay more, but at this point it is a reality. Get over it, or limit your choices. Decide what you can afford and go from there. Trust me, I’ve been solo cruising for quite a few years now and in my opinion, I don’t care whether I spend X amount of dollars on a cabin that was a double occupancy fare or that same amount on a fare with no solo supplement.

Great blog post….my husband and I keep kicking around the idea of selling our home and possessions and traveling the world….it’s stories like yours that make it seem really possible. Thanks for sharing.

If the last few years taught us anything is life is short. TAKE THE CRUISE! Step out of your comfort zone while you still can. Eat in the MDR on formal night…have 2 desserts if you want….go to all the shows or none of them….that’s the best part of solo cruising, YOU decide how to spend your time. It’s the most liberating thing you will do. 🥂

When I “dress for dinner” (and I always do) then I can’t be bothered to go back to my cabin to change, so I’ll be in my red all night…,but everyone here is correct….on Virgin, you do you.🥂