mtwingcpa

Here in Florida, we have many people who are "snow birds" that is they only live in their Florida homes in the winter and then return to 'home' in the north for summers. I've never asked, but surely they have some homeowners insurance in both places, even though they are away for more than 30 days. If they have a mortgage on either or both properties, they are required to have insurance. So, perhaps they have some sort of special insurance. Also, what about those people who take extended cruises of more than 30 days? I'm not offering a solution, just a comment that there must be a way around these 30 day 'rules.'

First, I note that the original poster in this thread is in the UK where insurance laws are apparently different.

I'm in the states and frequently travel or "snowbird" for several months at a time. I've contacted my insurance company several times on this point, and they consistently tell me that they do not consider my home to be "vacant" unless I have permanently moved out with no intention of returning (and, in that case they offer a special "vacant home" policy). But in my case they tell me my coverage remains in place while I'm away (even for several months), and I don't need any special/additional policy or rider.

Naturally, this is just my experience, and I can't speak to how other insurance companies might handle it.

Shouldn't casino and most spaces on board be considered as Public Space, so isn't it illegal to smoke in public spaces when ship docked in ports like Vancouver in Canada where smoking in public space is illegal.

Washington state also has a highly restrictive smoking law, and a few years ago I submitted this question to the department in Seattle responsible for enforcement. Their response was that they believed Washington's law DOES apply to cruise ships when in WA state waters, but since such ships rarely stay overnight, they supposed that enforcement would be difficult as a practical matter. Nevertheless, they encouraged people to submit well-documented complaints.

Can anyone advise which of the cruise lines are the best value for solos? i.e. lowest single supplements?

In my opinion "best value" and "lowest supplement" are two different questions.

As a frequent solo traveler, I gave up worrying about the so-called "supplement" long ago. Instead, I simply shop for opportunities that fit my budget, typically up to $200/day (including any "supplement").

In my view the "studio" cabins that are now available on some lines may not be that good of a deal, as the pricing (without supplement) often looks not that much different than a regular cabin (with supplement). In my opinion it's simply a marketing gimmick, but if it works for you, that's cool. ;-)

As I recall, there are no self-service laundry facilities on any NCL ship. So you put your laundry in a special bag and your room steward will pick it up and deliver it when done. There will probably be three service levels available:

1) "Regular" service, priced per item. Turn in by 9 AM and it is returned by 6 PM the FOLLOWING day.

2) "Express" service, priced per item plus a surcharge. Turn in by 9 AM and it is returned by 6 PM the SAME day.

3) "Full Bag Special" service, usually offered once per week, priced by the bag. Turn in by 9 AM and it is returned by 6 PM TWO DAYS later (but might be sooner).

And/or there might be other variations of the above. I pack lightly and so usually need "express" service to get the items back as soon as possible. :-)

All of my cruises have been solo, and I usually opt for the ship's tours unless I am familiar with the port, where I might just go off on my own. Yes it is a little more expensive than private tours sometimes, but from a safety and a return to ship in time aspect, I am more comfortable with the ship's tours. But that is just me.

I do likewise. :-)

Yeah, I'm a sucker for luggage...always looking for the next great "solution." I believe I have 4 rolling bags, plus at least as many small backpacks or totes to accompany them.

But on the vast majority of trips I've used a standard 21" rolling carry-on plus a collapsible day pack.

This was an unforgettable happening: I had just sat down for dinner in the rear MDR aboard the Dawn. As the ship pulled away from the dock, the piano player stuck up the theme from the Titanic movie. It was a totally "high" moment! :-)

I've never been on Carnival, but I suppose a lot comes down to your dining preferences:

If you want fixed time, assigned seating, "traditional" dining, stick with Carnival.

But if you want a no hassle opportunity to dine by yourself, NCL should be your choice.

Sure, both lines provide some dining alternatives, but this distinction is the basic framework.

One of my cruises was a 3-day. It was probably the only one where there were lines for everything...and all venues seems crowded. I suspect this was because people were trying to cram as much as possible into the short time frame. On longer cruises people tend to chill out and pace themselves. ;-)

I wouldn't go out of my way to do a short cruise like that again. But, if it fit my schedule, etc., I wouldn't shy away from it either. I would just gear my expectations accordingly.

I suppose the level of activity on a roll call wouldn't influence me. But the "vibe" would.

I was once booked on a cruise where the roll call wasn't particularly active. But a large percentage of the participants were complaining about medical problems and all the non cruise related reasons why they might have to cancel.

Well, guess what: *I* cancelled!

Now to be honest, I probably would have ended up canceling in any event due to my own scheduling issues. But I felt little enthusiasm for trying to make it work. :-(

It looks like QuickShuttle/QuickCoach might have a couple of bus runs that arrive at SEATAC at around 1:30 and 2:30 respectively. Those might work, especially the earlier one.

Another option would be to fly from YVR to SEATAC (say, on Alaska/Horizon). It can be a little pricey for such a short flight, but if it gets you there in timely fashion, and you're already within the security envelope, it might be the way to go.

Most so called world cruises do not fully circle the world...

I suppose what most people consider to be a 'round the world cruise is an "equatorial orbit." But there are other ways of doing it that just as much "circle the world." These would include a "polar orbit" (yes, of course, a cruise line can't go DIRECTLY over the poles...) or a "hemispheric orbit." Many cruises, as you note, fall into the latter category.

It would be interesting to trace some of the itineraries on an actual globe rather than a flat map. This would probably give a more accurate impression as to what is or isn't 'round the world. :-)

Not that any of this really makes a difference. An "equatorial orbit" is what I'm looking for. :-)

I will have to settle with either P&O / Fred Olsen / Princess / HAL / Cunard

I've also been tackling this dilemma. For me, I would strongly prefer embarking/debarking in North America. That probably limits the "affordable" choices to Princess, HAL and Cunard.

I like the Cunard itineraries, but their dress code is a bit too formal for me.

The smaller boat that Princess uses sounds great, but it apparently doesn't offer "anytime" dining. So probably doesn't work for me.

So that leaves HAL, which would probably be fine, but I'll wait for further restrictions in their smoking policy before booking myself onboard for 3 months.

I've been on only four cruises but my most annoying moments have come on ship excursions, especially the bus trips. I was on one in Portland, Maine where the obnoxious guide said, repeatedly, to the whole bus, "you people sitting alone are going to need to pair up." There were two of us and honestly if he had asked me nicely, that's fine. But to embarrass people like that? What an idiot.

I usually lag back at the end of the boarding line. Then, if there is a row completely empty, I can claim it for myself with no one getting upset. :-)

Unless you are going on Cunard or P&O, other lines which offer world cruises tend to have ships quite a bit smaller than the Diamond Princess and Liberty so whichever cruise line you decide on it might be a good idea to try a shorter cruise on that particular ship to see if you like it.

Excellent suggestion, and I've noticed the same thing about ship size. For example, the ship that Princess currently uses apparently doesn't offer "anytime" dining and thus is probably a non-starter for me. :-(

One thing that bugs me is getting "lapped" when standing in line. Like, most people stand 2 x 2. So when I'm alone, inevitably one of the people behind me will (subconsciously, I assume) slip forward into the space next to me. Then their partner eventually steps forward to join them, and I get squeezed back. This has happened to me a number of times.

For me it ends on the last night when I'm packing up. From then on it becomes a question of travel logistics (getting to the airport on time, etc.) no different than a business trip. :-(

I've been thinking about a 28 day cruise on Princess, round trip from LA to Hawaii and a handful of South Pacific islands.

Previously my longest cruise was 19 days from Seattle to Miami through the Panama Canal. That was cool, but like a lot of people I kinda hit a wall after 2 weeks.

I've actually thought about doing a 'round the world cruise, but I think I'd struggle with the longevity of it. :-)

Just curious if anyone originally booked solo in an inside has ever been offered an upgrade to ocean view or balcony? That's the only reason I can think of to go for the inside versus the studio.

Yes, I once received such an upgrade on the Star, from inside to ocean view, while traveling solo. It cost me $10 bucks extra. :-)

Naturally, your mileage may vary...

I would probably book QuickCoach/QuickShuttle as they will pick you up at SEATAC and drop you off at the cruise terminal (no additional transfers needed). But despite the name, it isn't exactly "quick." So it might be difficult to arrive in Seattle AND make that trip to the YVR cruise terminal in the same day. Much better if you arrive in Seattle a day early and overnight by the airport. And/or take a later OuickShuttle and overnight in Vancouver, and then take a cab to the cruise terminal in the morning.

In my experience, I would add 1 hour to QuickShuttle's published time tables, as they often fall behind schedule with border issues and multiple stops along the way. Naturally, your mileage might vary. :-)

Note that with self-disembarkation on NCL, a line will usually form on the ship starting up to an hour before the earliest departure time. So if you are hoping to be one of the first people off the ship, be sure to build that into your plans.

They do have numbers to meet though, because mine reminded me last night that if she put a hold on the room I wanted and I booked through the website rather than calling her back, she wouldn't get credit for the booking.

I also presume they get some kind of "credit" whether it's monetary or not. I've often selected a cabin online, put it on a "24 hour hold" (not always possible to do that), and then called my PCC to give my credit card info and complete the transaction. She always seems willing/eager to handle it that way, so I assume there's ~something~ in it for her.

Let's be fair here. We could offer gentlemen dinner companions for single rich older matrons. If I only looked a bit more ... well ... young. And it would be charged by the hour.

A few cruise lines do offer "gentleman dancers" for single women (but I'm not aware of any equivalent service for single men). I'm not sure how the dancers are compensated (tips?) but I'd guess the same payment model could be adopted for the "dinner companion" service I've suggested.

...and also if anyone has had any other ideas for services they wished were on the ships.

How about offering female dinner companions for gentlemen traveling alone?

On one of my cruises I often heard my neighbor's TV turned up full blast. I guess he wanted to hear the news while sitting on his balcony (with his door open).

Point being, you might hear just about anything. :-(