mtwingcpa

If I were in your shoes I would take the Quickcoach/Quickshuttle bus from Seattle to Vancouver. Much less risk of delay in my opinion, plus they can probably drop you right at your cruise terminal in Vancouver.

But hands-down I expect NCL to supply the best first time solo cruising experience - and I am a dyed-in-the-wool Carnival fan.

I think we need to differentiate between the NCL Epic and a couple of their other newer ships (where they do, if fact, have some hosted services for solos), versus the balance of NCL's older ships (where hosted solo services are generally not offered).

This forum is full of people posting about being put at tables with other solo cruisers. Both of my solo cruises I had no problem being group tables. And even when I did not go solo if I went to breakfast, lunch or dinner without my travel companions I had no problems find people to share a table.

Are you referring to NCL, the subject crusie line of this thread?

I was just on the Norwegian Breakaway as a solo. The MDR hostess looked at me like I was from Mars when I asked about joining up for a large table. They never offered that option for me.

On the Sun the hostess always asked if I wanted to share a table and I always declined. There was not a large solo traveller table unless arranged by the cruise director's staff for a special occasion.

I've spent over 50 nights on NCL ships and can only recall being asked about sharing maybe 3 times, so this appears to be something that is totally up to the hostess on duty and/or the particular ship in question. In other words, you MIGHT get assistance from the hostess in this regard, but you probably can't count on it.

Speaking for myself, I prefer to dine alone, so NCL works well for me. But I don't understand why they don't maintain a "community" table or two where they could seat people (either singles or couples) who want that type of experience.

With rare exceptions, I never travel with more than just airline-approved carry-on luggage (22 inch suitcase + a SMALL daypack). For a cruise longer than 2 weeks I'll purchase additional toiletries AFTER getting done with airport security. And I rely on the ship's laundry as needed.

And I agree, it's empowering to know that you are totally mobile and not dependent on anyone else for transportation or assistance.

how do I get to your photo pages

This is a VERY OLD thread from 2009. I have since removed my photo link. Sorry.

It's all a matter of personal preference, but these days I'll do just about anything to avoid having to deal with airports/air travel. YMMV. ;-)

I always love watching the ship arrive into port in the wee hours of the early morning. As we inch closer to shore the lights still twinkling as gradually this little dot on the horizon becomes a mountainous island.

That's my favorite...waking up early and watching the ship arrive from my balcony. :-)

But maybe not such a thrill on the last day. :-(

I gave serious thought to doing a world cruise a couple of years ago, but concluded that I wouldn't enjoy being gone that long. Plus not all of the itineraries looked interesting to me.

So add me to the list of those who would prefer 30 day (or so) segments.

Wow, Bruce, that's amazingly stupid on the part of the US CBP officers. Any idea why they did that, apart from machismo?

Just thinking out loud... Perchance this was someone's idea of increased security proximate to our (US) July 4th holiday???

Everyone's experience is different. I've often found (and booked) the lowest prices at around 12 - 14 days before the cruise. After that point prices might actually rise slightly as the last few cabins are sold. But I haven't followed an example down to the last 2 - 3 days (cuz I was too busy packing!). :-)

Naturally, your mileage may vary.

Is it possible and if so, how much does it cost to get a load of clothes washed on the Sun?

Note that in addition to the weekly (usually) "bag" special, you can always get laundry done on a "per item" basis. Typical prices are, like, $3 - $6 bucks per item for "next day" service, and/or you can pay more for "same day" service. Yes, it can add up, but it's very convenient if you are packing light.

I'd guess NOT having to consider a travel partner's scheduling or other preferences has allowed me to choose longer cruises than might otherwise be the case. I tend to prefer around 2 weeks.

Price alone doesn't do it for me. It's got to be a destination and/or ship that I'm interested in. Once over that hurdle, I usually shop for what I can get at around $200/night. This has often resulted in a balcony cabin on NCL.

If it were me, I'd likely approach that as a "ship is the destination" cruise and stay onboard during the port stops (which I've mostly visited before via land travel).

I'm really baffled by NCL's inability to write even half-way competently. Are there really no unemployed English majors out there?!

I totally agree. And they seem to make this mistake over and over and over again.

They need to hire "focus groups" to review and comment on their proposed policy statements, and they need to do this long before they ever make the statements public.

I don't always book excursions, but when I do I've always done so through the cruiseline. I view this as both a matter of safety and of convenience. But in many cases I prefer to simply walk around town or the port area on my own.

I haven't been to any of the specific ports you listed, so can't comment further. ;-)

Never been "bullied" out of my cabin. Every cruise is quite clear as to when we are to leave and the procedure.

It once happened to me.

Several years ago NCL's stated policy was that you could remain in your cabin until final call (typically expected to be around 9:50). On one cruise I decided to do that, as my travel connections weren't until late in the day. I ran into my steward in the morning and advised her that I planned to stay in my cabin until final call. She didn't indicate that there would be any problem.

But then she or her assistant proceeded to knock on my door about every 10 minutes to see if I was still there. After that happened the third time, I got disgusted and left (taking with me half the tip money I was otherwise going to leave for them).

Subsequently, NCL changed their policy to request that you vacate by like 8:30 or 9:00.

I don't want to end my cruise by taking my luggage to breakfast and leaning against the wall for hours. It was a totally awful way to end what was a pleasant experience.

I know exactly what you mean. My solution has been to self-disembark, leaving either as early or as late as possible.

I try to get an early room service breakfast on the final day. Then, if I want to leave early, I get in line for self-disembark about 45 minutes before the designated time. Or, if I'm planning to be late, I find a quiet out-of-the-way place to sit and read (say, up around the pool or some place far away from the disembarkation deck) and wait until after the last group has been called (probably around 9:30-10:00). At that point I can usually walk off with no crowds.

Another option that might work in some cases is to book a post cruise excursion with drop-off at the airport. In such cases, the excursion group usually gathers on board and then walks off together. This can cut down on some of the insanity.

I'm to book my first ever cruise and I'm looking to spend some time alone with some good food and just relax. What cruises would be good but not to expensive for a solo traveler. Im located in Scandinavia.

I suppose an important consideration would be the type of dining arrangements available on a particular cruise line. For example, I'm a fan of NCL because I never have a problem getting a table to myself in the dining room. Other lines - even if they offer some form of unassigned seating - might not be this flexible with unshared tables for solos.

Now, whether NCL's food is "good" is another question, but it's always been OK with me. ;-)

I suppose you would have to fly to the UK to get on an NCL cruise.

Most of my cruises have been one-way and that's the format I prefer. The down side (if there is one) is that you have to work out the travel arrangements to/from both ends of the cruise...and sometimes that's a challenge.

Cartagena, Columbia. I didn't know what to expect, but it was a striking place.

I stayed there a few years ago. I booked a non-smoking room, and I suspect it was labeled as such about 2 hours before my arrival. :-(

I decided to walk to the port (maybe about a mile).

All things considered, the hotel was OK. But I'll look for other choices next time.

If it was JUST the drive, I might go for it. But adding in the border crossing would make this a same day no-go for me.

Once I drove to SEATAC and caught the first Quickshuttle bus to Vancouver at 6:00 AM. It ran a bit late but did get me to the cruise pier by about 1:30 PM. Trouble was, I was so tired from the early morning activity that I had to take a nap...and missed sailaway. :-(

Do the regular staterooms (like Oceanview) have coffeemakers?

When I was last on board they did not. However, my steward was able to provide one when I asked.