bobbisailsolo

Great info! Good point about moon phases. I wouldn't have thought of that! I see several of the March dates around the full moon are already sold out!

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I'm sure these have been asked before, but I would like some current input.

1. Travel agent or book direct? Are there advantages to one over the other?

2. Best month for the Northern lights. I know there is no guarantee, but is one month preferable to the others?

3. All things equal, best winter month for travel in terms of weather.

3. Which ships have the best panoramic lounges?

4. Book now for early 2015, or wait?

5. Fly to Bergen with an extra day or two, or to Oslo for a day, then take the train to Bergen...any idea of the cost of the train? Someone mentioned they bought a pretrip Oslo package from Hurtigruten?

Any thoughts on this greatly appreciated.

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I read in the paper today Noway has become quite the hot spot as a result of the movie Frozen. Rates have gone up considerably.

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The last time I boarded just one, at a really nice doggie day care, I got a call she was coughing. Had to have my son go get her... I was in Greece. So I had nowhere to board her. No one would take her. It was a real pain. Turned out she wasn't even sick.., just coughing from barking too much. So I'm back to square one. I've heard of farms that will take them. Maybe I can't find something like that...

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Wow... I had a quote for 3 dogs of 90 a day... Which is way to high. 50 is doable if I could find someone.., the other issue is my 93 year old mother lives with me, and would not consider letting someone stay at the house. I would just hate to board them for 2 or 3 months

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I'm booked on the stat too, but I really want to do princess... They added a day and a port to the caribbean princess itinerary, and added $300 to the price.... And I still like the HAL Rydam...21 day north cape and norwegian fiords. No rush to book. I will wait till last minute if possible.

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Different type of crowd in the Caribbean as opposed to a 14 day European cruise. You really can't compare.

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Yes, using the one on cruise critic. And I'm getting emails directly from Princess and HAL. So being that cabin is not an issue at all, I will have to just wait it out. Hard to believe a large ship like RCLs would be getting full!

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FWIW: Being an American, I enjoyed the multi-languages that were spoken on the Divina. Very polite people. I wonder if an all American clientele would be so civilized?

Please don't misinterpret my comment. Europeans are lovely people! I would not be traveling to Europe if I did not like them! Just last summer I rented an apartment in Rome for 2 weeks and had a wonderful experience! Just not sure I would feel the same as a solo confined on a cruise ship. Different kind of experience.

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How do I close this discussion? I've gotten the feedback I was looking for. As a 60 yr old single american woman, this line does not seem a good fit for me. I'm sure it would be great for others, though. I was looking for a cross between NCL and HAL.., informal but not a party ship with an older clientele, predominately English speaking. I think I'll stick with either HAL or Princess. Thanks for all the feedback!

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Ducklite, wish I did have someone like that. Last time I trusted my nephew to stay and watch the dogs I returned to find a new dining chair chewed up! That's an idea thought. Giving someone a free place to live for a few months ... I live near a small college. Maybe I could post something there.

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I just noticed Princess raised the rate on the June 2015 caribbean princess cruise by 200.00. And there had be no price drops prior. Perhaps they keep track of how many "hits" each cruise gets? I'm going to stop searching for awhile... Lol

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I would very much like to take a world cruise, or even a "grand adventure" My problem is that I have 3 dogs, and no family member willing to watch them. I cant imagine boarding them for that long a period, even though we have some very good facilities in the area. Just wondering what most folks do with their dogs on a long journey. Thanks

Oops... My two cents...

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My two sense? Cruising is not a bargain. You're in a tiny cabin, you pay for tours... You pay tips... Unless you get a fantastic deal, you can do a land vacation for the same cost. It's just a matter of what you like. If you want a quick look at a place it's great... If you wAnt to really experience a destination do it by land. I like both!

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I'm thinking of doing the same thing next year for a cruise up the norwegian coast. The fare now is over 4000 per person, but I saw this cruise this year got down to 1299!!!! It did however go back up in just 1 week... So I think you have to be prepared to jump on it... This big drop was about 4 weeks prior to sailing.

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Great review! Wondering, do you think you would have enjoyed it if you had traveled alone? I am considering a hurtigruten cruise next March, but wonder if I'd be bored on my own.

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Bobbi, Have you read the WC blog by Musicus who was an elderly gentleman, now deceased? He was treated poorly by MSC. MSC is a rather budget Italian ship for Europeans.

where js this blog. i cant find it...

Sounds like MSC is not for me... Thanks all for the info!

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The OP is first choice.. Looking at the Caribbean Princess too. Also considering some HAL ,cruises as well. Since I've got over a year, and airfares are not even out, I have till at least the autumn to decide which ship I'll pursue. But I do think this could be pulled off regardless of the ship.... As I said the OP had a huge price drop at less than one month prior to sailing, with cabins available for the same itinerary I'm pursuing. And if it didn't work out, I'm sure I'd find something else I could use the air with if I chose not to return the miles...

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I got an email on the OP today... With the north cape cruise advertised. That's what led me to post this thread. Actually my math was wrong...with a single, it's a difference of 4300 on an inside cabin!

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Zoncom, that's for sharing your thoughts. I'm thinking now I might find it too boring. And since I'm not in need of any R&R, it would be a waste of money.

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Since nearly all the itineraries are out, can we use this thread to list price drops?

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Pluto... You originally stated only NCL and HURTIGRUTEN are in your price range. I found HURTIGRUTEN to be much more costly than NCL if traveling in the summer. In the winter, such as March they way better fares to "chase the northern lights".

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Right now, 1 month to sailing the north cape, the price is down to 1299 for an inside. With a 200% supplement that's 2600 and cabins are available. The price for the 2015 is 4349 with 160% supplement, bringing the cost to 6958! Quite a difference for me. It costs about 150.00 to put my miles back In... So I'm gambling 150 on maybe a 2600.00 savings! Upgrades really aren't important to me... And as a solo, they are not prone to give me much of an upgrade since they are already losing money on me..[emoji19]

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