GotThatCruisingFeeling

I've been to both and like both. Yes, Bar Harbor and Acadia are wonderful IF (1) weather is good enough to tender in AND (2) weather is clear enough to see the views in Acadia. If poster opts for Bar Harbor, and the waters are too rough to tender, then poster is out of luck!

OK, you all have me worried. I'm currently booked on the Maasdam for Feb-Mar 2017 Voyage to the Incas (30-day round-trip San Diego to Callao, Peru, and back). Most of cruise will be in tropical climate. Maasdam is the only ship that does this itinerary. Should I cancel because of potential A/C and/or plumbing problems?

Hi,

 

I was a solo cruiser on Anthem (March 4-7). I enjoy my solo trips anywhere I travel, but this was my first solo cruise. I found myself eating at the WJ mostly or grabbing a slice or two from Sorrento's. Dining alone does not bother me in the least in my daily life, but on the ship it seemed daunting. I felt like it would be "spotlight-ish" if I went to the main dining room or any of the specialty restaurants alone.

 

I know one of these cruises when I go solo again, I will put on my big girl panties and dine solo - in one (or some) of the restaurants. Until then, I'd like to ask what do other solos do for dining? I was thinking maybe sign up to be part of a table of 8 or 10? Sign up for a table for one? Does Royal Caribbean set up a table or two for solo diners?

 

Thanks in advance!

I was solo on the Anthem in Jan 2016. At both breakfast and lunch (in American Icon), I mentioned to the hostess that I wanted to SHARE. Thus, I was seated at a large table (sometimes 8, sometimes 10), and other folks would be brought to join me. (Or I was shown to a partially full 8 or 10, and joined the folks there.) Most of my tablemates were couples.

As Sail notes, you are comparing two completely different cruises lines and two completely different ships.

 

RCL is a theme park, HAL is a gracious hotel.

 

This should actually be a clear choice if you know these people well.

I've sailed on both the Anthem (Jan 2016) and the Zuiderdam (about 7 years ago), and the quote above is right on. (I am 70.)

If on the Anthem, your friends will need to make reservations for dinner each evening, as well as for the main shows. If they are not tech-savvy, they may feel a bit lost. Also, the Anthem only goes to two ports in Canada (Halifax and St. George).

Suggest you check how many ships will be in each port, as well.

Thanks for your post, samcevoy, especially since I've booked the 30-day voyage for Feb-Mar 2017.

I also am now a widow and making decisions about cruising again. I went last summer with a couple that we sailed with in the past and it worked out very well. DH and I always had a verandah and I won't sail without one. It is very important to me. However, I don't know of any studio cabins/solo cabins that have a verandah?

 

Believe the Anthem of the Seas (sailing out of New York/Bayonne) has a very few solo balconies (maybe 4). Not only are they popular in themselves, they may be booked as part of a family suite (with neighboring cabin). Good Luck!

I sailed from Baltimore in 2012, and there were handicapped spots then. They are at the side of the building, not near the front doors. (You'll see why when you return from your cruise -- H/C parking is straight out from where the luggage is!)

I have mobility issues, but not MS. I travel with a rollator which not only provides assistance when walking, but ALWAYS provides me a place to sit when I need to rest! My rollator (or its predecessor) has been on 16 cruises in the last 12 years. I always ask for wheelchair assistance at embarkation and disembarkation, and hold the folded rollator across my knees when being wheeled (unless there is a second pusher who takes it, with my carry-on bag on it). Further, should you attempt the buffet on a ship, the rollator serves notice that you need assistance with your plate, etc. At various ports, I may ask a crew member to take my rollator while I walk down/up the ramp, using the hand rail(s). (Or I may use my rollator and its handbrakes on the descent.) Good luck!

I think you're absolutely right, Quilting Cruiser. I'm just disappointed, because there are so many other things about NCL that are commendable but the lack of conversation and conviviality at meals is a dealbreaker for me. Apparently, it's a dealmaker for others, so to each his or her own. But I do enjoy hearing both sides of this issue :)

My last five cruises have been as a solo. Like you, I prefer to have pleasant companions with whom to share meals (since I often eat out alone at home). After reading this entire thread, I agree with several others who say you should try other cruise lines. My last two cruises have been on RCCL, and there the hostesses were well-trained to ask if you want to share. I quickly learned to say "One, and I want to share." The "share" tables were usually for 8 or 10 people.

Just booked Crystal Serenity for Montreal - NYC this fall. It will be my first cruise on Crystal. However, I've done a number of other cruises on various mainstream cruise lines (some of which no longer exist). Am expecting to find it outstanding.

Hi, :)I have been sailing solo for many years. I bring one checked bag

and one carry on. From reading the previous postings it looks like I am

in the minority but that is ok with me. We are all different people and

that is what makes the world go round. I have no desire to try and fit

everything in a carry on bag. As for doing this on my own? Both my

bags are on wheels and depending on the activity, getting to the

airport, getting to the hotel, getting to the ship? I do just fine......

if I am using transportation, (cab for example)....well, they are paid

and tiipped to put the luggage in the trunk;) When I fly, if there is a

baggage fee....I include it in the price of my trip.

 

I guess being empowered means different things to different people.

I feel just fine taking a cab/car service and paying someone to

take me to my destination. I love traveling on my own....bringing

2 pieces of luggage with me doesn't lessen how I feel about myself.

Traveling solo is awesome:)...I still feel good/empowered.

I'm with you, Lois. I figure that part of my travel cost is a handful of small bills for gratuities. Besides, I am a "fluffy" woman (plus-sized), so my clothes (pants, tops, etc.) are larger (and take up more room in my checked bag) than those of some other travelers.

While I sailed out of Cape Liberty a year ago, I have not been out of the new terminal. My questions are:

 

- How does it work for handicapped drop off at the new terminal?

- Is there seating just inside the terminal to wait for the person parking the car?

- Where do you go to get wheelchair assistance?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

When I sailed on the Quantum (Feb 2015), there was a guy with clipboard just inside the door. Tell him you want a wheelchair, and he'll put your name down (so you will be taken in order). Then, have a seat nearby. (Yes, there is seating, but you will want to get your name on the list while waiting for your driver.) I managed to snag a guy with I-pad and got checked in while waiting for a wheelchair pusher. (There are plenty of wheelchairs, but not many pushers.) Far left security line was for wheelchairs. By the way, the pusher will only take you as far as the elevators (on deck 5), not up to the buffet.

I am trying to plan a cruise for next year and have a question about RCI Anthem of the Seas. I see this ship has studios for solo travelers, but do they also have a space for solos to get together just like on NCL Breakaway/Gateway/Epic?

 

That's kind of important to me, I don't only want to have a good rate but also have an ease of meeting other solos.

 

So if anyone been on Anthem, I would love to hear from you.

 

Thanks!

I was on Quantum of the Seas in Feb 2015 (as a solo). On several sea days, there was a "solo/singles lunch" at 12 noon listed in the daily program. (I went on two days.) Not sure if there was any other "official" type of get-together. else. When I ate breakfast and lunch in the dining room, I always asked to share a table, and met some interesting folks (and a few not-so-interesting) that way.

My boyfriend and I would like to book a cruise with Nieuw Amsterdam (Panama & Alaska in 2016). Cabin H4092 or H4089 are wheelchair accessible and fit the money we want to spend.

We are both confined to our manual wheelchairs and get around very well. We juist wonder if the cabin is big enough for 2 people in wheelchairs. Can we get our wheelchairs next to the bed? Is there a desk in the cabin? Is it possible to remove furniture so we gan get around?

 

Any information is very welcome!!

You may want to be sure that any cabin you book has an electric (automatic) door. Else one of you will need to be able to push the heavy cabin door inward in order to get into the cabin. I've been in accessible cabins on Royal Caribbean and on Celebrity that have such feature. I cannot recall about Holland America.

Thanks for all of your responses. I have an additional question.

 

We have long layovers (arranged that way on purpose) at Atlanta and Amsterdam. If we request wheelchair assistance at the airports (as opposed to using our own) will they drop you off at a location (i.e. restaurant, airline lounge) then come back and pick you up when you are ready to go to the gate?

 

It seems like it would be easier to have our own wheelchair which I would push so we can go wherever we want to go, whenever we want to do it. But then, I'm not sure what to do with carryon and rollator. Any thoughts?

I have traveled with a rollator for about 10 years. Definitely GATE CHECK it (NOT luggage check it). As for wheelchair assistance, ask to be delivered to restaurant or airport lounge. Then when you're ready to leave, ask restaurant or lounge personnel to call for wheelchair assistance to your gate. (Be sure to allow time for them to show up.) Wheelchair pushers are fairly busy, so the probability that the same person will do both "halves" is fairly low. In most airports, your service personnel will appreciate gratuities.

I recommend Canada-New England (although too late for that this year). My favorite is Celebrity Summit 14-day all the way to Quebec City (2 days), round-trip from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), NJ. So far, one of my "requirements" for my solo cruising is that I not have to buy an air ticket (i.e. sail from Baltimore or New York City area). I just returned from the Summit and also did the same cruise in 2012. Great itinerary with plenty of interesting ports and a nice scattering of sea days. Another possibility is Bermuda (also on Summit or several other ships).

What's the longest solo that you guys have done? Are you ready to get off the ship after a long one? Or did it sail by?

14 days Canada and New England (overnight at Quebec). Like other posters, I'm never ready for a cruise to end. I'm doing same ship, almost same itinerary in Sep 2014. (I live in driving distance of that departure port.)

Now, I'm dreaming of 30 or more days. That might be a bit long! Those possibilities leave from more southerly ports, so packing to pass airline weight restrictions would be a challenge!

For the poster who asked, the Dockyard Trolley (white, I think; NOT the yellow one that is a shore excursion). The last 'car' (one with wheelchair symbol) had portable ramps, and the trolley driver got out and put them in place for me so I could get in. (He also shooed some able-bodied folks into the other cars.) That was in April 2012. BTW, I provided a gratuity (along with a thank you and a smile). Since I couldn't travel solo without helpful service folks, I believe in rewarding those who assist me.

@@GotThatCruisinFeeling - I've been looking at the walker for myself (am sliding into a hip replacement sometime in the next few years) for my next cruise and wanted something 1. That would fold and travel easily and 2. Would have a seat. My Dad had a big Hugo with 8 in wheels, and the thing is just huge (but comfortable...)! I was wondering if you find the 5 in. wheels are good enough for outdoor use? Thanks!

That's a tough question, since mine has 5" wheels, and I've mainly used it indoors or on pavement. There is a model with 8" wheels, but either I wasn't tall enough or heavy enough (need to be over 300 lbs, which I no longer am) for Medicare to pay for that one. Mine does have oscillating front wheels, as well as the handbrakes.

Looked at the one some other poster has (which folds nicely), but it doesn't look sturdy enough for my weight. (Also, I need sturdy arms to use when arising from the seat.)

I'm on my second heavy-duty rollator (wore the tires out on the first in its seventh year). Two months ago got an Invacare Roll-lite walker (after knee replacement) because, as mentioned earlier, it folds nicely for storing under bus or in cab. Expect to take the Roll-lite on my fall cruise to Canada-NE, precisely because of the ease of storing it. BTW, paid extra for the hand-brakes (not covered by Medicare) because I'm used to handbrakes on my "regular" rollator. Roll-lite seat is hard plastic, but folds up nicely out of the way. Walker itself folds like the usual aluminum ones do. Folded, it's only about 6" wide (thick).

Just found this thread. So nice to hear good and bad situations and responses. I've cruised over 30 times, first with husband, now sometimes with sister, and sometimes solo. Since I'm retired and mobility challenged (use a big red rollator), I guess I don't fit the profile for "rum runner", as I have not experienced any odd customs officials. However, my passport picture shows me with glasses (before cataract surgery) and with brown hair (now white since I no longer color it)!

Since my husband left me 10 years ago for a younger woman, I'm going to use the "If only" response, if anyone asks where he is. (Although at my age, people probably assume I'm a widow.)

My first solo was in 2006. I booked a week before sailing. (Had been working very hard for several months, and realized I could take a week off.) First night in the MDR, I was at an 8-top with adult children and teen-aged grandchildren, while grandparents were at a nieghboring 4-top. My reaction was "I have to move". However, it was June and the ship was full of family groups, so I stuck it out. It was great. They sort of adopted me as an aunt. I taught the teenage boys that they could order more than one entree!

Also on that cruise, at the show one evening the comedian asked if anyone lived alone. (I usually sit on the front row, so I can 'park' my walker in front of me.) He asked how the singles liked that. I said "beats being with my husband and his girlfriend". He did a nice double take, and later said he would incorporate that into his routine.

My second solo was in 2007 (group of 40+ from local AAA, none of whom I knew). Like other posters, was seated at an 8-top with 3 couples and a solo guy (who had some speaking difficulties) all of whom were part of the AAA group. I felt like those posters who have been seated with non-English speakers. Also, I was not happy that people might think he and I were together.

Third and fourth solo cruises were in 2012, since my sister was taking her younger grandson on an Alaska cruise. Did 7-day Bermuda cruise in the spring and found friendly, welcoming fellow cruisers. Was on two trivia teams (one for regular, one for progressive), and both teams managed to win lots of ship's logo stuff. Dining was fixed seating in MDR with two couples and a solo woman (who cruised without her husband, since one of them had to stay home with the dogs).

Did 14-day Canada-NE cruise in the fall, and also found friendly cruisers. Dining was 'anytime' since that was all that was available when I booked. I do NOT want to eat alone on a cruise, since I do that all the time at home. (To paraphrase, I cruise to eat AND to socialize.) First night was fine (a rectangular 10-top). Second night, was taken to the 9th seat of an already seated 8-top (and I'm full-figured). :mad: Ended up at solo at a 2-top. However, I like a waiter who knows my preferences. So, I made friends with the hostess, arrived early (about 5:30), and got the same table (same rectangular 10-top as 1st night) for the rest of the cruise. Thus, I had the same waiter, but a variety of dining companions (almost all couples, and the same couples several times).

Now, I'm booked solo on another 14-day Canada-NE in Sep 2014, with my local AAA (group of 50-60 so far, none of whom I know). My main worry is that I'll be seated with other group members and may not like that! (and won't be able to change). Sometimes it is better NOT to be part of a group! (However, I picked the group sailing because it includes bus service to the pier.)

Keep up all the good posts!

Dear On-the-lake: Have your iron level checked. I had TKR (right knee) in Aug 2013. Surgery and rehab went well (but slowly). I, too, was tired but thought it a result of anesthesia and surgery.

In Nov 2013 went to my family doctor for annual blood work. Result was my iron level was way low. (TKR (left knee) was on the horizon.) Apparently there was blood loss with 1st surgery, and my 'senior' women's vitamin did not have iron. So, I ate lots of liver (which I like), dark green leafy veggies, and switched to a multi-vitamin with iron. By Christmas, I was no longer so tired!

BTW, TKR (left knee) was 4 weeks ago, and rehab is going well (better than right knee).

You are exactly right. An accessible room might have a few extra square feet but still have a step in shower with grab bars.

If you are talking about the Embassy Suites in Fort Lauderdale, double check with them the configuration of their "Accessible" bathrooms. We stayed there in 2010 and our bathroom had the toilet in the middle of the room (no grab bar on either side, just sink on one side and roll-in shower on the other). Fortunately for me, there was a shower chair that I could move near the toilet and use as a makeshift hand rail!

Also, be advised that the tiles on the hotel's first floor are a bit uneven which makes using a rolling aid (chair, scooter, or rollator) a bit rough.