KansasTexan

Both the Maine ports are still showing up on my Escape Oct 1, '23 itinerary. Thanks for posting this. If the ports are dropped, I'm likely to cancel my cruise. Sad if that's the case.

Just read through this entire thread and I'm blown away. And hungry! I'm also kind of kicking myself for booking a cruise and not just figuring out a way to stay at least a week in Italy. Florence (Livorno) will be a 2 day stop so I think that gives me the best opportunity to enjoy local food. I'm hoping to be able to book an excursion with just a few people to experience cooking/wine. Not always easy to find a ticket for 1 but I'm going to try. Thanks for all the info!

Gosh! You're right. I was thinking of "traditional" dining like out here in the real world. I only cruise once or twice a year. You're absolutely correct. 100%. Thanks for setting me straight. 😉

Right?!? This has a very "let them eat cake" feel to it.

??? There are three restaurants that offer sit-down table service dining included in the cruise. Taste, Savor, and Manhattan. I'd consider those traditional...

I ask my room steward to keep my ice bucket filled. I try to do that on day 1 when I meet him/her. I give him/her a tip at that time to kind of prime the pump. :) However, I keep that between the steward and me. My dad taught me to be discreet about tipping and that's always worked for me.

I've taken several week-long solo cruises that included ports in Mexico, Belize, etc. What surprised me most was the amount of relaxation (read: falling asleep with a book on a lounger facing the ocean) I didn't even know I needed. Although I made (and kept) some great friends, most of my time has been restful. It was wonderful to go where I wanted, eat when/what I wanted, do what I wanted. I hope you're able to go and get what you need out of the trip.

I decided the wait for my Sept 2024 cruise is just too long so also booked NCL Escape Oct 1-8, 2023 New England/Canada. The fall colors and relaxing on the Waterfront is a big appeal to me.

As someone who has spent a lot of time in New Orleans over the last 20 years, here's my best advice. New Orleans has it's own pace and style. If you can embrace that things *might* take a little longer and there is seldom urgency about anything, you *might* enjoy your time there more. This applies across the board: restaurants, hotels, bars, cruise ports, shopping. It's simply not a hurry-up kind of place.

I received one, also. Thanks for posting so I can stop wondering about it. :)

Sending all the good vibes! Hope to see that you make it. :)

Thanks for sharing this. I was booked on an Alaskan cruise in 2020 and it was cancelled (due to Covid). My customer service experience was not the best (read: awful) and left me with a bad opinion of NCL. After plenty of thought and realizing that SO MANY companies were stretched to an impossible limit in 2020, I decided to give them another go and sailed to Alaska on the Encore in Sept 2022. I was thrilled with how my booking, checkin, and onboard experience went. To a person, every staff member I came into contact with was enthusiastic, efficient, and friendly. I'm glad I gave NCL a chance to change my mind and I'm looking forward to my next cruise with them.

I'm confused as to how access (other than that first night solos meetup) would be given to non-studio guests. I realize I'm paying for a VERY small cabin, but thought that studio access was one of the perks of my fare.

Is there an advantage to checking in at the 21 day mark?

I'm booked solo (Studio Cabin) Sept 20-29, 2024 on the NCL Escape. It's a long way out but this gives me time to decide what I want to do in ports and although I doubt I'll need it, I'm trying to learn Spanish and brush up on my French.

Ah, I see. Well I tend to eat fairly healthy while onboard but I don't deny myself anything. (ice cream, cocktails, buttery sauces just to start)😃

LOL. Believe it! For some of us who spend a lot of time prepping food so we can maintain a certain level of nutrition and perform well in our sports, it's a TREAT to have someone else cut up your fruits and vegetables. :)

This is for real? WTH, people.

I'm just getting wind of this problem and I'm not sure it's actually a problem for me - or not. I've considered switching my planned Italy/France/Spain cruise to one that goes to Greece and Turkey. Not that I need a drink with breakfast (although I've been known to enjoy a Bloody Mary on occasion), I'd rather not be denied a glass of wine with dinner. Guess I'll just give this some time and see how it shakes out. I've got plenty of time to make a decision. Thanks to the OP for posting about this.

Awe, we were on the same sailing. I guess this is a perfect example of how people perceive things differently. I agree with you about Le Bistro. That was an excellent meal and impeccable service. We (my brother, his wife, and I) spent most of our free time during the day at the Waterfront. Most of our free time at night was at the Whiskey Bar. You're correct - it rained when we were at Sitka. It rained cats and dogs! By the end of that day, we were soaked clear through but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I took an ocean raft excursion and I'm sure I'll never, ever speed across the waves with rain pelting me and an ear-to-ear smile again. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I hope you enjoyed Glacier Bay as much as we did. I found the food to be very good with the exception of the Seafood Night at the Buffet. It was disappointing and not that tasty. Choir of Man was a highlight for me. We didn't see Kinky Boots because we were enjoying our meal at Le Bistro so much we decided not to rush. Hopefully your next cruise experience will be more satisfying for you. Best.

Enjoy that beautiful waterfront. It's a great place to chill throughout the day.

At breakfast, on the Encore, I found bagels, bread, a toaster, cream cheese and smoked salmon toward the very front of the buffet on the starboard side. There was much less jostling and crowding for coffee at this area, too. It was a nice way to start the day off simply and easy. Also, attendants came around with sweet muffins several mornings and we didn't even have to leave our table! (Except to get another bloody mary now and then. 😃 )

Thanks to all for your input. I booked an NCL mediterranean cruise in 2024 (plenty of time to save $ and prepare). I spoke with a travel agent and she pointed out a few of my personality traits that might not work so well with a river cruise. (My need to have alone time being the most obvious.) I'm using the Mango ap. Going to start with conversational Spanish and I should have time to start with Italian, also. I think I can get by with what little French I remember from high school and college. Planning is a big part of my travel enjoyment and I appreciate your input.

When I was working, I lived close to Galveston and practically DEVOURED cruises to the Caribbean because it was the only way I could check out for a week and not worry about someone calling me when I didn't answer my pager. Now that I'm retired, I find myself looking at vacations more as experience than escape. I just finished an Alaska cruise during which I saw only two shows and didn't participate in any games, dancing, etc. I hardly used my balcony and (instead) spent hours waiting for a whale to pass by while I relaxed on a Waterfront sofa. I took hikes offshore. All I wanted to do was soak in the ocean and the scenery. Now I have a Mediterranean cruise booked in 2024. I'm excited to brush up on my Spanish and French (and possibly tackle Italian) in the interim. I hope for a glimpse of a few countries so that I may plan a more indepth visit in the future.

You're right. We'll never know. Just going by numbers, there are a LOT of studio cabins for solo travelers. Perhaps we can all just get along, pay our fares, and follow the rules. Seems so simple...