tjncanada

Sometimes people get away with it, sometimes they don't have it confiscated. Expect there's a good chance you will get caught.

I don't know about the Reflection but I had a sideways inside on the Constellation. The main difference was that the "hallway" with the closets and bathroom door was off to the right hand side of the bedroom area. Since the door from the main hallway opens immediately to the bedroom it felt there was a little more open space though I don't think it was necessarily any larger than the ones in the same category. I liked it and will look for them again on future cruises.

Agree with those suggesting the NCL Studio Cabins, though they may not necessarily be the lowest cost available if you had flexibility in your timing. It's the ideal setup for solos. If you go to the daily happy hour in the Studio lounge people often go to dinner in small groups from there.

Yes it is the NCL Sun. I've traveled quite a bit for work and am fine with eating by myself - I've done it often while on the road. Of course if the opportunity presents itself to meet and eat with others I'm all for that!

If you're comfortable with this aspect the rest is easy. The idea of sitting in the dining room alone is often the main stumbling block for those considering sailing solo. Some fear it so relegate themselves to the buffet while others prefer it to avoid the small talk with strangers. Like yourself I can go either way but with solo dining I found that there can be awkward moments depending on how the staff treat you and react. If you can just let those go and carry on then you should be fine.

Definitely do check in regularly and participate in the Cruise Critic roll roll. Also participating in the ship's trivia contests, etc. is good opportunity to meet and introduce to yourself to other cruisers.

I would recommend choosing traditional fixed dinner seating. I met many different people throughout the day but it was nice to know you would meetup with the same people at dinner every day rather than being seated alone. That is unless you would prefer sitting quietly by yourself .

I tried just now on the RCCL website and I had no problem choosing 1 person from the drop down list for number of people. Maybe there was a glitch or they were working on the website.

As for "not liking us" it's a matter of wanting more people in one cabin. It's a bitter pill to swallow for us solos, who have to pay more than others, but the reality is that the cruise line makes their money from on board expenditures on your sea pass and not so much on your cruise fare. Ideally they want 4 or 5 people in a cabin. They know the probability is that is not going to happen and the majority is going to be couples or two friends sharing a cabin and some cases probably some children.

What they are missing is that we've shown a willingness to spend money up front while many of those couples are the type that are low spenders and proud of it. You know what I mean - "I don't buy drinks, I don't do specialty restaurants, I don't do shore excursions, I don't do spa treatments, I don't, I don't ..... They take pride in achieving the lowest account at the end of the cruise. While I do believe in managing your spending carefully and properly and not going wild I don't see the the point. Anyway my point here is that solo cruisers have shown they have more available for discretionary spending in that they begrudgingly pay the extra fare. It's a valuable market few cruise lines are tapping in to except for NCL with their Studio Cabins.

Travel Agents are going to be a problem as they are commission based and it will take about as much work to do the booking for one person as it does for two. Unless you can find a really good agent I would book direct or through a company that specializes in singles or solos. There is a well known one that offers reduced single supplements (sorry but that's what they call them) for certain sailings of most of the major cruise lines.

Lois .... When I saw the title, I had so hoped you would reply because you have had many very good experiences cruising as a solo on Celebrity ... but had a bad experience on another cruise line so you know it can happen.

 

Question: Do you feel that it is not only the cruise line but also the ship & sailing that can make a difference?

 

Not a solo cruiser but we normally meet many while cruising since Solos are normally friendly and outgoing folks.

 

LuLu

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Yes, I do feel that every cruise has it's own sort of "personality" and the ship, it's crew, the itinerary, the and the time of year all affect the experience everyone has and these factors will definitely make a difference for the solo cruiser. I was traveling with a group to Alaska but I could see it being a lonely trip for a solo. My best solo experiences have been early December. The low season draws a crowd more seasoned and experienced which is generally more open to socializing with strangers.

What am I missing here? Don't freak out the newbies!

Just my attempt at a little sarcastic humour. Usually when the waiter brings the bread basket they go through the types of breads you have available. The discussion was around if the solo diner was treated differently than couples, families, or groups. One person observed that they were not given the lowdown on the bread basket. Of course I believe that all should be treated equally and it would irk me a bit if I wasn't because I was traveling solo but I would just try to enjoy everything and hope that the sever would be better the next night. If it seemed that the solo cruiser was not given equal treatment regularly it would have to be something I'd write about in the survey at the end. My Pearl cruise is in a couple of weeks so I'll have my personal observations after that.

Singles/solos are a very small % of the cruise populace. Want a singles table? Ask when you book. It works. Cannot find singles group in bar? Ask bartender. You may be interested in hosted singles groups. These are very social with special events etc.

There is a company that specializes in hosted singles cruises that my friend goes with regularly and recommends. There is a bit of a premium price to pay, which includes the hosts and private events, so it's where your priorities are.

Other than in the studios on NCL Epic I really haven't seen cruise lines really committed to reaching out to them. Yes on RCCL they listed solo events but they were poorly attended (if anyone showed) and the cruise line did not send a representative from the activities staff to get things going. The first time on NCL Pearl they did and the host arranged for us to go to lunch but it was up to us after that. So,the best we can expect at this time is a somewhat reasonable single supplement. If recognition of solo cruisers is more important than price and other factors consider the NCL Epic. I'd say it was good and ideal for solos but Celebrity is a bit classier and the Epic's itineraries are more limited. We can hope the success of NCL's studios may influence other cruise lines to consider the solo market segment but until they install solo cabins on ships the segment is too small to put any priority on.

Pan American pier (outside OSJ)

Generally the cruises that port for the day use the dock in town and the ones embarking use the Pan American.

There might be exceptions but both times I took the Summit from there that was the case.

I prefer Celebrity. HAL was very good in food and service but I found the facilities and activities very limited. Evening entertainment and night life were also very limited. Best in entertainment was the piano bar. Just found a little more variety in everything on Celebrity. Celebrity main dining room menu is still my favourite.

I'm quite sure that apprehension like this is normal and every one of us that has gone forward with solo cruising has gone through this period where we go over in our mind whether we've done the right thing in booking.

The "problem" is that in our society in general we've been programmed to think that a person traveling alone without a partner, a friend, or a group is exceptional and is destined for a lonely experience. We're probably surrounded by people who believe this can only be the case. On these boards you will hear from many solo cruisers who thoroughly enjoy the freedom going solo allows.

It's all great advice here so far. I would add going through the daily ship bulletin and participating in as many of the activities that appeal to you.

There will be time when you're on your own. Personally I treasure that time for reflection on life or catching up on my reading. Living on my own I have plenty of time alone but it seems to quickly get filled with cooking, housekeeping, paperwork, shopping, etc. When you're on a cruise everything is looked after so why not enjoy your time?

If the prospect of at least occasionally dining, enjoying the entertainment, or going ashore alone is intimidating/uncomfortable then it might not be for you.

However, that being said cruising offers many opportunities to interact with your fellow travellers that you don't experience in other forms of travel. I've met many people - solos, groups, couples, younger, older.

Odds are you will find the conventional thinking that cruising by yourself is an lonely and awkward time wrong, wrong, wrong. You might even come to prefer it this way and having the issue next time of coming up with ways to dodge people that want want to come with you!

Wish I check CC before booking my first solo cruise. Husband passed away in 2011 and booked RCL cruise out of New Orleans in Dec. 13 on Serande of seas. Paid $1060 for 9 night for inside -- not great but not too back from reading these posts. Also, got OBC from Tr.Agent.

My question -- we have sailed on Celebrity 2 times but never RCL. When do I get my Crown and Anchor membership card? Do I need to call and apply?

Thanks so much for your help.

Call the Crown and Anchor program before you sail and let them know you're a member of the Captain's Club on Celebrity. Then you'll be automatically qualified for the equivalent benefits on RCL. When you're on board RCL get an application for the Crown and Anchor Society. Remember you accumulate points on either line separately. So in that regard your RCL cruise will count as your first for C&A. When you sail on either line in the future you will get the benefits or equivalent benefits of the highest level you have reached with either company. For moving up the ranks it's better to stay mostly with one line or the other. But it's a good idea for you to try RCL and see if you prefer one over the other. I don't think there's any card you get - just a number. When you get your sea pass card when you sail it will say Crown and Anchor and the level you're at. Just make sure you provide your respective membership number whenever you book more cruises in the future to accumulate your loyalty points. Hope this helps.

I can't remember being asked if I would want to join a table. When I approach the hostess it is most of the time like "Good evening, table for myself please.". So I would not expect that they will be actively searching a dining partner for you. That will be your job if that is essential.

 

If you are nice to the staff and have a positive attitude you will be treated more than decently. I think for some solo cruisers when something not optimal happens they will immediatly connect it with because they are solo. I have been overlooked in O'sheehans on the Epic for 15 minutes until I decided to leave but I would never allege them they did it because I was traveling alone. Sometimes things just go wrong, keep smiling and enjoying your vacation.

Thanks. Same thing happened to me in O'Sheehan's. But I came away with a positive experience overall. Sometimes errors are made or some staff are better at customer service than others. That's just the way it is in the service industry. I completely agree that sometimes you have to let the miscues fall by the wayside rather than dwell on it. Those people work really hard and for most of us our vacation time is too short. I also completely agree that one of the essential things to bring with you every time is a positive attitude. Hope you did get to O'Sheehan's a couple of other times - their pub food was great!

Have been on the Jade and Epic and can not think of any difference in regard of eating dinner solo. That said I am one of those who does not share a table but eat alone. I got some fantastic tables in the MDR. Some waitstaff was better than other but that is to be expected. I read all of the posts now and can only confirm one statement, I have never gotten an explanation of the bread ;)

Left to fend for yourself to decipher the bread? That could ruin the whole cruise!

I don't mind being seated with others but am just as prepared to dine solo and enjoy everything and the extra reading or contemplation time. As long as I'm treated decently.

I'll try to re-open this discussion.

Anyone have recent experience going solo on NCL other than the Epic studios?

Do the posts here still describe it accurately? Were you treated fairly?

How many nights? Is this a Weekly Special rate or is it the going rate?

I just put a hold in for Dec 14 2014 which is Eastern Caribbean $651.00 Cdn$ All In for Promenade Cabin.

Port Canaveral

Coco Cay

Cruising

St Thomas

St Maarten

Cruising

Cruising

Does RCCL honour the rate if it's an error?

Where were you thinking of cruising? Are the port stops important to you or are you going mainly for the cruise ship experience? Is your timing flexible?

The answers to these questions would have an impact on how much you would enjoy the cruise and the cost comparisons. For example the Studio rate may not necessarily be less expensive than single occupancy in a regular inside cabin on another ship (or even on the same one).

That being said I had a great experience as a solo on the Epic. There is a value to having access to the lounge exclusive to the Studios which increases the opportunities to interact with other solo travellers. But the Studios are also popular with people who are travelling with friends but prefer to have their own cabin.

If you're considering another Caribbean cruise and would like to experience more of the Caribbean islands RCI has a wider variety of itineraries to choose from. But if you're going more for the cruise ship experience than the ports then I'd definitely recommend it.

The biggest difference with NCL is their "Freestyle Cruising" which means you don't have assigned dining times and seating. Many cruisers prefer this while others prefer the "Traditional" dining where you're seated with same people and have the same serving staff every night. If you're in the Studios then it may be possible to link up with other solo travellers to go to one of the restaurants as a group. The staff arranged a couple group dinners but there's a message centre where anyone can suggest a time and place.

RCI's commitment to their Entertainment product shows but the Epic was also great for entertainment in a different way. The "Freestyle" concept applies there too as there is not a single daily show that everyone goes to but instead you have a variety of things to choose from on the Entertainment deck.

Hi, All. I really enjoyed a couple of group cruises and decided to venture out on my own. It's nice to be able to choose where I want to go, when, and on what ship and cruise line . It's also more relaxed when you have the cabin to yourself and don't have to be concerned about disturbing your room mate and who's getting up first. I always enjoy meeting up with lots of other people on board that I wouldn't get the chance to if I always stayed around the same group.

How do I get a list of the costs of the drinks? so I can figure out which wines i can drink for under the $8.00. Also, when i go to sign up for the premium packaes the charges aren't per day - they are for the entire cruise as far as I can tell. Example - when filling out my cruise information I click on the packages there is one complete total. I'm hoping that it is for the 12 nights that I will be away.

There is an extensive list on the first page of this thread (click "first" in the navigation section). You can only pre-book the packages for the entire cruise so that's only option you have on-line. There was some discussion here about purchasing on board part way in to the cruise. You can do that up until the last couple days but you must purchase it for the remainder of the cruise.

If I purchased a classic alcoholic package for $313.00 including gratuity and wanted to drink Chardonney by the glass there would only be one (St. Francis) chardonney available to me as every other one is $8.5 or more?

Also If I did drink a $9.00 glass of Chard then I would have to pay the full shot and not the difference of $1.00?

If this is correct then the cruise line is pretty much pushing a person to select the premium package to get the more expensive chardonney's.

Another question would either the classic or premium alcoholic packages be able to be used in the stateroom?

 

Please help me understand?

Yes, you would have to select the premium package to have access to the full selection of Chardonnays. If the price per glass exceeds the "cap" for the package terms you have to pay the full price plus gratuity. None of the beverage packages apply to room service or the mini bar. You can get a drink at any bar and bring it back to your stateroom though but only a glass at a time. I don't think it's so much about pushing one to go for the premium package but offering the option to accommodate different tastes.