NancyW12

The more I consider this thread, I think if a cruise line refused to allow me to book a solo cabin at the price of two people (buy the full cabin), that cruise line would be off the table for any future trips.

My experience was that if it could masquerade as a gift or souvenir, no issues. Something small in a purse, no problem. You might have an issue with a to-go box of something though.

I was unkind. CC won't let me edit my post.

Dare I say it?

The folks who ask about and name drop officers from various ships and how so and so gave them a great guest experience (aka, gave them something for free or an upgrade or a compliment on the wife's dress or anything they didn't give every other guest) very much resemble a similar crowd at Disney- in both cases, whether they intend to or not, the "in the know" crowd project a sense of entitlement and "do you know who I am?" and an expectation that the staff member needs to do something above and beyond (sprinkle some pixie dust in Disney terms) and then make it seem like it was a generous thing to do rather than an expectation after some name dropping and status dropping.

Nobody cares if a guest has sailed 50 times or remembers a captain's name. Nobody except the guest.

But perhaps that's not what these multi-cruise travelers intend to project tor the rest of us.

Aug 5-12 Epic. My USB powered Amazon fan had no issues.

2 weeks ago they did. Here's how you do what you want to do:

- off the ship, and the locals will have a very obvious booth set up to buy your 5E round trip ticket from port to town.

- across the street from the shuttle bus drop off is a tobacco shop. Go inside and buy two local bus tickets (1.50E each) per person and round trip tickets to Florence (approx. 6E per person each way)- note: I went to Pisa which uses the train to Florence

- after you have your tickets, walk out of the tobacco shop and go one block to the right (away from your bus) and then one block left to the bus stop in front of H&M.

- take any bus with a route stop marked STAZIONE

- get off at the train station and grab the next train to Firenze.

Reverse on your way home. You already bought your tickets so good to go. Don't forget to validate your bus and train tickets when you board. I did have a bus ride in Naples where the transit police boarded and checked.

I went solo on MSC several years ago. Paid for both beds in the cabin and got an upgrade to balcony.

Get 50 E at the airport to get you out of the airport and then the rest at a bank ATM in town.

Most people know to pack a first aid kit with medications and things like bandaids and Neosporin. I always take a quart size

Ziploc bag and make a mini first aid kit to take when leaving the ship. It saved me when falling on a dock in Curacao. I was able to patch myself up with antiseptic wipes and Neosporin and bandaids. Saved us having to go back to the ship early.

They sell Band Aids in port. Some of the best unexpected memories are when you are back home and grab the box of plasters or the bottle of aconditionera.

Or you could hold on to your own money, spend what you choose to spend on board, and then settle your credit card bill when you get home with your savings stash. if you OBC $500, you're going to spend $500. If you charge as you go, you might only spend $350.

Thanks everyone! How does the lighting work, can you set it to wake you up? I've always had rooms with a window/balcony in the past.

Or, you could just sleep and let your body take a vacation. Set your phone for an alarm if needed. I had room 12509 and it was great- I liked it. I would avoid the ones that are directly in front of the lounge entrance though- 12515 I believe? And the one across the hall from that along with the matching pair on deck 11. Every person going into the lounge clomps on by those doors.

Was there last Tuesday. Buy your ticket online. When you get there, there are three lines for the ticket windows- pre-purchased online, buy on site, with a guide. The line to redeem the online voucher was 10 minutes. The line (in 100 degree heat with no shade) to purchase onsite appeared to be over an hour wait. Hire a guide and cut to the front of every line. If you know you are going to go, book online. The ticket is the same price (15E) either way. Online also has a 1.50E service fee, or as I chose to think about it, a 1.50 "skip the line" ticket.

Just got off the Epic and while I didn't join in, the solo host was fabulous. He had a week long itinerary laid out with a different dinner gathering each night in a free restaurant, an activity held by the ship, and then an entertainment option, 1 early and 1 late so you could be occupied with other solos from 5pm to midnight.

For example: happy hour in the Solo Lounge at 5, dinner in O'Sheehan's at 6:15, bowling in Bliss, the show in the theater and then a late night entertainment.

Let me add this: don't take the concept of Freestyle anything goes too seriously in either direction. You can wear shorts and a Tshirt to the dining room but you will feel horrifically awkward and only do it one time. Women dress at night- by which I mean a light sundress and wedges or capris and sandals and a nicer shirt. No one eating anywhere besides the buffet will be in super casual clothes. Men will want long pants and a collared short of some sort. Other end- very few ladies had on stilettos and the only time men had a jacket on was the first night for pictures. You would look absurd in formal or cocktail attire on any night.

The hair dryers in the Studios are just fine

Why are y'all all so scared to do things on your own? I am a 51 year old middle aged woman who travels solo. I just got off the Epic. You can go to Pisa on your own for 15 Euros ROUND TRIP! Here's how:

-Ship shuttle bus to Livorno (5E round trip ticket)

-There is a tobacco shop directly across the street from where the shuttle bus drops you off. Go inside and buy two local bus tickets (1.50E each) and trains tickets each way from Livorno to Pisa (2.80 E each).

-Walk one block away from the back of the bus to the next square and then left one block to the bus stop in front of H&M

-get opn any bus headed to STAZIONE

- get off at the big train station (can't miss it)

- jump on the next train for Firenze

-20 min later, off at the first stop, Pisa

-exit the train station on the noisier side (if you exit to a quiet neighborhood, go back in and exit on the other side)

- hit the tobacco shop and buy a local bus ticket (1,50E )

-look in front of the train station. There will be a mob of people waiting to catch the bus to the stop marked TORRE. Take that bus.

-10 min later the bus will drop you off at the Tower.

Enjoy yourself and then either get another bus ticket back or enjoy a very lovely walk back to the train station (downhill).

Reverse to go back to the ship.

Rick Steves Mediterraned Cruise Port guidebook and audio app walking tours are wonderful and foolproof.

I ended up booking a bus transfer with NCL for $25 a person. Oh well. It's less than a taxi and not looking for glamour at 6am. Glad to know the strike is suspended.

My cruise leaves this Sunday (8/5) and returns Sunday 8/12. With the taxi strike looking to enter its second week, I booked the bus offered by NCL (offer came today in an email) at $25 a person.

NCL used to have 7 night cruises for 399 and 10-11 night cruises for 599 for the summers of 2016-2017. They had nothing like this this year. I wonder if it's because Carnival no longer has Mediterranean cruises so they don't have to compete with anyone there anymore.

 

I still see Costa cruises for around 1000 dollars but every time I try to check out it tells me it's not available. I think Costa cruises for 10-12 nights are still ok if you pay the double price. The cheapest NCL cruise to Europe that I see now is $2000 plus taxes

Yup- last year I watched all summer as the Western med cruises dropped to these rates, but only about 2 weeks out from sail. This year, I tried to game the system. I booked my plane ticket (FF miles) and then was planning to wait to buy the matching cruise. Um, no. Nothing dropped this year. I spent more than I would have liked to pay but spent a fair and reasonable price. A bargain would have been better, There's either less ships or the worldwide economy is better.

I arrive in Barcelona this Saturday (Aug 4) and depart on my cruise Aug 5. Return to the airport very early Aug 12. I feel I can navigate the airport to my hotel to the cruise dock via public transport, but I'm a bit worried about return to the airport on the 12th as I had planned to take a taxi. How were the cruise lines about getting folks off the boat and to the airport yesterday (Sunday the 29th)?

If it hasn't changed recently, there's a luggage check at the train station at the grand canal that might serve as a halfway spot rather than all the way to the ship and then back out again.

I went on an eastern med cruise in April (flip side of yours). I mailed my swimsuit and coverup home from Athens and spent a great amount of port time looking for a sweatshirt of some sort. Found one on Day 4. My one slightly warm thing was wet from a port day in the rain. Ever try to blow dry a pair of jeans? Pack some warm clothes too. You can mail those home if you don't need them.

I will add this- if you have never wheeled a roller bag across uneven cobblestone streets for a good period of time, you may want to do that first and see how your shoulders feel after. Take your bag to your local park, go off-road, and wheel that thing over the tree stumps, etc. for a good half hour, dodge the kids and dogs by the playground and try not to hit anyone with it, and judge if that's really something you want to do or if you might choose to pay someone to handle that for you.

Anyone with further knowledge on this? Are taxis still running from port to airport? I leave on Sunday.

Thanks!

Yes- the Dawn dips quite often. The 7 day Bermuda cruise for a solo traveler has gone below $500 several times this summer. It usually goes that low in the 7 days before sailing.