bklynbobby

cruising solo out of Barcelona ,Zenith Oct.20,5 quiet , beautful ports in 7 nites,Anyone ?

Im considering this dates (10/27) as i was going to go with Bobby but it didnt work out on those dates for me, as im also traveling solo. Im also thinking of spending a few days in Barcelona to sitesee & adjust to the time change from NY time. I love to do excursion and learn about the area that im visiting.

welcome causeimtheman to CC lots of info here for cruisers

hi jeffa I know causeimtheman,he is from bklyn but we cant get our dates lined up ,so im sailing with my sister and he might go on your cruise ,he is a cool guy to pal around with my reveiw of the Zenith wont be posted till you are already on board ,so lets just cruise and be happy .I know I will :cool:

not yet, my married senoir sister is traveling solo in her own ocean veiw cabin with me .So lets see what happens with the excursions :cool:

Thanks for the great reply on the cruise line, we are going to look at booking our first one with them....

I am going solo got a great deal with interesting mediterean ports 7 nites r/t out of barcelona Oct.20.Will post my experience after ny trip

thak you all for posting positive news about Zenith I booked it 2 weeks ago (even after reading the poor plumbing issues ) for Oct.20 -27 ,2018 r/t Barcelona 85 days to go :'):')

Hello Jefa, iI am cruising the week b4 you on Zenith Yes they will have you tour in Spanish if less than 10 english speaking passengers .Of course they will pit stop for the comfort of passengers I"m 60+ and need a comfort station every 90 mins LOL

hello I am booked on the Zenith r/t Barcelona Oct.20- 27 , 2018.Got great rates 55+ with Islabonita mentioned agents .Will be going to Portofino and Portovenere. so when i return back to nyc I will post you a message

cruising solo Barcelona ,Zenith, Oct ,20,2018 always have a good time

Hi just wondering if anyone has noticed any bargains for solo travellers or recommendations for 2018/2019. 😀🛳

vacations to go.com has lots of single cruises many with no supplement ,bklynbobby

to bklynbobby and windstock....how was the Gem? I had always wanted to check out that ship and sail out of NY. Hope you had a great time. Thanks.

sorry but dont travel with electronics so just got this message gem was great for me met over a dozen gay guys, had dates on board , great st8 peps that I shared taxi and beach days with ,no illness on board clean good entertainment i give it a ten !,bklynbobby

It’s a shame your not on the 12/12 cruise. This is my first ever cruise. I’m getting concerned I won’t meet anyone with the same interests I have. I hope you enjoy your cruise. If you have any insights to share ping me at windsock at hotmail

also gpto fb nclgem12-12-17 and hit me up on the gem 12-2 pn fb

It’s a shame your not on the 12/12 cruise. This is my first ever cruise. I’m getting concerned I won’t meet anyone with the same interests I have. I hope you enjoy your cruise. If you have any insights to share ping me at windsock at hotmail

dont worry there are bound to be others with over 2,000 passengers go to the first meeting fod /lgbt

I'll be sailing solo on the Gem out of New York Dec 12th. I'd enjoy meeting another older traveler with the same interests as my own. I am 60+ gay in good shape and love to meet new and interesting people.

im sailing gem on 12-2 -17 60+ fit maybe get in touch we go solo on another cruise,bobby

NCL Gem 12/2/17 from NYC. Going solo. Done this on a few cruises and really enjoy it.

yes i will be on board with you see you @ the meet and greet

I will be taking my first SOLO cruise on this sailing

dont worry I will be on board Chemace ,lol

I will be taking my first SOLO cruise on this sailing

i loved the costa favolosa cruise great food bought glasses water back to my room at night staff was friendly ship was clean no onboard illness talked english to many passengers got invited to visit their homes in the future ,even entertained in my cabin serveral times if you know what i mean lol

exactly I took a cruise to canada from nyc and meet a gay man we dated 6 months and are good friends today 3 yrs later .It all started in passing with a simple hello how are you ? lol

doing a trans atlantic 15 day cruise on costa"s favolosa leaving from Guadelope on April 1st to Savona ,Italy. I love sailing solo.

Take a look at the reviews, most of what is written is true.

We did a t/a from Savona to Miami three years ago on Luminosa.

Shore excursions canceled due to not enough English speaking participants.

Food and service was some of the best that we have ever experienced and the ships are beautiful.

We made some great life long friends from The Netherlands who met us in Amsterdam after our RSVP river cruise last summer.

You may love it.

 

Joe:D

thats good to hear joe sailing costa Favalosa 4-1-17 from guadelope to savona im open to new experience with a european ship and passengers .Do you speak other languages ? bklynbobby

Hi Bobby, I didn‘t want to confuse you, but to express that I knew already I am not the only gay man on CC sailing with the Favolosa to Europe. I‘m sure we won‘t be the only ones, so I just asked who else will travel. ;)

ok just wanted to clear your message up there were a couple of meanings it could have meant lol thank you Sefan

Do you speak any otehr languages? I've never seen anything GLBT in English. Costa doesn't seem particularly gay-unfriendly, and European sailings seem to attract a number of gays, but I don't know about TA's.

i am not going for the gay scene just listed it here and my other info as part of my whole profile to see if i would enjoy this itailian european cruise line/ship /passenger service and food as opposed to an american one ii love the ta and the ports of call . happy to be on it lets see if i say that after the 14 days and no i dont speak any languages so far

:D

Hi, I‘ll cruise through the Caribbean and thereafter Transatlantic to France. Anybody else from the community aboard (except Bobby, noticed you)?

:confused:

Wev'e just come back from a weeks sailing aboard the Costa Diadema sailing from Barcelona for a one weeks cruise. We called at the ports of Palma, Civattevecia, La Spezia, Savona and Marseille.

This was booked as a birthday surprise and we booked a premium Guarantee inside cabin at the last minute, so we did not know where the cabin was going to be situated, so we weren't expecting much.

This was also our first cruise as Perla Diamente members so we were interested to see how things worked out.

 

Pre-boarding.

We used the Perla Diamente bag express service. This meant our cases were picked up from our home address a few days before sailing and delivered straight to the cabin and vice versa on return. We were a bit worried that our cases would'nt arrive and had packed a few things in a small overnight case,as a just in case. Our cases arrived without problem but arrived back before the date we were given following the cruise, (we spent the disembarkation day and night in Barcelona) Luckily our neighbour was in and took the cases for us.

We travelled by train up to Barcelona the day before the cruise and stayed overnight in a hotel and the following day used the Metro to get to the cruise port (Drasanes) Used the port cruise bus for 3€ to get to the terminal

We were given priority boarding and told to go to the VIP lounge to wait,this was not open but we only had to wait about 20 minutes before boarding ticket number 1 commenced. Why people with higher boarding tickets have to congregate around the entrance to board is beyond me. It was quite a battle to get through.

 

Boarding.

The obligatory photograph as you board and then we were directed to take Lunch in the Buffet restaurant on Deck 10 as the cabins weren't available until 2 pm. This was the only time we used the buffet for lunch or evening meals. There was quite a varied selection to choose from. 2 types of pizza, hot dogs and burgers, salads, 2 choices from the carvery, an asian selection and a few other hot choices as well as a selection of cold meats,cheeses, breads and desserts.

Plenty of space available and servers to take drink orders. I had a selection of asian dishes and Don had a salad. What we had was very nice.

 

Cabin.

We were very pleasantly surprised to find we had been allocated a balcony cabin on Deck 6 midship. The position was just one cabin from the lift and stairs area. Normally we would never choose a cabin by here as we were always worried about the noise coming from passengers using the lifts and stairs. However we never heard a thing.

The cabin was spacious with a large double bed, a sofa, large desk area, small table and plenty of storage space. 2 cases fit under the bed. Bathroom small but functional.

A bottle of sparkling wine and a basket of fruit was left on the table along with 2 pins for moving up a level.

The balcony was furnished with 2 chairs,but we hardly went out there as the weather was too cold for us most days.

Moran our cabin steward kept the cabin spotless and serviced twice a day. All requests were met with a smile and speedily done.

The tv shows predomonantly Italian channels,along with German, French, Spanish and a few English channels (mainly news) but remember this cruise line is aimed at the West european market.

 

Fire drill.

When you enter your cabin along with your cruise card and cruise information you will find your life vests on the bed. The tv will be switched on and you will be instructed to watch the safety video before you can access any other tv channels. The back of the cabin door will show where your muster station is.At the appointed time,you go to your muster point (crew will point the way if you are unsure.) You now wear your life jacket. Present your cruise card at the entry point where it will be scanned to show you have attended the drill. The safety proceedures are announced in several languages, despite what some people say on these boards, English is not always the last to be used, they do alternate, besides is it really the end of the world if English is last, just be patient. Our fire drill lasted about 15 minutes and we sat in the Grand bar for it. It was all very civilised.

 

Spa.

We had pre booked a couples spa pass for a week costing 99€ each.

This allows unlimited entry to the Thallosothearapy pool, heated marble beds, steam room, sauna, winter garden with relaxation chairs, well being teas, and orange and lemon water. Treatments are available at an extra cost and we only encountered one pushy lady who did eventualy take no thank you for an answer.

It was busy on occasions but not uncomfortably so and we made use of this place a lot. It was very relaxing.

 

Dining.

This i find is a very personal choice. First of all this cruise line is aimed at western europeans so if you go expecting english/american cuisine you may be dissapointed.

The buffet restaurant at breakfast only serves a cold continental breakfast with a choice of cereal, fruit, cold meats, cheeses. Lots of different breads and pastries

I tried a warm cinnamon bun from here which was delicious.

The main dining room also offers this buffet choice but with a selection of cooked breakfast done in the style of different countries such as.

 

Norwegian breakfast – smoked salmon, cream cheese, dark rye bread.

Mexican 2 fried eggs, rice, refried beans and salsa

American - Thick pancakes with maple syrup

German – german sausage

English- Bacon (streaky or canadian) eggs, beans,sausage and hash brown.

Spanish – tortilla filled with peppers and onions.

Eggs benedict was available too.

 

Please remember these are in the style of ,so for example, if you chose an english breakfast, the bacon wont be british and the sausage wont be an english banger.

 

All our meals were taken in the restaurant club diadema and breakfast was served from 7 till 9.30. all main restaurant times were the same. Cold breakfast buffet was till 11 in the buffet restaurant. Along with the above selection you could also help yourself to sparkling wine in the club restaurant at breakfast.

 

Lunch. 12 till 2pm.

Cold buffet selection, including prawn and seafood salads, lobster salads, cold meats fruit boats etc.

 

soup

capellini pasta in beef broth with pecorino cheese

 

primi piatti

fregola pasta with veg ragout

penne pasta with fish ragout and mullet fish roe

rigatone with white meat ragout

 

secondi piatti

fish skewers with shrimps, cuttlefish,fried artichokes and sauteed lettuce

cornish hen cacciatora style,mash potatoe, spinach

frattau bread with poached egg,tomatoe sauce, fennel salad

 

sweet

chocolate biscuit,gianduia mousse

polenta flamarie

fruit.

 

Dinner. 7 till 9.30pm. I am writing 1 evening menu below.

 

Antipasti

Artichoke and shrimp salad with mint

country mushroom pie

 

primi piatti

shellfish bisque scented with cognac

risotto with shrimps,porcini mushrooms,saffron and fresh rocket

pansotti stuffed with swiss chard in light parmesan sauce

 

secondi piatti

slow cooked beef flank,pork jowl,3 pepper sauce.potato wedge, ratatouille

roast duck leg,fruit sauce, red cabbage, macario potatoe

swordfish roll, salmon and grilled prawns, mash potatoe and lemon sauce

chard and ricotta pie

 

selection of cheese and accompaniments.

 

Sweet course

cannoli filled with ricotta,choc chips and candied orange

Strawberry mousse,marscapone cream and strawberry compote (sugar free)

Fruits.

 

Chefs Menu

atlantic bonito, balsamic glaze, crunchy veg,caper mayo.

Tagliolini pasta with garlic, oil, clams, scallops

suckling pig, clementine chutney,mustard sauce,veg

grand marnier profiteroles, fresh berry cream.

 

Always available

grilled beef fillet, fried potatoe and bearnaise sauce

grilled shrimp

 

michelin starred menu

 

antipasto

roast octopus, confit tomatoe. Whipped potatoe with majoram

rice arancini with tomatoe basil extract, roast pepper sauce

 

soup

seafood and jowl bacon salad, garlic parsley on legume soup

celeriac cream with chicory pie

 

Pasta

crisp pasta parcel with white meat ragout, cheese fondue,sweet paprika

cup of fregula with seafood sauce and shellfish aroma.

 

Main

 

roast guinea fowl, whipped minted aubergine, broad bean mousse

roast beef medallions, fennel gratin, sauteed potatoe, celery and basil pesto

brochette of plaice, mix veg,caper and tomatoe oil

potatoe and spinach balls with pistachios, sweet & sour compote

sweet

 

iced chocolate tart withmarsala and coffee ,orange zest,pineapple in chilli.

 

 

We have to say that we enjoyed every single meal we had. It was always served hot and the staff were very very friendly and chatty. We looked forward to meal times immensely. For us, we like a leisurely meal and meals took between 1.5 hours to 2 hours.

 

Pay for dining.

 

There were several dining venues where you paid extra.

 

Samsara – 30 €- we have eaten here before

Teppanyaki – 30€- we tried this on this cruise and enjoyed it very much. It's not just about the food it's also the way it's prepared. The chef was very entertaining.

 

I had

sushi with soy sauce

miso soup

japanese salad

teppanyaki beef steak and jumbo shrimp

garlic fried rice

 

Donald had

sushi

miso soup

salad

teppanyaki salmon (2 fillets)

fried rice

 

no drinks included

it was somebodys birthday and she shared the b'day cake so all of us were to full to eat dessert.

 

There are also paying pizza and burger restaurants.

 

The vinotech also has a premium menu degustacion for 30€ which we hope to try next time if it's offered. Here is the menu

 

mix of sushi

marinated maine lobster

pacchero pasta filled with sea bass with cherry tomatoe and clams

glass of Roero arneis doc

 

creme caramel foie gras

glass of ferrari demi sec

 

crepes bites with mushroom and cheese fondue

wagyu cubes with parmantier cream

glass of pinot noir

 

sliced fruit with cream pudding and lemon & celery sauce

sweet cheese and choc quennelle with crystalized orange

glass of moscato d'asti.

 

I don't want this to go on too long and so i'll finish part one now. Hope you found this interesting and hope it has wet your appetite for more.

 

Still to come, Drinks, daytime & evening entertainment, cruise thoughts and disembarking. Happy Cruising :)

thank you for this infomation i never been on costa , doing the T A 14 nights favolosa hope it is similar to your ship so i would have a grand sailing