Roz

@Hlitner, I'm a budget cruiser, so I'll pack my own bouillon cubes and get a cup of hot water from the Lido.  🤣

@knoxclone, great review 👍.  I've found that if you can deal with the cold, wet, windy weather, and shortened daylight hours,  there are bargains to be had with both land tours and river cruises in Europe during the off season. 

@Coral, sorry you had to cancel,  but believe me,  I understand. 

I'm finding that travel costs in general are going up, and cruising isn't as attractive as it once was,  especially for solos. 

When I retired I thought I would be able to take advantage of last minute cruise deals, but those deals aren't out there like they used to be. 

On 3/3/2024 at 2:47 PM, NCTribeFan said:

I'll be on Virgin for 14 nights on a TA in April, then 10 nights RT from Athens a couple of days later.  We have at least 6 that play dominoes.  It will be nice to have somewhere to play that won't take space away from diners but still has some amenities.

When you return, please report back on what you thought of Virgin's Social Room.  My friend, a bridge player, loved it.  She was sailing solo, but always found a table that needed a 4th.

@cbr663, interesting observation.  

My local McDonald's has signs saying 20 minutes is the limit for tables.  I've never seen the manager say anything to customers, but at the same time I've never seen people park themselves there and work for extended amounts of time.  So the message must be getting through.  

If you get up and order additional drinks or food,  that's OK and you're not going to be kicked out. 

11 hours ago, syesmar said:

You do you.

Huh?  All I want is a place to sit down to eat my meal.  I'm not some weirdo. 

@ChinaShrek, what do you think is causing that? 

20 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Having cruised on six different HAL ships I have never come across chogs in Lido.

I almost always eat in breakfast and lunch in the Lido and never had a problem of not finding somewhere to sit. I am patient and look around for people about to leave. I also ask if people don't mind sharing say, a four top with only two sitting at it. I agree it could be frustrating for some who have experienced not being able to find a spot. I also believe it is rude and ignorant of people to occupy tables at peak dining times if they are not dining.

In the past I had no problem asking to share a table with others, but lately (post-Covid) I've found more people reluctant to do that.  When I approach them I get "the look", or they make up some vague, bogus excuse such as we're waiting for friends, or that seat is already taken. 

I've noticed more and more posts on Cruise Critic asking about 2-top tables and how to avoid eating with other people or just socializing in general.  Posters cite social anxiety, fear of meeting new people, depression, etc. as the reason they want to avoid others.  Silly me, I regularly ask other passengers to join me at trivia, mealtime, on excursions, etc., not knowing I'm possibly causing someone to have an anxiety attack.  

23 hours ago, CGinMTL said:

I think that as long as you are actually using the space, you are not a " hog".

We each have our preferences of where we want to spend the day 

If I want to seat at a table in the pool area or solarium and " not eat" . I do not feel like I am doing anything wrong.

In my original post I never mentioned the pool area or solarium (not even sure what that is), only the Lido, and it's during peak times that the problem exists. 

43 minutes ago, tinawhitecar said:

The Crows Nest on the Koningsdam has what you described (except for the food) 

The Crow's Nest can be just as bad as far as people parking themselves there all day long, or getting up early and marking their spot with a book or tote bag.  My favorite is people who fall asleep and snore 😴 loudly.

On more than one occasion, I've come back from a cruise and posted about the difficulty of finding a table in the Lido when others are using the area to play cards and board games, and just socialize in general.  The responses I've received have ranged from "I've never seen anyone do that" to "you must be a pathetic singleton who doesn't like to see other people enjoying themselves with friends and family". 

Another line has recognized the situation as a problem, and built in a solution in the design of their ships.  A friend just returned from a Virgin Voyages cruise, and told me about the Social Club.  It's an area where there are tables and chairs set up to accommodate card and game players, along with supplying the cards and board games.  There's also air hockey, foosball, etc.  Included in the Social Club is a casual diner where players can get food and beverages along the lines of sandwiches, snacks, pastries, etc., with coffee, tea, juice, and soft drinks.  She said it was a great place to socialize and meet people.  

Waiters in the other dining venues would diplomatically suggest the Social Club when passengers would pull out a deck of cards or their travel Scrabble board after finishing breakfast or lunch.  

I don't expect HAL to retrofit their ships, but it's something to consider for future vessels.  And table hogs aren't just a problem on HAL.  I've run into it on Carnival and Princess too.  

@pontac makes an excellent point. 

My first river cruise was on Uniworld.  I ran into my TA in my local grocery store's produce dept. 🍇🍅🥦🍍🍉.  She had just come back from a Uniworld cruise and raved about it.  Based on what she knew about my likes and dislikes, she said she thought it would be perfect for a solo female interested in history and culture.  

I went home, looked at Uniworld's itineraries online, and picked one.  I called her the following Monday and booked it.  Didn't check out any other lines.  Took 2 more cruises with Uniworld, then did 3 cruises with Tauck.  She told me if I liked Uniworld and its inclusions and solo pricing, I would more than likely enjoy Tauck.

Somewhat related to this, on my last river cruise, a young couple tried skipping breakfast the first full day as a weight management strategy.  When we got back on board at 2 pm (it was announced the night before that lunch would be later due to the excursion schedule), they were feeling tired, famished, and a bit light-headed.  They realized that skipping breakfast on a river cruise with early excursions is a no go. 😀 

Contrary to what's portrayed in TV commercials, most river cruises are very active.  They really keep you going, and at night you're ready to hit the sack so you can be ready to start all over again the next day.

@WriterOnDeck, Princess charges solos double fare most of the time, but awards double points. 

As for onboard spending, as a solo I spend a fair amount.  I'm more likely to book the ship's excursions for safety and security reasons, plus I play bingo, buy a drink or two per day, and book a treatment or two in the spa.

At the same time, I know couples who only drink included beverages, never go to the spa, don't buy anything in the shops, and only book independent excursions.  

Let me simplify your decision for you.  You've never been on a river cruise.  Based on the responses so far,  I'm not seeing significant differences between your 2 choices.  Just pick one and go with it. 😀

After your return, evaluate what you liked and didn't like about the line and ship you chose.  Use this information when booking your 2nd river cruise. 

Every HAL cruise I've taken, we've switched to whatever is the local time.

@Gsel, thanks for the info.  I didn't know that was possible.  Is it pricey?

@PEPE1, welcome to the wonderful world of cruising!

Exactly what excursion are you trying to book?  As @CruiserBruce already explained, Hubbard Glacier is just that, a glacier that you cruise by.  No getting off the ship. 

I checked Uniworld's fares for 2024 and 2025.  Solo pricing, same length and time of year.  Yikes! Very similar to Tauck.  

I've sailed 3 times with Uniworld, so I'll be looking at them for future bookings.  

@Coral, I wasn't contacted about pricing.  I saw the balance due in my Tauck account and emailed my TA.  She had just received an email from Tauck moments before, which she forwarded to me. 

Tauck uses the Pulitzer in Amsterdam. It looks like a beautiful hotel. 

@Coral, this is the first time I've received an offer for a "free" hotel room.  On previous Tauck cruises I booked my own hotel. 

The tour I'm taking is Rhine Connoisseur, consisting of 3 nights at the hotel in Montreux,  and 8 nights on the ship,  sailing from Basel to Brussels.  I'll fly in a day early and not have to change hotels. 

This is a unique itinerary, otherwise I'd be looking at other cruise and tour companies.  I don't blame you if you make a final decision to bail. 

There really aren't any suite benefits unless you book a Neptune or Pinnacle suite. 

Quite a bit more = $1,000 more for the lowest category of cabin.  

I put a $900 deposit as a hold on a Tauck cruise until they published the 2025 fare.  The 2025 itineraries were available but not the price. 

In the meantime, a few days ago I received a 100th anniversary Tauck catalog in the mail.  To celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2025, they're offering past guests a free hotel night (pre or post) if they book a 2025 tour or cruise by July 31, 2024. 

My account now shows what my final payment is for the 2025 cruise, and it's quite a bit more than I was anticipating based on the 2024 fare for the same itinerary.  I had the option of canceling, but decided to go ahead.  I contacted my TA about the free hotel night and she said I am, in fact, eligible, so I'll get an extra night at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace on Lake Geneva.  

Anyone notice any other lines' 2025 fares going up a significant amount?