Treven

I did the Chefs Table as a solo traveler; didn't have a bit of a problem, other than the $95 price tag:D. Seriously though, as a once in a while indulgence, the cost isn't outlandish.

You can bring on a simple power strip, one without a surge protector built in.

I did it a couple cruises ago and absolutely loved it. On my next cruise, next July, I'm going to put my name in the pot and hopefully I'll get chosen. The cost was $95, but I think it's well worth it, for the experience.

Tom, I really don't know; that's something I hadn't even thought about.

Yep, they aren't available; bring your own.

Looks like I'll be going back to Alaska next summer. Plus!, the upgrade fairy struck!!! I was upgraded from an oceanview to a balcony!

As a single, senior, male cruiser, as long as my bed is made and the cabin is tidied in the morning I'm satisfied. I can turn down my own bed at night; after all, I do that to my own bed at home.😊 During my recent stay in the hospital and subsequent stay in a convalescent hospital, I told the nurses/care givers that I was "very low maintenance", and I showed that by rarely made any requests of the staff. They had plenty of work to do as it was and demands by other patients.

Well, as I don't (any longer) do drugs and I rarely have a drink, or two, I guess I'm safe from accdently falling off the ship��. Actually I'm all in favor of taking personal responsibility in my life - in general, not just on a ship out in the middle of a great big, and very deep, ocean!

As been said, there is no reason for you to worry about bringing water onboard - even if you could, based upon the cruise line. Ship's water is just as good as anything you could buy and bring with you. As another diabetic, I never worry about drinking ship's water; it's perfectly fine😄.

From my experience, the Chef's Dinner is designed for carnivores!

Even as a male, there's no way in hell I'd share a cabin with a stranger! That's like going on a blind date that lasts a week, or 10 days if that's the length of your cruise.

Beyond that, welcome to cruise critic and the, I think, wonderful 😀 world of cruising

In that case, my preference would be the inside passage; but that's just me.

My recommendation is that you do it immediately upon boarding.

As Bruce said...

I always do Anytime Dining on Princess. Being diabetic I'll eat early; I'll be in line when the doors open, then I'll hit the buffet for a snack later in the evening.

Welcome to Princess! I'm sure you'll love your experience with them as much as I do.

Another hard core Pepsiholic here😃! A couple, or so, months ago there was an active thread touting Princess' contract with CokaCola ending and that they (Princess) was going with Pepsi. Has anything further come out about that, or perhaps it was another case of phishing🤔.

When I travel, my INR tends to go out-of-range fairly quickly -- presumably at least partially because of diet changes. I have read that this is a common problem for travelers who take Warfarin / Coumadin. Hence the need for blood tests (for some of us) aboard cruises of significant duration. It is very helpful that, on Princess and at least some other lines, INR measurements are available.

 

John

Guess I'm fortunate then; I get my INR blood test the first (or there abouts) of each month. If I happen to have a cruise scheduled over the first of a month, I notify the Coumadin clinic that I'd be out of the country and that I'd get my blood work done upon my return, then again at the first of the next month to get back on schedule. Since I'm on Coumadin "for life", I stay on one set dosage even tho my results may fluctuate a little high or a little low. I'm not real good about not eating leafy green vegetables, especially broccoli.The anti-coag folks wants to constantly adjust my dosage but I refuse to keep changing.

I assume the OP is new to Coumadin, or recently had surgery. The only times I had my INR checked that frequently was when I initially started Coumadin, and after coming off Lovenox and returning to Warfarin after any surgeries.

Good luck with the necessary testing.

I talked with my Dr. about switching to Xaralto. Due to additional health problems, primarily my heart, he felt Xaralto or Pradaxa would not be a good fit for me.

209 pounds of cocaine in only 3 people's suitcases-that's a heck of a lot of cocaine- they must have looked very suspicious- with such heavy bags

Of course (smirk🙄), it was for their personal use!

The main Cruise Critic website has several articles and guides to solo cruising.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/search/results.cfm?q=solo

 

I know this because I myself have been tempted to go on a solo cruise recently and so have been studying the subject, but after some consideration I've decided to...not go solo, and to try and convince a good friend of mine to join me. I've traveled solo before, but never on a cruise, and I don't think I want to start.

 

I don't want to discourage you but here were my reasons:

 

- You could be treated like some kind of alien; everybody else is a couple, a family, or with a friend. Many solo cruisers report a heightened interest in their personal affairs from both staff and shipmates. "Why are you cruising alone," seems to be the unspoken question, "what are you, some kinda freak?!?" Maybe it helps to have some kind of cover story.

 

- You will not find it hard to meet people of your age and interests, but you will find it difficult to meet other singles. Some lines do their best to link solo travelers up but the forced nature of these interactions make them pretty awkward.

 

- The usual awkwardness of solo travel: you're at the beach and want to go for a swim, or you need to use the washroom at the airport: who watches your stuff? Sometimes you can rely on the kindness of strangers, sometimes not. On shore, you have nobody to watch your back and help protect against pickpockets, and two heads are always better than one if you need to figure out a tricky time/space problem (like can we do x, y and z and get back to the ship in time?). If you like to have a few drinks, it's especially useful to have somebody around in case of trouble.

 

- You see an awesome sight, like a sunset at sea. "Wow!", you say to the person next to you, "what a sight!" but there isn't somebody next to you. Or if there is, they'll smile wordlessly and slowly back away.

 

- If you're a young and single female, I imagine you'd get hit on a lot. If you're a young and single man, everybody will assume that you're on the prowl, which is a turn-off.

 

- If you are even the slightest bit of an introvert, you may find you're spending too much time alone in your cabin. So it's probably a good idea to get a balcony. As an introvert, it really helps if you have a friend or friends who can drag you out of your shell. When you're solo, only you alone can rouse yourself to go and join activities. Easier said than done for some people.

The principal thing I would address is the introvert idea. I am very much an introvert and I spend very little time in my cabin, besides sleep for a few hours late at night. I'm too busy during the day to spend time in my cabin. Too busy either reading out on one of the decks and watching the waves go by. I'm busy sitting in the Piazza listening to the entertainment provided. I'm just too busy, period. Just cause I choose to do these things, generally, by myself is not a negative thing.

While I've been to the Carribean several times, during the "Spring", I don't recall ever having any kind of weather problems.

Anyway!, I just want to welcome you to Cruise Critic and the wonderful world of cruising, and I'm sure you'll find it addictive.

I always cruise solo and my experiences with the various Princess ships have been way above the other lines' ships I've been on.

I always get Anytime Dining, but unlike the other posters, I almost always eat by myself, on a "two-top" table. I'm an admitted introvert and I take my iPad with me to all meals. I totally enjoy sitting there by myself, reading and going over that day's activities as well as the next day's.

I will also eat a good number of my dinners in the Horizon Court - the buffet.

I've been on "most" other cruisline's ships, and several by Princess. I'm very pleased with what Princess offers its passengers, from decent food to understated decor to accommodating crew. I've never encountered surly crewmembers or even those not interested in doing a good, or better, job.

Taxi, Taxi, Taxi, part deux! The port is spittin distance from the airport. You barely get on the freeway before you're getting off to the port. Generally it's $15, and a transfer is probably more.