oxfordgirl20

Does anyone have recommendations for local tour companies?  I am going on a Celebrity cruise at the end of June to Bergen, Olden, Alesund, Stavanger and want to use local companies for excursions rather than the cruise line's - even though I do always need to check that they return in plenty of time for all aboard!!

3 hours ago, Lucid Butterfly said:

I just want to say anyone who has gone solo or is about to go solo "more power to you." It shows to me anyway your independence, strength, fearlessness. There is nothing wrong in feeling a little comprehensive of the unknown. We just have to have our wits about us, be safe and if you truly want to do something then don't let fear stand in your way.

 

To all the solos who are taking the plunge in 2020 all the best to you. Maybe some of you will be on the RSSV September 9th see you then.

 

Happy New Year!

 

I did my first solo cruise in August 2019 - 7

nights in the Greek Isles, Montenegro and Croatia with NCL. I have cruised with my daughter before but never on my own - and I absolutely loved it. I didn’t have an NCL solo studio because the NCL Star is comparatively small and doesn’t have them but they gave me 20% off for being solo, as well as all the other offers which were applicable at the time of booking eg WiFi, free drinks, gratuities included etc. I had an outside stateroom which was lovely, and enjoyed lots of great conversations with other travellers - people seemed keen to talk when they discovered I was on my own. So many people offered to take photos of me for my holiday album! I had a lovely time exploring new places on shore on my own and in the evenings I went to the entertainment or found a couple of people I’d met earlier, for drinks in the bar.

I think a cruise is probably one of the easier holidays to have on your own because there’s so much entertainment on board and you can be busy all the time if you want. I would definitely do it again - if in doubt, do! 

4 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I don’t think that we would wait 90 minutes for the cable car - we will be walking up the donkey steps (we live in Gibraltar and are not big car users!!). However I will wait until next week to see how bad Santorini is, but part of me wonders if the next time I travel in the Greek Islands (there will be a next time), it might not be better just to fly to Athens and then take the ferry service and island hop - something like Milos, Paros and Santorini.  As long as we pack light and go in early June or late September I think it might be better than only having port stop times and so being restricted to Fira and Oia when you get to Santorini.  

I wouldn't recommend the steps … several people (including the local guide) warned us off them as they are slippery, very steep and covered in donkey poo.  Before going, I read a comment from a lady who had walked down the steps and she said - more or less - never again.  I gather it's pretty treacherous, particularly when the donkeys pass you and there isn't much space.    I agree about flying - all but one of my previous trips to Greece have been for full holidays on particular islands - Spetses, Kefalonia, Zante, Crete (several times) and I've flown, stayed on the island and taken the hydrofoil etc to other islands.  (Crete, of course, has a good airport of its own.)  I've never had any problems with crowds - that's definitely the cruise ship phenomenon.  The weather would be lovely in June or September. 

44 minutes ago, Diarmuid05 said:

 

Was that the queue up or back down? or both?

We didn’t go up that way when we arrived -  there were a few (five?) Cruise ships in port so to avoid the queues the tenders took us along the coast to the commercial port (which is tiny) and the coach took us from there to Oia. Later returned us to Fira so we could make our own way down vis the cable car. The guide said she thought it would be better on the way back as two of the ships had left or were about to, so their guests would be on board already, but it was still a huge queue snaking along the lane. I was a solo traveller so had to stand there the whole time but if I’d had my family with me, we would have taken it in turns to hold the place in the queue while the others went to find a cold drink or shade. NCL staff at the tender station were superb.

On 8/19/2019 at 6:55 PM, nona0541 said:

I do not understand why people feel they need to be "compensated" for everything.  Read your cruise contract!!!  S--t happens and not everything in life requires compensation.  Always looking for something for nothing.  JMHO  And btw I have been on 20+ cruises.

 

No, not everything does.  But it's not "something for nothing" is it.  It's a lot of money, already paid.

On 8/19/2019 at 7:27 PM, ppcox said:

I am sailing 1st September and I’m disappointed that I’m going to miss Kotor as I was looking forward to the sail into the port and the day there. This close to sailing plans are made and independent plans will need cancelling as always its the not knowing that will annoy most people.

I know now so will act accordingly but for the 2000 others not on cruise critic it seems unfair that they will not be informed by NCL before boarding.

This lack of communication from NCL is disappointing and makes me feel that my custom is undervalued. I understand the contract and have missed ports before and after the initially disappointment still had a fab cruise I guess i just like to know ahead of time so glad I’m on this board.

Does anyone know if the return into Venice time is effected ?

No, we came back a couple of hours early if anything.  Apart from Kotor, everything else ran to time.

On 8/26/2019 at 8:24 PM, MNcruisingcouple said:

My wife and I just got off the Star on Sunday.  We missed Kotor and were looking forward to it.  The explanation given to us, directly from the captain of the ship, was that NCL finds out 4 days in advance of sailing where they are in the rotation to leave Venice.  Those that book directly with NCL get an email with the adjustment.  We booked with a travel agent so we found out on CC.  The previous posters who said they use 3 tugboats are correct. I watched them from the pool deck escort us around the edge of Venice.  It took close to an hour which is what they schedule that much time between ship leaving.  Just a note for others on this cruise, Santorini is crazy busy and we heard directly from a NCL person that they tried to suggest to the officials of Santorini to regulate the number of ships in port but so far they have refused.  So when the lines are long for the cable car to come back to the ship, be mad at the officials of Santorini rather than NCL.

I was on the same cruise as you - and completely agree.  The sailaway from Venice was magical.  I was on port side, pool deck, forward, and got some great shots of the canals, lights etc.  And Santorini was - in my opinion - pretty awful.  Far, far too crowded, and the line for the cable car was 90 minutes, mainly due to a huge numbers of people ignoring the queue and pushing in ahead.  Interesting to hear that it's officials of Santorini who control the numbers - or don't.  I thought NCL were super-efficient and superb on this cruise - the freezing face cloths and cold drinks at the tender station were a lovely touch.

13 hours ago, soccermom104 said:

Informed yesterday our September 29 sailing will not be stopping in Kotor. Departure from Venice scheduled for 8:45pm. 

That was similar for us on the 18-25 August cruise.  The sailaway from Venice was beautiful at night, though.  

On 8/16/2019 at 1:41 PM, Son of a son of a ... said:

For cancelled POC, you are refunded the port fees.  NCL is not obligated to provide additional compensation.  However, they may provide some very modest OBC if enough complain.  They should not charge you port fees at Bar if you are not able to get off.  We went on this itinerary last year and thought that Kotor was the least favorite port.  Yes, it is beautiful to sail into port, but the port itself was lacking.  

We did get the port fees refunded … $13 in cash on the ship.  

Well, thank you everyone for all your comments but in the end the ship didn't go to Kotor … 24 hrs before we were due to sail, we had an email saying that we would be leaving Venice later (at the Harbour Master's request) and wouldn't have time for Montenegro at all.  So that day became an at sea day instead, and we just moored in a bay off Bar, to use up 2 hours of time I suppose, but couldn't get off the ship.  I'll have to go and have a look at Kotor some other time …!

Thank you, yes, I’m sure you’re right about the logistics. I’m just suspicious though that NCL know about these changes for a long time in advance - the Stockholm one has apparently been in place for years, but they continue to publicise and sell a cruise whose itinerary includes the archipelago.  In any other walk  of life, you expect to get what you pay for. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited for the cruise - now only a few hours away! 

23 hours ago, Sauer-kraut said:

OP depending on what kind of travel insurance you might have, a missed or substitute port may be reimbursed.  Read the fine print of the policy.

I will, thank you. 

On 8/16/2019 at 1:59 PM, ppcox said:

Oh how disappointing for you. We are on the same cruise in 2 weeks and we are looking forward to sailing into Kotor too. I cant understand why the venice harbour master could have any say on where the Star goes after leaving Italian waters.

We have had a missed port before on the getaway baltic cruise we were delayed for a day by wind getting into Warnemunde in Germany and because of the delay missed Tallin. I complained but all we got was port taxes refunded and some chocolate strawberries. We also then missed the Swedish archipelago and docked in Nynashamn. It was a fantastic cruise and we had a brilliant time yes we were disappointed for a time when first finding out but these things happen.

 

So dont expect any compensation other than a few £ in port fees and have a brilllant time regardless you are still going to some amazing ports.

Thank you - yes the rest of the ports look great. For me, though, I’ve been to Greece for longer stays in the past and the A’s looking forward to Montenegro and Croatia as I haven’t been to either. It’ll be great though - the weather in all the POC looks wonderful too!   

6 minutes ago, vaddco said:

In our case, the technical stop at Bar consisted of anchoring off-shore and occasionally turning the ship to change up the view. We weren’t close enough to get a good view of the port.

Thank you for these.  It doesn’t sound very exciting! I’ll get the camera out but Kotor it definitely is not!

On 8/16/2019 at 1:41 PM, Son of a son of a ... said:

For cancelled POC, you are refunded the port fees.  NCL is not obligated to provide additional compensation.  However, they may provide some very modest OBC if enough complain.  They should not charge you port fees at Bar if you are not able to get off.  We went on this itinerary last year and thought that Kotor was the least favorite port.  Yes, it is beautiful to sail into port, but the port itself was lacking.  

Thank you. I spoke to NCL today and they might not even refund the port fees - they see the omission of one POC as a minor change ... I would say that whether it is minor or not depends on how long the cruise is and how many other POC there are. On a 7 night cruise, losing one POC is significant. Anyway, nothing to be done - the rest of the itinerary looks great. 

I have just had an email about a change of itinerary for the cruise I'm taking on Sunday morning.  The Star departs from Venice and the first POC was meant to be Kotor, Montenegro, which I was really looking forward to seeing.  I had heard the sail in to port is amazing.  Now, less than 48 hours before we depart, there's been a change (apparently it's because of an order issued by the Venice Harbour Master) and we won't be going to Kotor at all - we will be making a "technical stop" at Bar, Montenegro - and won't be able to get off the ship at all.  So the first POC will be Corfu on Tuesday.  Does anyone have experience of claiming any sort of compensation for this kind of change?  Last time I cruised with NCL, they changed the itinerary so we didn't sail into Stockholm but went to Nynashamn instead, but at least they put on free coaches to Stockholm so we still got to go there.  This time we will miss out on a whole country.

On ‎6‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 2:03 PM, edinburgher said:

Kotor itself is very easy to DIY and a lovely town to wander around. Full of tiny narrow streets and many little squares, no real need for an excursion here. Plenty online info about history etc. Read and/or print before you leave home.

 

Can also take either the public bus or a taxi the short distance to Perast (which is incredibly tiny but pretty) Boatmen are there to take you the short distance across to Our Lady of the Rocks. You will see Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks on the sail in.

 

Do get up early for the sail in. It really is beautiful. We have visited twice, and each time the sail in was much more tranquil and had better light than the afternoon sail out, when the sunshine was too strong.

That is so helpful, thank you.  I will do it on my own.  I want to make sure I have enough time in Kotor without being hurried, and without having to attend a carpets demonstration/hard sell, as was the case on a previous excursion to Ephesus. 

Interested to read your description of the two choices on your cruise.  I'm going solo on a cruise in August, and wondering whether I need to book an excursion for Montenegro?  I understand that the cruise port is right next to the town so it's possible to just walk there.  Does anyone think it would be better to have an excursion or would a few hours alone in Kotor be enough?  I like to find out about places while I'm there but assume I could visit the Tourist Information.

2 hours ago, teacha50 said:

I am so ready to book a solo cruise and I will very shortly but do not want to hastily make my decision.  My husband passed away last year and his dad passed 10 months later.  Because my husband was an only child, I have had to handle his estate and now I am in the midst of cleaning out his house and it is not an easy task.  This man saved everything.  Needless to say, the past few years have been without a vacation and I am so looking forward to booking a solo cruise.  Just when I begin to research a cruise, I get sidetracked by something else.  When I get a minute or two free time, I do enjoy reading this board on solo cruising and value opinions and recommendations posted.  I can't wait to put down a deposit and start counting the days.  i finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!  

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband, and the sadness of losing his dad too and having to do all the clearance.  I can sympathise - my husband and I separated after 15 years of marriage, and a few months later he was found dead at his new house, having suffered an accident at home.  Most of his family are in South Africa, and under the terms of his Will, my father, our best friend and another friend who is a solicitor were the executors.  Dad, Mum and I spent ages clearing his house and disposing of things in the best way we could.  He had been a hoarder in the last couple of years - the garage was crammed full, and all the rooms and cupboards in the house were stuffed with brand new clothes, gadgets etc, many still in packets.  Our daughter was 13 at the time and it was hard trying to work two jobs, look after her, handle the house clearance, close down our family company he had run, and deal with a lot of legalities.  Anyway, time moves on and my daughter is now 19 and in her second year of university, and things are much calmer now.  She and I have taken a few cruises together but this year will be my first as a solo traveller - she will be in Australia for several months, studying.  It's exciting and I'm looking forward to it, although I know I'll miss her company a lot.  I don't want to be with people the whole time but hope I'm not lonely either!  I've booked a cruise with NCL as they give a good discount on their staterooms for solo travellers, and I enjoyed the cruise we took with them last year.  I hope very much that you book a cruise soon - as you know, it's so exciting planning and counting the days!  I'll let you know how I get on, in August, on mine!  That light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for you every day.

33 minutes ago, HowardK said:

I did the Jewel once and there weren't any of the solo things like on my other sailings (Epic, Breakaway 2x, Escape 2x last year).

Note that even if you are in a non-studio you can still attend the solo gatherings. A few times I upgraded from a studio to a balcony the week before.

 

To me the only drawback with the studio was less space for unpacking; I found it comfortable and slept great in it.

Thanks for this.  I'm going for an outside room now but will look at joining in with the solo gatherings.  It's good to know I can still do this. 

27 minutes ago, cloud_nine said:

Oh, thanks very much for this! My mum and I are the same with the maxi dress/cocktail dress type of evening wear. We don't mind being overdressed, so long as we know in advance. I'm looking forward to trying something new actually!

You’re very welcome. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it - we loved the RCI cruises and were reluctant to switch cruise lines but definitely didn’t regret it; there are pros and cons about both. 

1 hour ago, cloud_nine said:

We usually cruise with Royal Caribbean, but we're looking at the Norwegian Star out of Venice in August, as RCI have priced us out this year (a suite on their Venice itinerary at the same time is almost £2000 more expensive!)

 

Anyway, we'd be in an aft penthouse suite and have the all inclusive deal they're offering in the UK (drink package, gratuities, 60 mins of WiFi a day and $100 OBC). Has anyone here sailed both RCI and NCL who can give a bit of a comparison of the two? Any tips or advice would be much appreciated as I have only ever sailed RCI (and once on Carnival - the less said about that the better though) and I'm a bit of a planner so like to know as much as possible before I book.

Hi, I’ve sailed with RCI three times and NCL once, August 2018. Loved all four cruises but agree that RCI have got much pricier recently and I can’t see

what they offer over and above NCL, although having said that, I slightly prefer the RCI ships (Navigator and Liberty) as I found their Atriums a bit brighter/airier, and definitely their theatres are smarter than the one on the NCL Breakaway.  However, the refurbished theatre on the NCL Star looks great.

There were also things we preferred about NCL eg the Garden Cafe is far superior to the Windjammer.

Formal nights on RCI are dressier - on the 9 day NCL cruise last year, my daughter and I wore our usual maxi dress/cocktail dress that we always felt slightly underdressed in, on RCI, and found that we were definitely overdressed by others’ standards! But it didn’t matter at all.

NCL has a more relaxed fun feel and the staff were all excellent, as they have been on our RCI cruises.

And the mini suite with balcony on the NCL Breakaway was lovely, just as good as the RCI balcony rooms. 

Enjoyed all four cruise experiences and have booked NCL again this year, mainly because of the cost and also because this will be my first on my own (because my daughter is going to Australia to study for 6 months so I’ve lost my usual travelling companion!), and NCL are much better/cheaper for solo travellers.  

Hi, I'm planning my first solo cruise later this year - probably NCL as I've been with them before (with my daughter) and they have a good pricing policy for solos.  But the ship I'm looking at, NCL Star, doesn't have solo studios or a lounge for solo travellers.  This is because (I understand) it's one of the smaller ships.  Does anyone know whether there will still be organised opportunities to meet up with other solos eg meet and greet, a solo co-ordinator etc?  

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 9:03 PM, NSnJW said:

I almost never initiate a conversation but I did get to talk to several people on my NCL cruise.  Several people initiated a conversation in the Studio Lounge but they usually asked if  had a minute or otherwise asked if they were bothering me.  Often when I was talking to one person, others would join in and expand my contacts.  I never felt trapped and even enjoyed going to meals with some of the people.

I had enough alone time to enjoy and enough conversation to avoid isolation.  One lady talked to me for several hours straight but she was so interesting, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

There is always the library if you feel harassed.  No one ever bothered me in the library.  

That's good to know, thank you for posting.  I completely agree - nice to have conversation but also nice to spend time alone.  I certainly enjoy both.  I am feeling more confident now about travelling solo.  Thank you.

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 9:29 PM, aussielozzie18 said:

I have just returned from my 3rd solo cruise. I normally cruise RCL but this time I did two weeks with HAL.  This cruiseline caters for an older crowd but that was a bonus because rather than people being busy with families like they are on RCI, on HAL it is alot of older couples who are very friendly and welcoming and being so well travelled they have great stories.  I was invited to sit with others in MDR, in the theatre, on shore tours.  I had a couple share a table with me at lunch and we ended up sitting there and chatting for almost 2 hours.  If you wanted to be social you could.  I never felt lonely which surprised me given the length of the cruise.

 

Re being bothered.  Never had an issue with that on any of my solo cruises.

 

As a solo, I am careful with not revealing my real name in roll calls which anyone can read or my cabin location.  

 

I have attended solo lunches which I have enjoyed but I tend not to go to late night solo meet ups because they are usually combined with singles and I am solo not single.

 

As an aside, my daughter is 21 and she is now asking me to start cruising together again.  We have done several fab land holidays together but she misses cruising.  Hope your daughter has a great time in our beautiful country.

Thank you so much for your reply - that's really helpful.  I'm certainly going to look into the different options - and go for it!  I've seen so many positive reports of solo cruising - it's just a case of trying it for myself.  Thank you for your advice on safety and also the late night events - I am single as well as solo, but not interested in the "singles" scene!  

My daughter is already feeling a bit miffed that she won't be joining me on a cruise this year - but she can't do 6 months in Australia as well as a cruise!  I'm sure she'll have a great time in Melbourne. She'll be studying at Monash, but hoping to catch up with her half sister and family, who live just outside the city.  

Thank you again for your help.