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Solo Cruiser's Roll Call


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I've got 4 Princess cruises booked and got back recently from Alaska:

Completed:

Majestic Princess Alaska 8/15/21

Booked: 

Emerald Princess Panama 12/9/21

Ruby Princess Pacific Northwest 4/23/22

Enchanted Princess TA 9/2/22

Royal Princess Sydney-> HK 3/7/23

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Having been on several land based solo holidays in the past, house party style in the Med, I thought a nice cruise would be in order.

With NCL offering 30% discount at the moment and enhanced on board packages it seems good value with all the dining and entertainment  included.

So a studio cabin on the Epic out of Barcelona around the Med on 5 June 2022 has been booked, the exclusive lounge for get togethers etc appeals also.

Andy, West Yorkshire, UK.

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On 3/29/2021 at 12:30 PM, DSJ28 said:

 

I'm looking forward to relaxing for sure.  I love to be around people, but I'm an introvert - and I find time alone re-energizes me.  I'm expecting to finally have a vacation from which I return home not feeling exhausted, but invigorated. 

 

The only part of the experience I'm not sure about it dining alone.  But, I have a fairly healthy imagination; I can probably conjure up the dining partner of my dreams.  Who shall it be?  Maybe Dolly Parton?  Oprah? Neil deGrasse Tyson?  

One of the best perks of solo cruising is sitting at a 8 or 10 top in dining room and meeting many interesting people every night! Be aware you will get plenty of people interested in you and solo traveling  as well. I finally have a cruise on Rotterdam 11/5 that will really happen!

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On 10/16/2021 at 12:42 PM, nesila said:

Anyone doing Royal spring trip out of Cape Liberty? I'm considering (because it is local to me in NJ) but unsure what the solo scene is like. Feedback welcome!

 

 I'm doing Royal out of Cape Liberty late January. 11 night cruise. Not sure what to expect solo because so many things are different right now. Windjammer closed for dinner which pushes you to the MDR. Seems like not all the bars are open, some events are not being held etc. I'm hoping things ease by the Jan. 31 sail date. Was going to book the Unlimited Dining Package but that seems to have disappeared. 

 

I'm more excited for my solo cruise going Transatlantic in April on NCL. I'm in the solo studio cabin area and overall it just seems like the vibe is more geared for solo travelers overall.

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On 9/14/2021 at 8:57 PM, bottomfeeder said:

Yesterday I booked the Viking Ocean Hawaii cruise leaving December 4th.  Hoping it will be a go!  If any other solos book this one and would like to meet up over coffee or a meal in the buffet,  let me know!  🙂

 

I'm excited--Hawaii is the only US state I haven't been to yet.  

Oh Darn, I'm on Viking Ocean's December 20th to Hawaii. I'll get on when  you get off.

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On 10/17/2021 at 1:17 PM, nferr said:

 

 I'm doing Royal out of Cape Liberty late January. 11 night cruise. Not sure what to expect solo because so many things are different right now. Windjammer closed for dinner which pushes you to the MDR. Seems like not all the bars are open, some events are not being held etc. I'm hoping things ease by the Jan. 31 sail date. Was going to book the Unlimited Dining Package but that seems to have disappeared. 

 

I'm more excited for my solo cruise going Transatlantic in April on NCL. I'm in the solo studio cabin area and overall it just seems like the vibe is more geared for solo travelers overall.

yes, NCL studios is great, and you know what to expect... other solos 🙂 

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On 10/15/2021 at 1:49 PM, MidwesternCruiser2 said:

3 winter B2B2B Caribbean solos...anyone with me on

Feb 13 Carnival Horizon

Feb 19 Holland Nieuw Amsterdam

Feb 26 Holland Nieuw Amsterdam

???

Hi MidwesternCruiser2!  I'm sailing on Nieuw Amsterdam solo on the April 7th canal transit.  It will be my first time on HAL and would love to hear your review of HAL Nieuw Amsterdam etc.   Thanks!!

 

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I have 6 cruises booked so far. If anyone is on these cruises I would love to meet up.

 

2 b2b.                                                              Carnival Freedom 11/27/2022 and 12/03/2022.

Carnival Sunrise 05/11/2023 and 05/15/2023.

 

Carnival Panorama 12/03/2023.

Carnival Miracle 12/10/2023.

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14 hours ago, FunChicago said:

Hi MidwesternCruiser2!  I'm sailing on Nieuw Amsterdam solo on the April 7th canal transit.  It will be my first time on HAL and would love to hear your review of HAL Nieuw Amsterdam etc.   Thanks!!

 

Hi Fun!

The one thing about Nieuw Amsterdam I didn't like was being on Panorama deck forward: you couldn't walk through that deck front to back, and it made going to dinner (MDR) a trek.  Other than that, I loved the ship.  Big enough, but not overwhelming.  Well maintained.  Nice decor.
The best thing about HAL is the staff.  Of all the cruise lines I've sailed, I think theirs is the best.  They're efficient and professional, but they become friends with passengers quickly and they pay attention to preferences.  When I sail NA in February, my cabin steward and his assistant will still be onboard and I'm sure I'll seek them out for a hello.  My dining room head waiter and assistant will also be onboard and I will ask to be seated at their table, if possible.

If you're in to music, BB King's (rock, motown, soul) always has the best talent (seven of my eight sailings had that venue and I rarely missed a night).  Billboard Onboard talent was incredible this last cruise, but I can't always say that's been true - still, it's never been awful :-]
HAL's food, I think, is really good...and I'm a very picky eater.  By the end of the last cruise, my table mates made fun of my pickiness, but it never prevented me from finding something on the menu I liked -- and everything I ordered was perfect.  If you're a mac & cheese fan, don't pass theirs up.  And paying for the jumbo shrimp cocktail at dinner is well worth it!

My last cruise on NA was to Alaska...pool wasn't used much and I'm not into public hot tubs, so not much I can share there.  HAL's spa is consistently the same on its ships.  If you like a good soak or a heated lounger with a nice view, the thermalpass might be for you, but FYI the sauna is free.  The spa does a pretty hard sell the first day, but after that, it calms down, and their best sales are during port days.

SeaView Bar (aft Lido) is the perfect sail away location.   And watch Navigator for the daily 'Happy Hours.'  Usually two of them (3-4pm and another around 9pm) at two bars.  They offer buy one get second for $2 (same drink).  The bartenders are friendly and are happy to make a recipe you bring onboard.

Another thing I like about Holland is pre-ordering a bottle to have drinks in my room.  Much cheaper than other lines...for example, a liter of Bacardi is about $80.  You can carry on one bottle of wine per person at no charge.  Others get an $18 corkage fee...and if you take your own bottle to the dining room, there's also a corkage fee.  But, if you like an inexpensive wine from home, it may be cheaper to do that.  Onboard wine bottles start at $30 (for Barefoot).  And, if you only drink a glass or two, they'll cork it and have it ready the next night (no extra charge).

If you're in to classical music, you'll like The Lincoln Center performances.  If you're into nature and earth, the BBC shows are really well done.  And my friends who are foodies tell me the onboard test kitchen is fun.  I went once and it's like a live cooking show.
I'm not a big fan of ship excursions -- usually search for independents -- so I can't really brag about Holland's tours.  Sorry.
Not sure what else you might be interested in, but I hope this helps, and if you have questions, feel free to ask.

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Hi MidwesternCruiser!

Thank you very much for all the great info!  That sounds like a great ship and a great cruise experience to look forward to.  HAL sounds like my cup of tea!! I love all types of music so it sounds like nice venues to choose from.  April is a great month to cruise after a long and cold Chicago winter!  I wish it was sooner!!  I'm glad to hear such a positive revue.  I already ordered some wine for the room and they included the drink package when I booked the cruise so I should be all set in the cocktail department. I splurged and booked one of the cabanas on the pool deck for the cruise.  It should be nice to have a nice place to relax or have lunch during the days.  (sleep, read, people watch) 🙂

Thanks again counting the days till the next cruise!!

Rick 

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You're so welcome @FunChicago!  That's what we do here: love cruising and help each other!  A cabana in the canal sounds like an excellent idea.  You're in for a great time for sure.
I know our winters (southern IL near St Louis) aren't quite as bad as yours, but escaping them is a huge enticement to cruise.  This will be my first time sailing for three weeks in the winter and I know I'll love it, so I hope it's the start of an annual tradition.
Have been to Chicago for St Pat's a few times.  Love being on the river as it changes to green.  And people watching is pretty good too.

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4 minutes ago, VOYOV said:

A question: somebody knows if we can share table in the MDR or just for a party ? 

Difficult to make new friends dining alone .  

You can ask to be seated with a group - even a group of singles/solos, if the line offers that.  On HAL, you can also request the size of the group you dine with.

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Okay, so one of these days I will actually get on a Carnival ship... I was booked on Magic next May but my brother is getting married around the same time so that one went into the cancellation file. I've replaced it with a July sailing on NCL Spirit, which will spend the next two summers in Alaska.

 

So now here's the latest version...

December 3 and 6: Navigator of the Seas b2b (7 days total)

January 30: Celebrity Edge

June 13: Quantum of the Seas (lift & shift from June 2020)

July 13: NCL Spirit (5-day)

September 23: NCL Prima transatlantic

January 29, 2023: NCL Breakaway (the vlogger cruise)

March 5 2023: NCL Prima

 

While I want to hop onto NCL Bliss for the April LA->Vancouver move, pricing is higher than I'd like right now. Hoping that will slide into solo-friendly territory. If it does, I'll move the Spirit sailing to 2023.

 

And did anyone else notice that NCL has restored the "Solo Cruiser Discount" search filter?!?

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