Weeklong solo as my first-ever cruise?

[kessdarln]

Now that think about it, thanks goodness I don't travel with them - I don't even a moment of peace when I use the bathroom while visiting family; let alone when going anywhere with them. Not traveling with them is for the best...[emoji15]

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

 

You crack me up. I do LOVE to travel alone. I feel it's the only time when no one is hovering around or asking me to do something. I enjoy being around people on the ship or a tour, but able to do what I want or not and not worry about if someone else is having fun or not - or them spoiling my plans - or lack of plans. :D

[rella15]

I love to cruise and need a get away in August. I usually cruise with Carnival out of Galveston but they don't offer single pricing. What are the cruise lines with studio rooms or will waive the single supplement price?

[perditax]

I love to cruise and need a get away in August. I usually cruise with Carnival out of Galveston but they don't offer single pricing. What are the cruise lines with studio rooms or will waive the single supplement price?

 

 

I only know of the NCL epic-class ships off topic of my head: epic, breakaway, getaway, and upcoming escape?

 

There seem be other ways to avoid paying the supplement or paying a reduced supplement, but i haven't quite worked out how that happens.

[Earl Colby Pottinger]

I only know of the NCL epic-class ships off topic of my head: epic, breakaway, getaway, and upcoming escape?

 

There seem be other ways to avoid paying the supplement or paying a reduced supplement, but i haven't quite worked out how that happens.

 

Sign up for their (cruise-line) mailings. I have seen big discounts for some sailings from Florida (I am assuming someone in Texas can get to Florida cheaper than I spend getting from Toronto Canada.

 

Example there was a 24 sale on an 11 day cruise that normally is listed at $1048 a per person with double occupancy. The sale price was something like $329 per person, and I checked for just going by myself. I don't remember the final numbers but it was less than $800 for a 11 day cruise to San Juan.

 

The 10 day cruise back (different islands even) was about $900 with the 100% single supplement, so in all 21 days of solo cruising for less than $1700.

 

I call that a bargain, I would be on that ship if I had not already booked a trip to Quebec, a flight to Cuba and another cruise from Alaska.

 

I have not mentioned which cruise line because I think that might count as advertising, am I right?

 

But you have to do the signing up, and you have to keep on your toes to get the bargains, they come and go very fast.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Earl Colby Pottinger

[wichitastatecruiser]

I love to cruise and need a get away in August. I usually cruise with Carnival out of Galveston but they don't offer single pricing. What are the cruise lines with studio rooms or will waive the single supplement price?

 

Besides NCL, RCCL Quantum class ships have solo rooms, they even have "super studios" that include a balcony. The new Oasis class Harmony will have interior studios but don't think will have "super" ones.

[kessdarln]

FYI! NCL Getaway still has the studio rooms for $422 pretax in Dec. 2016.

[luvjftffc]

Anthem, Quantum, Harmony, Brilliance, Radiance and Serenade have solo cabins as well.

[perditax]

Hi guys. OP here. I booked! June 20 on the NCL Getaway, studio.

 

I'm bumping this thread with some additional questions, not getting any bites in the NCL forums, would appreciate anyone's input.

 

So I've never cruised before. I've done extensive reading about cruising in the last six months, but most of it has been regarding either DCL, or some of the NCL 'drama' (i.e., I'm familiar with the room service changes, the 'take food from buffet drama', etc). But I a few gaps in basic knowledge and very little time to fill them.

 

--On DCL, you're not supposed to bring power strips. Is that also true on NCL?

 

--Do I need to bring my own hair products/toiletries?

 

--What to do I do with my luggage when I get to the Port of Miami (via shuttle)? Will it be obvious who I hand it off to?

 

--Can any recent Getaway cruisers comment on whether the unlimited internet package is worth it? Meaning, does the internet work fast enough for basic (non-graphically intensive) web browsing a decent amount of the time?

 

--I definitely want a spa week pass. Do these ACTUALLY ever sell out? If they do, can anyone share with me their strategies to score one early? Is it basically 'board and go right to the spa to purchase'?

 

--Any secret/quiet places for chillout time?

 

--I booked Burn the Floor. What does the reservation actually do for me? I show up and they just let me or, or do I get an assigned seat?

Edited June 15, 2015 by perditax

[Earl Colby Pottinger]

Hi guys. OP here. I booked! June 20 on the NCL Getaway, studio.

 

I'm bumping this thread with some additional questions, not getting any bites in the NCL forums, would appreciate anyone's input.

 

I cruised on the NCL Epic in March 2015, so I hope I can help a little. I was doing solo in an inside room, not a solo room.

 

--On DCL, you're not supposed to bring power strips. Is that also true on NCL?

 

I don't know, the two power ports were under the counter where the sink and fridge are. In my case since I needed to charge more than one device at a time I used a dual USB power adapter that let me charge two devices at once and still had a plug free for my heavier power needs like my laptop. I is an older model that needs a lot of power to charge and use it at the same time.

 

--Do I need to bring my own hair products/toiletries?

 

If you have any favorites then I would say yes, unlike my Carnival cruises where there were a number of single use products (advertising placement?) the Epic only had a body wash and a shampoo in the dispensers found in the showers. You will not go wrong if you carry some small bottles of the sops and lotions you prefer.

 

--What to do I do with my luggage when I get to the Port of Miami (via shuttle)? Will it be obvious who I hand it off to?

 

I always pack to do my own carry-on but if you make sure you the tags properly filled out (listing your name, ship and room number) the porters are just outside the terminal that you enter for your ship will take it and it will be delivered to your front door while you board the ship. You may have to wait an extra hour or two before delivery - just make sure the tags are filled out properly and attached to the luggage so they are not easy to come off.

 

--Can any recent Getaway cruisers comment on whether the unlimited internet package is worth it? Meaning, does the internet work fast enough for basic (non-graphically intensive) web browsing a decent amount of the time?

 

Again I was on the Epic, but for non-graphic uses IE. Yahoo e-mail, Cruise Critics, Haiku-OS, Slashdot.org and other text mostly websites it worked fine.

 

--I definitely want a spa week pass. Do these ACTUALLY ever sell out? If they do, can anyone share with me their strategies to score one early? Is it basically 'board and go right to the spa to purchase'?

 

I know nothing, Nothing, NOTHING!

 

--Any secret/quiet places for chillout time?

 

Adult deck was very quiet, searching around I found some quiet rooms near the theater, also in the Epic the library room was split into two separate rooms and I always notice one of them was almost always empty. You could not go to the secret decks like you could on Carnival. But I did sneak there while the ship was in port and not moving. I don't think you would be allowed normally and the signs clearly say the doors should be lock closed when the ship is moving.

 

One place I found to be very quiet is the solo lounge in the morning the late evening. In the afternoon it is a big meeting place for all the solo cruisers and can be quite busy. But there are few people in the morning. And late at night it always empty.

 

--I booked Burn the Floor. What does the reservation actually do for me? I show up and they just let me or, or do I get an assigned seat?

 

I don't know what that is.

[Earl Colby Pottinger]

I just checked my Breeze pictures for December 2014, and the shower pictures show Carnival also only had body wash and shampoo available.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Earl Colby Pottinger

[perditax]

Again I was on the Epic, but for non-graphic uses IE. Yahoo e-mail, Cruise Critics, Haiku-OS, Slashdot.org

 

I appreciate all your answers, but wanted to single out the above. I don't usually see a lot of other techies around here. :)

[Thoie]

Us techies are here, just in hiding. We don't want to spend our cruise time providing support to people who've just bought new devices for their holiday :)

Edited June 16, 2015 by Thoie

[perditax]

Us techies are here, just in hiding. We don't want to spend our cruise time providing support to people who've just bought new devices for their holiday :)

 

I must confess that I just made a note to pack my Logitech Harmony remote control to see if I can bypass the HDMI input lock on my cabin's television. >.>

 

I'll report back.

Edited June 16, 2015 by perditax

[Earl Colby Pottinger]

Us techies are here, just in hiding. We don't want to spend our cruise time providing support to people who've just bought new devices for their holiday :)

 

When I go cruising i find myself always having to explain to people that I don't stream videos but rather I downloaded them into my computer ahead of time to watch, the same goes for the slashdot discussions and other websites people see me reading.

 

All downloaded before the cruise or while in port where there was a free WIFI access point. I use only a few minute of internet on the ships (about 30 minutes for a week's trip), but people still think I have some secret way to use the ship's WIFI anywhere and anytime on the ships.

[Truluv]

Wonder if Stacy is back yet, and how it went? I'm leaving for my first solo on RCL this weekend. Kindle is fully charged and ready to go!

[Zippeedee]

Wonder if Stacy is back yet, and how it went? I'm leaving for my first solo on RCL this weekend. Kindle is fully charged and ready to go!

If Stacy is Perditax she has a running thread on the NCL board live from her trip. Sounds like a great time!

[Truluv]

Thanks. I'll go check it out!

[perditax]

When I go cruising i find myself always having to explain to people that I don't stream videos but rather I downloaded them into my computer ahead of time to watch, the same goes for the slashdot discussions and other websites people see me reading.

 

All downloaded before the cruise or while in port where there was a free WIFI access point. I use only a few minute of internet on the ships (about 30 minutes for a week's trip), but people still think I have some secret way to use the ship's WIFI anywhere and anytime on the ships.

 

Hah! I came locked and loaded. (I didn't end up watching much video while ON the ship, but I needed it for airports/flights/etc.) And I synced a lot of Spotify playlists and many podcasts locally before I left civilization. Also, I determined that you can defeat some of the filtering that happens on NCL's internet portal by putting up a VPN. (No VPN = iMessage photo attachments would never complete; VPN = completed.)

 

I'm not Stacy, but I'm the thread's OP, and I ended up having an AWESOME time.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2224767

 

(Note that my first few 'ughs' are in regards to things happening IN FORT LAUDERDALE, not on the ship. Apparently that dissuaded at least one reader from going further. That said, FLL is terrible.)

Edited July 1, 2015 by perditax