NCL Escape Solo Cruiser Review -- 6NT W. Caribbean Aug. 28, 2016

[soloscientist]

Norwegian Escape review and itinerary from a late-20s solo cruiser staying in a Balcony cabin.

 

I'll be posting this as a couple entries just because it is pretty long. This is also my first review so I'm not sure how the formatting will turn out.

 

Feel free to leave comments or questions and I will try to keep up.

 

I have cruised previously on other lines with my family but I went solo for the first time. Below I provide a review of my solo experience and first time on NCL that focuses on specific topics (e.g. cabins, service, entertainment), especially those of interest to solos (e.g. studio lounge). I also provide detailed daily itineraries to show that I really did have fun and did (read, ate :)) a lot on and off the ship. Hopefully this can help other solos decide whether NCL is the line for them or convince someone on the fence to try out solo cruising.

 

Rationale for choosing NCL:

I decided to go with NCL since they offered the studio cabins, guaranteeing that there would be other solos onboard. From reading reviews on CC, it seemed that NCL would be the best option to meet others and find companions for dinner. I had looked into RCCL as some of their newer ships had solo cabins, but they make no effort to attract solo cruisers or cater to them onboard, which is unfortunate. Also, NCL had solo cruiser and last minute discounts, unlike RCCL.

 

Full disclosure: This review contains my personal opinions. If you do not like or want to read my personal opinions or about my ship activities, please click the following link to be redirected to a video of some puppies

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If you do want to read, please continue and be kind in the comments. First time review. Fair warning, I write detailed reports for a living, so I can get a little long winded. Do I get a prize for longest NCL review?

 

Also, your experience solo cruising may vary. I think my first solo cruise was great due to a combination of factors.

1. Preparation: Reading reviews here on CC, watching YouTube videos, doing my research. I knew about the extra charges for certain activities and budgeted appropriately. I knew about the UDP and UBP and how to use them properly.
   
2. Solo Coordinator: An awesome solo coordinator, Aldean. She made this whole thing run smoothly and took a lot of the hassle out of the trip onboard. Invaluable.
   
3. CC Roll Call: Joining the roll call on CC gives you a chance to meet other cruisers as well as the officers at the organized meet and greet, who can help with things like Studio Lounge access.
   
4. Great group of solo cruisers: I hung out with two cruise critic solo cruisers most of the cruise and with several other solos ranging in age from 30 to 55. I might have been the youngest solo cruiser in the group but it did not matter. The varied interests and tastes meant I tried things that I might not have on my own e.g. 80s dance party (thanks OhMyCher), all of the food on the ship (thanks PhillyDad).
   

 

Let's begin....

[MrsPhoenix91]

Great start to your review - looking forward to more!

[PhillyDad]

Yay! So looking forward to reading this. Looks great so far :-)

[soloscientist]

Part 1

SUMMARY:

Before getting into the nitty gritty details, I just want to say that this was an awesome solo cruise, nice ship, great price, wonderful cabin, good food, great entertainment, great itinerary and excursions, near perfect weather, great solo coordinator, fun group of solos, with mediocre service and nearly worthless iConcierge App.

 

CABIN (4.5/5 stars):

I ended up booking a balcony a month out because the solo cruiser deal for a Balcony GTY (BX--no UBP) was only $100 or so more than the Studio cabin (w/ UBP). I do not drink much so not getting the Unlimited Beverage Package (UBP) was not a big deal. For maybe $350 more I could have picked my room and chosen the UBP and the dining package (UDP), but I decided it was not worth it since the restaurants I wanted to try were not included (Food Republic) or required an up charge (Bayamo) and it was a short cruise. I was assigned a cabin on 11 FWD only a little bit past the Studio Lounge. I also ended up being on the ship side facing port when we docked, which provided a nice view.

 

Noise: Not very sound proof. I could hear conversations sometimes next door. Also, you could hear any toilet flushed within a mile (not really), but it is a super strong vacuum system. It could take down a small animal. I could also hear people out on the balcony when the door was closed. Not a deal breaker.

 

Bed and sofa: Beds were comfy and I had four pillows all to myself, but the sofa was hard and I have a hard time imagining a third guest sleeping on it that is over the age of 30.

 

Storage, minibar and stuff: I had boatloads *hehe* of space as a single person in a Balcony intended for two. Plenty of storage for all of my stuff. I rearranged my mini bar to hold bottles of water and Diet Coke purchased post-security. Nice safe in closet that displayed the code after it was locked so you could double check that it was entered correctly.

 

TV: If you are used to all the TV channels on RCCL, you will be sorely disappointed here. There was one movie channel and one popular show channel plus CNBC, MSNBC, FOX NEWS, and BBC Worldwide. No foreign language channels. Also, announcements are done only in English. No Spanish or German. Maybe on sailings with more international travelers they do other languages?

 

Bathroom: Standard cruise cabin bathroom. Nice and clean, plenty of shelves for toiletries. Clothes line in shower. Good sized shower for someone who is 5'4". Bar soap, hand soap, body lotion, conditioning shampoo (no conditioner) and body wash were provided. I believe the scent was Cucumber Mint. Again, powerful but loud toilet, which I will take any day over a broken one. The Mini-suites had an upgraded shower with jets and more room in the shower, but that was the only difference from the Balcony and not worth the up charge, in my opinion.

 

General: I liked the layout and thought it was similar to the RCCL Oasis cabins. My bed was next to the balcony and I thought I would not like it, but ended up loving sitting in bed and watching the sunrise.

 

The room's lights and power were controlled by your key card being placed in a slot by the door. This feature turned the power on and switched the hall indicator to "At Home". The problem was if you had devices charging (plenty of outlets and 2 USB ports) when you left the room and took your card, the power turned off and devices stopped charging. I got around this by putting my AAA card in the slot when I left if I needed to charge an iPad or camera. This feature also increased the chances of accidentally leaving your key card in the cabin and getting locked out, as others did. Bigger problem when you are solo and the only person with a key to your room.

 

No real complaints aside from soundproofing issues and the power feature. The carpet did have a stain in the middle of the room and I was surprised that it had not been replaced. Also, when the sun hit the wood panels of the closet, you could see streaks left from the oils on people's hands. Other than that, the cabin was spotless, a good use of space, and I loved having the balcony and probably spent at least an hour there every day.

 

Towel creature menagerie

 

SHIP (5/5 stars):

Brand new and beautiful ship, just the right size. Easy to get around. Skipped the elevators in favor of the stairs. They had pools, water slides, putt putt, basketball, ping pong, an adults only beach area and a ropes course. One of the other solo travelers tried out the slides and had a good time. Deck 11 was nicely positioned, away from the noise but only a few decks from the action. I found this ship to be just the right size whereas the RCCL Oasis was too big.

 

It was easy for me to find lounge chairs on a sunny at sea day. The waterfront on deck 8 was a wonderful place to grab a chair and watch the ocean. Pretty much could always find a seat at a bar or a table by the window at the Garden Cafe.

 

The public bathrooms could use more frequent cleanings, not dirty but there was water on the sinks and floors. Also, it was hard to tell if people were in the bathroom stalls or not because the doors were closed and there was no lock or unlock indicator. That was the only flaw I could find.

 

Ship in Cozumel

 

Color changing chandelier between decks 8,7,6

 

Water slide over the edge of the ship

[soloscientist]

Part 2

 

STUDIO LOUNGE (4/5 stars, if you have access):

On Deck 11, the Lounge was where the solos met nightly to determine dinner plans. There was a wine dispenser (extra charge, not included in UBP), coffee maker (free, a nice one) and cookies and pastries available all day. It reminded me of being in a finished basement because there was a low ceiling, but the bright white on the walls kept it from feeling claustrophobic. No bar in this Lounge. A waiter comes by at 6 to take a drink order during the nightly gathering.

 

Solo gathering: First night we met at Tobacco Road since a number of solo travelers were in balconies and even the Haven. We then went to the Lounge and signed up for shows on lists providing name and cabin number. The solo coordinator, Aldean, made all the show reservations based on these lists. Every night we met here at 6pm and Aldean would make reservations for groups of solo travelers for either Taste, Manhattan, or O'Sheehans. One night we had a supper club show with complimentary dinner, so we did not meet in the lounge that evening but at the supper club instead. First night there were probably 40-50 solos at the gathering and on the last evening, only 15-20 as groups had been established and plans made independently. You will not want for dinner companions or people to see shows with as long as you show up for the gatherings, but make sure you attend the first night to get show reservations and introduce yourself to everyone.

 

This brings me to my slight annoyance with NCL. If you are a solo not in the Studios, you do not receive Studio Lounge access unless you talk to the right people, as in Jovo, head of the hotel, not Guest Services. I wish NCL would provide Studio Lounge access to all solo travelers who request it. Some CC members received access by talking to Jovo, but I did not request it. It might have been nice to be able to pop by during the day to see if anyone was free to grab lunch or go to an activity. Aldean opened the studio lounge at 5:45 every evening for the solo gathering.

 

And before anyone says it, I know it is the "Studio" and not "Solo" lounge, so only Studio occupants should have access for which they paid. However, there are not that many solos on the ship and it would just be easier and nicer if they gave complimentary access to solos that request it from Guest Services. I am sure that they can verify whether a person qualifies as a solo and award access accordingly. I think those upgraded or given upsells by the cruise line when they originally booked a studio should also retain lounge access, at the very least.

 

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS (5/5 stars):

Do them. Period. Get off the ship.

 

On the Western Caribbean trip, as a young single woman, I only felt comfortable being alone (not with an excursion or group) in Cozumel, but even there I did not go past the shopping area and stayed in sight of police and ship security. Do not go alone into Roatan. One of the guys walked there and said it was not safe. Belize I would not walk into alone either. The port area, however, is safe to wander around and shop.

 

I booked my excursions through a third party I have used in the past. I was nervous doing this since I thought it might be safer with NCL since I did not want to end up stranded by myself. But, it was almost 60% less to do the same excursions booked via a third party. I booked Zip-lining in Roatan and Cave Tubing in Belize. You can read more below in the itinerary, but they were awesome. Professional operations and back with plenty of time to spare to catch the ship or tender. Actually, the NCL tours were hours late in Belize, but the ship will wait for those tours. That is what the extra money buys you: peace of mind. Though, many third party sites offer missed ship protection.

 

Be prepared to be the third, fifth, seventh wheel on an excursion unless you are lucky to be grouped with a family of five or find another solo traveler on your excursion, as I did. It works out, regardless, so do not let that make you hesitate in booking something. Also, expect to get the questions: All by yourself? Just you? And all variations.

 

I think that everyone who went into port that was solo did so alone. Most of us had pre-booked excursions, and so we did our own things on days in port. Some booked with NCL and others like me booked third party. I just got lucky the one day I joined up with another solo in Belize on the same excursion. People have different interests while in port: action, relaxation, shopping, pharmacy run. Do what you want, you will enjoy it.

 

No pics or videos since I lost my camera but I'll throw some from my phone into my itinerary threads.

[soloscientist]

Part 3

 

Still with me?

 

FOOD (4/5 stars):

I talk more about food in my itinerary below, but I will give a run down.

 

Taste and Manhattan Room: We ate in the two Main Dining Rooms, Taste and Manhattan. The food was the same between the two MDRs, just a different atmosphere. The first few nights the food was under seasoned and sometimes overcooked, but after the third night, things turned around and food was excellent. Service was mediocre.

 

It is disappointing that there is no lobster night and it is a ~$25 up charge for lobster or certain cuts of beef. There is a portion of the menus that contains what I would call classic dishes and does not change night to night, where you can find steak and lobster for an up charge. The left side of the menu changes nightly, but contains mostly dishes appealing to an American palate.

 

Desserts were very good and they had an excellent pastry chef onboard. The Garden Cafe also had very good desserts and an excellent made-to-order crepe bar, plus tons of pies and cakes, scooped and soft serve ice cream.

 

Garden Cafe: The buffet had good variety and the food was tasty. I ate here for lunch when I was on the ship. It was laid out well so that lines did not accumulate and some stations repeated, so it helped disperse the crowds. Plates were cleared away promptly but unlike buffets on other ships, no servers came around offering drinks.

 

O'Sheehans (aka the-Irish-place-no-one-could-pronounce): They had a prime rib night that we tried and it was ok. But the wings and other pub style food we tried were excellent. It is positioned one deck up from the atrium and you can look down to watch different performances held there, so you could eat and be entertained.

 

Bayamo: Restaurant by Iron Chef Jose Garces. Excellent food and service. Delicious lobster salad, shrimp main course, and chocolate hazelnut dessert. More info in itinerary below.

 

Food Republic: Three visits, need I say more? Must try. Great for lunch or a quick snack before or after dinner. Not open for lunch while in port, which was unfortunate, but good news for my onboard spending account. More info in itinerary below.

 

Pincho: Another restaurant by Jose Garces. Yummy. Stop in for a few small plates to go with drinks before dinner or for lunch. More info in itinerary below.

 

I do not typically take photos of my food so hopefully some of the other CC members on my trip could post some.

 

DRINKS (3.5/5 stars):

Most people onboard had the UBP and it seemed that I was receiving watered down drinks as a result, as they tried to keep passengers from getting completely smashed. I am not averse to laying down $12-$15 for a cocktail after living in the city, but I expect it to have the commensurate amount of liquor in it. Depending on which bar you were at, drinks were made to different strengths, trending a little light on the liquor. I am the girl who had one drink and is done for the night, but there were drinks so weak I could have two cocktails and a glass of wine and be completely sober at the end of the night.

 

There were some bars that could pour a good cocktail. The Sugarcane Mojito Bar, with an excellent bartender who would top me off with more Raspberry Guava Mojito, and the Headliner Lounge, where they gave a nice pour of Gin for my G&T. Also, the Atrium Bar had a bartender who made a mean Moscow Mule (drink of the day). The Rebellious Fish (drink of the day) was delicious even though it was little light on the liquor.

 

Also, a note to those drinking non-alcoholic drinks, the iced tea tastes like dirt. Hot tea is just Lipton brand with a few flavor options. And, as many know, only Pepsi products are served onboard and you can no longer bring soda or water onboard. I am a person who only drinks Diet Coke and was resigned to drinking water all the time and so I had pre-ordered a pack of bottled water. Luckily, I found a vending machine with Diet Coke in the embarkation waiting area and purchased five 20oz bottles at the reasonable price of $2 each to bring aboard. I would purchase the soda package if it were Coke products, but not for Pepsi.

Edited September 6, 2016 by soloscientist

[soloscientist]

Part 4

 

Yep, there's more!

 

ENTERTAINMENT (5/5 stars):

So much to do, so little time.

 

Howl at the Moon (dueling pianos) was the best act on the ship. I spent hours at this venue and the performers were great, the audience was fun, and the music was so good. Coupled with some of the best bartenders and frequent rounds by the waiters, it was the place to be.

 

After Midnight: No plot but great performers in a musical review of 1920s/30s Harlem club music. Some of the singers were just outstanding. Felt a little long but it was an entertaining show. I do, however, prefer musicals with a more substantial/traditional plot and some dialogue and so it was not my favorite show.

 

Brat Pack: 80s music/movies lovers, this is the place for you. Energetic performance with a plot and highly recognizable characters, lines, and songs from the John Hughes movies Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. Great set, music, and interaction with the audience. Not safe for kids.

 

Supper Club Frankie Valli Tribute with Dinner: I felt like I was in the car with my dad choosing the radio station, in a good way. Walk Like a Man, Big Girls Don't Cry, and more hits performed by a four member group. It was a fun and short performance with excellent dinner and service. Shortened Jersey Boys musical.

 

Comedians: Saw Flip (Schultz?), the family friendly show and it was good. He also performed with Howl at the Moon on two nights and was excellent. Did not get to check out the other comedians. I believe the comedians change cruise to cruise.

 

Also, went to Karaoke and listened to other performers (District Brew House pianist *meh, classical piano with Mayya in atrium, Golden Octaves, Manhattan dining room band) scattered throughout the ship. Everyone was good, though these acts were not as memorable. I did not care for the DJ at the 80s dance party, but then again, I do not care for most disco events.

 

View from O'Sheehans down into the Atrium, classical music with Maya

 

Cruise Director (Tyler) : I am not sure exactly what his role was, but I will put it under entertainment. He showed up at various events playing a female teacher in Brat Pack, was a drummer with Howl at the Moon, and dressed in wacky costumes at the pool for different games. He was entertaining. I do not know when he had a chance to sleep.

 

SPA (4/5 stars):

I tried the thermal spa on a day pass and had a pedicure. More explained in my itinerary. Beautiful facilities and most of the staff was nice. Knocked down a star because of poor service the first day and sometimes the steam room, sauna, and snow rooms were not functioning properly. I recommend a visit if you like spas.

[soloscientist]

Part 5

 

On to the good and not so good.

 

SERVICE: (2.5/5 stars):

I am not the pickiest person (really, I promise) and I give this rating in comparison to RCCL, where I received the best cruise ship service. There was great service (Aldean, Jovo, specialty restaurant staff, bartenders, some Guest Services staff), and the mediocre to poor service (Guest Services, room steward, MDR staff).

 

I will start with excellent service first:

 

Aldean: Solo coordinator who made this cruise excellent, corralling all the solos, making all of our reservations, and telling us where to go every evening. She even got me into a dinner show I forgot to sign up for. She was a shining example of great service and fun to be around. Plus, she sent complimentary chocolates to all the solos and brought out the champagne at the farewell dinner. I left a tip for Aldean since she was essentially a solo cruiser concierge and did her job perfectly, and was not covered by the daily service charge. I would have tipped extra even if she had been covered because she was outstanding.

 

Jovo: Head of hotel services, who we met at the CC Meet and Greet, was great at making you feel valued and helping out with any problems. Two days in a row I received chocolates in my stateroom compliments of him for no apparent reason. Even though I know it does not really cost the cruise line anything to do this, the gesture is nice and leaves a good impression. Just being remembered goes a long way to creating a favorable impression of the cruise. Also, he was able to get Studio Lounge access for solos at the M&G who asked for it.

 

Mmmm...complimentary chocolates and strawberries from Jovo and Aldean

 

Manhattan hostess: I was confused about the farewell dinner time in the Manhattan room and the hostess called Aldean, after phoning around for her number, to get the info for me. Very polite and did her best to help me out even though she was busy.

 

Specialty Restaurants and Supper Club Waiters: Service was excellent. At Food Republic, the waiters were fast with the food (ordered via iPad). The hostess remembered me from the multiple times we visited and was able to let me know if my party had arrived or not. In Bayamo, the staff explained each dish brought out to the table and served everyone at the same time, starting with the ladies. They asked the ladies first for their orders and placed food in front of us first. I am a 21st century woman and do not care if I get served first, but the gesture did not go unnoticed by myself or older cruisers. Pincho servers also told us about each plate they brought out.

 

Room Service: Room service comes with a $7.95 service charge unless you are ordering the cold continental breakfast items. I ordered breakfast service two mornings in port and the orders were perfect and delivered on time, so I handed over some cash as tip as no receipt was provided to put the tip on the cabin. Extra tea bags were provided when requested, half orders of pastries when requested (normally two in an order). The only bad thing was when they delivered someone else's breakfast to my room at 6:30am on a day I intended to sleep in.

 

Photographers: You may wonder why I mention them, because I hardly interacted with them, and that is the reason I bring it up. I was always hounded on other ships for photos at embarkation or dinner or shows or while walking through the ship or in port. The photographers here were very polite, not pushy, and I could easily slip past them. No blinding flashes in my face while at dinner. There if you wanted them, left you alone if you were not in need of their services. Perfect.

 

And now to mediocre to poor service examples:

 

Steward: I did not meet my room steward for three days. I had to leave notes or call housekeeping to receive tissues and more beach towels that were taken for cleaning. I also felt I was in a continual thermostat war, as it was always on the coldest setting when I got back, but perhaps this is a ship feature. I was particularly unhappy with my steward because he did not inform me of balcony washing so I got wet when out on the balcony. He did leave cute towel animals, provided fresh linens when required, and kept my cabin cleaned, so he performed the basic functions of the job so I had no problem with having prepaid the service charge that covered his services. Normally, I tip on top of the service charge but not this time, mainly due to the window washer incident.

 

Guest Services: It was a hit or miss experience. I called to ask a question, no one picked up and it did not even connect to voicemail. I called after the window washing incident and they were completely indifferent and told me that I did not see the notice (there was not one, I triple checked). I did not really expect them to do anything but they could not even tell me when the next window washing would be or how to find out. Guest Services was understaffed and it was always a long wait, in person or on the phone. They were helpful when I left a sweater in the Manhattan and when I needed a copy of my passport, but when I went in search of a missing camera, they asked me for the serial number or a picture as if I always had it on hand. I felt like a burden whenever I went there. I did not even try to get Studio Lounge access from them because others reported that they were rude when they inquired.

 

Waiters: The first night at Taste, I thought we got a new waiter half way through because we started with a person who did not even say hello or ask if we wanted drinks, to someone who was joking with us by the end. Anytime we were at the main dining room, the staff never took time to talk about the dishes or even recommend a particular dish. An iPad could have done the same job. On RCCL, waiters had personalities and would go above and beyond to make sure everything was alright or offer to bring another dish if you could not make a decision between two, or even do it without asking.

 

My biggest problem with the food service was that when food was brought out for a large party (more than 4 people) they did not recruit extra waiters and served only a few people at a time. Being polite, we would wait for others to be served before eating and food would get cold.

 

Side Note: I think that I often flew under the radar because I look younger than I actually am. My fellow travelers said I looked like I belonged with a family and looked to be about 23 while in reality I'm nearly 30. This often meant I was overlooked more than other travelers due in part to my age, I think. This often happens to me in stores when I go shopping on land so is not unusual for me. When I went to the spa the first day to take a tour, I was completely ignored while others were approached and offered tours and consultations immediately. I guess it did not look like I wanted to spend money even though I was looking around and ended up purchasing a spa day pass and pedicure later during the cruise. When I was out in the pool area, bar staff/waiters never approached me to ask if I wanted a drink while taking orders from other people. Not sure if this was because I looked young or it was just flat out bad service. I often got the feeling that I was being ignored due to my age. However, bar staff were attentive when I was sitting at the bar and provided good service, especially when they saw I was alone.

 

FREESTYLE (3/5 stars):

While NCL promotes the Freestyle cruising concept, in reality it is not freestyle. You have to book tickets/reservations to most of the entertainment events, excursions, and specialty dinners to guarantee entry. There is always a standby option where tickets are released from reservations at ten till the event start, and I never had a problem getting into an event without a reservation. I guess dining is pretty freestyle, if you are a normal sized party of two or four, because you do not have to show up at a set time, unless you want to do specialty dining and make a reservation. If you are a large party, you need to make reservation even for the main dining rooms.

 

On the other hand, for solos, the dinner and entertainment are taken care of for the free bookings. Aldean booked everything for us in advance so it was practically freestyle because we showed up and already had tickets or reservations. Anything with an extra cost (Wine Lovers Musical, specialty restaurants, etc) you have to book on your own through the TV or app.

 

DRESS CODE (super relaxed, may not be for everyone):

You can get away with wearing pretty much anything. I saw people wearing robes down to Guest Services (perhaps locked out of their cabin?), swimsuits in the halls sans coverup, coverups in the Garden Cafe, shorts and t-shirts in the main dining rooms. However, one guy did have to go switch out of a tank top in the Manhattan room and another had to swap shorts for slacks when we went to Bayamo. The second night of the cruise was the closest thing to a formal night and I wore a knee-length dress that I would wear to work and a couple guys wore button up long-sleeved shirts with jeans, while others wore polos and slacks or t-shirts and shorts. This was about as dressed up as people got. I did not see any tuxes or suits and hardly any formal or cocktail dresses except on a wedding party.

[soloscientist]

Part 6

 

The poor iConcierge app.

 

NCL iConcierge App (2/5 stars):

Almost completely worthless. A lot of missing functionality and glitches. Hopefully someone from NCL reads this and takes note for improvement.

 

What do I expect from an app? Was the feature available (y/n)?

 

1. App to replace printed Freestyle Daily and TV/touchscreen -- no
   
   • See below. I needed the paper all the time because the app was so clunky and did not include a lot of relevant info.
     

[*]A map of the ship -- no

• Why was there no ship map? I had to go to the elevator where there was a directory/map, refer to a piece of paper I received the first day when boarding, or use the touch screens. I should be able to click an activity or bar/restaurant and the location pops up on the map on my phone.
  

[*]The daily cruise activities -- yes

• Good job but there was a glitch that if you went to the last day you could not go back without restarting the app.
  

[*]The ability to book shows -- yes

• You could book shows, but not delete them, which was annoying. You could not delete them on the tv either. Also, you booked your tender in the entertainment section. I do not consider a tender entertainment or an intuitive place to find it.
  

[*]The ability to see what I booked --no

• On my television I could see a daily calendar of my reservations and even add my third party excursions using the remote, but I could not see it on the app. You can not put a calendar in the app but you can on the tv?
  

[*]The ability to recognize that I am connected to the ship wifi and not say reconnect later and for the app to work properly -- not always

• It was a frustrating app to use. It kept saying I was not connected to the wifi. I had to repeatedly restart my phone and the app on the first night. It seemed to work later on with less issues, but I might have just gotten use to its glitches and pretty much stopped using it after two days because it was so clunky.
  

[*]Dinner menus --no

• Would be nice to have so that you could make the decision whether to go to the MDR or a specialty restaurant that night.
  

[*]A menu of spa prices -- no

• List spa prices and let me book the spa through the app.
  

[*]Weather -- no

• Printed in the daily but it would be nice to provide a weather report and outlook for the cruise since most of do not want to pay for cellular or wifi just to get the weather report.
  

[*]Messaging (low priority for a solo) -- yes

• You can message others with the app for $9.99 on the ship instead of using text messaging. Did not try it but I would hope it works.
  
• Supposedly you could also check your cabin voicemail, but something was wrong with my phone and the voicemail was not setup so it did not work.
  

[*]Restaurant hours each day -- no

• No, it told you to check the paper for hours. Some restaurants were only open for lunch on Sea Days and it would have been convenient to know opening and closing hours quickly via the app.
  

[*]The ability to connect both an iPad and iPhone without kicking the other off -- no

• It seems you can only connect one device per person. I had registered an iPhone and later registered an iPad and when I went back to the phone, it was no longer registered and had been kicked off the app
  

[*]Account charge review --yes!

• Great way to have immediate, real time info regarding onboard spending and transaction details.
  

 

Beta test your app and solicit feedback.

 

 

Almost done, summary next, then the itinerary. I warned you it would be long :)

[soloscientist]

Part 7

 

OVERALL RATING, IMPRESSIONS, AND THOUGHTS (4/5 stars):

I had an awesome solo cruise experience on NCL and would definitely do it again and recommend it to all solo cruisers. The main reason I knocked off a star was because of the service and the app. I think if the service gets even marginally better I could give it a 5 for 5 stars for the price paid.

 

Would I sail NCL again? As a solo cruiser, definitely yes. No other line attempts to cater to solo travelers seriously. NCL made the effort to have special fares and cabins for solos on multiple ships and provides a coordinator to arrange the dinners and shows. I am already looking into my next solo trip.

 

I might try NCL once with my family, but I suspect that my parents would still prefer RCCL due to the service issues. My grandparents would not appreciate some of the more adult entertainment options or the lack of dress code. A little too young of a ship for the 80-90 year old set.

 

The entertainment on the ship was excellent. I would love to try out a ship with a traditional musical and the Second City Comedy Group. Howl at the Moon is a must have on any ship I choose in the future. I also enjoyed the food, though they could be a little more adventurous. Drinks were so so depending on the bartenders. Desserts were delicious and the specialty restaurants are worth at least one try and the extra cost. If only they would switch to Coca-Cola products onboard and reduce the price of bottled water.

 

The people I met onboard were so friendly I actually worry my next cruise will not live up to expectations because the bar was set so high due to an excellent group of solos, a lot of whom are now friends and I have already been in contact with post-cruise, and the work of the solo coordinator, Aldean. Can you tell I loved her service?

 

Bottom line: Great cruise for the price, best line for solo travel, needs work in the service area, but I will definitely sail solo with NCL again due to the entertainment, pricing, yummy food, wonderful passengers, and targeted catering to solos. I highly recommend that other solo travelers try out the NCL Escape.

 

Detailed itineraries with more pics to follow, if you are still reading.

Edited September 6, 2016 by soloscientist

[soloscientist]

Below is an itinerary of what I did each day and what kinds of drink and food I tried with side notes and opinions thrown in. Additional details about transportation options, spa, restaurants, drink pricing, entertainment options included.

 

ITINERARY:

Day 1--Embarkation in Miami

1am: wake up

2:30am: Drive from Philly to BWI (had some airline points to use on SWA)

6:30am: Takeoff on SWA

8:40am: Land in FLL, hang out on taxi way for gate. We had a woman Captain!!!

9:30am: Pickup bags and grab pre-booked shared shuttle early (QLS Transportation --$15 FFL to Port of Miami compared to $25 for NCL shuttle). Highly recommend this option as the service was excellent from both dispatchers and drivers. We stopped twice at FLL hotels to pickup other families.

10:10am: Arrive at terminal, hand over checked luggage and head through security, get my sea pass, and get a boarding group 7 ticket. Super quick check-in, no lines. The time that I signed up for during check-in online apparently means nothing since no one said anything when I got there 30 min early.

 

Yeah! Cruise Ship!!!!

 

10:45am: Waiting...and waiting...waiting

10:50pm: Spotted the Coca-Cola machine and bought 5 x 20oz Diet Cokes ($10) to make it through the cruise. Would have bought more but did not have a ton of room in my bag.

11:45am: Boarding, I think, and head to eat at the Garden Cafe. Had turkey piccata, potatoes au gratin, and green beans with mushrooms. Did not realize the buffet wrapped all around. Hand sanitizer available everywhere but they were not forcing it on people.

12:30pm: Head to the room and begin to settle in.

1:00 pm: FaceTime with the parents to show them my lovely balcony and what they were missing when they decided not to travel with me.

1:30pm: 6 Liters of pre-ordered Aquafina arrived, warm, for the low low price of $27

2:00pm? Luggage delivered

3:30pm: Muster drill

5:30 pm: Set SAIL!!! Took awhile for CBP to clear us to leave.

6:00 pm: Solo meet and greet at Tobacco Road and then we head to the Studio Lounge and get squared away for dinner and the shows for the rest of the week.

7:00pm: Dinner at Taste -- so so waiter. Had the shrimp risotto and a crab and cheese soufflé (yummy). Cheesecake for dessert. Decent, not a lot of shrimp, not seasoned much.

9:00pm: Howl at the Moon with some of the other solo travelers. Great fun. Awesome pianists. Three guys rotating and the cruise director, Tyler, played the drums for about 45 min.

10:30pm: Turn in for the night after a G&T ($9.50+18%) and sleep like the dead for 11 hours (10 with the time change).

 

Day 2: At Sea --overcast and rainy

9:30am: Wakeup. Hang out in the bed because I am lazy, looking out the window. Overcast and gloomy outside. It was lightly raining. Invest 99L was hanging around.

11:00am: Went to the Cruise Critic M&G organized last minute by CrazyCruiseFamily aka Sonia. Had it at Cagney's and about 30 people showed up even though 75 RSVPd. NCL sent the officers with muffins and smoothies to snack on. Chatted with new people as well as many solo cruisers I had met the night before. Chatting with the officers led to some solos obtaining Lounge access.

12:00pm: CC cabin crawl organized on the fly by PhillyDad. Saw a 2bd Haven Suite (amazing), Aft facing Balcony (two lounge chairs and table with chairs), Balcony BX Fwd on 8 with the giant balcony (lounge chair included), a Mini-Suite (shower with jets), and a Studio (tiny but well appointed). I want to stay in the Haven. Maybe the upsell fairy will be in my future after some more cruising.

2:00pm: Grabbed a snack at the buffet. Coconut crusted tilapia (overcooked), grilled corn, and a pretzel roll.

3:00pm: Hangout in some cozy chairs at the waterfront, protected from the rain, on Deck 8, reading an ebook.

 

The Waterfront with the comfy chairs.

 

4:00pm: Head back to get ready for the Dress Up night.

5:30pm: Filled out my breakfast room service card and set a wakeup call.

6:00pm: Solo meetup in Studio lounge, head to dinner. Door was propped open by Aldean every night at 5:45 pm.

6:45pm: Dinner at Manhattan. Great live band, thankfully not too loud, and a dance floor. Better waiters, but they did not know how to serve a large party at once (10ppl). Read earlier comments about service. Had escargots in puff pastry (tasted heavily of French onion soup and slightly salty) and the shrimp and guacamole salad (baby shrimp, not seasoned, on top of guacamole and salsa). Shared parts of other appetizers with people, the first of many sharing of food events. Ordered a glass of Riesling ($9.50+18%). Had the Mahi Mahi (overcooked) with asparagus. I forget what I did for dessert.

Side note: We did see a gentleman eating alone in Manhattan, so if you want to go to the main dining room but not eat with a group, it is doable. But, this is not like other cruises where a maitre d' will seat you with other travelers. Due to freestyle cruising, this just is not done but you can try to request it; I doubt that you will be successful. If you want to eat with others, make friends with other people on the boat or go with the solo group.

7:45 pm: Headed upstairs to check out the rumor that there was lobster at the buffet since it was seafood night. NCL does not have lobster tail on the MDR menu without a surcharge. Had some crepes, freshly made, shrimp cocktail, and the holy grail: lobster claws.

8:15pm: Had the drink of the day, the Rebellious Fish (really good, $7.95+18%) at Tobacco Road with another solo traveler before we headed to the show After Midnight.

8:30pm: Took our seats with the other solo travelers in the section reserved for Haven guests. Fancy.

8:50pm: Ordered one more drink for the show, another special ($7.95+18%).

9:00pm: After Midnight--excellent production. See review in earlier posts.

11:15pm: Headed home and crashed after hanging out on the balcony.

Edited September 6, 2016 by soloscientist

[Kealy]

I enjoyed your detailed review. Thanks & glad you had a great time.

[soloscientist]

Day 3: Roatan -- beautiful and sunny

6:30am: Knock on the door from room service with my bran muffins, chocolate croissants, and earl grey tea and banana.

6:45am: Wakeup call

7:00am: iPhone alarm...not a morning person

7-8:45a: Cruising into Roatan with a beautiful sunrise sipping tea on the balcony, waving hello to another solo traveler three balconies over.

8am: Head to guest services to retrieve a forgotten sweater and get a copy made of my passport (surprisingly free)

8:45am: Docked

9:00am: Off the ship to find my pre-booked Zip-line excursion with a third party.

9:45am: Take off for the zip-line, about a twenty minute van ride. Ended up doing the excursion with a family of four and having a blast. 13 cables, I think. And I did not die, so that was a bonus. Well worth the money. Saved 50% booking independently of NCL. I had videos but more on that later.

11:00am: Stopped and bought some Roatan caramels and then headed back to the ship to wash off Deet, sunscreen, and sweat (it was very humid). Stopped by the spa to book a Fire and Ice pedicure. No special on it even though it was a port day, but my feet were in poor shape and aching so I splurged.

12:15pm: Wonderful hour long pedicure ($70+18%). Spa is on Deck 16 forward and overlooks the water with floor to ceiling windows. The shine of the pedicure (CND Polish) did not hold up that long. Ended up putting on a better top coat at home.

1:15pm: Headed back to the room in disposable flip flops with purple shimmer nails. Had to explain to a guy in the elevator that no, they were not my shoes, I had just had a pedicure :)

2:00pm: Decided a second muffin was not enough to hold out until dinner so I headed to the buffet. Had a tandoori chicken panini, pretzel bread stick, chicken salad (vinegar based coleslaw with chicken), and some Asian chicken and fried rice.

3:00pm: Chilled in a comfy chair by the pool reading for awhile after saying hi to another solo traveler.

3:30pm: Headed back to the room to read on my balcony and watch what was going on on shore.

4:00pm: Interrupted by an unannounced window washer. Time to dry off myself and the electronics and change clothing.

6:00pm: Went to O'Sheehans (aka the Irish place) for prime rib with a bunch of other solos. Not a big red meat person but went for the company. We ordered every flavor of chicken wing on the menu; I liked the jerk the best. Ordered the spinach artichoke dip and nachos with cheese to share, too. The dip was delicious. Brownie cheesecake for dessert was good.

8:00pm: Headed up to the Garden Cafe since we had time to kill before the next show and someone (PhillyDad) in our group wanted to check it out. Picked up chocolate covered marshmallows and decided to head to deck 8 and stop in at Food Republic to check out the menu. We split an eel roll ($5-7 per roll). More cucumber than eel. Can get better sushi at home.

8:45pm: Headed to Howl at the Moon and said we would stay for only 30min since we all had the 8am tender into Belize.

9:00pm: Ordered the drink of the day, the Painkiller ($7.95+18%). Hardly any alcohol in it, and I am a relative lightweight.

9:45pm: Our fellow early to bed, early to rise solo stayed out 45 min with us until they played Styx and then he turned in. We said we would follow in 15 min

11:00pm: 1h15m later, the adult only show begins and we are still up. We have the cruise director on drums, two people on piano, one on some weird keyboard/guitar mash up, and Flip from the comedy show singing 867-5309.

11:15pm: We finally head out and promise to come back Friday armed with cash for requests and to see the whole adult show.

11:30pm: Chocolate covered strawberries in my cabin from Jovo. Yummy but I am stuffed. Perhaps in response to my window washer complaint or from the CC M&G?

11:45pm: Freak out. All of the sudden I realize I have no idea where my camera is. I scour the cabin and cannot find it anywhere. Had it in port while shopping, but no longer. Too late to head to guest services, I will check tomorrow morning. Order my breakfast room service, set a wakeup call and turn in.

 

Day 4: Belize -- Beautiful and Sunny

6:30am: Wakeup call, then call from room service that my breakfast was ready,

6:35am: Breakfast appears. Two tea bags as requested and half orders of the pastries (normally two per order) so instead of two muffins and two cinnamon rolls, only one of each. Also ordered fresh sliced fruit.

7:00am: Backup alarm on the phone goes off as we finish pulling into the spot where we await the tenders. No anchoring for these ships, to protect the reefs.

7:15am: Head to guest services to see if someone has turned in my camera. No luck. Had it in the port area and took pictures of the ship but "lost" it between then and the ship, I think. I am very aware of my valuables and suspect that maybe I was pick pocketed as the case was attached to my bag but it could be way more innocent. My fault completely, but a reminder to all to watch their valuables. Not too expensive to replace, but I wish I had the SD card since it had pics from my last cruise and my Zip-line videos and pics of the ship. Really bummed about the loss. Go to guest services in the morning for the best service.

7:30am: Meet up in the atrium with another solo traveler who was also headed out on the first tender.

7:50am: Tender group A is called and we head to the theater to wait. No one scans our card even though we had to reserve tenders. Our partner in crime does not show up, eating at the buffet or running on the track (8laps=1mi), probably. He later claims he was on the one before us :) I still think that we were on the first one out. We never did check out stories with Aldean.

8:00am: And we are off.

 

View from the tender. NCL Escape on the left, little Carnival Glory on the right. There were four cruise ships following the same route from port to port including a giant Oasis-sized RCCL ship and a baby Empress of the Seas Princess ship.

 

8:20am: Arrive in Belize and head to Terminal 1 to meet up with my cavetubing.bz tour guide booked through a third party for half the price of NCL.

8:45-9?: Ended up on the same tour as another solo cruiser and we head out for an hour long drive to the tubing site.

10-3:30: We were outfitted with helmets and life jackets and started a 30min hike to the tubing site.

Luckily we did not have to carry our tubes unlike other groups. We had a good guide and the two of us solos were with just one other couple. Average age of the group was probably 30. Extremely cool tubing. Guide was very knowledgeable. We were linked up in rafts with closed bottoms and head rests, single file, and our guide did all the work of swimming us down the river. The headlamps were helpful to see the different features of the caves. It was a very relaxing tour. We had a surprise lunch of chicken, slaw, rice and beans, and a choice of cola or rum punch. Very good and just enough before heading back on a charter bus to the port. Caught a quick nap on the bus and managed to catch a tender and leave within ten minutes of getting back. Twenty min to ride back to the ship and get through security.

4:00pm: Back on board finally to shower and change. Tonight we were headed to the Supper Club to watch a Frankie Valli tribute band with complimentary dinner (no charge for event).

5:00pm: I had messed up and did not sign up so I went down to Tobacco Road, ordered a drink special, the Bahama Mama ($7.95+18%), and chatted with a lovely woman from Georgia.

5:20pm: Headed over to meet up with the solos meeting for the show to try and get in on standby. The show was sold out so I could not book it on the tv but was hoping that other passengers would be too tired after a hot day in Belize. 5:30pm: Meet up with the other solos who save me a seat at their table.

5:45pm: Aldean worked her magic to get me and another solo in to see the show.

6:00pm: Frankie Valli Tribute Show:

Dinner was a set menu. I ordered a glass of Riesling ($9.50+18%) ahead of time and received it just before the show started. Had a three piece appetizer, beef, tomato/mozzarella, crab/cheese spread (so so). The second course was really good for simple chicken and shrimp, potatoes, and green beans. Big shoutout to the chef. NCL finally found the spice container and seasoned their food! Usually dinner theater food on land is so so, but I had perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken and shrimp, and the potato was a like a thick hash brown (yummy). The shrimp and green beans did not suffer a long wait before being devoured. Dessert was just ok. The meringue with blueberry and coconut could have been really good but too much sugar in the meringue for my taste. The s'mores was a like a fudge brownie with toasted mini marshmallows and was deconstructed because the graham crackers were in crumbs in the center of the plate as decoration.

7:10pm: Time to kill so we snuck into the 7pm comedy show with Flip, who had sung at Howl at the Moon the night before.

7:45pm: Headed to Food Republic.

Grabbed a sushi roll, brussel sprouts, buffalo shrimp, pork belly, and meat on a stick that we all split (a la carte pricing $6-7 each). Get the buffalo shrimp. Sushi was better this time around.

8:45pm: Decided to skip the 9pm comedy show that was booked and head straight to the 80s party, but we had time to kill until 10:15pm, so we wandered into the District Brew House.

Comfy chairs, piano player (did not care for him), not a lot of people, 18+ only. Big beer menu for a ship. Ordered a Funky Monkey cocktail ($10.50?+18%). Beware, it is like drinking an herbal salad with liquor. I liked it but it is not sweet. If you like gin and drier drinks, you might like it. I sipped on it for a good 40min.

9:15pm: Karaoke

Piano player started playing a slow song for couples and so we went to the Five o'Clock Somewhere bar for the start of karaoke. Another solo that had happened to be in the bar did a favorite of mine "Good Morning Baltimore" from Hairspray. Can not get away from John Waters even after leaving Baltimore. Stayed for a few tunes, did not sing. Met some people from Maryland at the table behind us. Everyone is so friendly on the cruise.

10:00pm: 80s Dance Party

Headed to the 80s dance party at Spice h20 (adult only beach area during the day). Stopped first for ice cream in the Garden Cafe where there were late night snacks. Lots of people 30s+ mostly. DJ with 80s music videos playing on the screen. We sat and watched but it was a cool event. I am not normally a concert/disco/loud music person but it was fun. Perhaps in another ten years when it is the 90s or even 00s dance party it will be more appealing since I was a baby in the 80s.

11:45pm: Headed back to bed and set a wakeup for 8am.

[soloscientist]

I enjoyed your detailed review. Thanks & glad you had a great time.

Glad to hear. Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

[soloscientist]

Day 5:Cozumel=lazy day sunny

6:30am: Unexpected room service delivery that was neither mine nor wanted when I had planned on sleeping in until 8.

6:45am: I am still awake. Guess I will get up and dressed and write some of this long review.

8:00am: Wakeup call

8:05am: Went up to the spa to purchase the thermal suite day pass ($54). Meeting some solo travelers later.

8:15am: I left the ship to go into port quickly and grab some Mexican chocolates to take back for people at work. Great shopping in the morning to avoid the crowds.

9:15am: Back on ship. Head back to the room instead of breakfast since I am stuffed from the previous four nights. Start writing more of this review and hang out on the balcony people watching until I get a little too warm.

 

People watching in Cozumel. My pretty in purple-y-pink manicure. Too much salt from all at that food the PhillyDad keeps taking us to eat and my feet are swelling. The spa helped a lot.

 

11:00am: Headed to the Garden Cafe for a small lunch of chicken and fried rice.

1:00pm: Tried out the thermal spa pass.

Stowed my stuff in the lockers, picked up some towels and a robe, and claimed a spot on the heated tile loungers where I read for an hour or two. Then tried out the pool and all the different jets, which was wonderful. More time on the heated lounger and then I tried out the sauna. It was not that hot but another solo told me the door had been left open and it had cooled off. When I went in later it was 85 C (37C is body temp). Then I headed to the steam room, which was not very steam, followed by a few minutes in the snow room (not that cold). Then I chilled out more on a padded lounger reading. The spa is on Deck 16 at the most forward part of the ship. On that floor your are one deck above the bridge and have a great view out the floor to ceiling windows. Took one more dip in the pool and it was noticeably warmer. Probably spent 4-5 hours at the spa, which was worth the money. Next cruise I might get the week long spa pass because I burn to crisp in 10sec outside, so I do not typically lounge by the pool without layers of sunscreen. But here it was relaxing with the aromatherapy and warmth, had a great view, and was relatively quiet.

6:00pm: Head to Food Republic for crispy rice topped with spicy tuna with another solo I met up with in the spa, then head back to get ready for dinner.

8:00pm: Solos dine out for dinner at a specialty restaurant: Bayamo.

Tonight, four of us solos skipped the solo gathering and headed to Bayamo for dinner. One was using the dining package, which had a $15 up charge for this restaurant, but she could order four courses. We started with an amuse bouche compliments of the chef and then all four of us had the lobster salad, which was amazing, topped with a giant piece of lobster claw. I ordered the camarones (Spanish prawns/shrimp) with fingerling potatoes and others ordered scallops with oxtail and corn porridge, the langostino lobster, and wagyu beef. We ended up sharing all of the dishes and it was all excellent.

 

Side Note: I did not know these people 6 days earlier but by the end of the trip we were eating food off each others' plates. Good group.

 

We finished up with cappuccino for two (included, no charge) and I had a chocolate hazelnut dish which was excellent and another had five scoops of sorbet of varying flavors. I paid ~$37 for a three course meal with tip included and that came with excellent service and a nice atmosphere and delicious food. Definitely worth a try for the specialty restaurants, just remember it has an up charge if you have the dining package. Try to see if other solos want to do specialty dining if you do not want to go alone. One solo did try the Hibachi style restaurant alone, but there you are seated with others around a grill, making it less lonely.

9:40pm: Headed to the Brat Pack show. We were seated in the center, right behind what turned out to be a stage in the middle of the audience. If you love the 80s, or even if you have never seen these movies, you will love this musical. 1.5 hours, fast paced, and lots of fun. Some of the audience members that would have been in their prime in the 80s were really into it shouting out to the cast, which was encouraged. This show is not kid friendly, yet there were still parents that brought them anyways. I recommend 14+.

11:30pm: I skipped the white hot party. Too loud and when I am older than 85% of the people there, it is time for me to head home. Headed to bed setting a late wakeup of 8am. Lose an hour tonight.

 

Day 6: last day at sea -- super super lazy

8:00am: Turn off the alarm and go back to sleep

10:00am: Drag my lazy butt out of bed and put on a swimsuit to finally go checkout the pool deck. Left a note for the steward for more beach towels since I did not get a replacement for the one I used in Belize.

12:00pm: Head up to the Garden Cafe since I did not find my solo companions at Food Republic and my voicemail was not working.

My phone was not working properly so I missed their calls. By now the hostess knows me and my friends at Food Republic and let me know they had not been by. I ended up getting a Cuban sandwich, some fried fish fingers, corn and cheese soup, and rolls at the Garden Cafe instead. It was ok. Good lunch fare, nothing spectacular. Finished it off with soft serve. Finished off my last Diet Coke, too :(

12:45pm: Craziness on the pool deck.

Headed to the pool deck where I found some strange synchronized swimming contest with two teams of cruisers playing and the cruise director dressed in long spandex American flag pants, a neon tutu and inflatable swimmers. Entertaining. The performance finished up with the "Happy happy washy washy" guys dancing with the cruise director and ship's officers. The hand washing guys were minor celebrities on the ship.

 

Tyler the cruise director and the Washy Washy Happy Happy Guys

 

1:00pm: The sun has finally come out. I find a chair, which is easy to do if you are looking for either a single chair or a chair in the shade. Spray on the sunscreen and lay out to finish up my novel.

 

Side note: I brought 2 books, 4 ebooks, and 2 audiobooks on vacation and I have not even finished one since I have been so busy on this trip. This was my backup plan if solo cruising failed. So I judge it a success since I have not finished anything.

 

4:00pm: Finished off my fifth bottle of water and starting to get thirsty and hot as the sun has come back out, so I head to the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.

I tried the raspberry guava mojito ($9.50+18%?). At first I thought he was a little light on the rum when I watched him pour but then he told me to let him know if I wanted a little more. They already had the mix prepared and it may have already had some alcohol because he came by and topped me off when I had finished half. I added some money on top of the automatic gratuity. It is amazing how a little gesture can improve the overall experience of the cruise. This was the type of service I had come to expect while cruising on RCCL but barely experienced on NCL. I stuck around a while and watched him balance drinks on his head and flip around some shakers. Good bartender. Tasty mojitos but I could only have one a day they are so sweet. Maybe the regular mojitos or other flavors are less sugary. I would go back to this bar.

 

Bartender at the Mojito Bar balancing Mai Tais on his head. Fun.

 

4:45pm: Back to the room since the drink made me a little dizzy and I needed to get ready for a farewell dinner with the solos at 6:30pm in the Manhattan room with champagne on Aldean. Found two more beach towels in my cabin.

6:00: Headed to the Lounge for the final meetup and dinner.

I was confused because the lounge was closed when I went by and so I ended up meeting the group directly at the Manhattan room for dinner. The rest of the solos took a group picture that I missed, so I will photoshop myself in, and exchanged contact info. By the last night we had dwindled to less than 15 at dinner because most of us had found groups of solo travelers to hang out with and had started planning dinners directly with them. Aldean took us to dinner in the Manhattan Room and brought along bottles of Champagne. I had the scallops in beurre blanc for a starter and the salmon tournedos for the main course. Both delicious and well cooked. I had a bite of someone's beef Wellington, which was good, but the crust was a little chewy rather than crisp. And for dessert I had an amazing mint chocolate hazelnut mousse, a must try for chocolate lovers.

8:15pm: Pinchos.

We headed out after all of our food and decided to regroup at Pinchos, the tapas bar, since one person still had a meal on their UDP to use up. It is a $7 up charge to eat there on the UDP, but you have unlimited ordering ability. The five of us went over and we each ordered 1-2 dishes and the one with the UDP ordered some larger plates and mixtos. We shared everything from papas bratvas (mmmmm, enough for 5ppl ), bacon wrapped dates (enough for 2ppl), a charcuterie mixto and a queso mixto (enough to share for 5), lamb, scallops, pork, and shrimp. Per plate pricing was $3-8 and all delicious.

9:30pm: Howl at the Moon

We skipped the comedy show since we were still eating. I ended up only getting to see Flip for part of the show the previous night and did not ever see Lucas perform or the comedian juggler. I was so busy (eating?) that I did not get to check everything out. I headed straight to Howl at the Moon and settled in for the night since I wanted to catch the adult show at 11pm. This time I came prepared with cash to put down to get Major Tom by Bowie played right away. They did a good job. $1-2 will get it played, $5 gets it played really well, $10-20 moves you to the front of the request queue. This turned out to be my favorite event on the ship. The guys were just so good and the cruise director jumped in again on drums after he finished with the the farewell party and Flip rapped the third verse from Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby". It gets raunchier and racy at 11pm. Not safe for children. We stayed until close. Great drinks from the Headliners bartenders with a G&T with three quarters gin, one quarter soda ($9.50+18%).

1:05am: Headed to guest services to make one last check for my camera that went missing. No luck.

1:45am: Finally headed back to my cabin after dealing with Guest Services. Started packing and slipped into bed at 2:30am.

 

Day 6: Disembarkation

6:20am: Woke up with the ship pulling into port due to the bow thrusters, which shake the entire cabin. Downside of the forward cabins. Decide to get up and finish cleaning out the room and packing up my stuff.

7:20am: Call QLS transport to see if I can catch an earlier shuttle to the airport since I was scheduled at 10. There was an open seat at 8am so I rush to get off. Do not try taking the elevator because everyone self disembarks between 7:30 and 8:45 am. I ended up just walking down the stairs to deck seven with my luggage.

7:45am: Through customs and meet the shuttle, which left at 8am. Snagged the last seat. There was no line or wait getting off the ship or through customs when I did self disembarkation.

8:00am: Headed to FLL with one stop to drop people off at a hotel.

8:30am: Went to check my bag for my flight and to see if I could move up my 2:45pm return flight. Luckily, there was an inclement weather policy in place so I was able to get on the next flight for no change fee. Saved me 4 hours at the airport.

10:40am: Flew back to Baltimore.

1:15pm: Landed at BWI before the other flight would have taken off,

4:00pm: Back in Philadelphia before my original flight would have landed.

7:00pm: Asleep and dead to the world without lunch or dinner.

 

 

Hope this itinerary gives you an idea of the activities and many food options available and a sense of how much you can do even while cruising alone.

 

I look forward to any comments or questions if you made it this far. Happy cruising!!!

 

I'm really finished....I think....

Edited September 6, 2016 by soloscientist

[soloscientist]

Yay! So looking forward to reading this. Looks great so far :-)

 

You might regret wanting to read this. There will be a quiz at Redstone :) j/k

[mkbnoc]

Part 2

 

It might have been nice to be able to pop by during the day to see if anyone was free to grab lunch or go to an activity. Aldean opened the studio lounge at 5:45 every evening for the solo gatherings.

 

Great review! I'm going solo in a few weeks and upgraded to a balcony after the rates dropped. Thank you for breaking down how the solo gatherings work for non studio solos. Looking forward to the reading rest of the review.

 

Mike

[SirMegabyte]

Thanks for posting your experience, soloscientist! I'm looking to book a last minute solo cruise, probably October 1st. So, this information is excellent and timely. Thanks again!

 

Doug

[soloscientist]

Great review! I'm going solo in a few weeks and upgraded to a balcony after the rates dropped. Thank you for breaking down how the solo gatherings work for non studio solos. Looking forward to the reading rest of the review.

 

Mike

 

No problem, Mike. One of my biggest concerns was not having Lounge access with a balcony, but I couldn't pass up the balcony deal. It ended up working out fine. They obviously realized a bunch of us are not staying in the Studios.

 

If you like coffee, it might be worth trying to get Lounge access added to your key card because there is a fancy coffee machine in there.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[soloscientist]

Thanks for posting your experience, soloscientist! I'm looking to book a last minute solo cruise, probably October 1st. So, this information is excellent and timely. Thanks again!

 

Doug

 

Good luck with your solo cruise and I'm glad this could help.

[mkbnoc]

No problem, Mike. One of my biggest concerns was not having Lounge access with a balcony, but I couldn't pass up the balcony deal. It ended up working out fine. They obviously realized a bunch of us are not staying in the Studios.

 

If you like coffee, it might be worth trying to get Lounge access added to your key card because there is a fancy coffee machine in there.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Funny I hesitated for a few mins before upgrading to the balcony from a studio for the same reason. It's great they allow access for all solos.

 

While not a coffee drinker I might sneak in for some pastries. Haha.

 

Mike

[stp108]

Enjoyed reading your review. I'm going solo in October. Can't wait. Even if I do nothing but read, I'm looking forward to relaxing. Thanks for your in-depth review. Gives me some great tips as to what to expect and what to ask for.

 

Thanks.

[NLH Arizona]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review, I enjoyed reading it.

[ohhhmycher]

Lauren,

 

Your review was very detailed and on point. I don't think you left anything out. I really enjoyed this cruise and for me the people I met and hung out with,(you, PhillyDad, Tim, Suzanne) were the ones that made the cruise.

 

I agree, traveling solo, NCL is the way to go. As you know my second solo trip is booked and I am currently working on my third.

 

Hope to meet up with you guys on another cruise in the future.

 

Caryn

[PhillyDad]

Lauren,

 

Your review was very detailed and on point. I don't think you left anything out. I really enjoyed this cruise and for me the people I met and hung out with,(you, PhillyDad, Tim, Suzanne) were the ones that made the cruise.

 

I agree, traveling solo, NCL is the way to go. As you know my second solo trip is booked and I am currently working on my third.

 

Hope to meet up with you guys on another cruise in the future.

 

Caryn

 

Great review Lauren! Was such a fun cruise! Miss you guys already. Dinners just aren't the same without you. :D

 

And...I was def on the tender before you...lol

Edited September 6, 2016 by PhillyDad