First time cruiser (solo traveller)

[ST123]

I am planning my very first cruise for myself (a solo traveller) and two of my friends (married couple) to Alaska for next May or June.  We all want a blacony accommodation and I have noticed that some cruise lines offer that for solo travellers.  I would love to have comments from other solo travellers as well as any helpful information about 1st time cruisers and trips to Alaska 

[Honolulu Blue]

8 hours ago, ST123 said:

I am planning my very first cruise for myself (a solo traveller) and two of my friends (married couple) to Alaska for next May or June.  We all want a blacony accommodation and I have noticed that some cruise lines offer that for solo travellers.  I would love to have comments from other solo travellers as well as any helpful information about 1st time cruisers and trips to Alaska 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  Most of us are nice and helpful here.  You're just going to have to ignore the rest.  🙂

 

As a solo cruiser who's done a couple dozen of these things, I can relate.  What I can't relate to is being a 3rd wheel for two other couples or going to Alaska at all.  I do know that balcony cabins specifically for solo cruisers are rare and highly sought after.  And not all lines have them.  You'll probably have to purchase a cabin all your own that will cost you almost as much as that of your married friends.  Yes, it's quite a bummer. ☹️

 

I hope others who have more relevant experience will chime in.  In the meantime, be sure to take a look at our dedicated Solo Cruiser forum at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/279-solo-cruisers/ .

 

Good luck and have fun!

[Host Kat]

9 hours ago, ST123 said:

I am planning my very first cruise for myself (a solo traveller) and two of my friends (married couple) to Alaska for next May or June.  We all want a blacony accommodation and I have noticed that some cruise lines offer that for solo travellers.  I would love to have comments from other solo travellers as well as any helpful information about 1st time cruisers and trips to Alaska 

 

Hello @ST123 and welcome to the Cruise Critic message boards!

 

To help you out I have moved your thread to the Solo Cruisers forum. 

Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You may find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that will be of interest to you.

 

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I sincerely hope this will be helpful to someone new to posting on our message boards. We are glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[Truluv]

I've been on AK cruises in the Spring, Fall & summer -- each cruise a completely different experience (Celebrity, NCL & Holland, although RCL is usually my go-to cruiseline).  You will have a wonderful time!  I definitely agree with balcony cabins in AK, since the scenery really is incredible.  I haven't seen balcony cabins specifically for solos or solo pricing and have just jumped on sales.  As you compare trips, my biggest tip is to look at port time.  My NCL cruise was a real bargain, but I realized the ship was in some ports for much shorter times.  It worked for one excursion but didn't include time to explore a town or add a second excursion.  Tip #2:  You mentioned May. Choosing when to visit can be particularly important for AK (for packing too).  For ex., my Celebrity cruise was early in the season.  The days were incredibly long - it was amazing to have so much daylight!  We saw a moose by the side of a road, a bear and more.  We were told that wildlife tends to go up into the mountains during the summer.  Some stores were just opening.  The NCL cruise was  in late Fall.  Days were very short, and stores were already closing for the season.  On that trip, we actually had a national geographic experience on a day with sleet and saw whales bubble net feeding.  The Holland cruise was in August.  We saw some of the Salmon run, with lots of fish remnants around streams from bear feedings.  It was also an incredible experience.   I really think that every week in Alaska has something fantastic to recommend it!!!!   Tip #3:  If you are traveling from the East Coast...get some sleep and choose early dining!!!  Plan for the time difference!!  On my first AK cruise, I think I woke up in the middle of the night and slept through part of the day until I had adjusted to the time difference.  It was harder than I thought LOL.  Hope this helps!   You'll love Alaska!!!

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Truluv