Solo to Hawaii.....

[donna9214]

After lurking here for the most part...I am trying to decide on 3 differant cruises for hawaii next year...Rccl's Radiance, Hals Zaandam or Celebrity's Summit..I have sailed with Rccl before ..upcoming on Celebrity never on Hal..I am 40 something..not a party animal but I am wondering if Hal would be a little too sedate?

Any of u who have sailed these ships..your input is most appreciated:)

Thanks!!

[kitty9]

I've cruises all those lines and my preference is most definitely Celebrity. I've been on Summit 4 times and she's a great ship with excellent service. I didn't care at all for HAL and their food and service, and RCCI is an OK cruise line, but doesn't come close to Celebrity in many instances.

[donna9214]

Thanks so much Darcie for your reply....This is a once in a lifetime for me 14 days ...I was born in Hawaii but only spent a short time there as a child..so this is kinda like a homecoming trip...u said u sailed on the summit 4 times so they must be doing something right:)

[flag fan]

Speaking of Hawaii. Can one attend a luau solo? Is it like eating at a restaurant, or going to a picnic?

[kitty9]

A luau is more like a really great outdoor buffet and solos can do them very nicely.

[flag fan]

Thanks for the advice about luaus. I really wanted to go to one, but not if it would be ackward.

[snowbird1]

I like Celebrity as well but let me throw out one more item for you to consider before you make a decision. I have done 2 Hawaii cruises and let me say if there ever was place where you need more than 1 day in a port this is it!! I would definitely consider a cruise that goes one way over and overnights in some ports especially Maui. On the other hand if you really hate to fly one way that is a factor but having that extra day in Maui, Kauai or even Honolulu makes a world of difference. For example, if you were considering the Road to Hana in Maui (doing it right) there is no way to do it even half way decent unless you are on a ship that overnights. Best of luck with your decision and BTW, I went solo on both of my Hawaii cruises and met some nice people.

[donna9214]

I decided on Pride of Hawaii next November...I like the option of 3 days in Honolulu before the cruise and the itinerary , I have read good and not so good regarding this cruiseline..but I am happy with my choice..Booked a deck 10 inside for now...will watch prices to see if an OV will be an option ..my 3 nights prior will be at the outrigger waikiki...its pretty close to alot of shopping and entertainment.

I also visited the ABC shops online store...kona coffee there is reasonable and the shipping won't kill you:)

Now its the hard part which is waiting cause its so far away but I am excited anyway cause ITS BOOKED.

yahoo:)

[MSfisherman]

After lurking here for the most part...I am trying to decide on 3 differant cruises for hawaii next year...Rccl's Radiance, Hals Zaandam or Celebrity's Summit..I have sailed with Rccl before ..upcoming on Celebrity never on Hal..I am 40 something..not a party animal but I am wondering if Hal would be a little too sedate?

 

Any of u who have sailed these ships..your input is most appreciated:)

Thanks!!

I've sailed on the Zaandam before,at 50 years old I believe I was the youngest passenger there.My best cruise so far was with RCCL.Oddly I lived in Waikiki for 10 years,I was thinking of taking a cruise there to see some old friends,sometime in 07'.

[Roz]

I'm going solo on Cruise Critic's group cruise to Hawaii in April, 2007. Got a good price on a 1A cabin on the Carnival Spirit. We have a lively roll call going, so I won't really be alone.

 

Roz

[LadyDiMD]

I'm also going solo in a 1a on that group cruise in April!

 

Di

[snowbird1]

Oh you all will love the cruise to Hawaii. My cruise to Hawaii probably has been one of my favorites and I want to go back. Gee, maybe I should check that April cruise out. :D I recommend you do a lot of planning for the islands before you go. I have actually been there twice on cruises and the second time was the best because I did better planning. I haven't looked but if the Spirit has 2 days in Maui that is a Major +++. There are some great things to do in Maui but some take a full day and then some which makes it tough if you don't overnight.

[tanstaafl]

Roz, I went solo on Carnival Spirit to Hawaii last April. I have to echo MSfisherman - you will be one of the youngest people on board. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. A word of caution though - be prepared for significant delays leaving from Ensenada. We were bused down there and then waited for 2 hours just outside the pier on the buses. Nobody explained why there was such a delay. I found out well into the cruise that the Spirit had left San Diego too late in the day and the Mexican Customs officials would not let people board for a certain period of time after the ship arrived. Not one word from Carnival about this. I arrived in my cabin at 9:00 P.M. and the ship did not sail until midnight. Don't let this scare you, just be prepared to do some waiting.

[CaliforniaDreamer]

i just returned from a solo cruise on the Norwegian Wind-10 days roundtrip Honolulu. it was a fun cruises, but also on the older side. I met some passengers from the Spirit who were on a shuttle with me, they were a young couple and were bummed that there was noone on their ship to hang out with their own age.

 

anyway, i enjoyed the cruise very much even though we never made it to our scheduled stop in Fanning Island. we ended up with an extra stop in maui and an overnight in Kauai.

 

the prices on this particular cruise has really gone down for the remainder of the year. wish i had the free time to go again.

 

the Pride of Hawaii was in Kona with us and i got to see the age range of alot of the passengers while they waited in a long line to get on the tender. definitely a broader age range than the Wind.

 

any questions let me know.

 

now that i have tried snorkeling, it will be a factor when i pick my next cruise. there are so many bargains out there now, too bad i just cruised! lol

 

:)

[Guest CRUZIN' SUZIN]

Like many of the Hawaiian cruises, the demographics were mostly well over 55 years old. Many, many wheelchairs and walkers. I had a great time because as always, I found my little group to hang out with and we were the party. Open seating dining on this ship was a bit lonelier than set seating but nothing that couldn't be overcome. I was also probably the only solo cruiser on this ship. It was o.k. for me because I am an extrovert but it required a bit more work than say, a carnival cruise to the carribbean.

 

Since this was my third trip to Hawaii (first by cruiseship), I probably will never do another NCL America cruise. Been there, saw most of that-type situation.

 

For whatever reason, most tourists in Hawaii are on the older side (over 55)

[snowbird1]

For whatever reason, most tourists in Hawaii are on the older side (over 55)

 

You need to remember that for some older people Hawaii is the trip of their life time. I was on the Wind a couple of years ago and the crowd was old but hey I just did my own thing and there was so much to do. Thankfully we made it to Fanning Island where I rented a bike (recommended by the fitness girl onboard) and rode all over the place and got to see what this place really looked like outside the NCL made area. The last time I went was on RCCL out of Vancouver to the islands and the crowd was younger. I met some people closer to my age and actually had a great time with them throughout the cruise. I have heard the American crew on the other NCL ships aren't the same as the ones on the Wind for many reason, mainly service.

 

[konabekke]

Thanks for the advice about luaus. I really wanted to go to one, but not if it would be ackward.

 

 

It wouldn't be awkward at all. I live in Hawaii and have attended luaus with friends several times; everyone is made welcome. I'd feel comfortable going alone. You'd meet many nice folks.