Home From Another SOLO CRUISE

[Lois R]

:) Hi, I always like to post on here after returning home from

a solo cruise.

Enjoyed myself as usual:D ..went on a short one this time:eek:

too short.....only 4 nights and not sure whatever made me think

that would be enough!

I keep telling myself March is just around the corner;) ...going

on a 10 nighter for my 50th birthday!

 

Merry Christmas to all of you out there who celebrate!:)

[cheffip]

:) Hi, I always like to post on here after returning home from

a solo cruise.

Enjoyed myself as usual:D ..went on a short one this time:eek:

too short.....only 4 nights and not sure whatever made me think

that would be enough!

I keep telling myself March is just around the corner;) ...going

on a 10 nighter for my 50th birthday!

 

Merry Christmas to all of you out there who celebrate!:)

 

Hey Lois.

welcome back! May have been short but I'm sure it was sweet! :D

Since I'll be doing my first solo and first Century trip on January 26, I wondered if you had any additional tips or comments? How's it looking these days after the big refurbishment? Any must-do's or hidden gems?

Have a super Christmas and Holiday season.

-Phil

[Lois R]

Hi Phil:) try the Aqua Spa Cafe for breakfast or lunch. It is really

nice. Most of the food is considered "healthier" than the normal fare

and its really good too:D

And Cova Cafe is wonderful. They have complimentary pastries

in the afternoons....makes up for eating healthy earlier in the day;)

Try the Martini Bar for sure. Bartender is SUDI and he is fantastic.:D

He is a magician too....really, he does magic and the whole place

goes wild!

He knows me....tell him hi for me if you can remember!

 

The staff and crew are wonderful. I wrote a short review over on

the Celebrity board if you want to read it.

I must say (and please, no flames as this is just my opinion)...they

didn't enforce the dress code...and on casual night it really looked

sad:eek: for such a beautiful restaurant....jeans and t-shirts just

don't look right. And come on guys, take those baseball caps

off when you eat dinner!:confused:

 

Phil, Merry Christmas back at you too!

[cheffip]

Hi Phil:) try the Aqua Spa Cafe for breakfast or lunch. It is really

nice. Most of the food is considered "healthier" than the normal fare

and its really good too:D

And Cova Cafe is wonderful. They have complimentary pastries

in the afternoons....makes up for eating healthy earlier in the day;)

Try the Martini Bar for sure. Bartender is SUDI and he is fantastic.

He is a magician too....really, he does magic and the whole place

goes wild!

He knows me....tell him hi for me if you can remember!

 

The staff and crew are wonderful. I wrote a short review over on

the Celebrity board if you want to read it.

I must say (and please, no flames as this is just my opinion)...they

didn't enforce the dress code...and on casual night it really looked

sad:eek: for such a beautiful restaurant....jeans and t-shirts just

don't look right. And come on guys, take those baseball caps

off when you eat dinner!:confused:

 

Phil, Merry Christmas back at you too!

 

Thanks Lois. I loved the Aquaspa Cafe on Constellation (especially those chilled soups...tasted like dessert:D ...so I'm sure I'll enjoy it on Century. What was the standard of dress like on formal night? Also did people dress up for Murano's and did you feel comfortable going solo there? I had read awhile back that my all-time favourite Celebrity employee Goran was working in Murano's last year so let me know if you happened to meet him.

 

-Phil

[Lois R]

Hi Phil:)

Dress code....well, I wore a long black skirt and dressy top with

nice jewelery on formal night. My tablemates were a bit different to

say the least. Then again this was a 4 night cruise so maybe people

didn't think they needed to follow it?:eek:

I would say a dark suit is fine for guys....3 of my tablemates

wore long sleeves with a tie and no jacket at all and so to me

that is not formal.

Another guy wore a suit but no tie....collared shirt.

 

Phil, I enjoy dressing up for dinner on all my cruises as I have little

or no chance at all here at home.

 

Murano's.....I wore a silver top and black skirt (not the same

one I wore on formal night;) ). Hmmm......people were in there

very casually too. Not my idea for a restaurant of that caliber but.....

 

I felt very comfortable dining there solo. Goran, cannot recall

if I met a waiter by that name or not. But the waiters are all

wonderful. I would go again solo in a heartbeat.:D

When did you last sail on CENTURY?

[cheffip]

Lois

This my first time on a Century-class ship. I was on Horizon and Constellation and Costa Mediterranea but I really preferred Celebrity.

My trip is five nights which like you said is too short but with a night for people-watching in South Beach thrown in, it should make a nice break from winter.:)

cheers!

-Phil

[Lois R]

Phil, when are you sailing?

[cheffip]

Phil, when are you sailing?

 

Lois, sail date is January 26.

[Lois R]

Thanks:) ...I was actually thinking of getting away on another short one...

but I cannot sail at the beginning or end of a month. That

4 letter word gets in the way:eek: work....month end:rolleyes:

 

Oh well, if you think of anything else I will be glad and try

to help with answers. She really is a lovely ship!

[cheffip]

Too bad. Work is such a nuisance :( but it does pay for more cruises!:D

Thanks for answering my questions. I'm sure I'll come up with more as

d-day approaches.

-Phil

[kitty9]

Lois, thanks for the review. I had always wondered if those short cruises tend to attract a different sort of passenger. Did you notice more heavy partying? I know that on RCCI and Carnival, those short cruises tend to be a party till you loose your cookies cruises. Were there lots of kids? Does Muranos have the same menu as United States and Normandie?

 

Counting the days until our Jan 7 Constellation cruise. This is the payback cruise for my cousin who was the one to find my mom on the floor of the suite when she broke her hip on Millennium. We felt so sorry for her, we wanted to go on another cruise so the memory of her first one isn't so bad.

[Lois R]

Lois, thanks for the review. I had always wondered if those short cruises tend to attract a different sort of passenger. Did you notice more heavy partying? I know that on RCCI and Carnival, those short cruises tend to be a party till you loose your cookies cruises. Were there lots of kids? Does Muranos have the same menu as United States and Normandie?

 

Counting the days until our Jan 7 Constellation cruise. This is the payback cruise for my cousin who was the one to find my mom on the floor of the suite when she broke her hip on Millennium. We felt so sorry for her, we wanted to go on another cruise so the memory of her first one isn't so bad.

 

Hi Darcie:) not a lot of heavy partying but yes, lots and lots

of families and kids on this one. I was told Pre-Christmas and the

Christmas cruise are both FULL OF FAMILIES and I did see plenty.

I did notice the dress codes much more...or should I say

the LACK of dress codes on this one:eek:

Overall I still had a wonderful time.....I bet you know George..he

is the Restaurant Manager and has been with X for about 15 years.

He was on board and I had not seen him since 2004! It was like

seeing an old friend again:D

 

Murano's was FABULOUS!!!:D

[cheffip]

Lois

a question about dining room seating on Celebrity. Did you ask for any special seating requirements like being with other solos either when booking or through the maitre d? I asked to be at a largish table and for such a short cruise I'm not too worried about my table companions (as long as it isn't a family with restless young children:eek: ) but wondered what your experience has been.

 

-Phil

[Lois R]

Hi Phil:)

I also ask for a large table..usually an 8 top works well.

I don't care if it is a solo table or not.....seems we have the

same way of thinking;)

I was put at an 8 top this time and ate there 3 out of 4 nights.

The people were ok.....to be honest, If I had been on a longer sailing

I probably would have asked to be changed. I mean they were nice

enough but we had no real comraderie.:rolleyes:

 

I would go see the Maitr'd after boarding and they can show

you your table and even tell you the ages of those sitting with you.

I was at table 530...good location. Center downstairs. My waiter was Jimmy,

from the Philipines and was really great!

A bit of vibration underneath the table but it never bothered me. If you want

to see the "Main Man" he is George and is the Restaurant Manager.....

the Maitr'ds answer to him and he is a good friend of mine.:)

Actually, if you can remember, please send him a big HELLO from me:D

 

Question for you Phil.....are you a Chef?

[snowbird1]

Lois,

 

Good to see you had another good time on the Century. I will be on her (as you know) for the first time in many years in January. Hopefully I will have a good table and I will probably check in advance to find out what my table is like before the first dinner just in case I want to change.

 

Hope your holidays have been fantastic and now you can look forward to New Years Eve. I don't know about you but this last week has gone by so quickly. I cooked some of the food on Christmas Eve and was very busy and really didn't have time to socialize too much.

 

Did you book anymore cruises onboard? :)

[Lois R]

Hi Vince:)

Good to see you. Nope, I didn't book anything while I was on board

this time.

As for the holidays......nothing doing here. I don't do Christmas

so it was a day off for me. Glad you had a good one.

 

New Years Eve? I stay home......haven't been out on a New Years

Eve in probably 10 years.

 

Next cruise up is in March for my 50th birthday:)

 

Happy Holidays to you!

[cheffip]

Hi Phil:)

Question for you Phil.....are you a Chef?

 

Lois, I enjoy eating but I'm no chef. :rolleyes: If you were referring to the login name, it just includes parts of my first and last names.

 

cheers!

-Phil

[FinelyRetired]

Lois..as always, thanks for "stopping by" to post about your latest successful solo cruise. Nice to read about your trips and always gives me a boost of confidence.

 

I hope your birthday cruise is splendid.

 

Martha

[Lois R]

Lois, I enjoy eating but I'm no chef. :rolleyes: If you were referring to the login name, it just includes parts of my first and last names.

 

cheers!

-Phil

 

Thanks Phil, yes I was referring to your login name;) :)

[Lois R]

Lois..as always, thanks for "stopping by" to post about your latest successful solo cruise. Nice to read about your trips and always gives me a boost of confidence.

 

I hope your birthday cruise is splendid.

 

Martha

 

Hi Martha, my pleasure:) I do think this particular board can

be quite helpful for solos...first timers as well as us regulars.

And thanks for the birthday wishes. It should be quite fun~

10 days on board a ship:D

[airlink diva]

I glad to see that you had a great time on your most recent cruise!!

I have a 14 day set for November 2008, but that's so far away!!

I looking at a 3 day on Princess and a 4 day on Carnival to calm my cruising bug until then.

On my last cruise I was placed at a table with two family groups. I was worried at first since I thought that I was going to be an odd person out. But I really enjoyed my table and had a great time with them.

When I went to the single/solo lunch on the first sea day, I mentioned that I was placed at a table with families. The other solo cruisers told me that they have opening at their tables and encouraged me to change. But I stayed with my table.

Now on one of my first solo cruises, I was at a table with a person who felt that I had no right to be on the cruise. I end up eating dinner in the Lido after that. If I knew then that all I had to do was request a change in tables, I would.

Don't get me wrong, I like cruising with others, but I love cruising alone. It's your time to do what you want. Want to get up early and stay busy all day? You can! Want to hang out at the spa all day? You can! Want to stay in bed until noon and have breakfast/lunch in bed, you can! It your time on a solo cruise!

[Lois R]

Hi,:) did I read your post correctly??:eek: Someone at your table told you

you had no right to be on a cruise???:mad: ???? What????

Who in the h*** do they think they are? No right? I am so sorry

you were sitting with such a f***** idiot:(

 

I hope your tablemates on future cruises are much better and if our paths

ever cross on the high seas I will make sure you are invited to

my table!:D

[gxchan]

Lois, welcome back, sounds like a great cruise. Happy New Year!

[airlink diva]

Hi,:) did I read your post correctly??:eek: Someone at your table told you

you had no right to be on a cruise???:mad: ???? What????

Who in the h*** do they think they are? No right? I am so sorry

you were sitting with such a f***** idiot:(

 

I hope your tablemates on future cruises are much better and if our paths

ever cross on the high seas I will make sure you are invited to

my table!:D

I been on seven cruises so far and that was the only cruise were I had the tablemate from hell. Since it was my second solo cruise, I was still learning the ropes.

Since then I have met some of the most wonderful people on my solo cruises. I sat with a WW II vet who involved with D-day. I sat with a rancher and his wife. Two best friends from England, a widower who cruises half the year, a couple from Italy. Each of these people have enriched my life at that time. One bad person out of the bunch is not bad!

Happy sailing!!