Young and traveling solo, who should I cruise with?

[jaytotheson]

After about 20 years of saying "I want to go to Alaska some day..." I decided I'm going to go for it, but I have a few questions first and happened to stumble upon this incredible gold mine full of individuals foaming at the mouth waiting to help people like me.

 

For my 31st birthday in May I've decided to treat myself to an Alaskan cruise which I'm in the process of researching. Can anyone suggest a cruise line that tends to have a decent amount of 20 and 30 somethings? I am *NOT* a party animal... I love having a few drinks but I also love remembering what I did the night before. So with that in mind, please don't suggest a cruise line that specializes in binge drinking. ;)

 

I've heard through word of mouth that Carnival tends to attract a younger crowd, any other suggestions?

[GMoney]

Congratulations on your decision!

 

Personally, I think you need to determine what's important to you - cruising for the best itinerary to maximize your AK experience, or cruising to have fun. IMO, Alaska is different from the Caribbean in that there aren't really any "party" ships. Carnival only has 1 ship that sails Alaska. In general, AK cruises skew slightly older.

 

If I was in your shoes, I would pick a cruise based on many of the same factors that others do - itinerary, cost, ship, airfare, etc. I think you'll find that if you go that route, you'll likely meet some great people along the way.

[Budget Queen]

Passengers are pretty similar on all lines, with a wide range of ages. :)

 

What are you looking for- round trip or one way??? This will narrow down your choices. I have a preference for Glacier Bay, but there are many wonderful itineraries, some definately better than others however.

 

It may boil down to costs, single travel can be double the costs, I'm not sure if there are any, but you may want to look for a room mate?? I've found one, one time and it worked out very well. I may be looking again, some time, as I've squeaked out all the Alaska I can from most of my friends and my family gave up for the most part a long time ago. :)

[dbh62ark]

I've heard through word of mouth that Carnival tends to attract a younger crowd, any other suggestions?

Welcome to CruiseCritic. Just a word of advice from and "old lady" in her mid-40s--we have so many experiences that are too wonderful to describe with passengers who are much older than us on our cruises. We first began cruising Europe 15 years ago (Europe has traditionally attracted older cruisers) when we were the youngest on the ship and have cruised Europe every year since that time. One of my favorite people we've met on our cruises is 82 years old, and he is a doll! We're still in contact with many people we have met along the way and have cruised on subsequent trips with some of them. I hope you'll go with an open mind to meeting people of all generations in your travels because it will greatly enrich your experience.

 

Have a great cruise,

Donna

[NancyIL]

I may be looking again, some time, as I've squeaked out all the Alaska I can from most of my friends and my family gave up for the most part a long time ago. :)

 

I got a chuckle out of this, BQ, as it's hard to imagine someone NOT jumping at the chance to accompany you to Alaska! Bet you'd have plenty of volunteers from this board. :)

[jaytotheson]

What are you looking for- round trip or one way??? This will narrow down your choices. I have a preference for Glacier Bay, but there are many wonderful itineraries, some definately better than others however.

 

I'm more than likely going to do RT from Vancouver, but I'm definitely open to the possibility of going from Vancouver to Whittier one way. I really do want to see some glaciers and ice and one of the ports I *need* to stop at is Skagway for a dog sledding adventure I found.

 

It may boil down to costs, single travel can be double the costs, I'm not sure if there are any, but you may want to look for a room mate?? I've found one, one time and it worked out very well.

 

While cost is important, I'm willing to foot the extra cash to spend 7 days in my own room. I'm a pretty light sleeper and if by some chance my roommate snored that would make for the worst 6 nights of my life. ;) Earplugs don't work either, I sleep too lightly.

 

I have set aside $3,000 for this entire trip, this includes airfare from LA, an interior room and spending cash at the ports. $3,000 isn't a solid budget either, if I need to expand it I'm definitely willing to.

 

The main reason for the cruise is for the scenery and nature however it would be nice to hang out with *some* folks around my age. Based on what I'm hearing though I pretty much just have to take a chance and there are no guarantees.

 

Thanks!

[Budget Queen]

I got a chuckle out of this, BQ, as it's hard to imagine someone NOT jumping at the chance to accompany you to Alaska! Bet you'd have plenty of volunteers from this board. :)

 

Hey, that wouldn't be bad. :) Right now- I'm actually somewhat considering going with my boss (who has wanted to go for the 3 years I have worked with him). As regulars on this board know-I have a very wonderful husband who is open with my travels, many times not going with me. I talked to him about my boss- who is a gay man- he shrugged his shoulders and said, just let me know when you're leaving. :)

[Budget Queen]

I'm more than likely going to do RT from Vancouver, but I'm definitely open to the possibility of going from Vancouver to Whittier one way. I really do want to see some glaciers and ice and one of the ports I *need* to stop at is Skagway for a dog sledding adventure I found.

 

 

 

While cost is important, I'm willing to foot the extra cash to spend 7 days in my own room. I'm a pretty light sleeper and if by some chance my roommate snored that would make for the worst 6 nights of my life. ;) Earplugs don't work either, I sleep too lightly.

 

I have set aside $3,000 for this entire trip, this includes airfare from LA, an interior room and spending cash at the ports. $3,000 isn't a solid budget either, if I need to expand it I'm definitely willing to.

 

The main reason for the cruise is for the scenery and nature however it would be nice to hang out with *some* folks around my age. Based on what I'm hearing though I pretty much just have to take a chance and there are no guarantees.

 

Thanks!

 

I can understand the sleeping priorities. :) You might want to price out some single cabins and see what ballpark you are in. I will speculate that it is likely this figure will go for a round trip cruise since single supplements are at least 50%. With glaciers and scenery your priority, I would look at round trip Vancouver and including Glacier Bay or Hubbard. Look at port times and perhaps make a priorty for a ship with a naturalist- which is HAL.

[NancyIL]

RCI and Celebrity usually charge 200% for a single. HAL and Princess are more reasonable in that regard. If you'd like a one-way with a great itinerary, any of the 4 Princess ships (Coral/Island on Mondays and Sapphire/Diamond on Saturdays) or HAL Volendam/Zaandam go to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, and College Fjord. HAL uses Seward, and Princess uses Whittier. There were quite a few younger people on our early June Coral Princess cruise. If you can possibly add a few days in Alaska at the beginning or end of your cruise (depending on the direction of your ship), you will be greatly rewarded.

[Luckysll]

I travel solo a lot and, while I'm older than you, I offer a couple of tips:

 

I wouldn't recommend Norwegian for a first time, solo, cruise. Norwegian's "Freestyle Dining" doesn't lend itself well to the solo cruiser (not just my opinion - check out the "solo cruising" boards here). I have been on Norwegian and would go again, but I wouldn't travel it solo. You are better off with traditional dining where you are seated at the same table at the same time each night.

 

For an Alaska cruise (especially a first cruise), book a balcony cabin. If you like cruising and decide to do more, you can always opt for an inside or oceanview cabin to save some money if you travel solo in the future. Carnival has cabins in category 1A, which are for solo travellers and cost less, but IMHO, this is one destination that benefits from having a balcony cabin.

 

I'm a big fan of Carnival (as you can tell by my signature :) ), so I'd recommend them. The Carnival Spirit is a beautiful ship and there is a good mix of ages onboard. And as someone else mentioned, it definitely isn't the "party, party, party" atmosphere on Alaska cruises.

 

Once you do book your cruise, go to the Roll Call section and chat with others who are on the same cruise. It helps, especially travelling solo, to already know some people when you get onboard.

[fti]

Glad that traveling solo isn't stopping you from traveling. I often travel solo and sometimes when another person is scheduled to accompany me, they have to cancel for one reason or another (happened twice last year, but not with cruises).

 

Unfortunately the single supplement can be tough but unavoidable. Just budget accordingly. I am sure you will have a great time!

 

John

[jmk22574]

Where was this thread two to three years ago when I was single and wanted nothing more than to go on an Alaskan cruise (childhood dream)? I'm thrilled to say that I've since married a great guy, and the funny thing is that the on our very first phone conversation, I asked him if he could cruise anywhere, where would it be.....he said Alaska, so we got married. :) Okay, that's obviously not the only reason, but we did take that Alaskan cruise this past September and it was simply the best vacation ever. We're booked to return in May.

 

We cruised on Holland America (Noordam), and we'll be on the Oosterdam in May. I'm 33, he's 31, and we had a GREAT time on this cruise. There were only a handful of couples our age, but HAL had a 20s and 30s meet-and-greet the first night, and we met one other couple in particular whom we're still in contact with. They were big Minnesota fans, we were big Michigan fans, we all loathe Ohio State - it was great! We also had a couple in their 60s as our team trivia partners throughout the week. We brought a broad spectrum of knowledge to the table every day, and it was wonderful getting to know them. I guess I'm giving the nod to Holland America simply because my only cruising experience has been with them, and we had such a good time that we're returning in a few months. Have a wonderful cruise whichever line you choose to go with! :)

[NancyIL]

I travel solo a lot and, while I'm older than you, I offer a couple of tips:

 

I wouldn't recommend Norwegian for a first time, solo, cruise. Norwegian's "Freestyle Dining" doesn't lend itself well to the solo cruiser (not just my opinion - check out the "solo cruising" boards here). I have been on Norwegian and would go again, but I wouldn't travel it solo. You are better off with traditional dining where you are seated at the same table at the same time each night.

 

For an Alaska cruise (especially a first cruise), book a balcony cabin. If you like cruising and decide to do more, you can always opt for an inside or oceanview cabin to save some money if you travel solo in the future. Carnival has cabins in category 1A, which are for solo travellers and cost less, but IMHO, this is one destination that benefits from having a balcony cabin.

 

I'm a big fan of Carnival (as you can tell by my signature :) ), so I'd recommend them. The Carnival Spirit is a beautiful ship and there is a good mix of ages onboard. And as someone else mentioned, it definitely isn't the "party, party, party" atmosphere on Alaska cruises.

 

Once you do book your cruise, go to the Roll Call section and chat with others who are on the same cruise. It helps, especially travelling solo, to already know some people when you get onboard.

 

We had Anytime Dining on Princess and loved it. We were always seated with different people each night, and a solo traveler could meet more people that way than by being at the same dining table each night.

 

For a solo cruiser paying a single supplement, booking a balcony cabin would likely put the OP way over budget. While I'm sure having a balcony is very nice, I think it would make one spend MORE time in the cabin, rather than getting out and meeting others and doing things.

 

I like the 4 port towns Carnival Spirit goes to, but College Fjord as the only glacier sailing day would not be my choice. You can go on a small boat tour of College Fjord before or after a cruise out of Whittier, but you can't see Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay that way.

[fti]

You can go on a small boat tour of College Fjord before or after a cruise out of Whittier, but you can't see Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay that way.

 

Well not unless you go to Gustavus and take the day trip through Glacier Bay. Not done by cruise ship passengers though, must be an independent trip with overnights in Gustavus.

 

I so much enjoyed Glacier Bay two summers ago that I am going back this summer to Gustavus for two nights just to spend more time at Glacier Bay.

 

John

[NancyIL]

Well not unless you go to Gustavus and take the day trip through Glacier Bay. Not done by cruise ship passengers though, must be an independent trip with overnights in Gustavus.

 

I so much enjoyed Glacier Bay two summers ago that I am going back this summer to Gustavus for two nights just to spend more time at Glacier Bay.

 

John

 

 

You can also fly over Glacier Bay - but most cruise passengers don't do that, either.

 

Because of the ease of seeing College Fjord without going on a cruise ship, it wouldn't be my one glacier of choice - unless I had seen them all and was returning for the umpteenth time on a cheap cruise.

[cabin4one]

I'm in the same boat, jay -- so to speak! :p

 

I just booked myself solo on my 3rd Alaska cruise -- this time on the HAL Volendam for the Vancouver - Seward route on May 18. I got a rate I just couldn't pass up -- $970 single! It's an inside cabin, but with that itinerary (basically a port or glacier each day), I don't plan to spend much time in my cabin anyway!:)

 

I will say that, as a solo just-turned-40 cruiser, RCI is my cruise line of choice (a perfect fit for my "get out there" demographic), but they don't do Glacier Bay, and their single rates were way out of my price range for an itinerary I didn't want.

 

Think about what's really important to you before you book -- for me, HAL has my ideal itinerary (I wanted Glacier Bay & Skagway) and a price I couldn't resist. You may value different ports, or bigger ships, or customer demographics more. This website is an awesome resource for all that. One thing is certain -- Alaska is fabulous, and it's really hard to go wrong. Have fun wherever you end up!!

[isles1]

Well, there will be at least two people in their early 30s on the 5/11/08 sailing on the Sun out of Vancouver :)

 

I think you will find plenty to keep you busy no matter what line you choose, and you will undoubtedly wind up meeting a few people while on board. Between ship events, taking in the view and excursions I could not imagine getting bored; lonely, maybe.

 

The point about dining alone is a very valid one, as it does take some getting used to. Only you know if you are comfortable doing that or not. I was unsure of whether dining solo would work for me until I took a solo trip to Las Vegas this past summer...I got through it just fine and would do it again in a heartbeat :D

 

Congrats on your decision to make the trip! Let us know what you decide to do.

[mitaxi]

RCCL has a great solo rate with CA as a resident rate right now--- for the May 30th SB Seward to Vancouver -- for $ 884 for an inside.... $1200 for a OV....this is a great rate may want to check it out.....

[dbh62ark]

The point about dining alone is a very valid one, as it does take some getting used to. Only you know if you are comfortable doing that or not. I was unsure of whether dining solo would work for me until I took a solo trip to Las Vegas this past summer...I got through it just fine and would do it again in a heartbeat :D

Oh my gosh, yes, it is nice sometimes. We just spent many wonderful days over the holidays with family members ranging in age from 2 to 93 and with friends, so it's nice to have some down time sometimes to be able to eat without a little one tugging on you for some attention. :) It's a wonderful life but can be hectic, so I also love to enjoy some quiet time when I have the chance (still have one more belated family gathering in Atlanta next weekend, and then I plan to do that).

 

Happy travels,

Donna

[jaytotheson]

RCCL has a great solo rate with CA as a resident rate right now--- for the May 30th SB Seward to Vancouver -- for $ 884 for an inside.... $1200 for a OV....this is a great rate may want to check it out.....

 

Awww... Apparently I spent too much time researching my options and missed this fare as it looks like it expired today. I'm really bummed I missed this, I finally had everything planned out and was about to make the purchase today. :(

 

Can someone point me to a place where I can find single rate deals? Might it be worth it for me to go through a travel agent as a solo travler?

[qiangf2]

Awww... Apparently I spent too much time researching my options and missed this fare as it looks like it expired today. I'm really bummed I missed this, I finally had everything planned out and was about to make the purchase today. :(

 

Can someone point me to a place where I can find single rate deals? Might it be worth it for me to go through a travel agent as a solo travler?

 

That's a very good deal. I wish CC can open up a CruiseDeal Forum for members to share the best cruisefare price.

[qiangf2]

Awww... Apparently I spent too much time researching my options and missed this fare as it looks like it expired today. I'm really bummed I missed this, I finally had everything planned out and was about to make the purchase today. :(

 

Can someone point me to a place where I can find single rate deals? Might it be worth it for me to go through a travel agent as a solo travler?

 

BTW, found this website http://www.singlescruises-tours.com. I never used them and don't know much how they do business. But you may want to check it out and see if it offer some good deals or services.

[mitaxi]

Awww... Apparently I spent too much time researching my options and missed this fare as it looks like it expired today. I'm really bummed I missed this, I finally had everything planned out and was about to make the purchase today. :(

 

Can someone point me to a place where I can find single rate deals? Might it be worth it for me to go through a travel agent as a solo travler?

 

You didn't miss it - The single rate w/ Calif. resident is still showing up.... call RCCL - or go thru their web site with all information and put your state of rsidency in..... and it shows....

 

Radiance SB 7 day....May 30th - inside .....$854

[NancyIL]

You didn't miss it - The single rate w/ Calif. resident is still showing up.... call RCCL - or go thru their web site with all information and put your state of rsidency in..... and it shows....

 

Radiance SB 7 day....May 30th - inside .....$854

 

I just checked it online and got a rate of $1359 (before taxes) for a single in cat. N - and I put in CA.

[mitaxi]

I just checked it online and got a rate of $1359 (before taxes) for a single in cat. N - and I put in CA.

 

WOW - that is so weird - because when I read the post - I went and checked it - and there was the good rate - then read yours, went back did the same exact thing I did 15 minutes ago...and it went up.

 

although it still shows in red on the page when you do a search results for special rate - VA for ALaksa April thru June

 

If truly interested I would call RCI