csbarton

No brainer...Escape. Improved on ideas that started with Epic and the ships since...and just a newer, nicer ship.

That certainly makes sense...so hopefully you'll be able to get in...and I think your chances are pretty good!

For what it's worth...while teppanyaki is fun...it's not too much different from what you can get at your local teppanyaki place probably. I would consider some of the other specialty restaurants...unless you were already able to get reservations for those and it was just this place where you had trouble. Cagney's is easily my favorite, with Le Bistro and Moderno also being great! I've also heard great things about Ocean Blue, but never eaten there personally. But if you/your group really want to do the teppanyaki...then by all means go for it...to each their own! Certainly try for a res as soon as you get onboard, but the several times I've tried to get a table without a reservation, I've always been able to get in with minimal wait.

As bellagio referenced, I would highly recommend NCL to anyone wanting to cruise solo and have a good chance of meeting other solos/singles. I would also limit my options to the ships that have studios. I haven't sailed any NCL ships without studios, so while I'm sure they still make an effort with singles, the studio scene on the big ships has to make a big difference I'd imagine in attracting/organizing singles. Outside of that, like in the "real world" your best chance of meeting singles unfortunately is whatever "club" the ship has at night...which isn't really my scene. You could also search the singles travel companies' sites and find when they're doing cruises. Even if you don't want to go through the company and pay the up-charge, there's nothing to prevent you from booking on the same cruise. You may not have access to some of their private events, but there are only so many pools, bars, etc... on the ship for them to hang out at!

Completely agree with the previous post. It's a combination of the asst cruise director assigned to the solo group and the interest level/engagement of the solo passengers themselves. Generally the first get together will set the tone for the cruise. But yes, the absolute minimum is that they should be able to arrange reservations to dinners/shows. And to your specialty restaurant comment, I don't think it's that they won't allow reservations for 1, I'd say the bigger issue would be that reservations fill up. The cruise director staff can still get reservations though usually (same with shows.) That being said, I've never not been able to get into a specialty restaurant (solo or with others), even when the reservations are full. If you just got to the restaurant and tell them you'd like to eat there and are willing to wait a few mins, in my experience they'll have a table for you in no time due to no shows, cancellations, etc..

I wouldn't count on it, and I definitely doubt you'll get it in your cabin, but I think there's a decent chance you'll find it somewhere. Ships I've been on always seem to be able to get football games on during football season, etc... from networks that they don't normally broadcast. My main concern would be that nascar isn't as popular as football, so the ship may not feel the need to broadcast it. I would contact guest services as early as possible once onboard and see if they have a plan for it or if they can possibly arrange for it to be shown somewhere.

I agree with most all the replies I've read here...although I started skimming after a while...so I may have missed it if anyone recommended this: Make sure to go to the solo/singles "meet up" the first evening. Generally a host/cruise director staff will facilitate introductions, offer to make dinner/show reservations, etc... In my experience attendance at these daily meet ups/happy hours trails off as the cruise goes on and people start hanging out with people they've met, etc... And as mentioned by others, very wide age range on all my studio cruises and rarely many people hanging out in the lounge anyways.

Ditto. I usually bring one in b/c there's usually a bar nearby the restaurant and then I go ahead and order my next one while I've still got plenty left in my glass. And I've seen it both ways...from really slow to about what you'd get at any restaurant...and that's not just on NCL. So I think it probably has a lot to do with how on top of it your servers are, how many tables they have going, etc...

Any singles/solos looking to cruise the week of Thanksgiving? I've done NCL studios the last few Thanksgivings and they're usually a good time, but I'm open to suggestions. Thanksgiving is a great week to travel I've found...couple free days off from work and save the trip home to see family for Christmas!

I'm Chris by the way...36...from NC originally...Daytona Beach, FL now.

Thank you for the updates. We will be on the Escape July 9th.

 

Allison

Hi! I'm on the Escape 9th as well! Are you on our roll call? Coming to Meet and Greet?

(sorry to hijack board everyone)

I'll be on the NCL Getaway as a solo in a few months and am starting to look at entertainment options. Is the Illusionarium seating super awkward for solos? What are your experiences?

You sit at large tables so even a couple or a group of 3 or 4 would be seated with someone else, so not too bad if you wanted to do it alone. Or you could probably find someone in the Studio Lounge at one of the meetups who would be willing to go...which is what I did. Enjoy!

I think this article does a good job of providing context related to the reality of norovirus on cruise ships. My favorite stats: 1) Only 1% of all norovirus outbreaks occur on cruise ships and 2) Norovirus has only affected 1,500 cruise passengers this year out of 21,000,000 cruisers. I'll take my chances!! :)

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/another-norovirus-outbreak-what-if-i-get-sick-on-a-102892622512.html

Single, 34 y/o, straight...just looking to relax, hopefully meet some cool people, and do some scuba diving on what I've heard is a fun ship/cruise the week of turkey day!

Try the Solo Cruisers section instead of this one for Singles. This forum is based around Singles looking for info on meeting potential romantic partners. Lots of good info on cruising solo in the other section though. I'm doing my first solo cruise in Nov...can't wait!

So how many Solo's are cruising for Thanksgiving this year?

I'll be on there with you! :o) I'm 34 and live in the Daytona Beach area. A friend (who is also going) raves about NCL and the studio cabins, so I decided to give it a shot while I was single and it made sense. Can't wait!

I have some first hand insight into the travel industry, and I can tell you there are a LOT of factors at play here. First, some rate specials rotate between travel agencies, and sometimes the cruise line matches the rate that 's been negotiated with the various agencies. If you're only purpose in using a travel agent is to find the lowest price, you may or may not have success, but it isn't the agent's fault. The advantage of a travel agent, in my opinion, is having someone who knows the industry and is invested in making sure you have a great vacation. The internet doesn't care if you're happy with your cabin, ship, etc... A popular saying...the internet is for looking, a travel agent is for booking. Perks are one of those things that can vary too...based on what is negotiated through the cruise lines and the travel company. Points are assigned for each cruise and those points are what agents use to give perks. I doubt many agents come out of their own pocket to give perks...although for good customers, or big trips, I probably would if need be. I would encourage you to focus more on the level of service your travel agent provides, not the level of savings/perks...although certainly that comes into play if there is a large disparity. Be happy to share more if anyone is interested and want to email me at csbarton at hotmail. Just my two cents...happy traveling!

I'm going solo on Norwegian Epic the week of Thanksgiving...leaving the 23rd. If any other solos are thinking about doing a Thanksgiving cruise and looking for other solos, you're welcome to join me! I went with Epic b/c I like the itinerary and b/c I'm curious about the NCL Studios experience. A little about me...34, male, former Naval Officer, now business professional by day and travel professional by night/weekend (I own a travel franchise that I do for fun). Safe travels!

Hi all,

I've looked at some of the current studio reviews, but a lot of them seem to be a couple years old or more. Has anyone done studios recently, say in the last year? I'm hoping/guessing NCL has learned some things over time with the studio experience? Just curious how many true solos there were, how much was going on in the studio lounge, etc... I'm thinking about booking Epic for the week of Thanksgiving b/c I like the itinerary better than Getaway. Just for informational purposes...I'm 34/m/single...just wondering how easy it is to find other solos to socialize with, have dinner with, go to shows, with, etc... Any input/comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yeah, I guess we aren't allowed after looking over rules. If you contact a travel agent and they can't get you a better deal, then it's possible no agent would be able to. So it must just be a cruise line thing. Like I said though, this will be my 2nd Princess cruise and I paid a single supplement of 150% or so for both.

Has anyone been able to get a better solo rate on RCI than 200% (or thereabouts)? I want to take the Brilliance out of Tampa on 4/17, inside is fine, and my cost solo would be over $500. If I can find someone to go (unlikely), less than $300...

 

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions, or should I just pay the ransom?

Are you using a travel agent? I was quoted a 200% rate on Princess until I started working with a travel agent, who got me about 150%...for a cruise this past Dec and one I'm going on in April. Not sure if he could do the same thing with RC or not. If you have one and he can't, I'd be happy to offer you mine's contact info. I'm not sure if all travel agents are created equal when it comes to access to rates.

My wife and I just got back from a cruise aboard the Royal. We each brought a bottle through security, which had to be recorded. We also stayed over in Fort Lauderdale the night before the cruise and went and bought 4 more bottles (5-7 $ each). We put them in our luggage and kept them in our room fridge. You can bring your own corkscrew or room service will come and open it for you, no charge. We would take a bottle with us anywhere on the ship and ask for two glasses from the server or bar. We also took our bottle to the dining room and they did not charge us any corkage fee.

 

 

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Put them in your checked luggage?

Being a single 33 y/o single guy, I've been doing the solo travel thing for years now...usually extending business trips into opportunties to explore new places. I've just never done it via cruise. Some friends convinced me to go on the Ruby Princess on Dec 14th and as I've started looking more into the cruise thing, this might be my new adventure of choice! I'm technically going with friends who are experienced cruisers this time, but I'll have my own cabin, and they're a little older than me, so we may end up doing our own thing quite a bit.

Any tips for a first time solo cruiser? Not looking for anything in particular, just a good time, so any and all recommendations are appreciated! :)

I'm going single with some friends who are a couple on Ruby Princess, Dec 14th...sorry for the short notice! lol I'm 33...but I play 30 pretty well...and 25 for that matter! I live in FL and may look to start doing more of these cheap little excursions if I enjoy this one enough!