LibrarianLizy

I chose to book with NCL in Barcelona because I was worried about getting to the pier. There didn't appear to be any nearby and it was my first solo cruise so I was nervous. The NCL hotel is the Montblanc and I thought it was very nice. My room was big, it was reasonable priced, and in a great location. I took the airport shuttle (Aerobus) which lets out at Placa Catalunya. It was maybe 2 blocks to the hotel; very easy to find. Breakfast was included and the transfer to the ship was smooth. I especially appreciated that once NCL put my luggage on the bus, I didn't have worry about it until it arrived in my room! And since I was on an NCL transfer, it seemed to get there a lot faster than when I have just dropped it off at the port before embarkation.

Hi, just to add an ***....AMA Waterways does have single

cabins:D...I am going on my first RIVER CRUISE with them in April

2016:D....I am in one of those cabins;) so that is a confirmation to your list:)

(More than just a rumor LOL)....it is a fact.

Awesome! I hope you post a review. I would love to hear about a solo experience on a river cruise. It's definitely on my bucket list, especially a Christmas market cruise. Where are you going?

Glammy Grammy,

Thank you for your great note!!! I am traveling solo on Liberty of the Seas in a few weeks. I was going to pass on the solo meet up but I may now go ahead and check it out.

I would say you should check out the solo meetup just to see. There is no harm in going, looking around, and leaving if it doesn't look like fun. You may also want to post on your Roll Call board to see if there are any other solos. You can go to the solo event together and not feel so out of place!

Back to your original question...what ships have solo cabins, this is what my research turned up:

NCL: Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, Escape, Pride of America

RCCL: Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas have "studios", Radiance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas have "single cabins"

P&O: Azura, Britannia, Ventura, Arcadia, Aurora, Oriana

Fred. Olsen: I think all of them have some kind of single cabin, some oceanview and balconies available

Cunard: Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Mary 2, some oceanview

Costa: Classica, Fascinosa, Favolosa, Fortuna, Magica, neoRomantica, Pacifica, and Serena

HAL: MS Prinsendam (unconfirmed and maybe just a few??), MS Koningsdam due in 2016

Lindblad Expeditions: all ships

Emerald Waterways: two on every ship

American Queen Steamboat Company: American Queen

Unconfirmed but AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Viking, and CroisiEurope are rumored to have a few across their fleets

This is information I have gathered from the boards here at CC and over a year of solo traveler research. I can't guarantee that this is complete or correct!

Not gonna lie, I was TERRIFIED and lonely on several occasions on my first solo cruise. I booked the trip as a breakup celebration to congratulate myself on getting out a bad relationship, and because I'm slightly nuts, my first solo cruise was a western Mediterranean cruise. 3 countries, 10 days...all by myself. :eek:

I'm so glad I sailed in a studio cabin on NCL otherwise I'm not sure I would have had as good of a time as I did without some scheduled interaction with other people. I don't mind dinning alone most of the time, but for some reason dinning alone in the MDR always freaks me out! I would have stuck to the buffet or a specialty restaurant most nights because freestyle dinning makes me so nervous. lol I think assigned dinning would be better for me just so I had the assurance that I would be sitting at a table with SOMEONE. I know you can always ask to join another table but that makes me nervous too. #introvertproblems

As far as safety...I think the standard travel disclaimer applies whether you are in a group or are alone. Watch your belongings, have an exit plan, and don't go anywhere or with anyone that seems unsafe. Scared people tend to look scared which makes them a target, so look confident and be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine!

I am going on the 7 day iberian peninsula cruise. This will be my second cruise but my first solo. I went on a cruise last august with my sister. That was ok apart from me, I work shifts and when I am not at work I wake at about 4 in the morning so not to wake my sister I had to get up and out and use my ipad. This wasn't a problem but this time if I wake I can stay in bed. Anyone any experience on ncl EPIC?

I sailed a different itinerary, but that same week on the Epic last October. It's terrific! My review is my signature so be sure to check that out and let me know if you have any questions!

Make sure you sign up for your Roll Call and go to the meet and greet. That's a great way to meet people, solo travelers or not. And check your daily cruise newsletter and look for solo traveler meetups. You may want to book a few ship-sponsored excursions early in the trip so you can meet more fellow cruisers that way. If your cruise line has assigned dinning, be sure to check with the maitre d to make sure you are seated with other solo travelers and/or passengers your age.

I think you'll be just fine, but what cruise line are you sailing on and where are you going? Carnival and NCL definitely have more solos, especially with the studio cabins aboard NCL's Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, and Escape. RCCL has a few new solo cabins on their newest ships, I'm sure those are seeing an increase in solo passengers as well. Crystal, Silversea, and Seabourn all have good reputations for solo travelers too.

I am solo on the same sailing as you in December. NCL does provide a superior experience when it comes to solos. I just returned from the Getaway a few weeks ago, and tried the solo gatherings, but there was really no one that I particularly clicked with. I guess it's the luck of the draw on who sails on what week...

We will definitely have to hang out in December. :) I do think it's the people that make the trip. I loved the Epic because it was an international group. My main group was made up of Brits, Canadians, a German, an Egyptian, and a couple of Americans. We had a blast. I'm sure the Getaway is going to be dominated by Americans, but I'm sure it will still be loads of fun.

Hey, librarianlizzy, that might have been me! I start with a studio and hound my PCC and gave 3 times been upgraded.

What tactics did you use to get upgraded? I would LOVE to be a in a spa cabin, but that's a massive upgrade so I don't see that in my future. A balcony would be nice, though, since I've never had one. I discussed fare drops with my PCC but not upgrades.

I did three ship excursions on my first solo cruise (NCL Epic Oct 2014) for safety and to see some new areas that I might not be brave enough to venture out to on my own. If this is your first cruise, and you are at all nervous, I say stick to ship excursions. If you like cruising, you can always branch out next time. :)

I plan on doing a mix of both on my December Getaway cruise, depending on the port, my Roll Call, and prices. I've been reading some reviews and found some reliable, cheaper options for Jamaica; I really want to do the falls.

Unless you want to do water sports or snorkel, you don't need an excursion on GSC. Just some sunscreen and your towel. :) If you're looking for a quieter patch of beach, walk along the beach and then walk some more, until you come to other areas. They are all part of NCL's property, but most people don't wander down past the first or second beach. No bars down there though, so YMMV.

I've only done the studio cabin thing on the Epic (last October) but I just booked my birthday trip on the Getaway for December. I will definitely be staying in one of the studio cabins and taking full advantage of the lounge. I second everything everyone has said here. I haven't read much about the cruise director staff on the Getaway, but if they handle things like they do on the Epic, you'll have someone dedicated to the solos who plans some sort of outing for each day. Dinners in the MDRs, going to see shows together, doing the Ice Bar, etc. We even had a sunset sailaway party with champagne!

If you were planning on getting an inside room no matter what, the studios will be perfect for you, but if you're a person who needs a window or balcony, then I would think twice. It's a SMALL room. I didn't stay in my room too much so it didn't matter to me. I did meet another solo traveler who got upgraded somehow to a balcony cabin, but had her NCL cruise consultant code her key card for the studio lounge. That way she could take advantage of the meet ups without staying in the lounge. I've heard that this both worked and didn't work from different people, but it's' worth a shot if you've just got to have that balcony.

NCL is very chill and as the studio concept becomes more and more popular, really awesome people will be sailing with you.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I will be going on the Epic out of Rome 11/11. I will also be doing the 4 day tour in Rome pre-cruise. I'm hoping there will be some other solo ladies on my cruise. You've got a great positive attitude!!!

I think you'll find a nice mix of ages on your trip. Based on what I've seen around the boards, I would think that a cooler time of the year would lend itself towards an older group. The group I hung out with was mostly 30s and 40s, but I saw some older travelers during the first few meetups and a wide range of ages all over the ship. I hope you have a wonderful time!

Hi I have sailed with MSC twice now , I had fantastic 0% solo supplement so no extra costs plus free upgrades to a balcony , I travelled on Fantasia and Splendida and had an amazing time but my friend has just got back from Prezio sa and didnt have such a great time.

MSC did not have any solo get togethers though and no solo events they did seem to seat solo English speakers together for evening meals

I guess sitting the solos at dinner together is better than nothing. I've read a few reviews of solos on MSC and the reviews seem pretty mixed. I'm not quite sure I'm brave enough to try it. I may go with a line I'm more familiar with, but without solo cabins/solo events, before I try a new line.

Thanks for your response!

Can anyone tell me if this is a good ship for solos? I sailed solo on the Epic last fall and am looking for an Eastern Med cruise for this fall or next spring. I would like to continue to cruise with Norwegian, but the Freestyle dinning policy makes me nervous. I don't mind eating alone, but eating alone for 7 days doesn't sound like that much fun!

If you're willing to travel on short notice, Costa and NCL might have affordable fares in the Eastern Mediterranean. For example, right now, I see about $600 + fees + tips for an inside cabin on the April 18 Jade sailing. Not as cheap as the best off-season Caribbean prices, but not bad either, IMHO. MSC might have affordable fares, too, but right now I can't seem to get any of my regular websites to show me fares for one passenger.

 

Safe and Happy Travels!

Have you sailed with Costa or MSC? I'm hesitant to try European lines for some reason. I guess I'm worried about issues with solo (young) female travelers? I've had some harassment issues in Europe wouldn't want to repeat that. That said, cruises are different and that probably wouldn't even be an issue. Those are excellent prices and I'm definitely going to go hunt up some reviews to see what I can find. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply, jlajr! It's always nice to talk to fellow cruisers. I'm glad you enjoyed the review and thanks for letting me know about the new Epic itineraries. I'm not super interested in the Canary Islands, but since no (affordable for me) ship with solo cabins seems to be sailing the Eastern Med, I may have to think about something else.

Hi I have a solo cabin booked on Epic for May around the western Med I booked it because of the solo cabins and lounge and hopefully a great group of solo who I can meet up with for dinner, excursions and activities. My first Solo I cruise on NCL Jade and the solo experience was very much lacking the solo get together was poorly advertised and poorly organised no activities or dinner reservations were organised it was simply meet in a bar at say 6.30 on the first day and the rest is up to you .

I think you'll find the Epic much more to your liking if you are looking for more organized activities. There is a meet up every night, and depending on who the cruise director staffer is, you should have some sort of planned activity.

I would love to sail on the Jade because she cruises the Eastern Med which I would like to be my next destination, but the problems you mentioned are exactly why I'm not booked yet and probably won't be.

Mimi,

Thanks for your comment! You're going to love the Breakaway, I think. The solo cabins make solo cruising so much easier. I would have never had the courage to cruise alone if it weren't for the solo cabins and the planned solo activities. I love NCL, but the idea of "freestyle dinning" as a solo made me so nervous! Having planned dinners and ways to meet people made finding people to eat with so easy.

I wish they had more ships with solo cabins; I don't really want to cruise the Caribbean solo, but I would love to do the Eastern Med or the Greek Isles. I want to keep cruising with NCL because I'm working my way up their reward chain, but like I said, freestyle dinning makes me nervous when there aren't planned solo outings and dinners. I've heard mixed things about the solo activities on the ships without solo cabins.

I hope you have a great time! Post a review so we can read all about it!

Really looking forward to going now following your review

I'm so glad! I hope you have a great time!

Wonderful review- thanks for posting! I'll be on the Epic solo on 2/15 and I'm enjoying her reviews. I sailed solo on the Breakaway two summers ago and really liked the boardwalk. Realizing now from your review that it appears the Epic does not have one. Staying in the studios, did you find the lack of sea views too difficult? I've read other Epic reviews where some complained there weren't many places to see the sea. What was your experience? Thanks!

I thought I would have more trouble with an inside cabin that I actually did. We hit some roughish water so I was very glad to be in the middle and away from where things were really rocking. The only bad part about an inside cabin was that it was so dark in the mornings which made it so hard to get up! But that's a problem with all inside cabins, not just the studios.

I've only been on 4 cruises in my life, but I don't think the Epic had a huge difference in the number of sea views. I like to be outside on a cruise ship or at least next to a window, so I spent a lot time on the decks (try the sun deck on 18, all the way forward!) and I always tried to get a window seat when I sat at the buffet. That can be difficult but not impossible as long as you go at slightly off times or eat in the smaller buffet by the pool. I also spent some time in the spa, which has nice sea views and up in Spice H2O. The main dinning rooms and specialty restaurants don't have terrific views. I think it's possible to get a good seat near a window, but at night, it's not really worth it. I always had good company at dinner so it never bothered me.

I think it just depends on where you like to hang out and how much time you are planning on spending on the ship, as opposed to being ashore. I like being outside, so I didn't feel closed in or like I couldn't see the ocean at all, but I could see how people who stay indoors would say that. I don't remember the bars having good views and of course the casino, shops, and theaters don't have windows. There is definitely not a place other than Spice or the pool/sun decks where you can sit outside and enjoy the sea.

I hope that answers your question. Thanks for your comment!

I really enjoyed your review, too, and have to echo many of your comments. I thought the cabins were adequate and I much prefer a full bed to a twin. The solo gathering is great and the staff really goes out of their way to make you feel welcome.

 

I do think that the Epic is better suited to your itinerary, though. I did a Caribbean cruise, with 3 sea days, which, for me, turned into almost 4 as my Ocho Rios Dunn's excursion had me back in port by 11am. (Since I wasn't too interested in buying pot, there wasn't really anything else to do other than go back to the ship.) I thought the spa was great, but the sundecks just ok. The main issue for me was the "jogging track". I think NCL is definitely making a smart decision by moving the Epic to Europe permanently. I'd probably consider a port-intensive trip on her in the future, but nothing with more than 2 sea days.

Thank you for your comment! Unless I was purposefully doing a mostly sea day cruise (like a TA or something), I don't think I would choose a cruise with more than 2 or 2.5 sea days during a 7 day cruise. I like visiting the different ports and seeing the sites and then coming back to a floating hotel that doesn't make me lug my stuff around with me. The Epic has a ton going on but for some reason I don't think it's suited for a lot of sea days. Maybe because it's so crowded? There's lots to do, but I guess there could be more educational or low key activities for those that don't want to samba on the pool deck. Not that there's anything wrong with that but it's not for everyone.

I think that's a NCL thing though. I picked the ship because of the solo cabins and the itinerary, not for the activities or the cruise style. I feel like I'm not making sense, but what I'm saying is that I agree with you. I think the Epic is very well suited for Europe. I wish she would said the Eastern Med! I would be booking that cruise in a heartbeat!

Hello I enjoyed reading this thread as I loved the Epic and was considering going from Barcelona or the Southampton to Barcelona sailing.

 

However, being from NJ I will likely just do the Breakaway the third year in a row as I love the ship and going from NYC.

 

I did find with the Breakaway waterfront, it was quiet during the day and a good place to sit and read without much noise and it gave you the feeling of course of being outside which on the Epic was really only possibly by the pool area and Spice H20 (which I like a lot on both ships, but think the Breakaway should have kept the pool like the Epic has)

I think I would be interested in sailing on the Breakaway. The waterfront sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for your comment!

I was on the repositioning of Norwegian Epic from Barcelona to Miami in late October to mid-November.

 

I had a studio cabin. There were several faults will it:

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the solo cabins. I loved having a double bed because I hate twin beds. I'm not in college any more and zero desire to recreate that sleeping experience. lol

I will say that I do agree with you on the space issue. The cabins are tight with the larger bed, but I would rather have a bigger bed and be a little cramped than the other way around.

There are plenty of ways to turn out the lights or put them to all white light. The controls were on the phone. I definitely don't think that should deter anyone from choosing a solo cabin. Once you figure out how they work, it's easy to switch them back to white whenever you want.

I'm a solo but I'm HAL rather than NCL (because I'm a member of HAL's core demographic :( ). Just wanted to compliment you on the most ARTICULATE review that I've ever read -- on this board or anywhere else. What a pleasure!

Thank you! I wanted to give as accurate account as I could so that potential cruisers could get a better idea of what the ship and the experience is really like. I found those reviews to be the most helpful when I was preparing for my cruise.

great review I am sailing May 31st from Barcelona and celebrating my Birthday on June 3rd I quite fancy trying the Ice bar for the experience , did you try this ?

I did not. I'm not a big vodka drinker so I didn't really see the point. I'm sure it's lots of fun though and probably worth the price since you get two drinks. It might be even more fun when it's warmer outside. I sailed in the fall and the night temps were a little cooler. I didn't want to get bundled up and go into an ice box when I was already a little cold. :D

Does anyone know if there is a solo lounge on the Jewel?

I don't think so. I think the only ships with lounges are the ships with solo cabins, so Epic, Getaway, and Breakaway. I think the ship that sails around Hawaii (Pride of America??) has a very small common area for the 4 solo cabins on board.