caligirl1960

They were great. They were on time, the vehicle was clean, and we felt secure. We were the only ones in the van so it was a quick trip to our hotel. Once we returned to Long Beach, we decided we wanted to get picked up earlier and they were responsive to our request and kept in contact with us regarding an earlier time (we had to wait for one with a car seat).

The bill to ban the bottles has just been introduced--it's not law at this point.

That is not correct, I was charged tax on Carnival last June.

I'm cruising solo, actually first ever solo trip, on April 21 on the Breakaway and while I'm apprehensive about taking this step I'm also excited. I'm 58 and am usually surrounded by friends and family but I have found that I need time to recharge my batteries. The past 14-16 months have been tough for me personally and I've spent that time taking care of others and forgot about taking care of me. My family has encouraged me on this decision to take a solo trip, even if that means finding someone to watch my two grandkids (I'm their daycare). I have signed up for things through my roll call but I'm also realizing that this trip is about ME. I think if maybe you remember that you're worth the investment it might help you as you strike out on your own. Good luck!

Thanks for the link on Discount Hawaii Rentals, I just used them for a land-based trip and they were the cheapest of three sites I've been checking.

I'm on the Breakaway in 41 days (not like I'm looking at the countdown calendar every day) and I'm enjoying your review. This will be my 2nd cruise, 1st on NCL. I'll be out of Miami which sounds like a good idea as I've read several stories about confusion at NO terminal. As a solo cruiser I don't want confusion as I'm embarking. Have a blast and thanks for doing this review @jakeawhite.

Going on the Breakaway end of April in a studio cabin so interested to hear what they think of the cabins. Have a fun vacation!

Oh my gosh, you are so right....I'm way overthinking this. I've booked the South Port hotel and then seconded guessed myself on the cost. Thank you for bringing me back to reality, I appreciate it!

I've looked at Trip Advisor already and they are similar in ratings.

Hello folks! I will be staying in FLL the night before my cruise and have found that the Hampton Inn--South Port is about $50/night cheaper than the North Port location. Can anyone tell me if they've stayed at either or both locations and if there is much difference. This is only for me to put my head on a pillow as my flight doesn't arrive until 6:30 pm and I'll be up early the next day to head to POM for my cruise. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Thanks for doing the blog--I sail on Breakaway on April 21 so I'm interested in hearing about your trip.

I'm taking my first solo cruise next April and can't wait...if it wasn't for a new grandson arriving in November I may have left earlier. I have one BFF that I travel with a lot but I want, and need, a chance to focus on me after my Mom's passing a couple of months ago. My BFF and I are both comfortable to go off and do things on our own during our travels, we don't feel the need to spend every waking moment together, but she refuses to cruise and I really want some warm water and beaches. I too have done the trip where I shared a room with someone I casually knew and that was a complete failure as they wanted to do everything together. My thought is that a cruise is a perfect way to branch out into solo vacations. I can be as social as I want or decide to find a nice quiet area of the ship to just read my books or nap. The opportunity to explore is also there once I hit port and go out on a tour, again not alone but can decide to keep to myself if I'm so inclined. I'm optimistic that I'll love it and will be doing more of this in the future.

That is great information!! Thanks so much!

Hi, I'm checking to see if you were able to verify if the hotel had a shuttle arrangement to POM, trying to determine if I need to book separately. Thanks in advance.

I lost my husband 15 years ago and have traveled with friends or family since then. I recently realized that I can't depend on having a friend or family available to travel with me. As a result, I've booked my first solo trip on NCL Breakaway for April 2019. While I'm apprehensive about traveling solo I also realized that a cruise is the perfect opportunity to be on a vacation while not actually being on my own. Thanks to everyone for great words of advice on this thread, it makes me feel more comfortable about this adventure.