Culpeo

Hello, everyone!

First, the main question -- Are there storage lockers for luggage available at MCO?

Now the nuance: For my upcoming cruise, the only return flight home I was able to work out was nearly 9PM. Renting a car is not an option, so I will be getting back to the airport early with a shuttle service. To say the least, I will have a lot of spare time! Initially it was fine; I was going to spend some time with family in FL. Sadly that will not be possible that particular day.

I'm flying with Southwest and I can only check my bag 4 hours prior to departure. I am also going to be completely solo, and this is my first time flying alone. I have been to MCO before (a few years ago), but I was not in charge for those trips. I have most things worked out except for how exactly I will handle my wait time. If it's possible to store my luggage somewhere for a bit that would be wonderful.

With that said, are there any recommendations or advice anyone may have? I do have some things I will be able to work on and do, but I'd like to explore the airport and move around a little bit in between 🙂

Thank you for your time, everyone!

15 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

I've always been something of a loner when it comes to traveling -- just fine on my own. But in general when I had started cruising I would always make sure I was seated at the largest possible table in the main dining room just so I had more people to socialize with at dinner regularly. These days it's more difficult for that because they're intentionally avoiding seating unrelated parties together so you really have to go into dinner with people you want to sit with. Participate in as many of the activities going on as you can manage; they're all great mixers and ways to meet fellow cruisers. I'm generally content sitting at a bar with my Kindle and ignoring people. 🙂 And usually when you try to ignore people, all that happens is people come and start getting chatty with you! Generally I've never had a problem finding people to hang out with and do things aboard if that's what I'm looking for; there's almost always people I'll meet, talk with, find interesting, run into again and again, and just get to know better and make plans to do things like visit a show or go into a port together. Don't overplan, just let things happen as you come across opportunities, but start off with things you find interesting.

I tend to be that way too -- I don't mind being low key and taking things in. It's so true, you become a magnet for people to chat with!

Thanks for sharing your experience. That's what I was hoping it would be like. You said you take the Anthem often; what others do you take, and what do you like that is particular to that ship/class?

Thank you so much everyone for your replies. This is all very helpful.

I'll call the powers that be and make sure my Crown & Anchor information is all in a row. If only I could afford a suite!

One of northeastern cruises is high on my list! I'd love to plan one in the future. Sadly, it's a bit out of my budget for the time being (as a solo cruiser). I'm going to keep my eyes on prices and see how everything develops. I did find a 4-day cruise out of Orlando costing around $650 after solo fees and the refundable deposit option, so I went with that in the mean time.

I hadn't even thought about particular port quirks. That's great food for thought, thank you!

@dswallow

What is it typically like, in your opinion, as a solo traveler? What do you like most? Any personal tips?

14 minutes ago, LeeW said:

Assuming you are not in China, iFly and North Star are free.  The former is a 1 minute flight (and you can pay for longer flights).  The latter is around 10 minutes.  Book both as soon as they show up in your Cruise Personalizer.  North Star is easy to do standby - you might wait 20 minutes for an opening.  Both can also be booked onboard through the phone app.  Phone app is very useful for adding and changing show and dining reservations.

 

Likewise book shows as soon as they appear.  For most you can just show up and they will open the doors 15 minutes before the show (but seating may be very limited by then.

 

Dining is up to you.  If you have MyTime you can either make a reservation or show up when the dining room is open.  Depending on if you want to sit with others you may have a short wait.  All the main dining rooms serve the same food (decor is different) and when RCI quit sailing MyTime didn't start until around 6:30 so they could seat early fixed seating in the dining room.

 

In a week you cannot do everything on the ship.  Pick what you are interested in.  Anthem-class ships are huge - explore.  Try signing up for the circus training if it is available.  Bumper cars,  climbing wall.  Many activities are free.  

 

By the way, we can't discuss (or mention) travel agencies on Cruise Critic.  But you can search for short cruises on most TA web sites or Royal by month and cruise line.  Pick cruises that go where you are interested in.  Note that prices on ships that are not selling well can drop quite a bit after final payment (around 90 days before sailing) so if you can book late you might get a deal.  Some of the cruises out of Galveston are short and cheaper - a visit to Progreso in Mexico will let you see ruins without the long ferry rides from Cozumel.  Grand Cayman for sting rays or turtles.  Note that smaller ships have less to do onboard but are great for relaxing.  Check the Cruise Critic boards for the ports you might be interested it.  Be advised that cruising is addictive....

Thank you for the advice. Based on what you said, is it easy to eat alone if wanted in the main dining room? What seating time tends to be most popular, in your experience, out of curiosity?

I am going to take a look at the Galveston options, like you mentioned. That sounds interesting!

Apparently there is a 20 minute limit on editing posts, lesson learned -- I'll make sure to avoid the TA issue and double posting in the future. 🙂

Just now, Culpeo said:

Thank you for the reply. I wasn't sure about that, I will remove it from my post!

I am staying in a normal, double occupancy cabin.

Thank you for the welcome!

Oh, I can't edit it -- I'm so sorry, I'm going to go to CruiseCritic jail on my first day! 😞

Thank you for the reply. I wasn't sure about that, I will remove it from my post!

I am staying in a normal, double occupancy cabin.

Thank you for the welcome!

Hello there!

I'm brand new to cruising. I've always wanted to experience one, but never had the opportunity up until now. I'll be on an Alaskan cruise with family in the summer of 2022, aboard Quantum of the Seas. I've booked solo, through Costco Travel. For some background info, I'm in my late 20s. My siblings are experienced cruisers, and RCI is their choice. Since it would be nice to take trips with them, I'd like to build up my experience with the line as well!

I have a few questions, and would love any advice or experience you may have to share! I've been poring over the forums for a while now, as well as other books and information. But there is nothing like having an actual discussion.

1. Crown and Anchor points -- I've read about the double points promo going on. Will I still obtain these having booked through Costco Travel, and will I even get them at all since I am technically not yet a C&A member? Any opinions on Costco Travel? I'm not able to get any on-board bonuses with my cabin level, sadly.

2. As a solo traveler, for a 7-night cruise with the double points paying a supplement; would that earn 14+7 points, or 14+14 points? I'm not sure if anybody is yet able to answer this, or if I am even correct about the assertion for double points for a single passenger.

3. Has anybody sailed on a non-China based cruise with Quantum? Any recommendations? While I will be with family, I also plan on exploring a little bit on my own.

4. I'm also considering trying out a cruise before this Alaska cruise -- still in 2022. It just seems like it would be so much fun. I'm looking for something inexpensive. I mostly want to experience the ship. The Caribbean cruises seem to be most affordable. I admittedly have very little interest in the Caribbean as far as excursions go (I like snow 😉 ), so more sea days than anything is okay. It would also be nice to obtain some C&A points before my Alaska cruise. Do you have any advice or opinion on this? I'm a bit shy and not much of a party person. But there's something rather alluring about cruising in general, let alone relaxing solo.

Thank you so much for reading through this. I hope I don't sound too boneheaded in my questions. I'm just so excited! There's so much to learn!