SoloAlaska

Celebrity is a notch above in both. My biggest issue with NCL is a complete lack of seasoning in almost everything they make. Absolute worse ceasar salad I’ve ever had was in the MDR of NCL. With that said I will continue to still cruise NCL but make my selections accordingly.

Cant trade airline points for cash. Credit card points ok you’re right I probably could have gotten $150 in cash. So you’re correct it’s $1150, still not the 10k others may easily spend on their Alaskan cruise.

If anyone has food intolerances or allergies I highly recommend set dinning. Having to explain it every night is a pain plus there is more risk that someone won’t understand.

You’ll find more info in the ports of call area of CC if you want specifics. Lots of info to be had on here.

30 minutes is the rule of thumb but I would aim to return 1hr before sail away just in case unless your staying really close to port.

Without the wifi you’ll still be able to message your husband through the app.my first cruise was celebrity and I loved NOT having wifi. In Europe I always get an eSIM which I use in port for any data needs I have.

Alaskan cruises aren’t necessarily a lot of money. I was able to use airline and credit card point to pay for flights and my hotel so my entire trip is costing $1000 and that’s traveling solo. So if you include a tip etc it’s almost 20% of my cruise to one excursion. If you have the money then spend it. The biggest benefit would be to have a larger viewing platform honestly. When it’s misty you really can’t see much out of the windows so being outside is the best spot, the regular cars only have standing room for a few people sadly.

I meant for hot chocolate delivery I needed a cruise husband.

More and more places now have mandatory gratuities. A lot of restaurants if youre more than 8 it’s mandatory 18-20%. It’s still a gratuity however.

It’s in the Dailies every day and on the schedule on the app. Considering a lot of solo cruisers aren’t staying near the studio lounge and many ships don’t even have the lounge it makes sense to post it where everyone can view it. The solo meet up on my Gem TA had well over 100 people on the first night and on average over 40 people per night. They had to switch us to larger venues and get us more bartenders when in spinnaker. Having a great solo coordinator makes all the difference.

They did on my crossing in December on the Gem

Our range will be 13-85 with most being in their 30s. We will be 12 on this family cruise. We are doing dinner together unless you are going to specialty dinning. There is no way we would all do breakfast together daily since one person likes to eat before the sun rises and several may be nursing hangovers.

Out of 16 nights cruising in September I’ve seen them one night and missed one night. They were not impressive but if you have an iPhone take pictures since they actually show up better in picture than IRL. The best way I could describe what we saw was like a glow over a city but there was no city. But hey I saw them for the 4th time in my life so it still counts.

Life GF is so much easier now than it was 15 plus years ago when I couldn’t eat gluten. I was not Celiac but had such severe pain that I ended up in hospital repeatedly. Cruise ships are great with it especially. My worries are more when I’m off the ship. I have food allergies now but never had an issue on a cruise. Traditional dinning with set tables are the easiest and order your meal (or dessert) the night before.

Google luggage storage, I’ve used those types of services all over since I discovered it. You can also look up hotel day passes in the area. I’m sure others will have recommendations of places they’ve used in the pass. I haven’t been to FLL but these services are available all over.

I get nausea when in a car but not on small boats but have been very sea sick on a cruise ship. I also suffer from anxiety. I always bring prescription meds for my anxiety which in itself helps soothe my anxiety. For seasickness EmeTerm has been an amazing solution for me. I haven’t needed to take an OTC unless the seas are very rough. EmeTerm is a very small electric shock bracelet device. It doesn’t work for everyone but it’s done wonders for me. Not all cruises have rough seas. I just travel to places and at times of the year where it can be expected and happens. I don’t let it stop me though.

I saw an add for this little bag that locks essentials like your phone and cash etc onto beach loungers etc. it was pretty interesting. I usually travel with not much of value to places like the beach and then use a waterproof pouch for the things of value like phone, cards, and cash.

So your saying I need a cruise husband 😂

But no one is serving hot chocolate on your balcony.

There are benefits for porter my favorite being gate check. Less of a chance of delayed carry ons that way compared to how Air Canada does it. I still search flights but what gives me the best deal so I’ll still fly porter occasionally but Air Canada has been my sweet spot for booking in 2024. In 2023 I flew all sorts of airlines.

I’ve never had an issue with this with hotels that cater to business people. I often send things to hotels but don’t send them too early since they can get buried and difficult to find in shipping and receiving departments. I usually target arrivals 2-3 days within the US and 5-7 days from Canada to the US. A budget hotel could be different. Call a prospective hotel ahead of booking.

Uber Black Car is a nice alternative but if you need the extra help with your luggage etc then a regular black car service would be better.

If you don’t want went cold feet then bring waterproof shoes and something like light wool socks.

Where you come from also makes a difference. Someone mentioned to bring a heavy winter jacket…. I would never. I am from a place that gets to -40 so winter jackets are meant for actual freezing cold weather. for Alaska at that time of year bring a bit of everything from tshirts and shorts to warm layers. You’ll want to bring waterproof shoes and coats but you shouldn’t need them as much in June.

There’s also a baggage storage service about a block and a half away with a nominal charge. I left a VERY heavy suitcase there for 3 days when I took a side trip to Vancouver Island.