jpapa96

I just returned from a week in L106- and if I had it to do over again, I would definitely pick a different cabin mid ship. Our week may have been unique, but there was a lot of motion and vibration in our cabin. Particularly when we had to drop anchor and tender. We found that the balcony way a bit too windy on most sea days. However, the view was great, and we did enjoy having a larger balcony.

I'm going on my fourth and fifth solo cruises soon. For some reason, I'm comfortable on a cruise ship, but fear I might not enjoy toying on land, unless with a tour group, and rarely do I see zero or low single supplements. Could you advise me as to how to plan a Solo land vacation?

If you don't require a 5* resort, you may want to check out Exodus and Explore (UK based companies) or Intrepid (Australian)- They do terrific small group adventure or adventure light holidays all around the world at pretty reasonable prices. With a max of 14 people they are far from the traditional bus tour and as they have no single supplement, there are generally few couples- I've gotten to meet interesting people of all ages from all over the world and highly recommend it.

Jami

Ray-

IMHO, the smaller ships are so much easier for solos than the larger ships. With a max of ~650 passengers, you are guaranteed to meet many more of your fellow passengers as you simply see them much more frequently around the ship. There is no set seating in the MDR, and I found the staff was always eager to seat me with others with whom I'd get along well. Additionally, the free wine seems to lubricate everyone a bit and result in a bit more free flowing conversation. I've found that nearly all of the passengers on board were well-educated, well-traveled, and from all corners of the globe. Much more interesting than the typical American on the larger ships. The only downside is that if you cruise for the night life, you would be disappointed on Azamara. The casino and night club have tumbleweeds blowing through them after 11, and the shows tend to be a bit more niche and often include the cruise director performing. I typically turn in early and take advantage of the wide array of free gym classes, so it doesn't bother me. But, it is definitely not a meat market or a Carnival ship.

Jami

I've really enjoyed reading all of your postings- I'm 37, single, no kids, and have spent the past 10 years living all over the world. My first cruise was in 1995, just before my senior year of college, with my parents. Since then, I have cruised a few more times with either both parents, or just mom, but definitely prefer to go it alone. Two years ago, I discovered Azamara, and will never go on another line again. It is a bit pricier than the mainstream lines, but the itineraries are wonderful, and the small ship size makes it easy to meet others, the crew is fabulous, and most importantly, there are rarely any children on board. I'll be moving to Greece in a couple of weeks (a major improvement over Afghanistan), and am booked on my next Azamara cruise for October 16!

Jami