shippmates

I am glad you enjoyed your sailing. The medical facilities on ships are top notch. When my husband needed blood, so many passengers volunteered to donate blood. I did learn that if you are a blood donor and from the US, you should carry your card with you. It makes it easier to donate. Praying the ill passenger is doing better, I am on the Fashion Week Transatlatic in October 2025. I have never experienced a sailing like this.

Kudos to HAL and the great community support.

I will be sailing on the following cruise. Please add me to the list for: Volendam - 09-Nov-24 - 42 day Ultimate Mediterranean & Atlantic Thank you shippmates

If you have the time I would recommend doing a round trip crossing. There is nothing better than spending 14 days on the QM2 at sea. It is so peaceful and relaxing.

When we did Dunn River Falls many years ago, we walked up a long flight of steps to get to the top of the falls. Many people climbed up the falls which is very dangerous for any one with mobility issues. The rocks are very slippery and the steep. The vendor at the top of the falls are just terrible. They are very aggressive and do not take no for an answer. If I were you I would cancel that excursion and find something else to do in Jamaica. Just my opinion.

I vote for the inside. Many years we always booked an inside cabin until Covid happened and we started to book oceanview or a balcony. In Alaska you want the money for shore excusions not a cabin. Enjoy your trip.

BermudaBound2014 I did enjoy the balcony. I met many great people but I felt Royal does not do solos as other lines do. It may have just been the crew on the Athem, but it seemed when I went to the dining room for breakfast or lunch there were no sharing tables. This being said many day I ate both meals alone at a table. I know I could have gone to the buffet, but I do not care for buffets,

They stop sailing to Canda early in October due to unstable weather. You could possibly have beautiful fall temperatures or you could have snow and freezing tempertures.

I also enjoyed my trip to see the town square and all the arriving pilgrims. It was a great tour and had a wonderful lunch in one of the sidwalk cafes. I had the grilled octopus in olive oil and garlic with other spices. It was amazing and if I ever get back there again I will have it again. Glad you enjoyed your trip.

I have listened to some very interesting lecturers on Queen Mary 2. Dr Steven Payne was involved in the designing of QM2 and spoke about that process. There also was a retired British police commissioner and he spoke on some of the cases he solved, You will be surprised how much you will enjoy them.

I have completed many solo cruises. I have enjoyed all of them, some more so than others. As others have said, join your roll call, attend solo meet ups, share a large table. When you go to breakfast or lunch tell the maitre d you would like to share a table with others.

I did a roundtrip from NYC including the Fjords and back to NYC on the QM2. This was in May of 2023. Check with your travel agent if you can do a trip like this.

I do not purchase the internet when I am on a ship. I will get on the free internet in ports just to let my family know that I am good. I enjoy being unleashed.

I was on this sailing in June/July and it was wonderful. Had a great time in the ports, got to see alot since we were overnight. We were able to see the fireworks from the ship. They had a big spread on the upper deck where they broadcast the Boston Pops and then you were able to see the fireworks. The weather was great to be on the deck all evening.

I am sailing on the Volendam on November 9, 2024 that has an overnight in Alexandria. This is a 42 day cruise. They are offering the excursion to Giza pyramids and a cruise down the Nile. I know it is a very popular excurison and I am doing it. I will do the ships excursion since it is such a long day, but am not real concerned as we are in port overnight. Hope you find a cruise that has this excursion that fits in your schedule.

I travel solo and enjoy the solo meetings. Most of the cruises are Transatlantics with a cruise in between returning to the states. Cunard has a wonderful solo program that meets every morning at 9:30 in the Carinitha Lounge. They are well attended by solo travelers where male or female. I still atended the one time I sailed with a cabinmate. We are both solos just sharing a cabin. It is nice to meet people to chat with, have lunch with and sometimes even do an excursion with. I know there have been some attending that are married but left their spouses at home. To me that is no big deal as they are traveling solo on that cruise. Whatever your status is enjoy your cruise.

I enjoy seeing your pictures. I had a moose burger in the fish market. It was so good. Enjoy the rest of your time in Norway. Thank you for sharing.

Volendam will be in drydock in October 2024 and will start sailing about on November 9 th for a 42 day cruise to the Atlantic and Med.

RileyFox you will love the fjords. The scenery is amazing. Please make sure you do the skylift rides up the mountains. I also did one that got me close enough to see the ice on the water. Make sure you have a camera or a good camera on your phone for photos. Rotterdam is a beautiful ship.

I booked a Vista Suite on the Rotterdam on one occassion and was because the price was less than a regular balcony. It was a great midship location and the added room was no be deal for one person. The only way I would do that again is if the price is right.

The deserts in the buffet are clearly marked but they are very few choices. Gluten has a whole section of gluten free foods. When I was on the Eurodam I was given the menu every night to pick my no sugar added choices.

An agent must submit the payment directly to the cruise line. I always pay my agent by credit card. If you pay my agent by check, she must send the check to her agency and they will send the check to the cruise line. By using this method, you add days to the payment processing time. It is much easier to use a credit card. If you are using a TA for the first time, ask them if your payment goes directly to the cruise line. Hope this is solved to their advantage.

I did not have to pay for my bags either. The charge was the same as the airlines charges, I found it a great way to get through an airport without any luggage to worry about.

I used the luggage transfer in Ft Lauderdale. I am not sure that all airlines participate but I know that United does. It did cost and you also had to pay the charge for the checked bags.

I am so sorry you are having to deal with all this stress. When I pay for cruise with a credit card, does not matter who I pay I receive an alert on my phone that a charge of $$$$ was charged to the cruise line. This alert is received within minutes of the payment being made. Hope you get this solved to your satisfaction real soon.