SandraDJ

My travel agent has just posted a message on social media, and will be in touch with clients.

I have checked my NCL account, and my cruise out of Singapore is still there.  I booked it using a discount from a previously cancelled cruise, and a CruiseNext voucher.

Fingers crossed it hasn't been cancelled.

I have a cruise booked out of Tokyo in March 2023.  It is still showing in my account but not on the website.  I hope they make cancellations public soon, as I have seen a different trip that I would like to do, but with a different cruise line.

I didn't bother to use my free speciality dinner on Virtuosa in May as it was only for four nights.  I will be on Magnifica at the end of this month for seven nights, so will take advantage.  I went to Butcher's Cut on Meraviglia with friends, and they allowed me to have two starters instead of a main.  MSC isn't the best for vegetarians.

I've just booked a 3 night cruise, and will be 69 by the time we sail.  It's a good opportunity to try a new ship, and sailing out of Portsmouth has been on my wish list for a while.  As it's only a mini cruise, I'll have a small suitcase, so will arrive at the port on a local bus!

I doubt if I would cope well on the tiny single cabins, like those on Brilliance of the Seas.  I'd be better in one of the single balcony cabins, like Ovation of the Seas.  

I sailed solo on the Bellissima maiden voyage from Southampton to Barcelona.

I bought a pass for the thermal area for the whole cruise.  It was the best experience that I have had.  Some smaller ships have thermal areas, which are appropriate for the size of ship - not great.  The other biggest was NCL Getaway.  The facilities on offer weren't as good and varied as Bellissima.  Bellissima was more relaxing.  On Getaway people were having loud conversations in what was labelled as a quiet area - not to mention people reserving the heated loungers,

I have limited experience on MSC.  I was on the Bellisima maiden from Southampton to Barcelona, and there were no meet ups.  I did recognise some passengers that I met on an RCI ship, and of course met people from the boards here.

I've just been on a 3 night cruise on Meraviglia, and again there were no no meet ups.

There's no straight answer to any of these questions.  NCL big ships are the most solo friendly, and I am in contact with a few people that I have sailed with.  However, I have made friends on other cruise lines.

As for mini cruises, I do them from time to time.  My last cruise was just over a week ago, a 3 night cruise on MSC Meraviglia from Kiel to Southampton.  It was incredibly cheap, and a couple of friends decided to join me.

My preference is for ports where I can just wander on my own.  I am a hobby photographer, so anyone coming with me would get bored.  I have found that the private tours in mini buses are the friendliest, rather than the big coaches that the cruise lines use.

My next cruise is from Fort Lauderdale to LA, through the Panama.  From what others have said, I don't think that I want to wander around on my own.

Those people were incredibly rude.  Thankfully I have never met anyone like that in any of my cruises.

On all the RCI cruises that I have been on, I have been seated with others at breakfast or lunch in the MDR.

When I was on Queen Victoria last year I was seated with couples, and asked to be moved to a table of solo travellers.  The next night it was just me and a very elderly, and very deaf, man on a table for 8.  I swapped again, because I knew that there was space on a table of solos that I had already met.  Third time lucky.  And they did re-seat the elderly man, so I didn't need to feel guilty about abandoning him.

I've only just seen this, so went into the Celebrity site.  It's over £3000 for me - far too much for a short cruise.  I'll just go across to Southampton to take a look!

You don't book 2 people thinking you'll get to sail for the price of 1. You know in advance, right from the beginning, that you are paying for BOTH passengers. The only refund is port fees & taxes. That's it. And if you know that up front & in advance and fully plan to pay for it ... you sail solo.

Pricing isn't always that simple. There are many cruises where the cost for a solo passenger is a lot more than for the original double occupancy offer.

I've been onto the Cunard website. The inside cabin is coming out at £2822!

I have also heard that some passengers who have booked a 'phantom' cabin mate have been refused boarding unless they pay the solo rate at the time of sailing. I personally wouldn't want to risk it.

It takes a while, but the main advantages come when you get to diamond level.

I hope this isn't true. I don't buy wi-fi, but save my 24 hours benefit until late in the cruise so that I can check in for my flight home.

My next cruise is round the British Isles in June, so at least I'll be able to use my 4G if I want to go online. That's the cruise where I achieve diamond plus.

NCL Getaway ... October 15 .... Transatlantic ... Copenhagen to Miami

 

14 Nights

 

Only $69 per day

 

Solo inside guarantee $809 plus $159 p/t

I'm already on that one!

Also the time of year is important. Whales are migratory and may not be in the area where you are. Plan ahead

 

 

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I didn't plan my cruise on the basis of whale watching, I wanted to visit Reykyavik and the other ports on the itinerary. I just assumed that if a whale watching excursion was on offer, there might be some whales to see!

Royal Caribbean Adventure

Saturday November 10,2018

8 nights

Studio Interior "2W" $748.75 total with tax/fee

 

Was this price late last week then raised to over $1,700, which was higher priced than other interiors.:confused:

I've just checked the website and a balcony is £789 (about 1043$). Not a bad price.

I went on a whale watching trip when we were docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was disappointing in that we could only see them in the distance. They were minke whales. I will be on an Alaska cruise in September, and hope that will be more successful

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The had a message they will be doing updates on the site until this evening. The message is gone but it was there yesterday.

OK, thanks

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It's 6am on Sunday morning and the MSC website won't go as far as choosing a cabin!

I have been asked the same question several times when entering the US. I suppose they are trying to trip people up.

I've never seen customs officers at any London railway station. Were you on Eurostar? That's the only station that would have immigration officers. I got stopped by customs officers once after landing at London Gatwick. I may have looked slightly suspicious as I was rushing - I had a train to catch to get home!

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My last cruise was my first as Diamond and it was a great experience. I enjoyed the free picture, the Happy Hour and the 24 hour period of internet. I don't think I'll reach Diamond Plus anytime soon (maybe the next 3 years) but I would like to try the status matching on Celebrity and MSC in the next two years.

I'm about to take my first Celebrity cruise, although it is only a 2 night cruise. I set up my Captain's Club account thinking that I would have to contact Celebrity for the status match. My account is showing as Elite to start with and I didn't have to do a thing!

I came down with a chest infection last month on Legend . I had to wait an hour to see the doctor, but everyone who came in after me was seen first. The antibiotics didn't cure it, so I had to see my own GP when I got home. I took a copy of the invoice with me, my doctor said that I had been under medicated. I was prescribed more antibiotics and feel a lot better now

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