How does Holland America treat solo cruisers?

[bottomfeeder]

I'm once again considering booking a solo cruise--I keep chickening out! This year I'm considering the Nieuw Amsterdam TA cruise in late October/early November.

 

I'm curious about how you experienced solo cruisers feel HAL is for solos, and also how a TA crossing works for solos. I must admit I'm a little bit worried about being bored out of my skull during the at-sea week--but I've read that HAL has lots of enrichment activities so hopefully I could always find something interesting to do.

 

How are they with dinner seating? I've always preferred the anytime dining option, but wonder if by choosing fixed seating I'd be placed with other solos? If so, that might be preferable.

 

I've looked through the roll call thread and see what appears to be a few other solos on this cruise, so hoping I can "buddy up" with some of them.

 

Also, I'm in my early 50s and while I'm definitely not a party person (pretty quiet and keep to myself a lot) I know that HAL and TAs both have reps of having a very senior crowd...would there likely be other people within my general age range?

 

Oh, and is a guarantee balcony cabin okay or are there a lot of undesirable balcony cabins that I'd be likely to end up in? I'm really not too picky!

 

Thanks for any feedback! I know different people will have different likes/dislikes/opinions, so I'd like to hear yours!

[travelnap]

Bottomfeeder, I did a solo TA last year on the Rotterdam with HAL and I enjoyed the trip. I have sailed solo on HAL before so it was not the first time. I always use the anytime dining if it is available on whichever line I am sailing with. As far as HAL my experience has been good. When I did go to the MDR I asked to be seated at a larger table and have always found the company to be very charming and friendly. They won't necessarily seat with just solos as they fill the tables as the people come, but my experience was good. On my last trip I ate at the Pinnacle once and also in the Caneletto once on the trip. I also did the buffet as for the evening meal they usually serve the same dishes as the MDR has that evening. On a TA you will find an older crowd on whatever line you are sailing as there are not a lot of young families on a TA because of the length of the cruise. HAL does have good speakers and other programs if those interest you. I like to read so on the long sea days I would read two or three books each day and just relax on deck. HAL does have one of the best libraries at sea in my opinion. As far as other activities I enjoyed the trivia each day, but beyond that I did not do a whole lot except relax. As far as the entertainment, I did not go to any of the shows so I can't give you an opinion on how good or bad it is.

 

As far as the age demograhic I am in the latter part of the 50's and there were people my age aboard, along with a few younger ones, and quite a few more older ones. One of the trivia questions was what was the average age of all the pasengers aboard our sailing and the average age was 75, but yes, you will find quite a few in their 50's and 60's, just not a lot of the 20 and 30 year olds. HAL doesn't have all the bells and whistles as some of the big ships doing the TA, but at my age I am not interested in climbing walls, skating rinks, and some of the other attractions that some of the big ships have. I enjoy the sea days as they are very relaxing to me. Some people might get bored but they would probably get bored on any ship that is at sea for a week during the crossing.

 

As far as the guaranty balcony I can't tell you much about that. For a TA, I prefer a lower deck-middle of the ship cabin, as things are a lot calmer there if you do run into some rough weather. Last year on my TA the Med was rougher than the Atlantic was. My first TA was 5 or 6 years ago on RCI's Navigator of Seas and that ship is over twice as big as the Rotterdam was, with a lot more activities available, but I didn't do things much different on her than I did on the Rotterdam. I think you would enjoy the TA on HAL, but only you know what you like and you don't like so I hope you have a good trip if you decide to take it. Happy Sailing

[hal lover]

I have cruised solo twice with HA. The first one was 14 nights and the second one was 7 nights. I felt that I was treated VERY well on the 14 nighter. The 7 nighter, not so much. The biggest problem I had was on the 7 nighter was the cabin steward. Never in all of my cruise's had I ever had any issue's with a cabin steward but this one made it pretty clear that he had other cabin's with more guest's and that my needs really did matter too much too him.

As you wish dining was good for me or some evenings a quick bite in the Lido was fine.

I would not hesitate to sail solo on HA ever. I enjoy their style.

[bottomfeeder]

Thank you both. I've cruised multiple times on both Princess and Celebrity and enjoy them both but have never been on HAL and have never sailed solo...considering maybe doing a shorter Carnival cruise as my first solo adventure but I just think HAL is probably more my style. So much to think about!

[travelnap]

Thank you both. I've cruised multiple times on both Princess and Celebrity and enjoy them both but have never been on HAL and have never sailed solo...considering maybe doing a shorter Carnival cruise as my first solo adventure but I just think HAL is probably more my style. So much to think about!

 

Bottomfeeder, I have sailed on Carnival as a solo a couple times as well, but if you like both Princess and Celebrity I think you will enjoy HAL as a solo. I enjoyed my Carnival cruises, but HAL would be more similar to Princess and Celebrity than Carnival would be.

[NJDragonLady]

I have sailed twice with HA (12 day and 11 day Caribbean trips). I have enjoyed myself on both trips and was treated well by every member of the crew. I really enjoyed my dinner seating for the 2nd cruise. I was at a table with three couples...but rather than feeling excluded, they were extremely inviting and we all enjoyed our meals together!!

 

I think, as with most things in life, it's what you make of it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!

[bottomfeeder]

Well, I ended up choosing a Celebrity transatlantic sailing instead. I am sure I will enjoy it!

[travelnap]

Hope you have a good Cruise on Celebrity.

[Stevesan]

:)

I have cruised solo twice with HA. The first one was 14 nights and the second one was 7 nights. I felt that I was treated VERY well on the 14 nighter. The 7 nighter, not so much. The biggest problem I had was on the 7 nighter was the cabin steward. Never in all of my cruise's had I ever had any issue's with a cabin steward but this one made it pretty clear that he had other cabin's with more guest's and that my needs really did matter too much too him.

 

As you wish dining was good for me or some evenings a quick bite in the Lido was fine.

 

I would not hesitate to sail solo on HA ever. I enjoy their style.

 

Next time write a note to the Hotel Manager.

I once had a cabin steward problem. It was 100% incompentence. Immediately after the note that steward had a supervisor accompanying him for the next two days. He was the perfect cabin steward after that.

 

An incident with an int'l cafe barister about use of the coffee card triggered a note to the beverage manager. He followed up with a phone call telling me he had straightened out the barister's knowledge base about coffee cards. Problem fixed!:)

[Dancer Bob]

The last time I was on HAL, there was a single's lunch every sea day. Interesting- the first day, there about equal numbers of men and women. By the last day, only the single guys were still around, all the women were dining elsewhere.

[zoncom]

Bottom, Good choice. I too do mainly X and Princess. Four TAs on X.Always heard folks exclaim about HAL, so booked a 14N several yrs ago.They do excell in itins. But in 14N, not one passenger spoke to me except at dinner. I asked my companion why. He said we have nothing in common. I am a Senior also. Food and service marginal.HAL even costs more than X.Hope to do a month on Solstice to South Pacific. Love her solarium pool.Bon Voyage.

[paperclips]

This'll be my first time cruising with HAL.

 

 

Nice to read these positive posts. I'll be solo on Nieuw Amsterdam Feb 10. I used to do traditional dining but for the first time I'll go when I want dining, meet different people this way. Plus if I don't want to dine with anyone that night then I'll head to the buffet.

 

My last Princess cruise was awesome in the British Isles but they weren't that great getting solos together. They did good when I was on Grand Princess Caribbean cruise two years ago.

[travelnap]

This'll be my first time cruising with HAL.

 

 

Nice to read these positive posts. I'll be solo on Nieuw Amsterdam Feb 10. I used to do traditional dining but for the first time I'll go when I want dining, meet different people this way. Plus if I don't want to dine with anyone that night then I'll head to the buffet.

 

My last Princess cruise was awesome in the British Isles but they weren't that great getting solos together. They did good when I was on Grand Princess Caribbean cruise two years ago.

 

Hope you have a good trip. If you haven't already done so, join the roll call, as I met quite a few people at the roll call, and when you are travelling solo it is nice to have someone on board that you do know. Happy Sailing.

[Dancer Bob]

The last time I was on HAL, the cruise staff organized a singles lunch in the MDR every sea day. Started off roughly equal male/female ratio, but the single women stopped attending, so it was only guys the last day.

[Galaxy02_99]

I was solo on the Veendam last August to Bermuda. I asked for assigned, late seating; they put me at a table with 5 other solo women. It was great!

[estebofarr]

I will be taking my first solo with HAL in a few weeks. Did you get notice in your cabin about the single's luncheons? I am solo not single. :)

[elycelynne]

I will be taking my first solo with HAL in a few weeks. Did you get notice in your cabin about the single's luncheons? I am solo not single. :)

 

They combine it as "solos and singles". There's no notice to your cabin. It will be listed in the daily activities flyer (called the "Explorer" on HAL ships).

[Coastaljen]

I have cruised solo many times.. and loved it. I don't think I have had a bad solo cruise period.... It is amazing how easy it is to meet people on ships.

 

That said, and I booked my first cruise in three and a half years with my three and a half year old son. We are taking Holland. I am not that young (He is adopted.), and he and I have traveled a lot in the last year and a half, but we haven't cruised.

 

The only thing I did differently on this cruise is I requested a table for two. I always asked for the largest table possible before. I hesitated to do that because he is such a well behaved, calm kid, and LOVES meeting people. He will definitely want to know why we have to eat by ourselves. However, I just don't want anyone stuck at a table eating with a kid on a cruise who doesn't want to eat with a kid. My experience is he may be the only, or one of the only, little guys on Holland. I am not worried about that. I just want to check out his sea legs before we venture too far from land. :-)