Solo Cruiser's Roll Call

[farmersfight]

35 minutes ago, hallux said:

LOL.  Looking at the deck plan, the lounge appears as big as one of the Studio cabins.  It looks like some college dorms where you have 4 people in their own rooms and a common "living room" type of area connecting them.

 

Yeah, I saw where the PoA's studio lounge connected all 4 studio cabins. I wonder, was this because NCL's studio cabin/studio lounge concept was in it's infancy or was this because it was just an after thought on the PoA only?

 

NCL sure did a lot better with their studio lounges/studio cabins on their newer, larger ships.

[hallux]

17 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

to starting to use the 737 Max planes again,

Honestly - that is going to be the MOST-scrutinized plane in the sky, it should be safe.

[farmersfight]

2 minutes ago, hallux said:

Honestly - that is going to be the MOST-scrutinized plane in the sky, it should be safe.

 

I totally agree @debenson0723.

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, farmersfight said:

 

Yeah, I saw where the PoA's studio lounge connected all 4 studio cabins. I wonder, was this because NCL's studio cabin/studio lounge concept was in it's infancy or was this because it was just an after thought on the PoA only?

 

NCL sure did a lot better with their studio lounges/studio cabins on their newer, larger ships.

I believe the studio cabins were added to POA during the 2013 dry dock.  I am pretty sure they were not on there when the ship launched in 2005.  The first 'real' studio cabins with a lounge, built in the original concept of the ship, were in the Breakaway, which launched in April 2013, followed closely by the Getaway in November 2013.  So maybe (just a guess) NCL saw how many studios were booked prior to the launching of the Away ships and decided to add a few to POA.  Or I could be completely wrong.

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

Honestly - that is going to be the MOST-scrutinized plane in the sky, it should be safe.

"Should be" being the key words, LOL.

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, farmersfight said:

 

Thanks. I knew Southwest was involved with Hawaii somehow, lol. That's pretty good then, you can fly to Hawaii from the mainland pretty cheap on Southwest then, fly to the other Hawaiian island(s) on Hawaiian Airlines also pretty cheaply. Then, back to the mainland on Southwest.

 

 

Those are legit concerns. You would think that they would keep the middle seats open since they are limiting capacity. Regarding the 737 Max, I can fully understand your trepidation. But, they've had that plane out of service for so long now, I'm sure they have more than found & corrected the problem. Being able to see another track record of the 737 Max since it has been flying again would be reassuring though.

Meant to say they are NOT limiting capacity.  Had a friend fly on Southwest from MN to FLL and every seat was filled.  Not something I want to do right now.

Many corrections have been made and pilots retrained on the 737 Max but yes, I would like to see many successful flights before I board one.

[Hangman115]

I have been sailing for over 40 years.  Over 100 sailings.  Been on many solo sailings. Until I was married.  I recently became a widower. after over 20 years of marriage.
 

Am booked on the MSC Divina for three sailings. Sep 30 - 3 nights. Deck 10. Oct 3 - 7 nights  Deck 10 and Oct 10 - 4 nights deck 8. This will be my 65th birthday cruise.  Birthday parties can be better with friends. Hope to see some cruise critics on one or  more of these three sailings

[farmersfight]

58 minutes ago, Hangman115 said:

I have been sailing for over 40 years.  Over 100 sailings.  Been on many solo sailings. Until I was married.  I recently became a widower. after over 20 years of marriage.
 

Am booked on the MSC Divina for three sailings. Sep 30 - 3 nights. Deck 10. Oct 3 - 7 nights  Deck 10 and Oct 10 - 4 nights deck 8. This will be my 65th birthday cruise.  Birthday parties can be better with friends. Hope to see some cruise critics on one or  more of these three sailings

 

Wow, you have an extensive cruising resume @Hangman115. Sorry to hear about the passing of your wife; my condolences.

 

Just out of curiosity, which cruise line was your favorite for your solo cruises?

 

I'm thinking that by Sep 30th, with the vaccine(s), cruising will have resumed and will be back to some semblance of "normal". You should be a "go" on your booked cruises. The first cruise I booked was PoA for Oct 23-30, 2021. Have you cruised with MSC as a solo before? Just wondering how "solo-friendly" MSC is.

 

I see you're in Cocoa Beach, FL. I used to live with my mom & stepdad in Melbourne. But at the time, I was off to college in Texas but we would do the road trip from Galveston, TX to Melbourne, FL every spring break (and stay at my mom & stepdad's house). Many fond memories of Cocoa Beach during those spring breaks...

Edited January 5, 2021 by farmersfight

[Hangman115]

10 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

Wow, you have an extensive cruising resume @Hangman115. Sorry to hear about the passing of your wife; my condolences.

 

Just out of curiosity, which cruise line was your favorite for your solo cruises?

 

I'm thinking that by Sep 30th, with the vaccine(s), cruising will have resumed and will be back to some semblance of "normal". You should be a "go" on your booked cruises. The first cruise I booked was PoA for Oct 23-30, 2021. Have you cruised with MSC as a solo before? Just wondering how "solo-friendly" MSC is.

 

I see you're in Cocoa Beach, FL. I used to live with my mom & stepdad in Melbourne. But at the time, I was off to college in Texas but we would do the road trip from Galveston, TX to Melbourne, FL every spring break (and stay at my mom & stepdad's house). Many fond memories of Cocoa Beach during those spring breaks...

My early cruising was in the 70's. Sailing on the SS Norway. Formerly the SS France. Sailed out of Miami to the Caribbean.  I liked the smaller ships for solo. Like the Mardi Gras and Tropicale.  RCCL was nice. To me carnival and RCCL were more like booze cruise. But I was young then. Folks would sometimes recognise me about my pro wrestling days and my time in movies and TV.

On my 50th cruise in 1995. The Captain on a sailing from California to Ensennada coaught me off guard. My guest at the last minute had to cancel. i went anyway. On embarkation the Captain phoned me in my cabin. Asked me to join him on the bridge after Muster. He asked me to help him set sail.  it was a great cruise. Dined with the Captain. Spent time in his cabin. The crew would call me by my first name or my stage name. The Captain had been watching my weekly TV show from las Vegas. He also wanted to know about some of my movies.

NCL used to be a fun sailing for solos, but the vibes have been a changing.

As to MSC. This will be my first.  have not sailed any ships the past six years. My wife was well enough to take road trips in the US but not well enough to leave the country

What I am seeing now is MSC has a much lower supplement for solo cruisers.  Some cruise lines have almost a $200% supplement. Like paying for two people and only one sails. So I am trying MSC. Can almost walk to the port. And MSC is so much less expensive and seems to be more value for the money than RCCL, Carnival, Holland america and Disney. All these sail from Port Canaveral near me

[hallux]

2 minutes ago, Hangman115 said:

Some cruise lines have almost a $200% supplement

That's typical if you're booking a cabin as a solo that can hold two.  Imagine if the entire ship booked as solos in double-occupancy rooms and didn't pay the supplements - that wouldn't be a very profitable cruise.

 

That said, at least NCL will offer reduced-supplement deals as the final payment date approaches, or after.  My Oct. 2019 cruise was one that had a reduced supplement for my balcony room, but I paid the full supplement because I booked the reduced airfare through NCL (it came out within $60 one way or the other compared to the Studio cabin with self-booked air).  Prices are too high for me right now, though, Studio cabins on NCL in 2022 are going for almost as much as my balcony was.

[farmersfight]

11 hours ago, Hangman115 said:

My early cruising was in the 70's. Sailing on the SS Norway. Formerly the SS France. Sailed out of Miami to the Caribbean.  I liked the smaller ships for solo. Like the Mardi Gras and Tropicale.  RCCL was nice. To me carnival and RCCL were more like booze cruise. But I was young then. Folks would sometimes recognise me about my pro wrestling days and my time in movies and TV.

On my 50th cruise in 1995. The Captain on a sailing from California to Ensennada coaught me off guard. My guest at the last minute had to cancel. i went anyway. On embarkation the Captain phoned me in my cabin. Asked me to join him on the bridge after Muster. He asked me to help him set sail.  it was a great cruise. Dined with the Captain. Spent time in his cabin. The crew would call me by my first name or my stage name. The Captain had been watching my weekly TV show from las Vegas. He also wanted to know about some of my movies.

NCL used to be a fun sailing for solos, but the vibes have been a changing.

As to MSC. This will be my first.  have not sailed any ships the past six years. My wife was well enough to take road trips in the US but not well enough to leave the country

What I am seeing now is MSC has a much lower supplement for solo cruisers.  Some cruise lines have almost a $200% supplement. Like paying for two people and only one sails. So I am trying MSC. Can almost walk to the port. And MSC is so much less expensive and seems to be more value for the money than RCCL, Carnival, Holland america and Disney. All these sail from Port Canaveral near me

 

When I was previously married, Carnival was my favorite cruise line. Now that I am divorced & retired, I will be cruising solo, so I am "gravitating" over to more "solo-friendly" cruise lines like NCL & RCCL (RCCL has studio balcony cabins on their Quantum-class ships).

 

With that said though, Carnival's brand new Excel-class ships coming out (Mardi Gras & Carnival Celebration) have "Junior Balcony" staterooms - a tad smaller than regular balcony staterooms (same size balcony) and they come with a smaller price, making them reasonably priced for solos, even with the supplement.

 

Btw, I have numerous cruises booked, on 2 RCCL Quantum-class ships (Anthem OTS, Odyssey OTS - in studio balcony cabins) and on both the Mardi Gras & the Carnival Celebration (in Jr. Balcony cabins). Oh btw, the new Mardi Gras will be home ported in Port Canaveral, near you.

 

Interesting that you were a pro wrestler and were in movies & TV. Is your CC screen name "Hangman" also your stage name? Don't mean to get too personal but if you don't mind, I would like to look you up on Google using your stage name.

 

Yeah, I heard MSC is offering some good deals, even for us solo cruisers. I think MSC is trying to get a foot-hold in the U.S. market (competing against NCL, CCL & RCCL), so I think that's why they are discounting their cruises. Someday, I'd be willing to try MSC.

 

And oh yeah, Disney is a very expensive cruise line. I think you're paying for the Disney name & the "Disney experience". No thanks, I'm too old for Disney now anyway and my 2 kids are grown men now, lol.

 

Take care...

[ChangeOrder]

Hi there! I'm going to embark on my solo cruising adventures this November. I'm super excited to do my favorite thing - cruising - and following my own plans and rules. 

 

RCCL is still my favorite line,  mostly because their ships are the best in my opinion. I'll be on Princess in the near term as I use up my cancelled Covid cruise FCC. Really hoping to fit in some time on the new big RCCL ships soon, but I'm interested in trying Carnival's newer ships too. 

 

Here's to a New Year and New Cruising!

[farmersfight]

 

1 hour ago, ChangeOrder said:

Hi there! I'm going to embark on my solo cruising adventures this November. I'm super excited to do my favorite thing - cruising - and following my own plans and rules. 

Really hoping to fit in some time on the new big RCCL ships soon, but I'm interested in trying Carnival's newer ships too. 

 

 

 

Hi @ChangeOrder. My situation is very similar to yours. I'll be embarking on my solo cruising adventures starting with NCL's Pride of America (PoA), Oct 23-30, 2021.

 

I agree with you totally, I think RCCL has the best designed ships. I have never cruised with RCCL before but I currently have 2 booked; Anthem OTS (out of Bayonne, NJ) Jan 21-31, 2022 and Odyssey OTS (out of Port Everglades, FL) Feb 26-Mar 6, 2022. I purposefully booked these Quantum-class ships because they have studio balcony cabins (love me a balcony, lol). I'm booked in studio balcony cabins on both.

 

1 hour ago, ChangeOrder said:

Really hoping to fit in some time on the new big RCCL ships soon, but I'm interested in trying Carnival's newer ships too. 

 

For just the reason I mentioned above, I recommend RCCL's Quantum-class ships for you as a solo (try to book one of those studio balcony cabins - there are 12 on each ship. They are very popular and sell out fast, so book early). RCCL has a brand new Quantum-class (Quantum Ultra-class, actually) ship coming out, Odyssey of the Seas, which will be home ported in Port Everglades, FL.

 

For Carnival, I recommend doing what I'm doing, as a solo, book one of those Junior Balcony cabins on either the Mardi Gras and/or the Carnival Celebration. Both are brand new and the largest in the Carnival fleet. The Junior Balcony cabins have the same size balcony as a regular balcony cabin, but the cabin itself is just a "tad" smaller (sq ft). Carnival has priced these Junior Balcony cabins lower than the regular balcony cabins, so imo, they are reasonably priced, even for a solo with the solo supplement.

 

Good luck on your impending solo cruising adventures this November. By November, I think your cruise will be a go. Oh btw, there is veteran solo cruiser on these boards from your neck of the woods (Seattle) -> @coastcat. She is a wealth of information re solo cruising. I hope she doesn't mind that I dropped her name...

Edited January 6, 2021 by farmersfight

[Hangman115]

13 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

 

Interesting that you were a pro wrestler and were in movies & TV. Is your CC screen name "Hangman" also your stage name? Don't mean to get too personal but if you don't mind, I would like to look you up on Google using your stage name.

 

Take care...

------------------------------------------------------------
 

To answer yur question. I was given the name "The Hangman" from wrestling legend Dick the Bruiser.  I began wearing a mask in 1974 because my career began in the Chicago area. And the liquor laws said I could not be in the clubs until I was 21. So to get around that, the mask began the start of my career.
 

I have attached a couple pics of me. One is my beginning from 1974. Another pic is two Hall of Fame members. WWF legend Jimmy Valiant challenging me to my Championship belt. This was around 2004
 

I am also listed on IMDB. The Internet Movie Data Base. They have listed a few of the movies my wife Jacqueline and I have worked on. Here is a link.
 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1133028/
 

One more thing. If you or anyone is interested. A team is working on a 32 page comic book. It will showcase my life as a wrestler, an Ordained Minister and a movie actor. It may be released in the fall of 2021. And will be available for the general public to purchase it  then
 

 

[Prometheus1]

First solo booked for April 24 Symphony OTS

                                      Sept 5   Allure OTS

                                      Nov 6 Carnival Celebration TA

 

A bit nervous but glad to find this thread on CC. My husband or family will sometimes cruise with me but DH doesn't like cruising near as much as I do so I figure Im going cruising with or without him:)

[farmersfight]

10 hours ago, Prometheus1 said:

First solo booked for April 24 Symphony OTS

                                      Sept 5   Allure OTS

                                      Nov 6 Carnival Celebration TA

 

A bit nervous but glad to find this thread on CC. My husband or family will sometimes cruise with me but DH doesn't like cruising near as much as I do so I figure Im going cruising with or without him:)

 

Hi @Prometheus1. Replied to your post on the other solo thread. Looks like we're on a couple of the same ships, just on different dates.  As I posted on the other thread, I'm on Allure OTS for an eastbound TA April 24 - May 8, 2022.  I'm also cruising solo on the Carnival Celebration, W. Caribbean Jan 22-29, 2023.

 

Just curious, what type of cabins are you booked in as a solo on the Symphony & Allure OTS and the Carnival Celebration?

 

I'm in a Central Park view balcony on Allure OTS and in a Junior Balcony on Carnival Celebration. (These Jr. Balconies seem to be a perfect fit for us solo cruisers).

 

And oh, I commend you for cruising with or without your husband.

Edited January 11, 2021 by farmersfight

[Prometheus1]

For Symphony Im booked in a forward window cabin, Allure is a central park balcony and Celebration an interior Havana.

[Prometheus1]

well, scratch off the Symphony OTS. Got my cancellation notice a short time ago...

 

[farmersfight]

2 hours ago, Prometheus1 said:

well, scratch off the Symphony OTS. Got my cancellation notice a short time ago...

 

 

Sorry to hear that. Looks like the cancellations are stretching further in to 2021. I hope they don't stretch all the way to Oct 2021 (I am booked on PoA, Oct 23-30, 2021).

[Prometheus1]

Yep, total bummer but not too surprising. Im taking the refund this time. I know I will go on future Royal cruises but my schedule is getting tight for rebooking and I don't want any more money tied up in bookings for the moment.

[samsnj]

2 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

Sorry to hear that. Looks like the cancellations are stretching further in to 2021. I hope they don't stretch all the way to Oct 2021 (I am booked on PoA, Oct 23-30, 2021).

Well my Princess cruise out of Canada was cancelled for this October!

[farmersfight]

1 hour ago, samsnj said:

Well my Princess cruise out of Canada was cancelled for this October!

 

I'm beginning to wonder if Canada will ever open their ports to cruise ships again. My PoA cruise in October stays in U.S. (Hawaiian) waters, so I'm hoping that will give it a better chance of going.

[Prometheus1]

Only time will tell. Have a Hawaii cruise in Nov.

I think after the Holiday surge starts to dissipate numbers will (hopefully) start to go down. Im hopefully getting vaccinated in the next 2 weeks. Im still looking forward to cruising as long as I have bookings, Whether they go, is going to be month by month....

We will cruise again someday!

[coastcat]

On 1/10/2021 at 4:31 PM, Prometheus1 said:

First solo booked for April 24 Symphony OTS

                                      Sept 5   Allure OTS

                                      Nov 6 Carnival Celebration TA

 

A bit nervous but glad to find this thread on CC. My husband or family will sometimes cruise with me but DH doesn't like cruising near as much as I do so I figure Im going cruising with or without him:)

LOL, I would have a difficult time dragging my husband onto a cruise ship. Hurray for solo sailing! And honestly, cruising is such an easy way to travel by yourself because it eliminates a big chunk of the logistics.

[coastcat]

On 1/12/2021 at 3:14 PM, farmersfight said:

 

I'm beginning to wonder if Canada will ever open their ports to cruise ships again. My PoA cruise in October stays in U.S. (Hawaiian) waters, so I'm hoping that will give it a better chance of going.

Don of Don's Family Vacations recently posted a video on his YouTube channel about Canadian ports re-opening. He's in Canada and based on what officials there are saying, ports might not open until July at the earliest.

 

I have two Alaska cruises booked right now, the late June one on Quantum OTS and the early September one on Coral Princess. Starting to wonder if I'll be on Quantum, and if the late start means no Alaska at all for 2021. We shall see.