How many traveling solo...

[BlueC5Kitten]

I think that's pretty gosh-darn good at $171/nt for a solo balcony!

 

Yeah...when you break down the cost on a per night basis, it sounds like a pretty good deal considering it is the balcony room, and all food, and most drinks (aside from the occasional umbrella drink) are included. :) Thanks for making my day, marcmarc2!!!

 

Cheers!

[bobbisailsolo]

I go for the cheapest inside, but will do an outside if there is not much difference. I have done guarantees on all three of the solo cruises I have booked. It really doesn't matter to me where I am, I am just happy to have an entire cabin to myself.

Barb

[crystal blue]

I ususally book a balcony. Love to open the door at night and listen to the ocean. I always look for the best deal possible since I cruise frequently. I treated myself to an aft wrap stateroom on my cruise in September on the Splendor. I can not wait!

[lindnet]

Hiya Linda!!! Glad to see you are back at cruising! I remember you were slated to be on the Valor with us this past January. How's the kitten? How's the job thing now? Definitely let me know about the 1As on the Conquest...since that would be my most likely ship on which to experiment with it...since it is in Galveston and all.

 

 

Yep, I'm baaaaack! After I had to cancel the Valor, I was so depressed that I ended up going on the Mariner of the Seas to the Mexican Riviera after the job instability calmed down. Now I have the Conquest booked for Jan. this next year.

I ended up letting the kitty go live with one of my neighbors who has kids and is home all day. He was just way too bored and lonely here by himself. You'd think I'd learn. :(

 

Anyway, good to see you, and I'll be sure to let you know how I like my porthole cabin!

[BlueC5Kitten]

Yep, I'm baaaaack! After I had to cancel the Valor, I was so depressed that I ended up going on the Mariner of the Seas to the Mexican Riviera after the job instability calmed down. Now I have the Conquest booked for Jan. this next year.

I ended up letting the kitty go live with one of my neighbors who has kids and is home all day. He was just way too bored and lonely here by himself. You'd think I'd learn. :(

 

Anyway, good to see you, and I'll be sure to let you know how I like my porthole cabin!

 

Hooray for cruising again...sorry to hear you had to let the kitty go...I told you two would have been better! Hope the kitty finds a new happy home...I know kids can be tough on kitties sometimes!

 

Looking forward to your "light sleeper review" of porthole cabins! :)

[AmoMondo]

I prefer a balcony but often on 7 night cruises in the summer it is just too expensive. However I've found on the long haul repositioning voyages the price per day is so much less than it doesn't work out too bad. If I'm going to be more than 2 weeks on a cruise, i absolutely need to be guaranteed somewhere where I can be by myself for some of the time and still be in the fresh air.

[airlink diva]

I can say with me it really varies on the sailing.

On some of my cruises, I come across sales "outside cabins for inside cabins".

On others,like Carnival, I just book an inside.

Sometimes the upgrade fairy like me,other times she don't.

On all of my cruises, the upgrade fairy did right by me.

On one of my first cruises, I was upgrade to a balcony :D!!

On my 2008 cruise, I went from a cabin with port holes to a inside mid-ship close to everything.

On my cruise this May, I was upgraded from an inside to an outside cabin

BlueC5Kitten, sometimes you can get a good rate on the shorter cruises. On my Fantasy cruise in May,prior to the change from 5 to7 days (due to the swine flu), the daily rate was under $100.

The best rates are those close to sailing and repos.

Some sailing,esp Alaska cruises with balconies are high regardless.

I would love to have a balcony on each cruise, but if the cost is hundreds of dollars more than an inside or outside, I'm not going to book a balcony. For example, on my upcoming cruise, why spend $3600 for a balcony cabin when I can spend $1700 on a great outside cabin (an inside cabin is about $1450)? That's $1900 dollars that I can spend of tour,hotel and still have money left. I'm a blue collar worker who don't make the big bucks and can afford to cruise because I look for sales,book way ahead of time, and pay so much out of each paycheck (aka cruise layway plan).

I know some people won't sail unless they have a balcony, but if I can get on a ship and take a nice vacation with an inside cabin, I will.

[Creeks]

Creeks...interested in knowing what ship and when? Sounds interesting!

 

 

I'll be on th RC Radiance of the Seas Sept 25th,

five nights out of San Diego (a quick hop from Phoenix).

I tried to do back to back, but the cruises before and after

would have been a lot more for a solo. Don't know why

this cruise was on special, but glad I found it~! :)

[Rina155]

I booked an inside cabin for my first solo cruise, which is in 21 days to Alaska. Usually my son is my travel buddy, but this one is alone! Looking forward to it and wished I could have gotten a balcony, but since my son and I will be cruising again for Christmas decided I couldn't swing it this time around.

 

Nancy

[DizzyDallasDi]

I always stay in a balcony cabin and the last 3 have been in the aft overlooking that fabulous mesmerizing wake. You don't get a price break when purchasing prime real estate in a desirable "location, location, location" :D....so, I pay 200%. To me, it's worth it. It's a very big part of my vacation and cruising experience to sit out there at night in my robe with my nightcap while listening to the wake and looking at the stars. Pure heaven and oh-so relaxing. It's where you'll find me on all my future cruises, God willing. :)

 

Diane

[MrGoate]

Hello Everyone! Carnival's 1A cabins have been lifesavers for me; there'd be no way I could travel as frequently otherwise, some higher-end OV's and the lowest level of most balconies costing twice what I pay for my perfect-for-solo 1A. Finding off-peak travel helps $ignificantly; also pays to shop around as occasionally I've come across singles on certain Royal cruises priced maybe $100 more than a similar Carnival 1A.

 

Will also be keep an eye out for Lindnet's Conquest porthole review as I've booked similar on the Splendor and being a rather light sleeper who hates motion...

[marcmarc2]

I'm totally with you about balconies, DizzyDallasDi. When I don't have a balcony, I feel like I'm living in a shoebox, it makes all the difference in the world. I would rather go less often and have what I really want.

 

If it were possible, 3-5-night RCCL or Celebrity itineraries out of Galveston would be ideal. Eliminating my air and hotel would certainly make paying the single supplement a lot less painful.

[Lois R]

Different strokes for different folks:D:):D....just get me on the

ship.

If I was to book a balcony everytime I would only be able to afford 1 cruise

a year (probably) and that is just not good enough (for me).

 

I am one of those who wants to go at least twice...but sometimes

I can get in a 3rd one as well (2009)! This year was 2 windows

and 1 inside and I am very happy and it is all within my budget without

any stress:):D:)

[BlueC5Kitten]

Nice to see the variety of preferences...and fortunately, we are all allowed our own priorities.

 

I've been doing number crunching, thanks to the input here...so, in order to satiate my desire to cruise twice in year, instead of the once that I have been doing mostly since I started cruising, I picked a sailing with an interesting itinerary next July (far enough after my last cruise and prior to the next, but not too close to a dive trip in April that I plan on making) on a ship that I have not yet sailed (because I like that kind of variety)...and when researching prices...looked like a Carnival 1A was $993 but an 8A balcony was just under $300 more at $1280. I guess with those kinds of price differences, I would feel compelled to spring for a balcony.

 

I've worked out that for me to justify the 1A room, it would have to be a shorter cruise, I think...and at least $500 or so savings over the balcony cost (which isn't hard to do on some ships, but challenging on some of the others).

 

Will just have to give it a try one of these days...

 

Thanks again to everyone for participating and setting my mind at ease that I am not needlessly spending 200% on a balcony (since it is nigh impossible to find a way to spend less on a balcony) and that there are options out there with a view of the sea still that might be a little more affordable.

[Lois R]

Nice to see the variety of preferences...and fortunately, we are all allowed our own priorities.

 

I've been doing number crunching, thanks to the input here...so, in order to satiate my desire to cruise twice in year, instead of the once that I have been doing mostly since I started cruising, I picked a sailing with an interesting itinerary next July (far enough after my last cruise and prior to the next, but not too close to a dive trip in April that I plan on making) on a ship that I have not yet sailed (because I like that kind of variety)...and when researching prices...looked like a Carnival 1A was $993 but an 8A balcony was just under $300 more at $1280. I guess with those kinds of price differences, I would feel compelled to spring for a balcony.

 

I've worked out that for me to justify the 1A room, it would have to be a shorter cruise, I think...and at least $500 or so savings over the balcony cost (which isn't hard to do on some ships, but challenging on some of the others).

 

Will just have to give it a try one of these days...

 

Thanks again to everyone for participating and setting my mind at ease that I am not needlessly spending 200% on a balcony (since it is nigh impossible to find a way to spend less on a balcony) and that there are options out there with a view of the sea still that might be a little more affordable.

 

1280.00 for a balcony? THAT is a fabulous price! Good for you!:)

If I could find that pricing I would do a balcony too:)

[BlueC5Kitten]

1280.00 for a balcony? THAT is a fabulous price! Good for you!:)

If I could find that pricing I would do a balcony too:)

 

The cruise I booked for January on the Glory I managed to get a balcony for $1275 and change, and will be getting $160 off that using my Discover Cashback Bonus Reward of $80 which doubles to $160. Guess it just all depends on the ship and shopping around for the good itinerary that you like out of a port you can afford.

 

Happy Cruising!

[Lois R]

The cruise I booked for January on the Glory I managed to get a balcony for $1275 and change, and will be getting $160 off that using my Discover Cashback Bonus Reward of $80 which doubles to $160. Guess it just all depends on the ship and shopping around for the good itinerary that you like out of a port you can afford.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Oh,:) I agree with you, its about what is affordable for each person

and what is important to the individual.

What is good for someone else may not be good for me and what I prefer

someone else might think is absolutely crazy.

 

I sail Celebrity and love the product they provide me.:) I cannot

afford most of their balconies (on ocassion I have found a couple)

but I don't care about having one so its really not important to me.

 

Different strokes for different folks:D...seems like there is a line

out there for all of us and we all have our own priorities which

is a good thing. Could you imagine if everyone liked the same things?

Life would be boring!;)....it is wonderful to have choices:)

[Faith77]

Just thought I'd add a few comments since I see other solos booking with Carnival on this thread...

I feel I received really good pricing on my upcoming 7 nite cruise in Sept through Carnival's early saver program. I did need to put down a non refundable deposit but I've never cancelled a trip yet so I figured I'd go for it. I still can't believe I'm doing a solo cruise in a porthole cabin for $700.

I'm not brand loyal at all. In fact I like trying different cruise lines. September can't come fast enough.

Faith

[lindnet]

That is a good price, Faith. I did the early saver for my porthole cabin as well. With taxes and all, it came to $634. Best price I've ever gotten.

 

Will you come back and tell us how your porthole cabin was when you get back? You're so lucky to be going so soon! :)

[BlueC5Kitten]

Definitely a good price, Faith! I thought ES fares were only applicable to cabins that were category 4A or higher. I was pretty much under the impression that the 1A cabin fare was regardless of other offers on the cabin, that it was their flat solo rate...or perhaps I am confusing it with past guest rate......all the fare rules get quite convoluted...guess that is why I always feel compelled to talk it through with whomever I am purchasing the trip.

 

And yes, please, please do come back and let us know about your porthole cabin!

 

Happy Cruising!

[Kween Karen]

I booked an inside in the least expensive category for my upcoming Grand Voyage. Considering the cost and the single supplement....it was that or don't go and I want to GO!! I will only be in the room to sleep (guess I will shower and change clothes there too :rolleyes:). If I wanted to sit in a room alone I could stay home! LOL A window would be very nice.....BUT inside bottom is what I have. Maybe I will be lucky! I will be happy with what I have!! :D

[Lois R]

I booked an inside in the least expensive category for my upcoming Grand Voyage. Considering the cost and the single supplement....it was that or don't go and I want to GO!! I will only be in the room to sleep (guess I will shower and change clothes there too :rolleyes:). If I wanted to sit in a room alone I could stay home! LOL A window would be very nice.....BUT inside bottom is what I have. Maybe I will be lucky! I will be happy with what I have!! :D

 

Karen, for 67 nights I would go inside bottom too:)

I am really excited for you and though I have not posted much

about your sailing, you are my hero and I hope one day I will be

able to do something like this too.:)

[yellowbird23]

Karen>>I'll bet those grandkids will be so happy to see you when you come back! Homesickness for me is fleeting when I'm on longer cruises. But think what you will have to tell them when Grandma comes back! You will also be setting a good example for them to "reach for their heart's desire"!:p

[yellowbird23]

Karen, for 67 nights I would go inside bottom too:)

I am really excited for you and though I have not posted much

about your sailing, you are my hero and I hope one day I will be

able to do something like this too.:)

Heck, I would even sleep on a deck chair if they let me do it for cheaper! What an experience! I'm sure the chairs aren't "hogged" at night!

[cjcruiser27]

YES! My thoughts exactly! We could use the spa shower and there must be an empty storage closet somewhere to put our few belongings!!!

Heck, I would even sleep on a deck chair if they let me do it for cheaper! What an experience! I'm sure the chairs aren't "hogged" at night!