MarElz

Watching it come in on both the port webcam as well as the bridge cam - pretty neat!

We are due to sail out on Emerald today. I'll post our experiences when we return! I'm crossing my fingers that the weather reports for today are correct--looks like sunny and warmish after a stormy Saturday night.

Have a great cruise, it's supposed to be a beautiful day! I'll be watching the sail away on the Bayport web cam and looking forward to your review!

5078. I did not think it a tight fit - more like cozy - until the very last night when I visited friends staying in a Signature Suite. Avoid deck 8 and you'll be just fine. :)

Now I have to start all over again and figure out what's up with Deck 8. Missed it on my first pass through! Great review!

Thank you all for such encouraging words. I am even more enthused and excited having read the things you've had to share! Steak for dessert:) and do what feels good to you! Great advice all around. Sadly, no roll call -- I wish there was! Happy Thanksgiving all!

 

 

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Start a roll call! You don't have to wait on someone else. Get things started! I'm off on my first solo at Christmas. Enjoy your trip!

Taking my first solo cruise, and taking it over Christmas. I went through the same thought process and decided to take the plunge. Really looking forward to it. Go for it! :)

I saw those negative reviews, too. We haven't been on the Emerald but loved the Golden Princess. I think we will still take the cruise, Dec.21,2014. We haven't sailed out of Houston. Houston has had some bad weather these past week. A cold front went through, maybe that is what caused the fall. In December, TX and AR can get some warm weather before Christmas. Hoping for that.

I'm on this cruise too, decided not to worry about it! Just happy to be cruising! :)

LOVE IT - can't wait!!

:) because it is only her and I in the room. Grandma and grandpa are in their own room.

If it is only you and your child in the room, you are paying the same rate as you would if you were cruising alone, as the solo supplement tends to be 100%, so maybe your child is free after all, other than tips. All depends on how you look at it! Is your issue the cost, or is it what there is to do? If it's what there is to do, perhaps you chose the incorrect cruise. If you're going because of your grandparents, which is very nice, it's hardly Princess' fault that they're not Disney. Traveling by yourself with a very young child is always difficult, no matter where you go. I hope you find ways to enjoy yourself!

Give the taxi driver a $20.00, tell him where you are going and he will be happy to comply.

Exactly, enjoy the convenience but be willing to pay for it and all will be well!

Loved it!

No, no coffee-makers in cabins. You can have room service deliver coffee/tea anytime; there's even a hangtag thingy like in a hotel that you can put out for the morning.

Thank you!!

Do they have coffee makers in the cabins, by any chance?

on this the day which the lord hath made, the harmonious blacksmith and the messiah hand out cruise cards, while in the piazza, a trio plays water music .

hhahahahahaha!!

I was on the Emerald's TA from Denmark to NYC in Sept. 2013 w/my BFF. We had Rivera742 -- covered balcony, next to last before the suites. Loved it!

 

Have fun!

Great to hear this, I'm in R747 for a Christmas cruise and wasn't quite sure about the location.

I've booked it! I'm on the Emerald Princess out of Houston for Christmas week. My first solo cruise - looking forward to it! :)

Planning on the Emerald Princess for Christmas. Any other singles going Christmas cruising?

We often ask for a table for 2. When we are seated we acknowledge the diners on each side of us with a friendly hello...common courtesy in my book, considering we are seated so close to one another. We don't intrude further but if one of the other couples wants to engage us in conversation, we happily comply. My husband refers to the people we meet at dinner or on deck or seated next to in the theater, "5 minute friends". Some of those have blossomed into long term friendships, but ALL of them have contributed to the enjoyment of our cruising experience.

Very nice!

Love the Tremont and the Galvez!

I'm also thinking about doing a solo Christmas cruise. Something to do that week when I'll have the week off, which I won't have during the earlier, cheaper weeks in December. Additionally, as the OP said, if you go earlier, you still have the question of what to do with yourself during Xmas week. There are kids running around loose everywhere you go during the week of Christmas, onboard ship and off, so I'm not sure that's a deal breaker for me. Hope more Christmas cruisers will chime in!

You know you are right

 

Of course then I would have missed out on having the nicest conversation with Helen Hayes .

:):):)

I quoted for one person per cabin. If it's not the full 100% solo premium over double occ, it's pretty close. I just checked the Princess one you mentioned, and I see it at $2198++ for a balcony for one person. If you're seeing $1049++ for solo occupancy, that seems like a pretty good deal for Christmas week. Are you getting a residency or other special discount?

I was quoting per person for 2, so $2198 is accurate for a balconey for a solo. I didn't read carefully enough and missed that you were quoting for inside cabins. Thanks for the info!

It's a tough call to make - wait or buy now. I'm not seeing anything under $200/day for that week. The cheapest three I see (all 7 days, all insides) are CCL Magic 12/21 for $1420++, RCCL Navigator 12/21 for $1550++ and NCL Jewel 12/20 for $1598++.

Are you quoting for 1 or for 2? Princess is $1049/ppd for a balcony cabin, which is the cheapest I see for Xmas week out of Houston.

NCL Jewel 7-day leaving Houston on Nov 29th is down to $436++ inside / $486++ oceanview / $624++ balcony.

 

Also, the 11-day NCL Pearl leaving Nov 20th referred to by corlett90 above has dropped again to $399++ inside / $499++ oceanview / $899++ balcony.

Thank you so much for keeping your eyes open and reporting back! Some of the deals are so tempting. I'm watching for the week of Christmas and that possibility is dwindling. I checked actual available cabins yesterday and there don't appear to be too many left so now I have to decide if I keep waiting or take the plunge!