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I always bring 2 compact 9 foot extension cords.  I also bring magnetic and suction cup hooks.  I have had some pretty long and tortuous cord paths on some ships.

When I did a Buenos Aires to Santiago cruise this past March with my 13 year old granddaughter, she wanted pizza and ice cream for every meal so I took her to the buffet and then I went to the solo meet to get real food and talk with someone who wasn't wearing headphones.

The solo group knew my situation and didn't seem to mind.  I am not looking for romance, just a meal and conversation.

There were others who were sharing a cabin in the group.  Everyone seemed to get along fine.

Hi Crystalspin,

When my wife was alive we camped in the VW Westfalia van for the 15 years we owned it.  My wife taught me many tricks to maximise storage.  Fold t-shirts and put them in gallon zip locks.

Anything that can be wrinkled like socks and underwear go in vacuum bags.  She had me make a board with a nonskid rubber bottom for our small Crock Pot.  I made a bungee to hold the pot to the board.  She cooked many meals while we traveled to our next campsite. With the strapped Crock Pot on the floor, it survived panic stops.

We did a 8000 mile 5 week trip in that van and many 2 week trips.

I haven't been on the Gem specifically but I was on the Jade in February and the Star in March.  The Star is a little smaller than the Gem class.  They both had the evening solo meet and took anyone who wanted to go to dinner together.  The Star had enough solos that the hostess had to split us between both MDRs.

As on any cruise with the possibility of possibly wildly varying temperatures, pack layers.  I just returned from a South American cruise around the Horn.  I packed a down filled puffer coat, thin warm under clothes and a Mylar poncho incase of cold rain.  The coat packs down quite small.  I use the 32 Below brand of thin thermals when I ride motorcycle in the winter and they seem to be warm at a reasonable price . 

I include my Columbia packable jacket on any cruise.  It packs small but is fairly warm and is a rain jacket.

The young man who operates it now is the son of the man who bought it from the guy that had it built.  I think I have that right.  Anyway the present owner grew up on the boat.  I really enjoyed the excursion and the crew of the boat.  They were very accommodating.  When a guest lost his hat to a wind gust, the captain jumped into the skiff and retrieved the hat.

Condor Christi,

Most NCL ships have a solos meeting every night so solos can go to dinner together.  They often team up for other things too like trivia, going to shows and shore excursions.  All the solo meets I have been to were very welcoming.

Also most NCL ships have some sort of morning exercise program.

Don't sit in your room, especially in Alaska.  I just checked the deck plan for Bliss and it has a glass walled Horizon Lounge on the Deck 17.  Take a book, sit there and watch the beautiful scenery go by.

Go to the Roll Call for your cruise and get to know some of the people on your cruise and if they form a Meet & Mingle that is a good place to find information about the ship and some of your fellow cruisers,

Not coral.  The bottom drops off rapidly about 20 to 40 foot offshore.  But as soon as it drops off the fish were pretty thick.

I have been there on Carnival and NCL and had a great time on both.  I will say that NCL takes very good care of solos.  Carnival was pretty good too but didn't have a dedicated solo meet just before dinner like NCL. 

The only place that I snorkeled was Bonaire.  I went out on a ship built like a Chinese Junk.  We went to Little Bonaire and the current will carry you down the coast of the island.  So they put you in the water about a half mile up the coast and then wait for you.  You don't have swim at all to cover a lot of water.

In my case, I first took my then 13 year old granddaughter on a cruise.  That was almost like cruising alone.  She only ate a few meals with me and went off reading or with her new friend she met at the teen club.  

It made me realize I could do solo and have a good time.

Everyone has to choose their own path.  I hope you thoroughly enjoy your choice. 

Thank you.  I would never have found it on my own.  Pricey little excursion there, isn't it?

Thank you for posting this.  NCL hasn't bothered to inform me yet.

Anyone know where and what a Laguna San Rafael is?  I found it on the map but I don't see any port close.

They could sideline excess capacity but it will cost them quite a bit.  Big ships cost a bundle just to sit idle and they need constant attention to paint and any exposed surface.

With NCL be sure to check the dailys.  The NCL ships I have been on had nightly solo meetings even if there wasn't a lounge.  They usually go from there to the MDR for the solos who wish to eat together.

Number 1 and number 3

Cruising 3 to 5 times a year. I try to cruise 30 or 40 days a year.  If I get to do all 4 cruises we have reserved, it will be 52 days for 2024.

Also been working at a volunteer job 5 or 6 hours a day 5 days a week whenever I am not traveling.  Been doing a few motorcycle camping trips in there too.

I did find more things I liked in the MDR since the menu change.  There was only one night that we didn't see enough that we like in the MDR and went to the Deli and buffet instead.  Not bad out of 10 nights.  For myself, between the chicken that is always on the menu and banana split for dessert, I can always eat in the MDR if I really want to,  But my cruise buddy didn't find any inspiration that night either. 

I just returned from my most recent cruise on the Sunshine

I want to air a few gripes and one attaboy.

Small gripe, they quit supplying Bee Sting Honey Habanero sauce at the sauce table for the Blue Iguana. Now that I know, I'll bring my own.

Sometimes they bake the Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake in a shallow bowl which makes it solid all the way through. This made me leary of ordering what was one of my favorite Carnival desserts.

Now my biggest gripe, no mushrooms at the Omelette Stations. Previously my breakfasts were split between burritos and omelettes but that is ruined for me now.

My attaboy is for the Emeril additions to the MDR menu. Some of them are very good and at least they are different. I really liked the catfish. I also had an Oriental salad that was great.

Not world shaking gripes but Carnival's food choices are a big part of why I cruise on Carnival.

Your mileage may vary.

But I did get a dinner for two when I soloed on NCL.

It is pretty easy to get someone to go with you when you offer a free meal at a specialty restaurant 

Sorry that you have no one to go with.  In that case I would recommend a short NCL cruise where you could go to the nightly solo meets and find kindred souls.  The solo meets I went to on the smaller NCL ships had very friendly supportive people from all walks of life.  If you don't feel like talking, there was always someone interesting to listen to.

I am so sorry for your loss.

I was married for 46 years and she was my everything.  She still is to a great extent, 6 1/2 years after her passing.

It might not work for you, but I took my son and grandsons on my first cruise after.  My wife and I talked about taking the grandkids on a cruise so this was a way of fulfilling her wish.  After taking just the oldest granddaughter on a cruise and rarely seeing her except in the evenings, I knew I was ready to solo.

A very close friend or relative would work too but the young grandkids took enough attention to distract the grieving.  Plus I would wander the ships and remember how much my wife had enjoyed the sunrises and sunsets and watching the waves from the balconies.

In short I still enjoyed the things about cruising that we had both enjoyed.  I still remember her smiles and laughs while enjoying the cruises.

I found a cruise buddy on a solo cruise and now we cruise together but we do much of the cruise separate.  We eat some meals together and usually go on excursions together but both do our own thing.  

I am 9 1/2 weeks out of knee replacement and I have gotten off the floor twice without aid of others or furniture.

If you work on the strength of both knees and are careful about rolling up on the good knee, then with the foot of the bad knee flat on the floor, push yourself up with both hands on the thigh just above the bad knee. it can be done.  Especially if you have to do it.  Either that or flop around like a turtle.

They had solo programs on the other ships before Covid.  They were suspended during Covid but I am pretty sure they have restarted most if not all.  Why not pick your cruise and then call NCL and ask about that specific ship.

Actually the solo programs on the smaller ships were more fun to me.  When I was in a solo on the Epic, there were about 100 people at the solo meet and it was a zoo.  The smaller ships had 6 to 15 people and it was much easier to get to know individuals.

Exercise and anything to strengthen the knee will help.  When I had my first knee replacement, they told me the other needed replaced too.  With exercises and walking, I made it almost 11 years but it finally had to be done.  Just don't put it off too long.  I should have had this done a couple years ago but Covid got in the way.

I will say this time there was less pain than the first.  I went to Tylenol only on the second day after surgery.

On NCL, go to the solo meet and announce you need someone to go to a speciality restaurant and you will have volunteers, male and female as you prefer.

If you prefer dining alone, just make it for two and you can either correct when on board or show up single.  They can deal with one less easier than one more.

One thing about NCL is that when you reach Platinum, they give you two dinners for two at certain restaurants.  The solo meets are a great place to find someone to share a meal with.