gxchan

Hey Zay! Just wanted to wish you and your kids the very best 2014 has to offer. Hope we cruise together one day:)

Hi Zay! Loving your review. Yes, B2Bs can sometimes be a little disconcerting in that each leg can be completely different from the other but it sounds like you have well mastered the craft of taking lemons and making lemonade:) Sorry about the cranky dinner companions.

Can't wait to read more.

Hi Ginnie, so glad you had a great B2B. I have to tell you thank you for all the information on San Franciso. I did not go for my B Day in Aug. I went on a cruise to Alaska instead and had a great time. Zay gave me good advice on how to pack. Pat

Hi Pat! Oh girl, I would've cruised Alaska, too:D Glad you had a great birthday celebration. I just love cruising Alaska, going again in May:cool: If you ever get to SF, send me an email and we'll have a drink.

Zay! I'm sorry you aren't feeling well but so happy I found your review:D Clearly, you all had a blast. Wish I could have cruised with you all but Adventure B2B was really good too:) Thanks for posting the review, loving it and makes me feel like I on right there with you:D

Talk with you soon!

I've been on 40+ cruises but I am taking my next one as a solo.

 

Although I have never sailed with MSC, a particular itinerary was too good to pass up and I booked my solo cabin. When I made the reservation, I didn't balk at the 100% single supplement and the second passenger in the cabin was noted as UNOCCUPIED on my confirmation. I called back a few days later when a higher category cabin became available. The reservationist acknowledged that I was travelling solo and happily took care of the upgrade.

 

This week, however, I called to make my final payment. After being put on hold for quite some time, the reservationist came back and said she had talked to both her manager and the Capacity Control Department and since the cruise was nearly sold out, they were not allowing any single or triple cabins on the sailing. In order to finalize my booking, I would have to add a second name to it--and that the second name would have to have valid passport information provided during pre-registration. I pointed out that I was already paying double so they were getting the full price for the cabin but she wouldn't budge. I insisted there was some kind of miscommunication but after speaking with her manager again she confirmed that without a second passenger, the booking would be invalidated.

 

I had already booked non-refundable airfare and hotels so cancelling wasn't an option--although I would have liked to have done so and taken my business elsewhere. It was humiliating to have to add a second passenger to the booking and provide their credentials--even though I knew they wouldn't be joining me. The reservationist assured me that when I checked in at the pier, I would just have to tell the check-in agent that the second passenger was a no show and then I could board solo. Now I'm not so sure. If they are so against solo travelers, I'm worried they'll deny me boarding and say, sorry your fare is non-refundable.

 

Have I booked passage on Noah's Ark? Only passengers with a mate allowed? Have any of you solo travelers ever experienced this kind of discrimination before?

I'm sorry you were treated so poorly. I hope the cruise goes better. Thanks for the heads up, no MSC for me ever.

I like the D gift and bottled water. I used to bring the cookies/candy home for my kids but with the kids away at college the largess goes to people in my office.:) The amount of packaging bothered me until I saw how much the ships recycle. As long as the brown bucket hasn't been contaminated, they recycle it.

My come back when I got this was. "I needed a break from them. They were all crazy!"

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Please excuse any errors.

LMAO, I'm going to use that in the future, thanks!

How about requesting the biggest table for regular late seating - then to arrive the 1st night to NO ONE else showing up? Can you say awkward? I felt like the loser guy in the pretty full dining room - sitting in the middle, at a table for 8, all by myself. I ended up drinking the whole bottle of wine that I planned on sharing. Needless to say, I had a great night anyway.

LOL, that happened to me on my third cruise on EOS. Showed up the first night at a table for 10 and was the only one. Later in the cruise another passenger and I were talking at the Champagne bar and she was telling me the "terrible" thing that happened in the MDR the first night. Seems there was a woman, all alone, at a table for 10 and "everyone felt sooo sorry for her." I asked which seating and dining room and then blurted out, that was me and I was o.k. with it:D She stopped talking to me after that:rolleyes:

This kept happening on my recent solo September cruises. It really began to grate on me.

 

"Just one?"

 

"Just you?"

 

"Alone?"

 

Seriously, some people need better training!

Oh, I get that all the time as a solo cruiser. But the one I really dislike is, "just one, really?" But it was topped by the MTD guy who asked why I couldn't make friends to dine with.:rolleyes:

Thanks for the great review and I loved the food pics:D I'm on AOS in 35 days, can't wait!

Just got this email(a pleasant surprise they did this) regarding my chat that I posted on here earlier:

Hello Kathy,

 

We spoke via chat this morning in regards to the extra Crown and Anchor points. I wanted to reach out to you and apologize that I am afraid I had given you incorrect information regarding those points. The wording on the new policy was somewhat ambiguous. It had stated that beginning Oct 3rd any sailings entered into the database would receive those extra points. I read this to mean that it would be on new reservations entered into our system.

 

In speaking with one of my supervisors, I clarified this issue, and I wanted to let you know that I advised you incorrectly. Any sailings that have been completed and points being awarded to those guest beginning on October 3rd are being given those extra points. As you will have sailed after October 3rd (with no input from when the reservation was made) you will receive the extra point per night.

 

I wanted to make sure that I reached out to you and gave you the correct information as it became available to me, and I apologize that I did not have this information when we chatted earlier today. My aim to make sure our guests receive the correct information, and since I had not, please accept my deepest apologies for the misinformation.

 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me, either directly back through email, via chat or you can call Crown and Anchor at 800-526-9723.

thanks for posting. this is an excellent bit of cs on rcl's part.

Never call back once you get the answer that you want as it will most likely change!:D

yes! and when you get on board and are told differently, don't argue that was what c&a said:D

freakin awesome....13 nighter coming, in a js, means 39 points....which now means diamond plus after this next cruise....

sweet! enjoy all the perks after your next cruise:)

Just spoke with Michael at C&A and he said the extra point per day is for all sailing starting 10/3 regardless of when booked:cool: But, of course, I could call back and get a different answer;)

This is great news:D I have a B2B booked for Nov/Dec and was disappointed that there weren't going to be Diamonds in December but this is sooo much better:cool:

Virtopia - You are doing a great job! Love the photos. Thanks for putting this together.

I cruised on Adventure last year B2B (right after Thanksgiving) and loved it. It was one of the best cruises I've taken and the crew were a huge part of making it so great. The ship was pretty wonderful too:D I've been to all the ports before, save St. Croix, but find something new/interesting to do each time. In December I tried to book the same Adventure cruises for this year after Thanksgiving but couldn't get a matching cabin for both legs and switched over to Jewel. Last week my DD "offered" to cruise with me if I backed it up to the week of Thanksgiving and I found there were now plenty of matching cabins for a B2B on Adventure, so we are going Adventure:D:D I can't wait to get back on board. I just loved the ship and the crew. The roll calls for these cruises are really slow so I thought I would come here and share my excitement with other Adventure lovers:cool:

Hi, just wondered what it is like to be a solo traveller on the Radiance. I previously have done around 8 cruises with my husband, but I am now a widow and this will be my first solo cruise. I am travelling from the UK to Australia to do the Australia/New Zealand tour,staying a couple of nights in Perth, then a week with friends in Sydney when I disembark. I am flying Emirates and this will be my first time flying with them but I believe they are well recommended for long haul flights. Have booked to join a table of 10 as we always did this and found it a nice way to get to know people. Looking forward to the cruise very much although slightly apprehensive. :)

Welcome to Cruise Critic! I'm a long time solo traveler/cruiser and your trip sounds wonderful. I understand your apprehension and would like to suggest a few ways to ease you into your first solo cruise experience. First, since you have joined CC, sign up for the roll call for your cruise. You can find it by going to Roll Calls on the main forum, selecting Royal Caribbean, then Radiance and find you sailing date. If one hasn't been started you can start one. Roll calls are a great way to meet others who will be cruising with you and most have group activities like a pre-M&M (Meet & Mingle), slot pulls, cabin crawls, etc. Also, if there is a particular tour you want to do in port you can ask others on your roll call if they are interested in doing it too. Last year a group of us took a great tour in St. Maarten and another group had a wonderful dinner in Aruba.

I like to have a large table for dinner, too, and as a solo it makes for a nice way to hear what others did in port and sometimes we have made plans to go to shows together. I would also recommend if you are going on an excursion solo you book it through the ship. It costs a bit more but I think the security of knowing you will get back to the ship on time is worth it, plus you will be with others from your ship and it is a great way to make new friends.

One of the things that is best about solo cruising (besides not having to share those tiny cabin bathrooms:D) is you have the freedom to be on your own or join in group activities. I like time on my own to just laze about but also enjoy meeting and spending time with others. Cruisers, as you know, are a very friendly and social group. Also, there are boards on CC for solo and single cruisers, you should check them out. The solo board is fairly active and you can get answers and advice from others who have cruised solo/single.

Have a great cruise:)

I've been trying out the spray bottles of suncream (not that there's any sun here at the moment to protect myself from!). I think the problem is that factor 50 is just pretty thick, so even though it's in a spray bottle, it still doesn't cover as well as a thinner mix might. I'll keep an eye out for a sponge on a stick though!

The sponge on a stick works but not well. I've gotten a couple of different ones and the problem is the sponge part sort of smears sunblock around so you have streaks of it but it virtually impossible to get sunblock everywhere on your back. Also, it takes twice the amount of sunblock with the sponge b/c it only streaks, as opposed to rubbing it into the skin. The best reason to use the sponge on a stick is when people see you using it and the streaks and lack of full coverage, someone will offer to apply sunblock on your back for you. :)

This was my first cruise, and my first time meeting Juli (and JR) and I can't say enough how much I found Juli to have such a positive attitude. Definitely you are delightful travel buddies and I really hope we can cruise again with you someday.

I'm hoping to cruise one day with them too:D

To get sunblock on your back--use spray.

 

I once was on time to dinner and sat alone at a 10 top for abouot 7 minutes. Very uncomfortable. Never did that again! On my last cruise I pretend booked my 2 adult kids to get the cabin I wanted. At dinner I was at a table with 5 adults in a family. 2 seats were empty--it didn'[t dawn on me until later those seats were for my pretend kids. One couple in the family practically made out the whole time. Changed tables after that.

 

I find most people friendly enough but not all the time. I went to the spa's spa and was alone. A bit later an old man and his wife showed up and never so much as gave me any eye contact.

 

Usually if you ask someone where they're from it opens a conversation easily. Last cruise I went on an excursion one of our roll call members put together. When we were on the excursion I asked here where she lived. It was a town very near me. I told her where I lived and she said she used to live there. Ends up only a street away from me in a secluded community! My kids knew her kids! Small world.

LOL, I love you had pretend kids and then wondered why there were two empty seats! :D:D I have to ask did you have to pay more for the pretend kids or were you allowed to cancel their "tickets".

Love your positive attitude and your wonderful review. Best wishes on a full and speedy recovery. Loving your pictures, too:)

My experience cruising solo seems to be a little different from everyone else. I took a 3 day Bahamas cruise in late December - it was my first cruise - and of course first solo cruise. I had quite a few awkward moments. First, I felt it was awkward boarding the ship, and they take your picture -obviously to try to sell you a copy later. I immediately recognized that I was the only solo cruiser, since everyone else was families or couples. Departure was awkward...everyone was with their partners or families in a party mood, and I was alone. Dinner the first night was when it came to a head. Table for six, but only one couple who was Italian and very much in love showed up. No one to talk to, and the servers kept asking when the rest of my party was going to show up. Again, the photographer came around taking pictures of the groups, and then when he came to me, I was depressed by this time, and declined. Went to the solo/singles meetups but no one else showed, and so the first night, I wanted off of that ship so bad.

 

I will say it got better over the next 2 days. I guess I just accepted that I was alone, but I struggled to find people to talk to. The hot tub on the last day was where I finally found people to talk to, and was invited to eat dinner with some folks I met there.

 

I guess being satisfied with cruising solo has to do with your expectations and whether you enjoy being alone. I don't enjoy being alone, although I'm accustomed to it, and had an expectation of quickly making friends, so for me it was awkward and disappointing.

 

The good news, even with my disappointment, I haven't ruled out cruising again. Too many places I want to go, and cruising seems to be the most economical.

Your first days experience on your cruise sounds a lot like my first day on my first cruise. I didn't know about CC then but had found another board a few days before I cruised, it wasn't much help. I didn't really know what to expect and was one of only two solo cruisers on the ship. Heck, I was so new to cruising (and obviously didn't do much research) that I didn't know there was a big sail away party, LOL! But I had expected that most of the other passengers would be families/couples/groups traveling together and had traveled solo for decades. What surprised me the most on that cruise was the reluctance of some to engage in basic polite conversation when sharing a table (it was on NCL and Free Style dining had just started), the hot tub, etc. Even though I enjoy my own company and had traveled for decades solo, it was jarring that people could be so openly rude.

But like your experience, as the cruise progressed I began meeting people who were nice and fun. Some invited me to join them for dinner, other times I invited people to join me. Joining the Roll Call tends to be a good way to start the cruise off with "friends" b/c most of them have a get together on the first day so you are meeting people you have been chatting with right away. Also, longer cruises allow you to relax and see the same people again and again so there is more opportunity to socialize with those you like.

What I've come to realize is the first day of a cruise is very exciting and people get wrapped up in the experience and sharing it with those they came with but as the cruise progresses they tend to socialize more with the other passengers, including solos. This happens on shore excursions as well. I will get in the line and people are chatting among themselves, some giving me a curious look, but about half-way through (sometimes sooner) people start chatting me up.

Solo travel/cruising isn't for everyone but if you are comfortable traveling solo and patient you will meet many nice/fun people cruising.

That isn't to say there won't be awkward moments, like the time I was seated with a group of women traveling together in the MDR and only one of them would speak to me, but overall those moments measured against the great time I have cruising are easily ignored or forgotten.

I hope you give cruising another try but if not there are agencies that arrange travel for solos you might find enjoyable.

Debi, Love your review, especially the recap of things learned. You will be off to Alaska before you know it and have a fabulous time. Thanks for posting all the fab pictures and commentary. You done yourself proud, girl:D

ITA, our dinner the last night in Portofino's was one of the best ever.:D:D No fake tiramisu (inside joke).