navybankerteacher

The Atlantic is unpredictable - but the greatest likelihood for rough seas are late summer/early fall (hurricane season) and again February to April - the other equinox storm season.

If you walk west on 42nd St (a major street) to 12th Ave, and then up to the cruise terminal you should be OK in late morning/early afternoon; not pretty, but reasonably safe.

Probably a large part of the problem is the relative infrequency of cruise ships in and out of Norfolk. If there were more regular sailings it is likely that more taxis would be available because of the awareness of the numbers of fares. Also, traffic handling is more likely to be better organized if the surges were more frequent.

Yes - in large part due to the ignorance/gullibility of much of the market at which the marketing is aimed.

Are you kidding? He can’t let them in and quickly show them where to hang out - just the bedroom they will use so they can nap - 5 minutes ought to do it rather than have them spend several hours at a roadside diner? You could easily make that clear between now and when they show up - so there would be no need for the 30 - 45 minute orientation session you see as essential. Of course if you only have a one room house that won’t work. Are you really willing to put them up for three days - while they are not flexible enough to co-operate? I think you should consider the option of just telling them that you cannot put them up.

Recent posters are ignoring the topic of this thread, which is “Solo travelers looking for a room companion”; not how to meet people or which lines offer decent single cruiser options. If you want to share a room on a cruise, you should line one up on your own - cruise lines no longer offer single share deals. Talk to people you know, check with groups in your community, find your room-mate on your own—- the cruise lines are no longer in that line of work.

The lines are going to try to attract as many passengers as possible - meaning that they will make varying offers aimed at all sorts of consumers. A reasonably intelligent consumer will ignore the hype and explore various options. A more intelligent consumer will only focus on itineraries he/she really wants (only a penny-pinching fool will book the cheapest - just because it is cheapest). The truly intelligent consumer will ignore the patently absurd come-ons like “free drinks” (free only because they are built into the package they are looking at). How many auto purchasers are taken in by a “free wheels” pitch when the are considering buying a car? There are a lot of posters on these threads who refer to the “free drinks” that they get —- all that means is that they are more gullible than the average person who buys a car.

I am not sure what you mean by “geriatric”. Yes, there were not a lot of college students, or young children, imposing their life styles - but I see enough college students and young children among my own descendants - so I have absolutely no need to borrow others when traveling for my enjoyment. I enjoy spending time with folks of my generation - who are willing to pay a bit more than bargain fares for a mobbed cruise experience.

Reminding people of the obvious: that smoking is not only harmful to one’s health, it is also an imposition on others, is not brainwashing. As a former smoker for many years, I am aware of how hard it is to give it up. I can understand the reluctance to accept anti-smoking commentary as anything more than media hype; but… seriously?

Not from New York, but there are dozens of three night cruises from Florida ports to ports in the Bahamas - which is about as nowhere as you can get while still going somewhere.

Sadly, the lines do not want to drive away a segment of their market - regardless of how stupid and weak-willed they are- and continue to permit smokers on board. The sad fact is that anyone stupid/weak enough to remain hooked is going to continue his assault on his neighbors’ health.

We regularly return from our late summer/fall land travel on TA repositionings from Rome or Southampton - the fares are great, the ships uncrowded, the time change is barely noticeable. QM2, with her straight shot to Brooklyn, gives the most sea days, most others have breaks in the Canaries, Madeira or the Azores. You may find it not overly difficult to adjust to a string of “reading days”.

Good idea - although I would greatly prefer to cruise to Nassau and not get off the ship - much easier, as there would be zero temptation to get off.

And not that relatively expensive when your compare it with the REAL total costs of driving: gas, tolls, parking, wear and tear on the car - and yourself. (A lot of people do not take the time to figure - assuming very wrongly that, as long as they have a car, it’s the cheapest way.) Price it out as an alternative - if you bought tickets now, round trip from Trenton (for example) to Boston would be about $60 per.

Sort of academic question, isn’t it? Why not just price the cruises you are interested in? Who cares if two pay $1,500 each and the third sails “free”, or if each pays $1,000? It’s the total that the line wants, as well as the cost per person which the customer pays.

I think the least consecutive sea days you can get on a TA is at least 3 or 4 - there just aren’t that many stopping points there to accommodate a ship traveling at an economical speed. There are big ocean gaps around the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores.

I was looking at both NCL and Silversea from Lisbon to New York - I don’t recall either of them having more than 5 or 6 in a row. What ship are you on?

If it were not a US passport there might be a problem.

Because the expression describes the impression one has of the line: a very large provider of discount product.

Kind of overly brief response. I am inclined to think what 1025cruise meant to say was if the the OP and wife are both US citizens with birth certificates and photo ID’s, neither will need any passport for such a closed loop cruise. OP did not really provide sufficient information.

Of course, the term “Walmart of the Seas” is not complimentary - but it does effectively convey something of the image of a large scale operation providing something of a discount product for the mass market. Perhaps for ships with 5,000 or more passengers “Costco of the Seas” might be more appropriate. While I occasionally sail on some large (which I would define as 2,500 passengers) mass market ships, given the right itinerary, I do prefer the smaller somewhat more upscale ships sailed by Seaborne, Azamara and Oceania —- just as when it comes to buying a suit (yes, some of us do wear suits on occasion) I am more inclined to find it at Jos. A. Banks or the like than at a Walmart.

“ …a 3 or 4 week period…” is a fair length of time to live out of a carry-on. Of course it CAN be done - spending a lot of time and effort in the self serve laundry - or over the bathroom sink. But, I cruise for a good time rather than to muck about like that. Even if you did have to spend an hour at the carousel, how would that compare with how much extra time over that 3 or 4 weeks would you spend washing your one or two changes of clothes?

Having sailed Cunard a number of times (both Brittania and Grills) and Oceania, Seaborne and Azamera, I prefer the smaller ship’s basic experience over premium on a large ship (even Cunard - which I find distinctly superior to Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and HAL) and far superior to Carnival and NCL — while the premium on a large ship is generally far more expensive than basic on a small ship.

I think being boorish is not essentially linked to being a schlub. There are, sadly, some reasonably attractive, as well as intelligent, people who will from time to time behave boorishly.

Of course it is nice to not have to spend time at the carousel waiting for your bag - but how much time during those 12 days will you spend washing and rewashing the limited amount you can bring in your carry-on only? And, any cost of checking a bag is minuscule compared with the cost of the 12 day itinerary - the point of which is to have a good time.