buckirj1

I'd much rather wait in line a reasonable length of time than pre-plan to that degree. All this pre-reservation stuff is getting to be like Disney, with all those Sgt. Mom types scheduling every minute of their vacations. Spontaneity = Freestyle.

Probably not, for a number of reasons. To start, it'd probably be too hot. A debarkation at Ft. Lauderdale and a cruise to Bermuda is as hot as I've ever cruised, and I couldn't imagine people living like that on a regular basis.

Secondly, there are places in the world where I wouldn't be comfortable sailing alone, most of Asia falls in that category. Finally, it's a killer flight for not much payoff for me and the way I like to cruise.

But I'm all for it if it offers more choice.

I usually plop into the first chair I see. I need a rest after that long uphill climb to the ship.

Jumping in to add that you can have photos taken whether you're dressed casually or formally. The photographers don't care.

Interesting. I see his point but he sounds like he has a major chip on his shoulder and like he doesn't quite understand his customer base. He's stuck in luxury like mentality, but we'll see. Yes, I'll give him an extra $50 for an extra $50 OBC.

This. Exactly. He could still change my mind if he says things I want to hear regarding solo cruisers. Otherwise, I'm in wait and see mode. From my standpoint, there isn't so much wrong with NCL that needs fixing.

Op, I hope you get an answer to your question. It's a good one. I'm a person that likes to spend a fair bit of time on the balcony. Whenever I am, I put the do not disturb sign out. I've had a number of comments from various cabin stewards on both hal and princess about it and they seem to be upset that I do it. It seems very odd to comment on it. You'd think in your case OP they would be happy with one less cabin to clean :D.

It must be a universal thing, because I've experienced the same...unhappiness...with skipping cleaning for a day on Carnival and NCL. I don't think stewards get bent if they encounter a "do not disturb" sign for a couple of hours during non-cleaning times. People nap and take showers, and oughtn't be disturbed in such situations.

Here's why I think they get upset when passengers request their room not be cleaned: Stewards get into a rhythm, and are trained to be very methodical in how they clean a cabin. Skipping a cabin can break that rhythm, and can throw them off all the way down the line, not only for that shift, but for the next. Then they have to keep circling round to see if the sign has changed to "please make up room" which throws them off even more. And if they skip a cabin for a whole day, they'll likely have twice as much to clean the next, which fouls up their schedule for another day. And all the while they probably have a supervisor breathing down their necks.

I figure the most considerate thing to do is be out of the cabin, and out of the way when the carts come around, even when I'd rather sleep in. I can always come back after breakfast and take a nap. They don't have that luxury.

If cruiselines truly wanted to do something sensible, they'd service cabins only once a day, and give everybody a break. Except for those famblee-types who use a vacation to turn their lodgings into a hazmat area. But I don't care about them:) As ever, ymmv.

Thanks for the photos of the Pearl. I'm a cat's whisker from booking the ship for May, but need to wait to see how much I have to lay out for HVAC replacement at home. The Pearl looks almost identical to the Jewel, including those wonderful chairs in Maltings.

But is it the kind of white and gold card that other people see as black and blue?

I'd check the port times for each stop, and how long you'll be at each stop. A longer stop is always better. I've sometimes found port times to be awfully early (people wake up that early?!) and it gets dark early that time of year, as Budget Queen mentioned. It's also useful to know what other ships will be in port with you, so you can get a handle on how crowded things are likely to be in town. My personal dealbreaker is a long daytime stop in Victoria. It's a no go if the itinerary doesn't have that.

I'm only interested in the Canada/NE itineraries from New York (or elsewhere). Can't wait to see what's on offer for 2017. Somehow, I can't see the Breakaway making that run, although it'd sure be fun!

It's a simple thing, but important to keep in mind: we paying customers hold the cards in this relationship, and we shouldn't hesitate to play them should NCL change in ways we don't like. Granted, my cards might be a little different than your cards, but we "meat and potatoes" cruisers (thanks, Sparks!) make up a huge chunk of the industry's focus. A cruise line will ignore us and our likes/dislikes at their peril.

Cuts down on people trying to cheat the system. Simple as that. Package deals don't really save most of us money; they only offer convenience. They're also a dandy way for the cruiseline to make an easy profit. Nothing wrong with any of that, provided you know the truth and decide what's best for you.

Been on two Canada cruises out of NY. How many times can you visit St. John's. Also Port Canaveral worst port of call ever. Never again.

St. John's, Newfoundland is a terrific cruise destination, but very few cruises go there. I think you're confusing St. John's with Saint John, New Brunswick, which a lot of cruisers think is a snooze. I like the city, and can easily spend a port stop there walking up to the park and browsing the City Market.

I'm sorry the Canada/NE cruises didn't catch on when Carnival offered them from Boston a few years back. I wasn't able to cruise that year, but I liked the idea of going out of Boston. Hopefully, Carnival might try again if they decide against that itinerary out of NY. Even better, I wish Carnival would do a Canada/NE cruise from Baltimore! It'd have to be an 8 or 9-day itinerary, but it would be terrific to cruise someplace good from Baltimore instead of to all those dreary hot places.

I sail solo, in an inside cabin, and don't have much of a choice. Inside cabins are ineligible. It's an automatic OBC for me.

One little warning about the NCL laundry service. They attach a little red identifying marker to each piece of laundry and it is almost impossible to get off. I have shirts and socks from our cruise 4 years ago and those little buggers are still on there.

This is common practice on cruise ships. It isn't only NCL. You're right, they're tough little buggers to remove. You'll forget all about them until they start coming off by themselves, and you feel them scratching your butt...theoretically of course. Nothing like that has ever happened to me:rolleyes:

I've never done it, but it isn't far. A 20-30 minute walk sounds about right. Taxis seem to take a slightly different route each time (construction, street closures, etc), but the neighborhoods always look pretty safe to me: lots of people on the street but no concentrated groups, a lot of shops and restaurants, nothing looked burned out. The worst I remember seeing was a couple of boarded-up windows. It was mostly just normal urban stuff you'd see in any city.

Go with the flow.... of you can't get a single.... be prepared to try somewhere else. Pinnacle fine for one. Canaletto one.

Most cruise lines with open seating default to seating solos with others unless otherwise requested. You're correct: flexibility is key. If one place isn't available, there'll be another place. After all, it's a big ship with lots of food:) There's always some place to eat. I think of it as "As You Mostly Wish."

Welcome home, Roy. Enjoyed your blog as always.

Thank you all for the advice. Later is personally better than earlier, but its good to know I can make it work. Now to wait for the pricing to come down, and see what happens.

The definition of "niggle" notwithstanding, it's been my experience that NCL has sometimes run out of diet soft drinks at the more popular bars. I usually just toddle off, and find what I'm looking for at another bar. One time my travel agent sent me a bon voyage bottle of wine. I had stopped drinking alcohol by then, and asked NCL to replace it with Diet Coke. I had to settle for half Diet Coke and half Sierra Mist. Leads me to believe NCL knows the diet stuff goes fast, but they're try to make it last as best they can.

The Maasdam is calling my name again, but I'm still a little hesitant about open dining. Assigned seating is out of the question, and I prefer to eat alone. I'm fine with the Lido, the way-too-early closing time notwithstanding, but in the event I might want to be served a night or two, what are my chances of getting a table to myself in an open dining scenario? Would it be similar to solo dining in the Pinnacle, as discussed a little ways upthread?

We did not feel that it was OUR place to have to introduce ourselves.

Whether initiated by you or by the cabin attendant, why would you think an introduction is necessary or desirable at all, provided all else is as it should be? I'm happy to stay out of their way, and to let them do their jobs.

Sounds fun. I've seen youtube videos of the guy who plays Jerry Lee Lewis. He's totally got the style.

In my experience, the cabin attendants haven't always come around to introduce themselves, but they're always polite and friendly if I run into them in the hallways. They even know my name most of the time. My cabin has always been well kept, and if I leave a note for any requests I might have - a rare occurrence - the requests are handled promptly. I like this way better: they're working stiffs doing a job just like me, not my personal friends or servants.