The solo cruiser

[RoyalScot]

After 3 cruises with Celebrity with family , I am know thinking of going on a solo cruise, has anyone else done this and how have they found it, has anyone done this with P&O,

 

I have heard that NCL are good for this and have a great programme, seperate lounge you wish to use it and the cabins look good as well, looking for comments and advice for a cruise towards end of next year

 

Just looking to compare between both

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[FangedRose]

After 3 cruises with Celebrity with family , I am know thinking of going on a solo cruise, has anyone else done this and how have they found it, has anyone done this with P&O,

 

I have heard that NCL are good for this and have a great programme, seperate lounge you wish to use it and the cabins look good as well, looking for comments and advice for a cruise towards end of next year

 

Just looking to compare between both

__________________

 

I have done many cruises solo with P & O.

 

They do provide solo cabins on the bigger, newer ships, but it may be cheaper to book an ordinary cabin for solo use, do the research (or get your travel agent to do it).

I have always chosen fixed dining as solo travellers are usually seated together.

There has always been a hosted solo traveller get together every morning, with free tea and coffee.

There is also a table or two put aside for solo travellers at afternoon tea in the dining room.

The entertainment hosts will soon realise you are on you own, and will make sure you are included in things, if you want to be. For example in the deck games where you are in pairs all the pairings are randomised and couples are not allowed to be in the same pair, so you never feel the odd one out.

 

I have cruised solo with other lines (including Celebrity) and found P & O to be far the best for me.

[davecttr]

Solo cruising on P&O has its good points and bad points You have a good choice of cabins including the designated single ones and single occupancy of a double for not much more cost. The single supplement can be reasonable too, think of up to 70% depending on itinerary and dates.

 

I had a bad experience with both inside and outside single cabins on Ventura. they were almost the noisiest cabins I have occupied with loud creaking and squeaking from the walls and ceiling when the ship was underway. The cabins were added in a refit and there was no attempt to reduce the noise problem.

 

If you book a select fare you can opt for club dining which means you have the same table each evening. You can ask to be seated with other solos if you wish and this can work well, or not!. On my cruise before last I had the table from hell with constant arguing and bickering, after a few days I gave up and moved elsewhere.

 

On sea day mornings they have a coffee meeting with members of the entertainment team but in recent cruises the team members have only stayed a few minutes and rushed off to do other jobs.

 

There is no solo cruisers host as such and although I have had a hosted lunch on a sea day a few cruises ago there have been none since. Nor are there reserved seats in the theatre or any official solo cruiser programme.

 

Overall I would say the 'hardware' elements, cabin choice etc are OK but the 'software', social events etc, is minimal and over the 18 cruises I have experienced has got worse. :(

[Host Sharon]

I have travelled solo with P&O, Fred Olsen and Cunard and overall I prefer P&O. You are included in the deck games where other lines expect you to be a couple, and I have more fun. I've been on NCL with a friend and they are good for solos but I don't like their style of cruising and find the ships too dark and noisy.

 

Another line that can be good for solos is CMV but I find their food poor and entertainment often dire.

 

It boils down to what you want from your cruise.

[kevinyork]

OP, you have Celebrity as your favourite cruise line in your profile. Not travelled solo but after an equal number of Celebrity and P&O cruises I can say we have found it easier to meet people on Celebrity than on P&O and have a list of cruise friends we stay in contact with that we've met on X but none from our P&O cruises. We've found it impossible to sit at the Martini bar on Celebrity and not be included in a conversation.

 

 

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[FangedRose]

OP, you have Celebrity as your favourite cruise line in your profile. Not travelled solo but after an equal number of Celebrity and P&O cruises I can say we have found it easier to meet people on Celebrity than on P&O and have a list of cruise friends we stay in contact with that we've met on X but none from our P&O cruises. We've found it impossible to sit at the Martini bar on Celebrity and not be included in a conversation.

 

 

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In my experience I found the exact opposite.

[FangedRose]

I have travelled solo with P&O, Fred Olsen and Cunard and overall I prefer P&O. You are included in the deck games where other lines expect you to be a couple, and I have more fun. I've been on NCL with a friend and they are good for solos but I don't like their style of cruising and find the ships too dark and noisy.

 

Another line that can be good for solos is CMV but I find their food poor and entertainment often dire.

 

It boils down to what you want from your cruise.

 

Re your remark about deck games and couples. Several years ago when registering for shuffleboard (I think) a couple were very disgruntled at being forced to split up and refused to take part. Thankfully the host was very experienced and was havingng none of it. It later transpired that the couple were virtually 'professional' players, and spent their time on their very many cruises collecting the stickers and/or prizes and objected to having their haul diluted by having to pair up with merely 'social' players. ;)

[Host Sharon]

OP, you have Celebrity as your favourite cruise line in your profile. Not travelled solo but after an equal number of Celebrity and P&O cruises I can say we have found it easier to meet people on Celebrity than on P&O and have a list of cruise friends we stay in contact with that we've met on X but none from our P&O cruises. We've found it impossible to sit at the Martini bar on Celebrity and not be included in a conversation.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

You say "we" so I guess you are not a lone passenger. It is VERY different being on your own and I hated the experience on Cunard. In fact probably the friendliest ship I have travelled on (although with a friend at the time) was Oceania's Nautica. A lovely mix of international passengers who always spoke to you. But then not very friendly single prices as a rule.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Host Sharon

[Host Sharon]

Re your remark about deck games and couples. Several years ago when registering for shuffleboard (I think) a couple were very disgruntled at being forced to split up and refused to take part. Thankfully the host was very experienced and was havingng none of it. It later transpired that the couple were virtually 'professional' players, and spent their time on their very many cruises collecting the stickers and/or prizes and objected to having their haul diluted by having to pair up with merely 'social' players. ;)

 

I like it!

[davecttr]

You say "we" so I guess you are not a lone passenger. It is VERY different being on your own and I hated the experience on Cunard. In fact probably the friendliest ship I have travelled on (although with a friend at the time) was Oceania's Nautica. A lovely mix of international passengers who always spoke to you. But then not very friendly single prices as a rule.

I agree with that and I find you have to accept that sometimes your presence is not wanted.

 

IMO a robust voluntary social programme for solo cruisers can enhance the cruise experience and need not cost the cruise line much. Unfortunately in my experience P&O do little for solo cruisers. On my last Aurora cruise of 28 nights all that was offered was morning meetings on sea days. They were hosted by one or two of the entertainment team but only briefly as they rushed off after about 10 minutes. That was basically it. Contrast this with my last 14 night cruise (2 sea days) where we had a social hostess to look after us and 2 coffee mornings, 2 hosted lunches with drinks, 2 hosted pre dinner drinks and 4 hosted dinners with drinks and reserved seats in the theatre plus drinks.

 

I am cruising on NCL Epic in September with a studio cabin, apparently there is a solo lounge and a staff member to arrange restaurants, entertainment etc, hopefully I will enjoy it.