river cruising solo

[bobbisailsolo]

Does anyone know of the best river cruises for solo travelers?  where the single supplement isn’t 100%?

[farmersfight]

4 hours ago, bobbisailsolo said:

Does anyone know of the best river cruises for solo travelers?  where the single supplement isn’t 100%?

 

You may want to check out American Cruise Lines. They have new river vessels that have single staterooms for the solo traveler. These staterooms are quite roomy (250 sq.ft.) and each comes with a private balcony.

 

I was looking at American Cruise Lines for a Grand Pugent Sound cruise in a single stateroom on the American Constellation (coastal class) but when I did a mock booking, I found the cruise to be quite pricey and too rich for my wallet. With that said however, ACL is "solo friendly" with their single staterooms even on their river vessels. Good luck!

 

https://www.americancruiselines.com/

[bobbisailsolo]

yes farmer.  i agree about acl being pricey. and probably boring, from what i’ve seen.  i was really thinking european waterways.  

[farmersfight]

18 minutes ago, bobbisailsolo said:

yes farmer.  i agree about acl being pricey. and probably boring, from what i’ve seen.  i was really thinking european waterways.  

 

European waterways, gotch ya. That sounds pretty cool, especially going as a solo cruiser. I never really thought about river cruising in Europe. Heck, I never really thought about river cruising right here in the USA.  I know there are numerous companies that do cruises on European rivers and I'm sure someone here on CC will be able to recommend one (or 2), especially ones that are "solo friendly". Good luck!

[rkacruiser]

 I have friends who have done river cruises in Europe.  I will have to check with them about the company, but I am pretty sure at least one was with OAT.  They are a couple and not solos.  Always were pleased.

 

Pearl Sea Cruises offer some small ship cruises in the Great Lakes and have solo cabins with balconies.  Not inexpensive, however.  But, the itineraries that I have seen are attractive.  

 

 

[Roz]

Uniworld, Tauck, and AMA Waterways offer solo discounts depending on itinerary and time of year.  Check their websites.  I've sailed Uniworld 3 times solo and never paid a 100% supplement.  

 

Also check out Vantage, Gate 1, and Grand Circle.  Stay away from Viking.  Not solo friendly at all.

[Roz]

Check out the River Cruising forum here at CC for more info.

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Roz

[alanstarr]

Vantage Cruise Lines has single-occupancy rooms on their European river cruises. They're a bit small of course (125 sq ft), but just fine as you usually just sleep there. 

[Roz]

If you book an "aquarium class" cabin on a river cruise, they can be a good value for a solo passenger, especially if they have no single supplement or a reduced one.  Aquarium class are generally the lowest category of cabin, on the bottom deck, and have a long, narrow, horizontal window at water level.  

[farmersfight]

23 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Pearl Sea Cruises offer some small ship cruises in the Great Lakes and have solo cabins with balconies.  Not inexpensive, however.  But, the itineraries that I have seen are attractive

 

Yeah, I have looked into Pearl Seas Cruises previously. The Pearl Mist cruises up here (Toronto to Milwaukee and vice-versa). She has 12 single staterooms (category SGB) that are spacious, over 200 sq ft. That's quite a significant # of single staterooms on a small cruise ship (RCL's Quantum-class ships have 12 studio balcony staterooms) and they all have their own balconies, as you said.

 

I would opt for the 11-night Great Lakes & Georgian Bay cruise, as it transits the Welland Canal where as the 7-night does not (kind of weird, you have to disembark in Midland, Ontario and you are bussed down to Toronto. No thanks.). I've never been up into Georgian Bay and never been to the port towns of Little Current, Parry Sound & Midland.

 

You're right, definitely not inexpensive. Pearl Seas has a couple of cruises that are discounted $800 (June 24, 2021) & $1,000 (May 29, 2022), but for a single stateroom (SGB) you're still looking at $11, 605 (June 24, 2021) or $11,405 (May 29, 2022).

 

Even at that price ($11.5K), I'm still tempted.  I live up here on the Great Lakes and ironically, one of the port stops is Muskegon, Michigan, right where I live (not sure why a cruise ship would want to stop here in Muskegon. Not much too offer tourists here). Also, this cruise would either start or end in Milwaukee which would mean I would take the Lake Express high-speed ferry from or to Muskegon to or from Milwaukee. Getting to or from Toronto would be a short flight.

 

Hmmm...still tempted. This June (2021) is wide open for me...

 

https://www.pearlseascruises.com/cruises/great-lakes-cruises/great-lakes-and-georgian-bay

 

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by farmersfight

[rkacruiser]

14 minutes ago, farmersfight said:

Hmmm...still tempted. This June (2021) is wide open for me...

 

If you do book this and are able to sail, I would be interested in a very thorough trip report as to your experiences and opinions.  

[farmersfight]

10 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

If you do book this and are able to sail, I would be interested in a very thorough trip report as to your experiences and opinions.  

 

I would be more than happy to provide you with a thorough trip report, with pictures and perhaps even videos (today's cell phone technology is wonderful, isn't it?).

 

I looked at those two cruises I mentioned above (that look like they are both available to book) and I've had second thoughts. Instead of the June 24, 2021 cruise, I may wait a year for the May 29, 2022 cruise. I disembark from a TA on the Allure OTS in early May and would be back in time for the May 29, 2022 cruise. 3 reasons to wait for the May 29, 2022 cruise; 1. I would get the extra $200 discount (cruise discounted $1,000 vice $800) 2.  It would give more time for the vaccine(s) roll outs and cruising to return to "normalcy". 3. It would give me additional time to bank more $$ in savings (so I am in a better position financially when it is time to make final payments).

 

Even if I do wait for the May 29, 2022 cruise, I will still provide you with the aforementioned thorough trip report (with pictures & videos). By that time, maybe you could join me and we'll make it a "mini-Rat Pack cruise". I see from Google maps that in Centerville, Ohio, you are about in the middle of Cincinnati and Columbus. Like me, to embark the Pearl Mist in Toronto, you'd have a very short flight. Then, how about this, after disembarking in Milwaukee, you take the Lake Express with me to Muskegon, Michigan and you rent a car (one way rental) and drive back to your home in Centerville, OH. From the map, it doesn't look like it would be a bad drive at all and wouldn't take that long.

 

On a separate note, I'm in the process of planning a trip to Milwaukee around Memorial Day this year (2021). I already have my hotel(s) booked. My Detroit Tigers are scheduled to play the Brewers in Milwaukee on Memorial Day, May 31st (day game) and also the following night on June 1st. It will be a short 2 game series. I plan on getting tickets and attending both games. After the Milwaukee stay, I plan on driving up (I'll be bringing my truck over on the Lake Express) the Wisconsin coast to Manitowoc (where the SS Badger docks). I plan on spending a couple of nights at a hotel in Manitowoc (I want to go to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum) and then embark the SS Badger (with my truck) for the return crossing back to Michigan (Ludington). Then, it's a short drive (40 min) drive south down to Muskegon. I call this trip "The Circuit".

 

Interested in accompanying me? It wouldn't be a bad drive from where you live in Centerville, OH up to Muskegon, MI (and the return drive back). You could bring your vehicle on the Lake Express and SS Badger, but there really wouldn't be a need as you could ride in my truck with me (and this would save you a few $$ on transporting your vehicle on both ferries).

 

By coming up to Michigan and doing "The Circuit" with me, you would; 1. get to experience not 1 but 2 Great Lakes auto-ferries (one a modern high-speed ferry, the Lake Express and the other, an actual designated National Historic Landmark  (NHL) - the SS Badger, the only coal-fired steam ship still sailing). 2. get to attend not 1 but 2 MLB games (Tigers vs Brewers) in Milwaukee and 3. get to sample what Milwaukee is known for - beer (I'm sure we could easily do a brewery tour or two).

 

If you're interested, let me know. The Brewers single game tickets go on sale I think March 24th or 25th, but they are only for games up to May 2nd. I called the Brewers ticket office and asked when they are going to put their single game tickets up for sale for the Memorial Day series (vs Tigers) and they told me to check back in early April. I want to jump on these tickets early in case they are limiting capacity.

 

I think you'd have fun on this trip, especially if you're a ship (and baseball and beer) connoisseur like me 😉.

 

Modern Great Lakes auto ferry;

 

 

Not so modern Great Lakes auto ferry;

 

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by farmersfight

[rkacruiser]

10 hours ago, farmersfight said:

If you're interested, let me know.

 

Your plan is tempting and I am appreciative of your offer.  I am not yet ready to leave my "bubble" for such an excursion.  

 

I got a chuckle viewing the two photos of the differences in the Lake Express and the Badger.  I remember the view of the Badger where the vehicles and passengers enter.  Then, for the passengers:  a long, metal staircase up from the "garage area" to the passenger decks.  

[farmersfight]

12 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Your plan is tempting and I am appreciative of your offer.  I am not yet ready to leave my "bubble" for such an excursion.  

 

I got a chuckle viewing the two photos of the differences in the Lake Express and the Badger.  I remember the view of the Badger where the vehicles and passengers enter.  Then, for the passengers:  a long, metal staircase up from the "garage area" to the passenger decks.  

 

No problem, I fully understand. The offer remains on the table. With regard to the Pearl Mist, it dawned on me that the Canadian ban on cruise ships (that was extended through Feb 2022) could affect her scheduled June 24, 2021 sailing. Sure enough, the ban applies to cruise ships that carry over 100 passengers. The Pearl Mist carries 210 passengers, so that ban applies to her as well. Expect an announcement from Pearl Seas Cruises cancelling that June 24, 2021 cruise any day now. So, the May 29, 2022 cruise I was looking at is still "in play". But man, $11,400 for one of those single staterooms on the 11-night cruise (fm Toronto to Milwaukee). "Gulp" (swallow hard). And that's with the $1,000 off discount. I'll keep it "on my radar" (apologize for the electronic navigation pun).

 

Yeah, you're right. The passengers have to climb a long metal staircase from the vehicle deck to get to the passenger decks. That's "old school" baby and part of the Badger's "charm" and the Badger "experience".

 

An interesting fun fact; on the Badger, the crew drives your vehicle on and off the vessel (lots of room on the spacious vehicle deck), while on the Lake Express, you drive your own vehicle on and off the vessel (much tighter spaces on a smaller vehicle deck). You would think it would be the other way around. Also, the Lake Express starts her season before the Badger (May 1st) and ends her season after the Badger (Oct 25th). Again, you would think it would be the other way around; the Badger is a much larger vessel and would handle rough "seas" that may be more prevalent on Lake Michigan in early May and in late October. In fact, during these times when the lake is rough, the Lake Express will have to really "check down" her speed and will end up arriving late at her berth.

 

I'm still waiting on Lake Express to get their computer problem fixed so I can book her for that trip I described in my previous post. The Badger is available to book, no problem, but I want to make sure I have the Lake Express booked first.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, farmersfight said:

But man, $11,400 for one of those single staterooms on the 11-night cruise (fm Toronto to Milwaukee). "Gulp" (swallow hard). And that's with the $1,000 off discount.

 

How expensive Pearl Mist is definitely not solo friendly.  I look at the deck plan and see how small the cabin and the veranda is for those solo cabins.  Hard to justify spending that kind of money even for a somewhat unique itinerary.  

[farmersfight]

48 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

How expensive Pearl Mist is definitely not solo friendly.  I look at the deck plan and see how small the cabin and the veranda is for those solo cabins.  Hard to justify spending that kind of money even for a somewhat unique itinerary.  

 

If you can look past the exorbitant cost, I actually thought the Pearl Mist was "solo friendly". The single cabins are advertised to be over 200 sq ft, which is pretty roomy (imho). I think a standard balcony cabin on a typical cruise ships is around 185 sq ft. I also thought she was "solo friendly" because of the # (12) of single cabins on that smaller cruise ship (as I mentioned, RCL's full-sized Quantum-class ships also have 12 studio balcony cabins).

 

But alas, I think that the Pearl Mist will be to rich ($$) for my blood. Cue my misty eyes. I still find it curious, the ship calls here in little old Muskegon, Michigan. As I mention, not much here for tourists.

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, farmersfight said:

The single cabins are advertised to be over 200 sq ft, which is pretty roomy (imho). I think a standard balcony cabin on a typical cruise ships is around 185 sq ft.

 

You are more "tuned" into dimensions for the cabins than I am.  I have based my opinion of what I see in their deck plan as well as what I think I can see from photos of the outside of the ship.  

[farmersfight]

14 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You are more "tuned" into dimensions for the cabins than I am.  I have based my opinion of what I see in their deck plan as well as what I think I can see from photos of the outside of the ship.  

 

Yeah, it may be "moot" anyway. The Pearl Mist may just be too pricey and as I mentioned in a previous post, she qualifies to be banned from Canadian ports this summer (2021) due to her passenger capacity (over 100 pax). I expect to see an announcement from Pearl Seas cruises,  cancelling the 2021 Great Lakes cruises because they involve Canadian ports.

[Lois R]

On 3/18/2021 at 11:19 AM, bobbisailsolo said:

Does anyone know of the best river cruises for solo travelers?  where the single supplement isn’t 100%?

Good morning, I agree with the "RIVER CRUISE FORUM" suggestion.......there are a lot of good

threads on it and some wonderful informational sticky threads at the top.  And I also agree

that AMA and Uniworld offer some sailings with a very low SS or it is totally waived on 

certain cabin categories.