Solo on Ponant Antarctica cruise

[Sitti]

hi,

 

I'm from Thailand and I just booked Antarctica cruise on Le Commandant Charcot departing in Feb 2022. I've been asking my family and friends but none of them wanted to go. Time is running out. This is the specific cruise that I wanted to take, so decided to pay hefty single supplement and made the reservation.

 

Now I'm sort of worried about going solo. This will be my very first time to cruise alone. I'm particularly worried about dining. I've done plenty of traveling alone on land and ate alone most of the time, but this time on a cruise ship. Does it feel awkward or strange eating alone in a main dining room on the ship? Even though I haven't tried, I'm not so sure I'll like eating with strangers. I think I'd prefer eating alone in peace. If I really don't want to eat with the others, can they find a table for one?

 

Have you ran into any kind of issue while cruising solo?

[parischris]

Plenty of people travel alone. If you want to eat with someone, it's easy enough to join a table. If you don't, there are tables for two where you can dine alone. Or there is 24 hour room service.  

 

[cruising cockroach]

FWIW, Ponant (at least on the "constellation" class of ships (Soleal, Boreal, Austral Lyrial) have enough seating for all passengers in one seating in the dining room, in addition to seating for ~ 1/3 or so in the buffet.

[canuckcruzingirl]

Sitti, in case you didn't know, there is a Solo Cruisers section under Special Interest Cruising - it has some great tips on dining and other solo cruiser topics of interest. It may be helpful to you!

[schnapperin]

I travel intensive solo and sometimes it does feel awkward, but it didn‘t felt that way on my Ponant cruise.

 

I could eat on my own table or join other guests I meet on the cruise but it was never a strange guest as I was never placed on anyone else table or guests joining mine.

 

what I loved to do was ordering room service breakfast for nearly all of the mornings - as solo travelers there is no space issue and it was a more comfy and less hectic way. Also the dining menu could be ordered as room service auswell for those long days out in the cold just perfect

[AussieBoyTX]

We are told that the full menu is available to room service when the dining rooms are open — but we haven’t tried it. 
 

Also note that Charcot has a more casual restaurant on Deck 9. 
 

And maybe things will be different on Charcot, but our experience is that people tend not to dress up excessively. Yes, someone will probably wear a tuxedo, but many more will be wearing a blazer, possibly with a tie. Some will not even have a jacket — just a dress shirt. 
 

The only things “forbidden” for men at night are open-toed shoes, shorts and T-shirts. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by AussieBoyTX

[Sitti]

14 hours ago, AussieBoyTX said:

We are told that the full menu is available to room service when the dining rooms are open — but we haven’t tried it. 
 

Also note that Charcot has a more casual restaurant on Deck 9. 
 

And maybe things will be different on Charcot, but our experience is that people tend not to dress up excessively. Yes, someone will probably wear a tuxedo, but many more will be wearing a blazer, possibly with a tie. Some will not even have a jacket — just a dress shirt. 
 

The only things “forbidden” for men at night are open-toed shoes, shorts and T-shirts. 

Thank you AussieBoy. I hope my cruise will be the same and they don't make such a big deal with dressing up. I think the best I willing to do is a jacket, but personally I would prefer just a dress shirt without a jacket. I wonder how many people will bring full Tuxedo to Antarctica. 

 

On 12/2/2021 at 10:35 PM, Sitti said:

I decided to pay heck a lot more and upgraded my stateroom to Prestige Suite Deck 8. 

oops, I remembered my stateroom wrong. I upgraded to Privilege Suite Deck 8. This suite comes with a butler, but Prestige Suite doesn't. Names of staterooms are confusing.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Sitti

[gogo65]

Ditto, We had virtually no one in a tuxedo on our Antarctica cruise. We were a group of 6, and the men took casual jackets, no one took a blazer or suit.

we were traveling for 8 weeks in total, so there was no room for fancy clothes. We never felt under dressed.

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, Sitti said:

Thank you AussieBoy. I hope my cruise will be the same and they don't make such a big deal with dressing up. I think the best I willing to do is a jacket, but personally I would prefer just a dress shirt without a jacket. I wonder how many people will bring full Tuxedo to Antarctica. 

 

oops, I remembered my stateroom wrong. I upgraded to Privilege Suite Deck 8. This suite comes with a butler, but Prestige Suite doesn't. Names of staterooms are confusing.

Not only confusing, but IMHO wrongly priced.  The Privilege Suite is a very nice expansion of the regular Prestige cabins [and even the Deluxe Suite], but it still has only one bathroom.  The Prestige Suite is two connecting Prestige cabins with the bed in one room swapped for a big sofa – two bathrooms and more overall space (cabin and veranda).  But the Privilege Suite is priced higher than the Prestige Suite.  Now that you explain that it comes with a Butler, I guess I understand the pricing.  And if I were sailing alone, the bathroom issue wouldn't apply [unless you plan to entertain, in which case having a 'guest bathroom' would be nice].  But for couples, I think the Prestige Suite is by far the better deal.

[gogo65]

5 hours ago, gogo65 said:

Ditto, We had virtually no one in a tuxedo on our Antarctica cruise. We were a group of 6, and the men took casual jackets, no one took a blazer or suit.

we were traveling for 8 weeks in total, so there was no room for fancy clothes. We never felt under dressed.

 

Sorry, just realised spell check changed the Sitti to ditto…

[gogo65]

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Not only confusing, but IMHO wrongly priced.  The Privilege Suite is a very nice expansion of the regular Prestige cabins [and even the Deluxe Suite], but it still has only one bathroom.  The Prestige Suite is two connecting Prestige cabins with the bed in one room swapped for a big sofa – two bathrooms and more overall space (cabin and veranda).  But the Privilege Suite is priced higher than the Prestige Suite.  Now that you explain that it comes with a Butler, I guess I understand the pricing.  And if I were sailing alone, the bathroom issue wouldn't apply [unless you plan to entertain, in which case having a 'guest bathroom' would be nice].  But for couples, I think the Prestige Suite is by far the better deal.

The prestige suite is 40sqm with 2 bathrooms where as the privilege is 48sqm with 1 huge bathroom with with bath and a seperate powder room. Probably a great option for a couple.

I dont really get the prestige suite, I’m not sure walking through the living area to access the other bathroom and robe is particularly useful. 

They have changed the layout of some of the suites on the Charcot which I’m sure will appeal to a lot.

As for me I’ll  be on the lower decks, in a basic balcony, the cheapest suite on our north east passage cruise is 140k, yet alone the Charcot cruises 😳Good on you Sitti for treating yourself!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Sorry for causing confusion.  I was quoting figures from the 'Explorer' sister-ships (e.g. Le Bellot).  On those ships, the Prestige Suite is 38 sq m with two bathrooms, while the Privilege Suite is only 32 sq m with only one bathroom but still costs more.

 

The real benefit of the Prestige layout is that you can close the connecting door if one person is sleeping and the other wants to watch TV etc.

[AussieBoyTX]

@Sittion the cruise we're on, there are several single travelers. They have been eating alone some evenings and with other passengers on others, as they choose. We have met most passengers at one point or another on excursions or in the lounge or lectures. It's natural to ask if they'd like to join us for a meal.

 

And for those who truly want to be alone, no worries. It does not look out of place at all and the restaurant staff are always amiable.

[Sitti]

17 hours ago, AussieBoyTX said:

@Sittion the cruise we're on, there are several single travelers. They have been eating alone some evenings and with other passengers on others, as they choose. We have met most passengers at one point or another on excursions or in the lounge or lectures. It's natural to ask if they'd like to join us for a meal.

 

And for those who truly want to be alone, no worries. It does not look out of place at all and the restaurant staff are always amiable.

Thank you very much for taking your time posting updates. Looking forward to my very first solo cruise 😆