Sailing solo

Single cabins on cruise ships are all the rage now, what with the launches this year of NCL’s Norwegian Epic and P&O’s Azura, both equipped with shiny, new, headline-grabbing cabins for solos.

The trade publication Travel Trade Gazette has done a little price check on these single cabins, comparing similar(ish) cruises on Epic, Azura and Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral, which is also solo-friendly.

The cruises are all slightly different – Epic is nine nights and Azura, 14 nights, for example, and Epic is a fly-cruise while the other two are ex-Southampton. But if you distil it down to a straightforward price-per-night comparison, this is how it comes out:

• Norwegian Epic £87.66
• Azura £112.78
• Balmoral £180.90

Big difference, isn’t it? If you’re buying purely on price, Norwegian Epic is a clear winner.

But do people really care only about the price, just because they’re single? Yes, it’s important and a matter of principle, too, but surely ending up on the right ship for you is a bigger factor?

There's more to solo cruising than the price

Couples and families who cruise for the first time are rarely encouraged to buy purely on price, yet with singles, it seems to be the only way in which cruises are compared, particularly at the moment, with all this focus on single cabins.

So, single cruisers, what’s your checklist when booking? Is it more than the money? A decent bar where you can feel comfortable, propped up alone with your Martini, or big, lively tables at dinner, or classes where you can meet like-minded people? We’ve compiled our own list of single-friendly cruise lines on Cruise Critic but we’d love to know your views!

SJB

Get an eyeful of Eyjafjallajokull

I’m probably tempting fate, talking about Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the dark days of the ash cloud. On the other hand, it’s peak season for cruises to Iceland and I’ll bet it’s the first topic of conversation for anybody cruising to Reykjavik.

So why not splash out on a scenic flight over the volcano, ash plume permitting? Several cruise lines, including Voyages of Discovery, Azamara, P&O Cruises and Fred. Olsen, offer a light aircraft flight of an hour and a half, zooming in low over the smouldering beast. Amusingly, P&O’s website is the only one I visited that acknowledges the recent eruption; the others word the description of the tour as though nothing had ever happened.

Eyjafjallajokull in full flow in May 2010

The flightseeing tour (which costs £200 upwards) is undeniably breathtaking and you’ll see other unpronounceable geological features, like Tindfjallajokull, Blahnjukur and the river Jokulgilsa. And the volcano Hekla, of course, reckoned to be the next Big One, Eyjafjallajokull having merely been a supporting act.

Meanwhile, in preparation for your visit, check out Cruise Critic member FlyerTalker’s cringe-worthy volcano humour here!

And for the armchair traveller, here’s a webcam, which shows Eyjafjallajokull itself, steaming peacefully. For now.

SJB

Something old, something new

As New York City readies itself for the biggest-ever Macy’s 4^th of July fireworks spectacular , which will be broadcast live from the newly-named Norwegian Epic, a quieter, more modest celebration has taken place here in the UK this week.

Fred. Olsen Cruises launched its 2011/2012 brochure over a glass of wine on a sunny terrace overlooking the Thames. There were no fireworks.

You may ask how this is connected to the razzle-dazzle Norwegian Epic, which sailed from Southampton last week across the Atlantic, leaving the guests from its two-night preview cruise reeling from sensory overload.

Well, what brought it all home was when at the Fred. Olsen drinks, marketing director Nigel Lingard, made the amusing observation that Norwegian Epic alone carried more passengers than Fred’s entire fleet.

He’s right; the combined capacity of the four Fred. Olsen ships is 3,987, while Norwegian Epic can take 4,100. Puts it in perspective, doesn’t it? There’s been so much in the news over the last 12 months about huge, gleaming new ships (Oasis of the Seas, Azura, Celebrity Eclipse, Epic and next, Allure of the Seas) that to an observer, or perhaps a non-cruiser, a capacity of thousands must seem like the norm now.  

Yet the British cruiser’s appetite for smaller, more personal ships is stronger than ever. Some 52% of Fred. Olsen’s passengers are repeat bookers, a higher level than ever before, Lingard told us, adding that what Fred. Olsen lacked in ‘sexy hardware’ (fancy new ships), it made up for in ‘human software’ (friendly crew).

Of course, we’re not comparing like with like, but to me, Lingard’s comments were a reminder of the amazing variety of what’s out there. And although Fred. Olsen is better known for the diversity of its itineraries than its entertainment (no Blue Man Group here), he did mention a new development. “We’ve moved on with our passengers,” he said. “Ten years ago, we might have had songs by Vera Lynn. Now, it’s more likely to be Sixties Gold.”  Quite.

SJB

Norwegian Epic’s just arrived in Southampton!

It’s a very pretty cruise into Southampton and the ship got a nice welcome from the folks at Carnival UK, who took to the rooftop to cheer on the ship (not sure you’ll be able to tell from photo).  Fred. Olsen’s pretty Black Watch is tied up alongside — talk about David vs. Goliath, sizewise. It looks tiny next to Epic. Alas, vista of piles of garbage on a dock that I’m looking at right now — and smelling — isn’t too nice; god help us if we dock right next to it.

CSB