Navigator SoloA Case for Balcony Princesses and Single Luxury CruisingBy Marty Martindale
The Navigator is a premium-priced cruise ship that covers expenses many other lines won’t touch. Some of these are wines with dinner and bottles you order for your suite. There’s also no tipping aboard the Navigator, none in the dining room, in suites, even for spa pamperings. Not designed for large crowds, the Navigator accommodates only 490 guests. The Navigator has no cabins, no staterooms, only suites, most all with balconies. Its eleven decks and small hull create short distances between fore and aft. This means you get around fast. Each suite, with its fresh-cut flowers and rich furnishings, includes a walk-in closet. Guests tend to enjoy more activities in their balcony suite where they have the view, deckside atmosphere and the coziness of their own space. This is your private turf and an area you regulate. One of many ways to play Balcony Princess is with Room Service breakfasts. Experiment with combinations -- order doubles of fresh fruit, turn buckwheat pancakes into finger food. At lunchtime, choose the flexible Portofino Room and build different salads each day, choose made-for-you pasta dishes or opt for a hot meal. Desserts abound. Also, enjoy your servers from ‘round the world. The solo’s dinner solution is the Navigator’s Independents’ Table, a place to meet other solos and some of the ship’s fascinating entertainers. None of the dining rooms assign tables. You are free to dine where you wish!
You have the additional option of making a reservation with the Portofino Grill for any evening. This is the ship’s special atmosphere, no-extra-charge dining room. Occasionally the Portofino deviates from its usual Italian theme to present worldwide Asian selections. Service, as elsewhere, is anticipatory – like a well-oiled time piece. The Navigator’s Carita Spa, is the treat place. Wrap cosily wrap for any one of many treatments – facials – scalp massages – pedicures – special wraps – body massages – surrounded by soft music and positive aromas. Or, try a wild nail color? A haircut you never planned? There’s lots of ways to handle a day in port. Take one of the tours? Want to go into town later? Earlier? One or two times? Maybe shop wharf shops? Stay aboard? Savor your freedom to choose any activity you wish, whenever you wish. If your ship anchors rather than docks at a port, the Navigator’s tendering is well planned. The sea’s motion, of course, determines the smoothness of transfers in and out of the smaller craft. All great things come to an end, and there’s a disappointing thing called departure. Still playing "Balcony Princess," you realize packing tomorrow is not a thought you relish. Maybe tell yourself, “The sooner I leave, the sooner I shall return.” Next, after this trip, the ship moves on to Nassau to take part in a film. Sailing on a veritable movie set? You gotta love it! Contact: A Reader Responds Dear Marty Martindale: Your recent article on cruising single on the Navigator was most informative. I regret you did not deal with the economics involved with being a single traveler. I, too, travel as a single. I would love to take more cruises; however, the cruise lines themselves seem to look upon the single traveler as some sort of plague upon their ships. It seems as though they feel a single person will not spend very much on incidental charges; thus, it is better to book two people rather than one. I can assure you my incidental charges for wine, bar, and spa services often fall in the upper third of all passenger spending. Imagine if every hotel in the US made it policy that a two person minimum was required for every booking! Needless to say, I have had poor experiences on cruises when I am being asked to pay for two people and then receive poor food and service. I do not expect to receive twice as much being a single passenger, rather, I look to receiving what I was required to pay for. You keep reading about the enormous growth in the supply of cabins. One would think there would come a time when the cruise industry would welcome single passenger at a fair price rather than penalizing them for being single. If the cruise industry were more fair, I would probably take four cruises per year. As it currently stands, I may take one every three or four years. Warmest regards, |
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TM
When cruising, too frequently single people receive unnecessary cold shoulders from couples. Thousands of singles pass up cruising each year because they are unwilling to put themselves into such awkward positions. Here’s ways to assure a great single cruise aboard Radisson’s Seven Seas Navigator: 
At each dinner, choose from complimentary red and white wines, or select from a list of additional no-charge wines. Nightly, Baker Emil presents his special breads. The dinner menu breaks down into five parts: the traditional Dinner Selections as well as their Menu of Degustation. The Health Menu provides selections with minimized fat and calories, while the Vegetarian Menu is suitable for lacto and ovo-vegetarians. Lastly, the Simplicity menu is the best of basic selections, toned-down for moderate appetites. Abundant sweet desserts are countered with worldwide blue cheeses served and recommended Port wines of the world.