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OVERVIEW

Solos Mix

Cruise Solo, Not Alone ®

Introducing Cruise Circle for Solos: cruise groups for solo travellers who want to enjoy the benefits of solo cruising without the drawbacks of travelling alone.

Ovation of the Seas, belonging to the Quantum Class, has brought a revolution to sea. Featuring the ground breaking venues as its sister ships, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, this ship is continuing to take cruisers to new heights. 

Cruising from Sydney - A 10 night NYE New Zealand Cruise

Join an exclusive solo traveller group on board Ovation of the Seas. Combining the enjoyment of group dining with the freedom of solo travel. While there’s days at sea to enjoy the multitude of activities and entertainment offered on board, you can also take advantage of the many shore excursions from ports of New Zealand

MORE INFORMATION CRUISE CIRCLE FOR SOLOS
Find out all you need to know about Cruise Circle for Solos

PACKAGE DETAILS
  • Ages:
    best suited 45 years+
  • Duration:
    11 Days
  • Status:
    Sold out
  • Region:
    AustraliaNZPacific
  • Destinations:
    Australia, New Zealand
  • Travel Style:
    On The Water
  • Accommodation:
    Ship cabins
  • Prices from:
    Sold Out
  • Transport:
    Cruise
  • Pace:
    1
  • Max Group Size:
    18-28 estimate
REVIEWS

'I would highly recommend a holiday with Encounter Travel. My trip was well organised and the co-ordinator was fun and helpful and full of energy. I met some great people of all walks of life. There is a good mix of organised activities and free time. I had a blast.'

Linda, Victoria

'Thank you for your organisation of a great holiday. As a first time traveller with Encounter, I didn't know what to expect. The Red Centre is indescribably beautiful and should be on every Australians' bucket list. We saw every sensational attraction in just the right order - each new experience was more incredible than the last. Thank you for recruiting such a great group of people for my travelling companions. The hotels were clean and very comfortable and it was a pleasure to be transported across such an amazing landscape so comfortably. I learnt so much about our wonderful country and wished I had done such a trip years earlier.'

Sarah, 52 years, Sydney, Australia
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HOLIDAY VIDEO

QUANTUM CLASS

With Quantum Class, it’s brought a revolution to sea. Now you can skydive onboard in the RipCord by iFLY® simulator. Step into the North StarSM observation capsule to ascend 300 feet above sea level for 360° views. And watch whole rooms change right before your eyes. Like SeaplexSM, where bumper cars and trapeze school invite you to play, and Two70, which features brilliant ocean views by day and spectacular high-tech entertainment at night. 

Ovation of the Seas from the Quantum class Quantum of the Seas is sailing from Sydney for the 2024/2025 summer season.

INCLUSIONS

Included:

  • Cabin accommodation on board Ovation of the Seas ex Sydney (10 nights)
  • Ocean cruise transportation 
  • All meals onboard including dining each evening
  • Some non-alcoholic beverages
  • Most onboard entertainment
  • Taxes and port charges

Not included:

  • Host
  • Airfares (unless requested)
  • Travel insurance*
  • Transfers to/from Port
  • Visa fees (if applicable)
  • Shore Excursions
  • Meals and beverages not specified on itinerary
  • Incidental expenses such as taxis and telecommunications; wi-fi, internet or telephone costs
  • Items of a personal nature such as laundry & medical expenses

    * travel insurance is a mandatory pre-requisite for joining this holiday

Itinerary

DEPART FROM: Sydney, Australia
RETURNS TO: Sydney, Australia

GROUP DINNER TIME: Main Dining Room 7:30PM

Date Port Location Arrive Depart
Saturday, 28 December 2024 Sydney, Australia   5:00PM
Sunday, 29 December 2024 Cruising    
Monday, 30 December 2024 Cruising    
Tuesday, 31 December 2024 Picton, New Zealand 10:00AM 6:00PM
Wednesday, 1 January 2025 Cruising    
Thursday, 2 January 2025 Tauranga, New Zealand 8:00AM 8:00PM
Friday, 3 January 2025 Auckland, New Zealand 8:00AM 6:00PM
Saturday, 4 January 2025 Bay of Islands, New Zealand 7:00AM 5:00PM
Sunday, 5 January 2025 Cruising    
Monday, 6 January 2025 Cruising    
Tuesday, 7 January 2025 Sydney, Australia 6:30AM  

WHY BOOK WITH CRUISE CIRCLE FOR SOLOS?

Cruise Circle for Solos ® was designed with the independent solo traveller like you in mind. So when you book, you’ll get stuff that actually matters to you, like being able to:

  • Dine the way you want, every night. Every single night, there’s a table set just for your group, ready for you to join. Feeling social? Enjoy a meal with the group. Want some time to yourself? Dine solo tonight. You have complete freedom to choose how you want to dine — whether secluded or social.

  • Travel with friends, not strangers. Before every cruise, we’ll give you the chance to get in touch with the other solo travellers who are going to be cruising with you — so you can make friends before you even set foot on the ship or ‘set foot onboard’ together. So if you’re nervous about travelling with a stranger, don’t be — because you’ll be friends before you even get on the ship!

  • Enjoy pre-arranged drink meeting times. Before you travel, we’ll give the whole group some pre-arranged meeting times and venues — so you’ll know where to go if you want to catch a drink with some friends. No more drinking alone on solo cruises!

  • Save money by sharing a room. One of the worst things about solo cruising is that you’re forced to pay the single supplement fee — just because you have no travel partner. Of course, if you want to book out your own room, that’s fine — but if you don't mind sharing, we’ll match you with a same-gender buddy, and you’ll both save. It’s completely up to you.

  • We take the risk, so you don’t have to. If you tried to find a cruise partner on your own, and they cancelled on you, you’d be on the hook for all those hefty cancellation fees — and maybe even losing your booking! But with Cruise Circle for Solos, we offer financial protection on your booking — so you don't lose out if your cabin mate cancels.

 

About Your Sea Pass Card

When you check in for your cruise at the terminal your check-in representative from Royal Caribbean will take your photo and issue you with your Sea Pass Card that includes your photo. It will also have the deck level for your group dining.

With your documents; we print and issue documents with a travel wallet for all group guests and this includes an Encounter Travel lanyard. This becomes the easiest way to identify fellow group members.

All of Royal Caribbean International ships operate using a 'cashless' system, meaning your boarding card (also known as your SeaPass card) will be used as a charge card to make all onboard purchases. Normally, to activate this SeaPass account, most guests provide a credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Optima, Discover and Diner's Club), to which these purchases are charged at the end of their cruise. In addition, the SeaPass system may be activated with traveller's cheques, debit cards or cash. 

A running tab of all your purchases will be kept under separate folio numbers for each guest, and an itemised statement left in your stateroom the night before disembarkation. If you provided a credit card, and there are no discrepancies, the amount will be charged to your account on the morning of disembarkation. If you have used traveller's cheques or cash to activate the account, you will need to settle the account at the Guest Relations desk (either to receive a reimbursement of the unused amount you originally left or to pay the balance of what you have charged in excess of the amount that you originally left). 

Please note: 

The ship requires guests to place a deposit if they are paying for their SeaPass account with cash. There is a daily limit on cash accounts of US$500 for 7+ night sailings and US$300 for 2/3/4/5 night sailings. Once the daily cash limit is reached, the guest will be called and informed that the limit has been reached.

Note: 

 

All ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet have cash point machines. There is a transaction fee up to US$5.50 plus any other fees the guest's financial institution would charge. However, we recommend you do not rely 100% on the ATM in case of malfunction.

 

DURING THE CRUISE 

On cruising days (when the ship is not in port) we designate group ‘meet up’ location/s for pre dinner drinks.
There’s a show each evening, before the group set dinner time. Join your solos cruise group dinner. This is on offer each evening at a set time for our group members.

* drinks are at your own expense throughout the cruise except in the case of some non-alcoholic beverages available in the buffet dining room and a few other locations on the ship.  

ABOUT THE LAST DAY 

Early morning arrival.
Advice about disembarkation is issued by the ship, usually 1-2 days prior. A disembarkation is determined by your cabin and deck level.

For any passenger that needs to make an early disembarkation, it’s just a case of going to the Guest Relations desk and advising them you require an early disembarkation. If you make special arrangements with Guest Relations, then disregard group disembarkation instructions.

View Full Itinerary

ACCOMMODATION


Stateroom Features: 
All staterooms and suites come complete with private bathroom, vanity area, hair-dryer, closed-circuit TV, radio and phone.
Ocean View Balcony Two twin beds that convert to Royal King, sitting area with sofa, full bathroom and private balcony. Stateroom: 198 sq. ft. Balcony: 55 sq. ft. 

READ MORE.......

 

Balcony cabin

Oceanview cabin

Interior cabin with virtual balcony



More About Accommodation

PRICES

 

CRUISE FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE HAS SOLD OUT ... Stay tuned for NYE 2025 cruise

 

Price Notes

  • A reservation is only confirmed with a deposit payment
  • We require a copy of your passport document page to book your cabin.
  • Quotes issued are valid for 3 days unless otherwise advised, or expiry date of a promotional offer is advised.
  • Prices are dynamic and may change without notice prior to holding a confirmed reservation.
  • A Cruise Circle for Solos service fee $200 is in addition to the cruise fare (Circle Join Fee), paid per cruise
  • Circle Join Fee includes issue of cruise documentation by post with cruise lanyard, option to join group WhatsAPP, and group dining

NOTES ABOUT CABINS

  • majority of cabins available are Ocean View, and Balcony 
  • limited number of inside (virtual balcony) cabins – these cabin do not have a window
  • midship location may not be available
  • requests for a particular cabin (number) or cabin location such as forward, mid ships or aft, are subject to availability at the time of booking.
  • where a cabin category includes locations on more than one deck, the deck level cannot be guaranteed.
  • cabins are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances (but it’s unlikely this will occur once your cabin has been allocated)
  • on occasion, in particular with sailings with high demand, the ship will only guarantee a cabin and not allocate the cabin number until closer to departure. This status is termed “GTY” and we have no control over this classification, as it’s determined by the cruise company.
  • For roommate match bookings, only balcony cabins are allocated.
  • Our allocation of cabins for each of our group bookings do not include wheelchair accessible cabins and we must make a special request with the ship. Prices for wheelchair accessible cabins may vary from our published prices or promotional prices.

GETTING THERE

Starts In: Sydney, Australia
Ends In: Sydney, Australia

Port: Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks (Sydney)
Closest Train Station: Circular Quay

Check in: 
As a guide usually staggered based on deck level/cabin category. Confirmed boarding time provided with final cruise documents.

Check out:
As a guide usually between 7 - 9am as per ship allocation determined while on cruise and advised by information issued to your cabin by cabin attendant 

AIRPORT TRANSFERS
By your own arrangement. 
The ship offers a limited transfer coach service but from our experience making your own way to the airport will allow for more flexibility.   

PASSPORTS AND VISA
For all international sailings you must hold a valid passport with a minimum of six 6 months validity from your return date to your home country. 
Ensure you have at least two blank pages in your passport. See 'VISA' information in our MORE INFORMATION section below.

Foreign Visitors
For visitors to arriving to Australia to join a cruise please check your visa requirements prior to leaving your home country.

Please visit the Australian government website for details and processing your Entry Authority.
CLICK HERE 


Some information from this page has been sourced from other websites. Content is provided as a guide only.

DETAILS

CRUISE CABIN AVAILABILITY
If this cruise seems right for you then we encourage you to book early and secure your place with a deposit.  We have a certain allocation of cruise ship cabins for our group. In particular for holiday season sailings at Christmas and New Year’s Eve, cabins can sell out many months in advanced of the cruise sail date. 

FELLOW TRAVELLERS ‘SOLOS ONLY’
Our cruise groups for solos vary a lot in size.  Some groups may be a handful of solo travellers where as others can be large groups, most common with our Christmas and New Year’s Eve sailings. Our group is exclusively for the single travellers, or solo travellers - it is a 'Couple Free' group. However we share this ship with passengers from all walks of life, and typically the ages on a cruise ship are from children through to mature travellers.

THE PACE  [1 out of 5]
Cruising offers a relaxed pace. Of course, you can also be very active if you choose, with the choice of using the ship’s gym facilities and classes, the running track on top deck, and also simply by the sheer size of the ship means that you can walk plenty of steps each day, should you chose, or take the stairs between decks (otherwise take the lifts). If you have limited mobility or require mobility assistance while cruising please enquire with us and we can advise you of your options for joining the cruise. In regards to wheelchair cabins, as part of our group arrangement with the ship we do not get these cabins allocated to us upfront, as it’s ship policy not to allocate these in advance to groups but on a needs basis. Therefore we have to check the availability of wheelchair access cabins when you enquire.

Fit to Travel Holiday Requirements
Travellers of 80 years or over may be required to have a doctor complete a Fit to Travel form that states they are suitable for joining the cruise. It’s also essential you advise us at the time of booking of all medical conditions in order that we can properly advise you of anything you need to know for your medical condition/s. 

WI-FI
Wi-Fi is available on board for a fee.

LUGGAGE
The big plus about cruising, luggage restrictions do not compare to that of touring or air travel and are far more relaxed. At port, hand over luggage to the ship personnel and they arrange for it to be delivered to your cabin. Unpack just once! 

Tip: on embarkation day your luggage usually arrives to your cabin prior to dinner but it’s not guaranteed.  Pack some hand luggage for what you need that afternoon and evening in case your luggage is delayed being delivered to your cabin.

Please keep in mind that your luggage still needs to be a weight that you can manage when travelling to/from the ship and also that the ship personnel can manage.

TRAVELLER REVIEWS

'I would highly recommend a holiday with Encounter Travel. My trip was well organised and the co-ordinator was fun and helpful and full of energy. I met some great people of all walks of life. There is a good mix of organised activities and free time. I had a blast.'

Linda, Victoria

'Thank you for your organisation of a great holiday. As a first time traveller with Encounter, I didn't know what to expect. The Red Centre is indescribably beautiful and should be on every Australians' bucket list. We saw every sensational attraction in just the right order - each new experience was more incredible than the last. Thank you for recruiting such a great group of people for my travelling companions. The hotels were clean and very comfortable and it was a pleasure to be transported across such an amazing landscape so comfortably. I learnt so much about our wonderful country and wished I had done such a trip years earlier.'

Sarah, 52 years, Sydney, Australia

'Did a Red Centre solo 7 day tour absolutely fantastic, Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Kings Canyon, Palm Valley you have to see it and experience it. The coach drivers were professional, excellent knowledge and with a great sense of humor.'

David, Eschol Park, Sydne, New South Wales
Since 2006
Since 2006 leading the way for solo travellers. As a boutique tour operator, we delight in detail, delivering personal service and finding your next best memory.©
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100% Australian, created by Australians for Australians; we 'get' the Australian travel style. And, better still, our arms are open to welcome our friends from other countries around the world, who'd like to travel with friendly Aussies.©
Small Group Tours
Travel solo, not alone when you join one of our small group tours. Share your journey, without the drawbacks of big coach tours or the solitude of being alone.©
Age-Matched Tours
From our traveller feedback we know that our age-matched holidays are one of the main reasons that solo travellers choose to join us. All our 'Solos Only ' tours are age-matched, making for a better chance that you'll be travelling other like minded single travellers. ©