Solo Cruising Tips & Flight Disruption Warnings | The Main Deck, Ep. 2

Joe Miragliotta and Harrison Liu are back for the second episode of The Main Deck Podcast, tackling a question that’s been nagging a lot of cruisers lately: what does it actually feel like to travel abroad as an American right now? The hosts cover that and more, moving through geopolitical travel concerns, a Reddit-sourced cautionary tale about travel insurance, and a deep dive into how solo cruisers can actually meet people onboard.

Key Takeaways

• Comedian and cruise ship entertainer Mike Siegel put it plainly in Joe’s CruiseNews.com article: his goal has always been to be a good ambassador of the U.S., which mostly just means being a decent person and respecting local culture.
• Celestyal Cruises has suspended its Middle East itineraries, a casualty of ongoing regional instability that is now rippling into cruise capacity planning.
• A family on Reddit lost over $9,000 in cruise costs after their flight was overbooked and they had no travel insurance. Royal Caribbean was under no contractual obligation to refund them.
• Norwegian Cruise Line remains the standout mass-market option for solo travelers, offering dedicated solo studios with a private social lounge and daily meetups for solo guests.
• Emerald Cruises and Scenic, both part of Scenic Travel Group, are currently offering no single supplements on river cruise itineraries.
• TSA staffing shortages and airport chaos at hubs like New Orleans are adding real risk to cruise embarkation timelines right now.

Is This a Good Time to Travel Abroad as an American?

Joe published a piece on CruiseNews.com the same day this episode recorded, pulling quotes from fellow travel colleagues about how they’re thinking through international travel given the current global climate. He admitted the question felt unfamiliar. With 50-plus cruises behind him, he’s never had to think twice about heading abroad. A Germany river cruise on the Rhine and Moselle with Emerald Cruises this June prompted the reflection.

Harrison read it before it went live and said the piece felt more therapeutic than conclusive. That’s probably the right framing. Neither host pretended to have answers. What came through in the conversation, and in the article itself, was a shared philosophy: go with curiosity, respect the culture, and don’t walk around broadcasting your nationality through your behavior.

Cruise ship comedian Mike Siegel, one of the contributors Joe quoted, framed it as cleanly as anyone: his only goal when traveling has always been to be a good ambassador. That means being a good person. Nothing more complicated than that. Harrison made a similar point about the type of traveler who books a European river cruise. People who spend that kind of money and put in that kind of planning aren’t usually looking for trouble. The loudest, most obnoxious behavior tends to set the stereotype for everyone else, whether that stereotype is American, British, or anything else.

Geopolitical Ripples and What They Mean for Cruise Routes

The conversation got more specific when it turned to multi-regional instability. Harrison flagged Celestyal Cruises suspending Middle East sailings, including the F1-adjacent Bahrain itineraries Joe has been eyeing for years. Strait of Hormuz uncertainty and broader instability in the southern Caribbean are creating real capacity questions heading into the European summer season.

Harrison also noted a Bloomberg report about Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in cruise port infrastructure along the Suez corridor. Countries in the region have been pouring money into tourism development, building stops that rival South Beach in ambition, even as political risk makes itinerary planning harder. The contradiction is real and unresolved.

On the air travel side, United Airlines has reportedly explored direct service from the U.S. to Split, Croatia, a major cruise turnaround port. That’s the kind of hub-and-spoke restructuring that could reshape how North American cruisers access the Mediterranean. But right now, what’s more immediately pressing is getting through the airport at all. TSA staffing shortages have produced lines that snake from security out through the parking garage at some U.S. airports. Joe flagged New Orleans as one recent flashpoint. He’s hoping things stabilize before his June departure.

Alaska, by contrast, looks solid. Harrison said capacity there is strong and demand is holding. For cruisers who want to sidestep Europe uncertainty, it’s worth a look.

The $9,000 Lesson: Buy Travel Insurance

Joe surfaced a Reddit post from the r/Cruise subreddit that both hosts used to make a point they clearly feel strongly about. A family of four saved up over $9,000 for a Royal Caribbean sailing, booked their flights the day of departure, got bumped due to an overbooked plane, and lost everything. No travel insurance. No refund. The cruise line was within its rights.

Joe was direct about why people skip insurance: it’s usually the same $150 or so that feels easier to spend onboard. He admitted he’s done it himself when money was tight. But Harrison escalated the stakes. A medical evacuation helicopter off a ship in the Mediterranean runs between $50,000 and $100,000. Repatriation coverage, which handles the logistics of returning a body home if someone dies abroad, is something most people never think about until they need it. At that point, not having it compounds an already catastrophic situation.

Harrison pointed out that some cruise lines bundle insurance in or require it as a boarding condition. The premium lines tend to do this. Mass-market lines often don’t, competing on base price at the cost of that kind of protection. The takeaway is straightforward: buy the insurance, especially right now, when flight disruptions are frequent and cancellation risk is elevated.

Solo Cruising: How to Actually Meet People

The second half of the episode covered a Reddit question from r/Cruise: if you’re sailing solo, what actually works for meeting people? Joe has solo cruised more than most, and his answer was blunt. Show interest in someone and they’ll almost always want to talk. The harder problem, he said, is getting people to stop.

His practical tips: the hot tub is underrated, because there’s no privacy and conversation happens naturally. Catamarans on Caribbean or Mediterranean port days pull a mixed crowd of solo travelers, families, and groups, and the setting dissolves social barriers fast. Norwegian Cruise Line’s solo studio cabins come with a dedicated lounge where guests meet daily, and the line runs organized solo meetups so guests can pair up for dinners and shows.

Harrison’s contribution was simpler: get in line. Waiting areas before excursions, bar lines, boarding queues, all of them are low-stakes entry points to a conversation. Older couples and solo older gentlemen are usually the easiest to approach. Ask about an excursion they’re considering, mention the cocktail special on the table, and you’re in.
Harrison also added a note for river cruising specifically. With smaller ships and a more concentrated passenger list, the social math is easier. Everyone’s doing the same excursions, eating at the same times, watching the same scenery. Showing up is most of the work.

Joe capped the section with a preview of his upcoming Emerald Cruises Rhine and Moselle sailing, where his business partner Barry, who has never been to Europe, will be tagging along. Two bar owners sailing through wine country, one of them seeing the old world for the first time. Joe is already thinking about the content.

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