 In many ways cruising is an ideal getaway for solo travelers. It
offers the respite of a resort getaway, pampering service,
opportunities to meet like-minded folk and the chance to visit a
new place almost every day. Indeed, Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA), which represents 24 cruise lines in the North
American market, reports that as many as 15 percent more singles
sailed in 2007 than in 2006. Lines that offer single cabins say
that these are among the first to sell out.
Many cruise lines welcome singles with receptions to meet other
solo passengers and have "gentlemen" dance hosts on
board to be sure women traveling alone do not feel like
wallflowers when the band strikes up. Singles gatherings are
usually held early in the cruise onboard ships of Carnival, Costa,
Crystal, Discovery, Holland America, Radisson, Royal Caribbean and
Silversea, as well as Cunard's Queen
Elizabeth 2. Dance hosts can be found on Discovery World
Cruises; QE2; Crystal, Radisson and Silversea ships; and on longer
voyages of Holland America and NCL vessels.
However, while solo cruising may well be on the rise, some lines
are more welcoming than others. The biggest hurdle? The dreaded
single supplement. Typically, many lines will charge a solo
traveler who wants to occupy a cabin sans roommate an extra fee.
This can range anywhere from 125 percent of the cruise fare to 200
percent (which, in essence, means you are paying the same price as
a couple traveling together).
Another conundrum: Newer ships tend to feature uniform
pre-fabricated cabins for two, so there are fewer single cabins to
be found. Illustrating this trend, while Cunard's QE2 was built
with 122 single cabins, the new Queen
Mary 2 has none. Besides the QE2, only Costa, Peter
Deilmann Cruises, Holland America, NCL, Orient Line and Swan
Hellenic still have a few single cabins on some of their ships,
and these tend to be the older ships.
Another snag for singles is that the industry's trend toward
bigger and bigger ships makes it a bit harder to meet others who
may be traveling alone (a bit like the difference between living
in a small village and Manhattan). It can be more difficult to
find these fellow passengers on ships with thousands of
passengers.
Still, there are ways to make it work -- we've tried 'em all! Here
are some suggestions.
Shop around for the lower supplement. Several cruise lines
now add less than 25 percent to the per person rate for singles
occupying a double cabin for certain cruises. These include:
Crystal, Norwegian Coastal Voyages, Radisson Seven Seas,
Riverbarge, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, and Silversea. Seabourn and
Swan Hellenic have only a 10 percent surcharge on higher category
cabins. Since some of the upscale lines are those offering price
breaks to solo cruisers, you may be able to afford a luxury ship
rather than a mass market ship with a heavy supplement.
Keep tabs on the latest solo "sales." Many cruise
lines offer price breaks on occasion, depending on the season and
on how many cabins are booked on individual ships. These offerings
can change from week to week. At press time, for example, Swan
Hellenic and Discovery are among those who were waiving the single
supplement entirely on selected itineraries. Crystal was offering
just a 10 percent surcharge for sole occupancy of staterooms in
outside cabins in categories A-E on the Crystal
Symphony on its 17-day South America cruises between Fort
Lauderdale and Buenos Aires leaving on November 10 and 28.
Silversea has lowered its surcharge to 10 percent on selected
sailings from September to December. Norwegian Coastal Voyage has
eliminated the single supplement on many of their ships between
October 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005. These deals may or may not be
available still -- but the point is that they are offered and you
have to look for them.
Consider sharing a cabin. Sharing a cabin with a stranger
may not appeal to everyone, but it does mean savings. Fewer lines
are offering roommate matching services than in the past, but
Holland America, Princess and Swan Hellenic will try to fill these
requests. You ask to be paired with a roommate when you book, and
if the line can match you with another solo passenger of your sex,
you will pay no extra supplement. However, if no match is
available, the supplement still applies.
Here's a tip: If you are interested in finding a roommate
and the cruise company cannot help, check the Cruise
Critic Message Boards for individuals looking for a cabin mate
or post your own message. Or, you might have luck with matching
services such as travelcompanions.com or travelchums.com, which
pair travel-minded single people for a fee. Members of these
services post their travel plans and information about themselves,
and it is up to each member to contact those who sound like
compatible companions.
Once You've Booked a Cabin
There's an art to traveling singly -- and happily. Unless you're
cruising solo to get away from people, here are some suggestions
for mixing and mingling.
Get involved. The best way to meet people on board is to
take part in activities, so choose a ship offering things you like
to do (beyond the de rigueur singles' social), such as intriguing
programs, classes or workshops. In that arena, two standouts are
Cunard's QM2, which has teamed up with Britain's illustrious
Oxford University to offer courses on topics ranging from classic
to funky, and Crystal Cruises, which has an outstanding overall
series.
Make friends with the cruise director. If you tell the
cruise director you want to meet other singles on board, he may be
able to help with introductions.
Try the piano bar. Sociable sing-alongs are a good way to
make friends. A veteran cruiser also suggests visiting the bars
and lounges on board the first night at sea. That's when other
singles are most likely to be roaming to see who is on board, she
says, and if no one is around, they may not return.
Choose compatible dinner partners. You will be seeing your
dinner companions every night, so it is important that you enjoy
them. Ships with assigned dining scenarios, such as Celebrity,
Crystal and Royal Caribbean, offer a built-in social component
(and do not be shy about asking a maitre 'd for a new table if the
passengers at your original seating aren't compatible). Often,
requests to be seated with other solo cruisers will be honored if
possible. Also, a later seating means less families.
Take the ship's shore excursions. This is my favorite
tried-and-true way to meet others; the wackier the excursion the
more likely there will be a bonding opportunity.
A Mega-Ship Tip: Large ships offer glamour and lots of
activities, but it can be easy to lose a potential friend in the
crowd. You may meet someone you'd like to see again, but never run
into them by chance. Try making up cards with your name and cabin
number. That way new friends will know how to reach you to arrange
to get together again. |
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