Many holiday companies now cater for single people, and cruise holidays are no different, which is great if you want a getaway but don’t want to feel too alone. Onboard you can make new friends with plenty of onboard activities as well as learning to things when visiting ports.
Many cruise lines now welcome single people with their own receptions where you can meet other solo traveller’s and on ships such as the QE2, Crystal, Regent and Silversea ships, as well as on longer voyages of Holland America and NCL vessels you can enjoy “gentlemen” dance hosts onboard so when the band starts playing your are not left standing on your own. They are selected on the basis of their dancing ability, however if you’re a solo male traveller you shouldn’t have to worry about finding a female dance partner, they outnumber males travelling alone by about three to one.
Cruises are also known for their dining choices and when you’re a solo traveller you will not be limited, onboard most ships dining rooms have tables for groups of 4, 6, or 8 people which means you can easily meet new people on an evening. If you want to be seated with other solo travellers you can ask the Maitre’d and they will accommodate your needs, they normally group passengers with others of a similar age and background, so you will never feel left out.
We should mention however than can be some drawbacks to travelling solo, one of the main problems of a lone traveller is the single supplement, which is where some cruise lines charge a solo traveller who wants to occupy a cabin, without a roommate, the same price as a couple travelling together. There are some cruise lines which do offer single cabins like Costa, Holland America, NCL, Orient Line, Swan Hellenic and Cunard still offer single cabins on some of their ships, but these tend to be older ships. There are some cruise lines which are now adding less than 25 percent supplements on certain cruises for solo travellers which are Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, and Silversea.
If you feel that the extra charge for been alone puts a damper on your plans you could always consider a cabin share by using a ‘friend finder’ programme which some lines off, they match you with another solo passenger of the same gender so you don’t incur the extra supplement however sharing a room with a complete stranger may not be everyone’s cup of tea. You might be better off searching for a great cruise deal online that suits your needs.
Posted in