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Viking Cruises often offers single supplement promotions as low as 25%, along with reduced airfare for select European river cruises. There's no assigned seating aboard Viking vessels, which makes it easy to dine with like-minded travelers, and a few of Viking's ships have single staterooms. Meaning that solo cruisers usually have to pay the cruise fare of 2 people in a cabin.
Royal Caribbean International
What are the best cruise ships and cruise lines of 2024? USA TODAY 10Best seeks your vote - USA TODAY
What are the best cruise ships and cruise lines of 2024? USA TODAY 10Best seeks your vote.
Posted: Thu, 11 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
To avoid the high cost of single supplements charged to solo travelers in standard cabins meant for at least two people, single cruisers can travel with friends and share a room. (Many cabins can sleep up to four.) Also, you might feel more confident heading to the ship's bars or nightclubs in a group. While Carnival Cruise Line doesn't offer single cabins on their fleet of ships, single supplements are waived frequently on a promotional basis. Once onboard, solo travelers enjoy a wealth of entertainment options, from comedy clubs to casinos. Cunard's fleet offers staterooms designed for solo cruisers, both ocean-view and interior.
No. 4: Viking Cruises
The bigger Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss all have an 82-cabin solo complex, while two older ships — Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway — have solo areas with 59 cabins. A welcome reception with Champagne is held on every voyage with a large number of solos. Most voyages of more than 10 days also have gentleman hosts onboard as dance partners and shore excursion escorts. A superhero travel agent might be your ultimate secret weapon for budget solo cruising. Cruise lines often offer discounted fares to fill up unsold cabins, so keep your eyes peeled for these fantastic opportunities. Finally, solo travel allows you to keep your vacation stress free and worry-free by having no one else’s needs but your own that have to be taken into consideration.
Best cruises for singles over 60
While small, these cabins feature a full-size bed and a window to the corridor. Solo travelers enjoy exclusive access to their own social space, the Studio Lounge. Cruising alone can be expensive as you will have to pay for the equivalent of two people in a cabin, even if you’re traveling on your own. However, in recent years many cruise lines have implemented single cabins which lower the cost of cruising solo. Additionally, certain cruise lines have promotions to accommodate solo cruisers.
There’s always something going on aboard a cruise ship, whether it’s a trivia night or a karaoke competition. These activities are designed to get guests socializing, so try to join at least one every day. Look for events geared toward solo travelers to find your fellow singletons (who may be more open to making new friends than couples or groups). If you're looking to make a transatlantic voyage, Cunard offers solo cabins on the Queen Mary 2, the iconic ship known for its transatlantic crossings between London and New York. Although they only offer a twin-size bed, solo suites onboard the Queen Mary 2 are around 180 square feet and include ocean views. Two other Cunard ships, the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, also offer single cabins, but some are interior rooms without ocean views.
How to Avoid the Single Supplement on a Cruise
Cruises offer a perfect blend of socializing, adventure, relaxation, and convenience, which makes them an attractive option for solo travelers. Book a trip on Virgin Voyages, one of the few cruise lines that doesn’t allow anyone under 18 onboard. Virgin cruises offer plenty of chances to meet other travelers, like organized “grog walks” (better known as pub crawls) and restaurants with shared seating. It’s rare to find a sailing in Europe without a single supplement, but Tauck doesn’t charge one on any of their European river cruises (for Category 1 cabins).
MSC Cruises
With their Single Partners Program, which arranges solo-friendly activities and helps you find a dining or dancing partner, you’ll meet fellow explorers in no time. But solo travelers often pay a premium for cruise travel or feel uncomfortable when they dine alone. No matter which destination you choose, solo cruising provides the opportunity to make lasting memories, forge new friendships, and explore the world at your own pace.
Final Thoughts on Best Cruises for Solo Travelers
The virtual balconies are actually interior cabins with a digital screen projecting a real-time view of the outside. It sounds tacky, but you’ll save money on your cruise fare, and the effect works surprisingly well. And they’re well-suited for single seniors, offering programs and amenities that make solo travel enjoyable and comfortable.
Booking a solo cabin on a cruise is the best way to avoid the single supplement on a cruise. Ships offer a very limited number of solo cabins on most sailings, so book early if you want to snag one. When you book a shore excursion, you know you’ll be spending your day surrounded by other travelers on your ship. Most ports have multiple ships calling at them each day, so it’s better to spend the day making new friends with people who will board your ship at the end of the day.
Holland America also offers excellent shore excursion options that appeal to solo travelers. Although Princess Cruises doesn’t currently offer single cabins, that’s all set to change. Its new Sun Princess liner, which launches later this year, will be the first of the line to have solo cabins. This is a sign of just how important solo travelers are to Princess Cruises. For a bit of background, the reason most cruise cabins are outfitted for two is due to the economy of scale.
But both of those liners offer single guest rooms with ocean view rooms. And if you want to book one of these rooms, there is zero single supplement policy. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean International also has studio staterooms available in standard interior, interior with virtual view, ocean-view, or balcony configurations. Virtual views combine the best of the balcony and interior cabins by displaying live video from outside the ship inside the stateroom.
The line's small ships, with their cozy and social atmosphere, mean that singles won't be overlooked. That's a bonus for solo cruisers looking to hop on any of the line's itineraries, including a Seabourn Mediterranean cruise. All Insider and Sea View cabins are designed for 1 to 3 or 4 “sailors.” Virgin cruise line's website allows solo cruisers to choose “1 sailor” at the beginning of every search for voyages. All prices shown are then automatically converted to the cruise fare for a single, rather than the standard price per person, double-occupancy rate.
In fact, there are dozens of social media groups dedicated to singles who love to cruise. Some groups focus on specific cruise lines, while others are broader in scope. Either way, they provide an easy opportunity to start a conversation with other singles before you ever set foot on the ship. Ilana Schattauer is a cruise travel expert behind Life Well Cruised, a popular website and YouTube channel that provides valuable insights into the world of cruising. As a seasoned writer and content creator, she shares valuable cruise tips and travel guides. Her platform is dedicated to sharing cruise advice, destination tips and firsthand experiences to help travelers plan their cruises with ease.
Best of all, single and studio staterooms do not cost any more for those traveling alone. It has made a concerted effort to accommodate solo travelers by adding studio cabins on many of their newest ships. The Norwegian Epic was the first of its ships to build 128 studios designed for the single traveler. Other Norwegian ships now have solo cabins as well – Breakaway – 59; Getaway – 82; Escape – 82; and Pride Of America In Hawaii – 4 cabins. As a solo cruiser, you’ll want to find ways to meet like-minded travelers.
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