Going Solo

There are a growing number of people out there who travel alone, but what can they get from a cruise?

There are a couple of key points that most single travellers ask when they speak to me, What is the Single Supplement and What is there for me to do? I would add to that, can I get a single cabin?

So read on and find out what I can do.

What is the Single Supplement?

The honest answer here is it varies from cruise sailing to sailing and line to line, and can be anything from 100% to no supplement at all. The only sure way to find out is call and ask about the sailing you are interested in.

What is there for me to do?

Every cruise line puts on events and entertainment during the day for all passengers to go to if they wish, and I have found that most people on a cruise are polite and friendly so single passengers will not feel left out.

Some have special event just for single passengers, and perhaps a more special warmer welcome from the cruise lines team when you board. You may even find a number of dance hosts on board so you will have someone to dance with, like on Cunard or Fred Olsen.

Can I get a single cabin?

Well all ships are built to maximise space, so there are very few single cabins on most ships although there are some exceptions.

Fred Olsen have singles available on all there ships, both inside and outside cabins. NCL have 'The Studios' an number of single cabins in a designated private area on The Epic, and when the new ship The Breakaway is launched next year there will again be a small number.

 A single cabin on P&O Azura

P&O have a small number of single cabins on Azura, and next year after her refit in late March Ventura will have had theses added. In addition last year Oriana had a small number of single cabins added when she had a refit.

So does all this help? I hope so, the easiest answer is to give me a call with the cruise you are interested in and let me have a look.

Single travellers, is there a supplement?

As a Cruise specialist we try always to get the best price for everyone that call about a cruise, but the dreaded single supplement is one of the circumstances when the price will be the number one reason why the single passenger will choose not to cruise.


The cruise lines have typically charged up to double the fare for a person wanting to travel alone in a cabin, although this does vary from cruise to cruise and line to line. Fortunately, there is some good news for solo travellers thinking about taking a cruise in the near future.

In addition to those single cabins available on Fred Olsen ships, P&O Azura has 18 single cabins with a Pullman berth in 12 outside cabins and six inside cabins. Having seen these they are a little larger than I anticipated.

In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line launches Epic in June and this ship will feature a number of single cabins. There will be 128 studio staterooms within a separate complex accessed by keycard. The studio complex will also include a private two-storey lounge called The Living Room.

The staterooms will be off a private interior corridor down the middle of the ship on two decks. Spanning both decks, and located mid-ship, the Living Room will be where studio guests can enjoy morning coffees and evening cocktails.

Each of the 100sq ft studio staterooms will include a full-size bed, flatscreen-TV, storage spaces and colour-changing mood lighting. Since many of the studio staterooms are connecting, they allow friends to travel together while giving each their own private space.

'Research shows that 35 million adults take solo vacations but only five per cent opt for cruises,' said Courtney Recht, public relations manager for Norwegian Cruise Line.

All the single cabins that are available can be booked without paying a single supplement, but don't think that they will be the same price as the price for each single passenger in a double occupancy cabin. Additionally, there are a limited number on each of the ships, with the exception of the Epic so availability is limited.

The single traveller may now be able to get a cabin at a reasonable price, but might have to book early to get the cabin they want or take pot luck and take the only sailings that are available!