Cruise prices are geared towards couples. Yet more than one in four cruise passengers travels alone or as a single parent. How do they fare?
Many solo passengers are prejudiced against cruising because most lines charge them a single occupancy supplement. The reason is that the most precious commodity aboard any ship is space. Since a solo-occupancy cabin is often as large as a double and is just as expensive to build, cruise lines feel the premium price is justified, What’s more, because solo-occupancy cabins are at a premium, they are unlikely to be discounted.
Single supplements
If you are not sharing a cabin, you’ll be asked to pay either a flat rate or a single “supplement” if you occupy a double cabin. Some lines charge a fixed amount – $250, for instance – as a supplement, no matter what the cabin category, ship, itinerary, or length of cruise. Such rates vary between lines, and sometimes between a line’s ships. Because there are so few single-occupancy cabins, it’s best to book as far ahead as you can. Lines that charge low single supplements include Crystal Cruises, Peter Deilmann Ocean Cruises, and Voyages of Discovery. Only a few of the smaller cruise lines, such as Saga Cruises and Voyages of Discovery, have no additional supplements for singles.
Guaranteed singles rates
Some lines offer singles a set price for a double cabin but reserve the right to choose the cabin. So you could end up with a rotten cabin in a poor location or a wonderful stateroom that happened to be unallocated.
Guaranteed share programs
These allow you to pay what it would cost each half of a couple for a double-occupancy cabin, but the cruise line will find another passenger of the same sex (and preferences such as smoking or non-smoking) to share it with you. If the line does not find a cabin-mate, the single passenger may get the cabin to himself or herself at no extra charge. Some cruise lines do not advertise a guaranteed-share program in their brochures but will often try to accommodate such bookings when demand for space is light.
Solo dining
A common complaint concerns dining arrangements. Before you take your cruise, make sure that you request a table assignment based on your personal preferences; table sizes are typically for 2, 4, 6, or 8 people. Do you want to sit with other singles? Or do you like to sit with couples? Or perhaps with a mixture of both? Or with passengers who may not speak your language?
When you are on board, make sure that you are comfortable with the dining arrangements, particularly in ships with fixed table assignments, or ask the maître d’ to move you to a different table. Aboard ships with open seating or with several different dining venues, you can choose which venue you want to eat in, and when; Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is an example of this arrangement, with its Freestyle Dining.
Cruising for single women
A cruise ship is at least as safe for single women as any major vacation destination, but of course that doesn’t mean it is entirely hassle-free. It’s easy to strike up conversations with other passengers, and cruising is not a “meat market” that keeps you under constant observation. The easiest way to meet other singles is to participate in scheduled activities. Single black women may find there is often a dearth of single black men for dancing or socializing with.
Beware of embarking on an easy affair with a ship’s officer or crew member. They meet new people on every cruise and could transmit sexual diseases. Crews have been known to award an imaginary Golden Mattress award to whoever can bed the most passengers.
Gentlemen cruise hosts
The female-to-male passenger ratio is typically high, especially among older people, so some cruise lines provide male social hosts. They may host a table in the dining room, appear as dance partners at cocktail parties and dance classes, join bridge games, and accompany women on shore excursions. These men, usually over 55 and retired, are outgoing, mingle easily, and are well groomed. First introduced aboard Cunard Line’s QE2 in the mid-1970s, gentlemen hosts are now employed by a number of cruise lines, including Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. If you think you’d like such a job, do remember that you’ll have to dance for several hours most nights, and be proficient in just about every kind of dance.
.JPG_thumb.jpg "Atrium Adonia")
