Why Do Solo Travellers Get Such A Raw Deal?

I have quite a few customers who travel solo. There are several reasons that they are going it alone. Some are young, free & single, some are widowed, some are travelling with friends but want their own space and some just want to escape their other half for a short holiday. The problem is that many cruise lines charge huge supplements for solo travellers, sometimes charging more for 1 person than for 2. Why is this?

One person will eat half the amount of food & make no more work for the cabin steward so why charge more? The reason is that most cruise lines base their profits not only on the price of the cruise, but the extras that people buy on board such as drinks, excursions, upgraded restaurants etc. The way they see it giving a cabin to 1 person rather than 2 will half the money they make on the extras, therefore effectively denting their profits.

It seems such a shame to me as cruising is the perfect holiday for a solo traveller, especially those that like to meet new people. Most cruise lines arrange get-togethers for those sailing on their own and you can always meet people when sharing a table at dinner.

Single cabins are very few & far between & you have to book very early to secure one of these. Credit must to go the few cruise lines that do give a good deal to singles. Amongst the British cruse lines Fred Olsen, Cruise & Maritime and Riviera spring to mind as giving more thought to the single passenger. I think Norwegian Cruise Lines also cater well on their bigger ships with a whole section of the ship for single cabins with a lounge called the Studio Lounge dedicated to these passengers.

By the same token I checked a special offer deal for a single passenger the other day with Royal Caribbean and they wouldn’t even let the offer be sold to one person, meaning that they had to book the full priced cruise with a massive supplement which made the cruise more expensive for 1 person than 2 which is crazy. I get that these cruise lines need to make a profit, but this practise seems very unfair.

I hope that more cruise lines step up and cater more for the solo passenger as these massive supplements leave a nasty taste in the mouth.