A real bone of contention for solo travellers is the single supplement levied by cruise lines on the cruise fare and I completely understand the frustration. A single supplement is a charge paid by a solo traveler to compensate a hotel or cruise line for losses incurred because only one person is staying in a room or cruise ship cabin. Most hotel rooms and ship cabins are built under the assumption that at least two people will occupy them. In fact, nearly all hotel and cruise pricing is based on double occupancy.
No single supplement cruises can be difficult to find so I have done some research and found some great departures below!
Ocean Cruise
Fred Olsen have 11 departures in 2020 & 2021 with no single supplement when booked by 31st May 2019:
Fred Olsen are renowned for their classic mid-sized ships which offer great value and interesting itineraries with regional departures in the UK.
Braemar pictured below
River Cruise
My favourite river cruise line is Avalon Waterways, they offer 5* premium river cruises in Europe & Asia with a huge amount included in the price.
Avalon have a huge number of 2019 & 2020 departures with no single supplement on on cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Rhone, Seine, Mekong & Ganges.
Panorama Suite with Open-Air Balcony on Avalon Poetry II
About Me
Hi there, my name is Daniel! I live in the lovely county of Kent. I have worked in travel for around 8 years now in a variety of sales, product and commercial roles for a few well known tour operators and cruise lines. I began to specialise in cruise in…
Read more
I travel solo extensively and really begrudge a supplement more than 25%. I can understand the rationale for charging double -the cruise line will only get additional revenue (drinks, coffees, shopping) from 1 passenger. But I do not understand why this charge applies on all-inclusive cruise lines? NCL have really cornered the market for solos, with a dedicated restricted access area, including “the Living Room”. Solos can mingle, meet up with fellow travellers and a hosted bar is set up for an hour or so in the evening.
A single person rarely has dual income so it seems unfair to have to pay double. especially if the cabin would have gone unoccupied otherwise.