Cruises for the Single Traveller

A cruise is an ideal holiday choice for solitary travellers with everything from dining, activities, entertainment and pampering service laid on in a safe and secure environment. It is possibly the most sociable holiday type available, with everyone onboard the ship for the duration of the cruise which makes wonderful opportunities to meet new friends. With statistics showing that 25% of cruisers are in fact single, cruise lines are rapidly beginning to appreciate the need to cater to single passengers and hence adding single staterooms whilst organising activities and social events specifically for solo passengers such as welcome receptions and dance hosts for solitary passengers.

On a cruise you'll never have to eat alone if you don't want to. Dining is a group experience and whether the cruise line operates a traditional or open-seat dining policy it can be a great way to meet people, and some cruise lines will deliberately seat single cruisers together. At the time of booking, just let your Cruise Concierge know that you wish to request being seated with other single travellers. You don't have to throw yourself into communal activities if that's not what you are after. You can always find a quiet corner on board for some personal time and most ships offer room service for private dining.

There is no doubt that cruising offers an ideal holiday choice for solo passengers, but, the biggest caveat for the lone traveller are the single supplements. Currently, very few ships have single cabins, and those that do tend to sell out very quickly. P&O Cruises new ship Azura, launching in Spring 2010, will feature a number of Single Staterooms, a first for the line. Some cruise lines accommodate single passengers by offering a set number of cabins at no supplement. Generally however, single passengers will have to occupy a double cabin and pay a supplement, although this can sometimes be as little as 25% of the full fare on selected cruises. Some cruise lines even offer a voluntary sharing scheme where you could be matched with another solo passenger of the same gender, saving you paying the single supplement.