Cruise Solo Around The World
So hopefully if you were considering traveling solo on a cruise, this is a helpful list. While the cruise lines are slowing adding solo cabins or a bit of attention to this long neglected group, dont expect the onboard to have more than the one or two single meetups which is, in my experience, a free drink with ship crew and a few other solo travelers. Only NCL does the Solo Lounge meetups right for now. If you are keen to meet people onboard, I suggest using Cruise Critic roll call boards and cruise sailing Facebook Groups to meet ahead of time, sign up for group tours and enjoy drinks at sailaway. On board, rather than a set dining table each night, I like to do anytime dining and be seated at the communal table. Every night, you can meet a new group of people to share stories with and if lucky, like me, make new cruise friends that youll sail with in the future.
Let me know if you have sailed in a solo cabin with any of the above cruise lines and how it was. Would you pay the single supplement if the cabin was larger and additional amenities were included? What is your dream sailing itinerary?
The Three Most Affordable Cruise Deals
From Alaska to the Caribbean, boarding a cruise ship can be a ticket to fun and excitement for all ages. Cruises may seem expensive because they of …
The Three Most Affordable Cruise Deals
From Alaska to the Caribbean, boarding a cruise ship can be a ticket to fun and excitement for all ages. Cruises may seem expensive because they offer so many amenities, including accommodations, meals, drinks, entertainment, and activities for travelers of all ages. Fortunately, there are many cruises offered by a variety of cruise lines that are affordable. There are a variety of great deals available to allow vacationers to embark on a cruise of a lifetime without breaking the bank! Prices for all cruises include everything the ship has to offer, which is much like a small city. From mall-style shopping to nightclub hopping, there is always something exciting happening on every cruise, no matter the destination. Most cruises offer special programming for children so the adults can enjoy some relaxation time. Alaskan cruises offer activities off the ship that include tours of glaciers and tours of Canada while the Caribbean and Bahama cruise ship guests will enjoy island hopping, plenty of live entertainment, and comedy nights aboard the ship of their choice. The three best places to take a cruise vacation include Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas. Read on to find out more about three affordable cruise deals to these regions.
Does Celebrity Cruises Have Cruise Ships With Solo Cabins
We keep our finger on the pulse of travel trends here at Celebrity Cruises. It hasnt gone unnoticed that solo travel isand has beensteadily on the rise.
Weve added more staterooms to our fleet that are solo-traveler friendly. Dont miss out on a trip of a lifetime because you dont have a travel partner who can go with you.
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Norwegian Cruise Lines Studio Cabins
Norwegian was a forerunner in the solo accommodation space, introducing its studio cabins on Norwegian Epic in 2010. The rooms are on the small side at just 100 square feet. Theyre also insides , but theyre great if youre not planning to spend much time in your room.
Whats unique about NCLs studios is that they allow occupants access to the studio lounge, where they can meet other cruisers sailing alone and partake in daily snacks. Studio cabins are available on Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss and Pride of America.
What The Cruise Lines Dont Want You To Know About Cruising Solo
Experienced solo cruisers never hesitate to set out on their next cruise. We love to cruise solo on a whim, take over an entire stateroom, do what we want when we want to do it. All looks really rosy. And it usually is.
What cruise lines and experienced solo cruisers dont tell you about cruising solo probably isnt what youd would expect.
No, its not about being alone on your balcony under a beautiful moonlit sky. Or having no one to schmear suntan lotion on your back. The occasional awkwardness of dining alone in a crowded main dining room. Or even having an end-of-the-cruise glass of champagne by yourself. None of these situations are unexpected or surprising.
Theres a challenging side to a solo cruise that we, as solo cruisers, have simply had to adapt to and accept in order to survive.
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Cruising Solo In A Double Occupancy World
There is no denying that cruise ships are traditionally configured for guests who are sailing with at least two people in each stateroom.
The cruise model is based on double occupancy, which means the profitability of a ship assumes two people per room.
When cruising solo, you will likely become quickly familiar with the term, “single supplement fee”, which means you are charged extra for cruising with just one person in a stateroom. The single supplement fee makes up for the lost revenue by not having a second person booked in the same room.
While single supplement fees are common, there are a few ways around this fee.
First and foremost, Royal Caribbean offers solo rooms on select cruise ships. Ten Royal Caribbean ships offer a limited amount of studio staterooms that are designed for solo cruisers. These rooms do not come with a single supplement fee associated with the booking.
Another way around the fee is if you have at least 340 or more points in the Crown and Anchor Society . If you are that high up in the system, the single supplement cruise fare is reduced to 150% from 200%.
One other way to get around the single supplement fee is on some rare sailings, the fee may be waived in order to encourage bookings. This is typically offered on last minute cruises, where the cruise line wants to quickly increase bookings.
Get To Know The Crew During Your Solo Cruise
We pride ourselves on having a friendly, engaging crew from all around the world. Many of our cruise passengers enjoy talking with them and learning about the area of the globe theyre from.
Finding a bartender you get along with so you can have your own local bar on the ship is an easy way to feel comfortable in a lounge while cruising solo.
Get to know your cruise director, who youll often see walking around the ship. If they know youre a solo cruise passenger, they may give you some insider tips on upcoming activities or entertainment you wont want to miss.
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How Much Will I Pay For A Singles Cruise
As a solo traveler its going to be hard to find anywhere that is going to be half the cost of what a couple has to pay, as you will either have to pay for one of the limited numbers of studio cabins, pay a single supplement charge or go through a company that will offer singles cruises.
For those that dont know, the single supplement is standard in the travel industry and is the expectation that a solo traveler will pay the same price for a double room as a couple would. This means that many rooms will be double the price which can restrict solo travelers to only a certain amount of cruises, unless they want to pay excessive fees.
Some companies like Norwegian Cruise Line will offer reduced rates on their single supplements when it comes to their regular rooms but you will find that if you wanted your own double cabin, the vast majority of cruise liners are going to expect you to pay a very hefty fee in order to board the ship.
The single cabins that are available on these ships are reasonably priced with the downside being that you are often limited for choice on the type of rooms that are available when compared to couples. The studios are going to be smaller rooms and are usually situated on the inside of the ship and therefore you dont have the option of paying a little extra for a balcony.
Inside Cabins On Cruise Ships
Inside cruise ship cabins’ best feature is their price – you book them with the line’s cheapest rates available. These cruise accommodations don’t offer window views. Still, on some of the newest cruise ships of Royal Caribbean and Disney, there are categories Interior staterooms with a “virtual window”, which is a large LED screen displaying outside cam views. The screen doesn’t have TV functions.
On some Carnival ships, there are Inside cabins with a “French Balcony” . Also, some “interior staterooms” are actually Oceanview , but since their views are obstructed, they are booked as Interior. On Royal Caribbean ships, some Inside cabins have a window looking out to the ship’s interior promenade
Inside cruise cabins are fitted with twin beds , private bathroom , sitting area. Next are shown the layouts of Interior rooms on Harmony OTS.
Small Interior Stateroom is the least spacious standard cabin category on cruise ships. These cabins have two beds , private bath , a small sitting area.
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What Are Royal Caribbeans Single Cabins Like
The type of stateroom will depend on which ship you are sailing on.
Lets take a look at their Quantum Class ships Quantum, Anthem, Ovation and Spectrum first. These ships offer two types of solo cabins for those travelling alone:
- Studio interior stateroom with a virtual view similar in size to the studio cabins on NCL, these innovative staterooms feature a floor to ceiling LED screen displaying real-time ocean views.
- Super studio balcony stateroom Super studios are 199 sq. ft. with a 55 sq. ft. balcony and full-size beds.
Harmony of the Seas features Studio Interior and Studio Ocean View cabins.
Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas feature Studio Interior staterooms only. The availability of these solo cabins is limited to 2 -5 per ship.
Opt For An Assigned Seating Time For Dinner
As a solo cruise traveler, you may benefit more from doing a traditional assigned seating time instead of dining at different times.
With an assigned seating time, youll be sat at the same table each night with other cruise passengers and the same crew waiting on you. It will give you some familiarity as your tablemates, server, and sommelier get to know you and your dining preferencesand sparkling personality!
If you dont feel totally compatible with the other folks at your table, talk to the maître d and ask for a different table.
If youre seated at a table on your own, have a book or journal on hand. A journal is a lovely way to pass the time at dinner, giving you the opportunity to reflect on the day and write about all the amazing things you saw in port or did on the ship.
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The Best Cruise Lines For Singles Cruises
There are many great cruise companies out there but not all of them are good at catering to solo travelers. Here we will look at some of the best to give you a great choice in finding a company who is going to make your time onboard as easy and welcoming as possible.
Do Marella Cruises Have Solo/single Cabins
All four ships in the Marella fleet have some form of solo cabins. On the Marella Explorer, Explorer 2, Discovery, and Discovery 2 the solo cabins werent built for this purpose and have been converted from standard cabins.
If you do want to book a solo cabin on any of the below ships make sure you book as far in advance as you can. The solo cabins are very limited and as a result, they sell out fast.
Generally speaking, the price of a cruise is cheapest at the initial launch. To learn how to book at the cheapest time, check out this post: Do Cruises Get Cheaper Closer To The Sailing Date?
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Sharing With A Stranger
Pros: No single supplement, cheapest option, make a new friend
Cons: Less time to spend alone, reduced privacy
If youre on a tight budget, the cheapest option would be to find someone to share a cabin with. If you do this, youll obviously have no single supplement to pay.
Sharing a cabin with a stranger certainly isnt for everyone. But, if youre a sociable person, then there are groups on Facebook where like-minded cruisers make friends online and save money by sharing a cabin on their cruise. To find them, type solo cruise into the Facebook search bar, click groups and youll see a list.
Just because you share a cabin doesnt mean that you need to spend your whole holiday with your roommate. It would be a good idea to set some expectations about how much time youll actually spend together before you book the cruise so that there are no concerns over appearing too distant or too full-on.
Cunards Oceanview Britannia Single Staterooms
Three ships in Cunards fleet offer solo cabins, but only one the iconic Queen Mary 2, which most often sails transatlantic voyages between London and New York has 15 that feature ocean views. The lines Britannia Single staterooms are anywhere from 178 to 183 square feet in size, and they include large windows and single beds.
Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria each have nine single staterooms, but theyre a mix of oceanviews and insides with no view at all.
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Royal Caribbeans Studio Staterooms
Royal Caribbean boasts the most single digs of any cruise line, with about half of the ships in its fleet housing at least two. However, the most impressive are Super Studio staterooms with balconies, found on Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas.
Reaching up to 199 square feet with 55-square-foot balconies, these cabins are outfitted with a mix of bedding types and plenty of space for one person.
Single Staterooms On Apex Edge And Silhouette
As part of the Celebrity Revolution, our fleet-wide modernization, there are more options than ever for the solo traveler.
Celebrity Apex features 24 single staterooms, the highest number of single staterooms in our fleet. Celebrity Edge is home to 16 solo staterooms with an Infinite Veranda. Celebrity Silhouette will also have 4 inside single staterooms perfect for solo guests.
The single stateroom is 131 square feet, giving you plenty of space to move around. Not only are single staterooms spacious, but theyre also outfitted with the same modern, sleek design and luxurious amenities like all of our staterooms.
On Celebrity Edge, the single stateroom with infinite veranda is perfect for solo cruise guests.
The infinite veranda isnt like your normal cruise ship balcony. With the push of a button, the doors to your veranda seamlessly open and fold into the sides of the room, bringing the outdoors in, making it perfect for those who love to explore on their own.
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Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
The Ships: U.K.-based Fred. Olsen has offered solo cabins aboard its ships since the line debuted in 1988. Today, the units are available fleetwide on all four ships: Braemar, Black Watch, Boudicca and Balmoral.
The Cabins: Fred. Olsen has allotted 190 solo cabins across its fleet, which are sprinkled across the decks of the individual ships and cover a variety of cabin categories, including inside , outside and balcony suites . Braemar offers 40 single-occupancy cabins, Balmoral has 64, and Black Watch and Boudicca each have 43. All units come with amenities that are standard across the fleet, with the only difference being that they contain just one oversized single bed .
What About Solo Cruises For Seniors
Senior citizen cruises provide a worry-free vacation featuring world-class accommodations and a vacation experience tailored to their interests. Our cruises have onboard activities to suit everyone, from thrilling entertainment and live music to speakers series and guided meditations.
On solo cruises for seniors, accessible staterooms and excursions for all types of mobility levels ensure our guests see as much of the world as they desire.
Read: Cruises for Seniors With Disabilities
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Cruise & Maritime Voyages
Cruise & Maritime offers single cabins across all of its ships, as well as a number of benefits for those cruising solo. Not only do solo travellers have their own cabins, ranging from Inner Single to Standard Ocean View. The number of these cabins varies on each ship, between eight to 14, so you will need to be quick when booking a solo cruise with this cruise line.
Inner Single
This stateroom has a bathroom with shower & WC, wardrobes, drawer space, dressing table, TV, hairdryer, music console and stretch to an average size of 100 sq ft.
Standard Single Ocean View
As well as the same facilties as the Inner Single, the Ocean View also boasts a window where you can watch the passing seascapes. These rooms are slightly larger, measuring an average size of 129 sq ft.
Standard Plus Single Ocean View
This stateroom is even larger than the standard Ocean View, measuring an average of 188 sq ft. It also comes with ample hanging and storage space fridge flat-screen television and a picture window. There is also a Superior Ocean View on-board selected ships.
Superior Plus Single Balcony
This room is only available on-board Vasco da Gama. Located midship on deck 9, the Superior Plus Single Balcony Stateroom offers the benefit of a private balcony to solo travellers. This is alongside en suite facilities, whirlpool bath with shower plus ample storage space.