The Truth About Solo Cruise Cabins
For solo travelers, the traditionally coupled-up cruise world has long meant navigating unfriendly waters, largely due to the dreaded “single supplement.” This pesky — and pricy — fee could easily double the cost of a cruise vacation for a single cruise traveler looking to sail in a room priced for two.
Happily, the tides have turned: More and more cruise lines are coming out with priced-for-one solo cruise cabins on both new and reconfigured ships. These are meant to afford single travelers savings at sea . So what exactly do you get when you sign up for a solo cruise?
How Big Are Studio Cabins On Cruise Ships
Much like regular staterooms, the size of studio cabins varies widely. With that said, the studios on most lines can make a New York City micro apartment look spacious. Sizes can be as small as 100 square feet for comparison, oceanview and balcony cabins on mainstream cruise lines are typically at least 150 to 200 square feet.
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How Do I Get A Tourist Visa For Greece
Firstly, download the application form, fill it completely and with sincerity.
You can also fill the Greece Schengen Visa application form electronically and then print a hard-copy.
2 photos must be attached the photo should be of passport format a recent whole-face capture with a light background..
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The Best Solo Cruises For 2022
Crystal Cruises is offering a zero single supplement promotion on 15 sailings to the Caribbean and Mediterranean in 2022 onboard the Crystal Symphony. The promotion allows single guests to enjoy the luxury amenities without the supplement attached to solo travellers.
Heres what the other cruise lines offer solo travellers.
Rolling On A River Cruise
If cruising the blue Danube, pausing in Prague on the Elbe or capturing images of castles on the Rhine are more your calling than ocean voyages, consider a solo journey that takes you to the heart of the cities on Europes glorious rivers. Single supplements are waived on a good number of departures, with socializing facilitated by leading cruise operators such as Grand Circle Cruise Line, Uniworld, Tauck, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways. Whether youre looking for a foursome for an after-dinner bridge game or a partner for exploring Venices Rialto Bridge, camaraderie on river cruises is sharply in focus these days. After all, as Tauck points out, your trip director is not only in the know about the itinerarys destinations, but is a professional solo traveler, too. Check carefully on whether the offer is for a single supplement waiver, a cabin purpose-built for one or a roommate matching service.
References
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Holland Americas Oceanview Single Cabins
From its Alaska itineraries to the impressive music scene on its newest vessels, Holland America might be more up your alley. In its lineup of accommodations, HAL includes 127- to 172-square-foot solo cabins on Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam and the new Ryndam.
Each of the single rooms on these ships has an ocean view and a twin bed.
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.
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Tauck And Other River Lines
Solo travelers looking for an upscale river cruise often can find a deal from Tauck, a high-end tour company that has a European cruise division. It markets more than half a dozen river vessels.
As it often does, Tauck this year has eliminated its single supplement completely on its least-expensive category of cabins . The waiver applies to every departure for 2021, more than 200 in all.
Tauck also has reduced its standard single supplement charge by $1,000 for other selected cabin categories on select departures.
Other river lines that sometimes waive or significantly lower single supplement charges include Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways. The latter currently has a promotion that drops the single supplement for balcony cabins on more than 800 Europe and Asia sailings to just 25%. The promotion also offers a very low 10% single supplement for solo travelers who book a fixed-window cabin on one of more than 200 departures.
AmaWaterways also has four ships in Europe that each have two dedicated solo cabins that carry no single supplement. They are the France-based AmaDolce, AmaLyra and AmaCello, and the AmaDante, which sails on the Rhine and Moselle rivers.
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Solo Cruise Cabin Breakdown
We’ve “singled” out the major players in the solo cabin cruise market, outlining which lines and ships offer single-occupancy cabins , what you’ll get when you book them and what kind of value they really offer. Once you find a fit, the expert advice across the board is the same: Space is limited, and solo cabins sell out quickly, so book early or risk missing the boat.
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American Queen Steamboat Company
American Queen and American Empress: Solo river cruisers will find 12 single-occupancy rooms on American Queen: eight 80-square-foot inside cabins and four 140-square-foot outside rooms. There’s just one solo cabin on American Empress, a 160-square-foot outside stateroom with a private veranda.
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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Singles Often Pay More But Not Always
Single supplements are not the only important thing to factor in to your cruise when traveling by yourself. They are also important when looking at traveling in groups. Some groups choose to bunk together, however if you want your own room while traveling with a group of friends, you should look to the reduced or waived single supplement programs that some cruise lines offer.
First, we will talk about Riviera since we mentioned them at the beginning. As stated, Riviera offers a select number of waived single supplements on every sailing. On each departure, Riviera offers between four and six cabins with no single supplement. Let me reiterate that that is on every departure that Riviera offers.
That is not the only solution that Riviera provides for solo travelers, though. The line also offers solo traveler cruises. On each of these sailings, all single supplements are waived. Not only are these sailings nice because of the ability to get many different solo travelers together, but they are also great for groups of travelers. If you are planning on taking a river cruise with a group of friends, everyone could book a cabin to themselves without having to pay anything extra.
Tauck is another cruise line that offers waived single supplements on every departure. When booking the lowest category stateroom, the single supplement is waived. Just keep in mind that there are a limited number of these category one cabins, so it is important to check availability.
Best Cruise For Foodies
Celebrity Apex
The second in Celebritys Edge series of ocean liners is the cruise lines ship with most single staterooms , increasing your odds of meeting other single cruisers. The ship itself is stunning and the cabins spacious for single foodies looking for a solo vacation at sea, but the culinary scene on the Celebrity Apex is the star of this show. Through 29 distinctive restaurants, bars, and lounges, youll discover more of the destinations you are visiting during your itinerary because the Michelin-starred chefs and mixologists onboard work to bring the flavors, ingredients, and cultures of each port onto the ship. Its a dining experience unparalleled in the world of cruising, which makes it perfect for a solo foodie wanting to taste adventure. To ensure that you enjoy every single bite, you have to avoid getting sick on a cruise.
What to expect:
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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?
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.
How We Chose The Best Singles Cruises
Weve scoured the web, talked to cruise experts, and cruised by ourselves to get the scoop on the best way to solo cruise. We looked at which cruise lines offer single staterooms priced for one, which ships have onboard activities appealing to single cruisers, and discovered the cruise itineraries with the best ports of call for solo travelers. The result is a list spanning many classes of cruise ship and price points, so if you want to get away from landlocked life and enjoy the single life at sea, one of these cruises will be perfect for you.
via tripadvisor.com
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No Solo Cabins Charging Single Supplements Up To 200%
- Carnival Cruise Line the fun cruise is no fun paying 200% solo
- Princess Cruise Lines great itineraries, wonderful food, beverage and entertainment yet no solo cabins
- Disney Cruise Lines its a shame that Disney doesnt have solo cabins to recognize the multi-generational families that are sailing with them. Solo Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents pay 200% for a cabin unless you can split the family up to save money.
- Paul Gaugin French Polynesia in luxury
Celebrity Cruises Edge Solo Cabin
If there is one addition Im excited for its the Celebrity Edge ship, debuting in December 2018, with 16 Edge Verandah solo cabins. The category code is much higher than the normal inside cabin be warned as they are verandah level. Located on forward deck 6, there are 16 solo cabins that look fabulous . With approximately 142 sq. ft. which includes balcony, these will be an indulgence for the luxury solo traveler.
Celebrity is a favorite line because of the wellness spa menus, entertainment and self-service wine kiosks sadly they dont offer solo cabins on their other ships. I sailed solo on the Celebrity Constellation Connie from Istanbul to visit Turkey and the Greek Islands. It was a fantastic first cruise on Celebrity.
- Celebrity Edge Single Cabin Edge Single Verandah 16 swoon worthy single cabins
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Benefits Of A Singles Cruise
There are a variety of reasons why you might want to take a cruise as a single person or solo traveler. Maybe youre coming out of a relationship and want to meet new and interesting people in an all-inclusive environment. Maybe you thrive on self-discovery and individual experiences. Or maybe you just want to go on lots of cruises, with or without the people you love. No matter your specific situation, theres a cruise ship, sailing itinerary, slew of onboard activities, and variety of shore excursions tailored to the solo cruiser. Here are the best singles cruises to check out.
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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.
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Best Cruise Lines For Solo Cruisers
Traveling alone on cruise ships just got a whole lot better. In the last several years, a variety of cruise lines have introduced single-occupancy cabins on their ships, as well as events and activities just for those interested in solo cruises. Here are the top cruise lines to consider when planning your next cruise adventure:
Luxury & Small Ships Single Supplements Vary
While the ships do not offer single solo cabins, they may offer lower single supplement or possibly waive the single supplement depending on the itinerary and promotion in place. These small ships are quite luxurious in the amenities offered and included features in the price. Unlike the mass market ships, they may offer drinks, sightseeing or private restaurants included in the promotion.
- Seabourn generally 175%
- Crystal varies 130-200%, offer single parties and still have gentlemen hosts
- Silverseas generally 125-175%
- Ponant
- Windstar
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Cruises With Single Cabins: What You Need To Know
While solo cruise cabin inventory is still relatively limited today, the concept was virtually nonexistent in the mainstream cruise industry as recently as 2010, when Norwegian Cruise Line stepped in to pioneer a major presence of dedicated solo cabins onboard Norwegian Epic. Today, solo traveler-favorite Norwegian remains at the forefront of the movement with the most solo cruise cabin offerings of any cruise line, spread out across four of its ships. Passengers get design-savvy cabins for one — dubbed “studios” — as well as the industry-exclusive extra of a shared solo travelers lounge, allowing for easy socializing between solo travelers onboard.
Tammy Weiler, President of Singles Travel International, which specializes in booking Norwegian studio cabins, has sung the line’s praises, stating that despite the cabins’ tight quarters, “the layout is cleverly designed so that the size does not matter.” She applauded the solo lounge concept, too, with its “special studio concierge to facilitate a basic agenda for singles.” She adds, “They organize a nightly happy hour, make show and specialty dining reservations, and host some Q& A time in the lounge with drinks, coffee and snacks. It’s an excellent location for meeting other solo cruisers.”
River cruise companies present more limited options, including a smattering of solo cruise cabins on Vantage, American Queen Steamboat Company and AmaWaterways.
Best Cruise For Seniors
Regal Princess
For elegance and world-class amenities, seniors traveling solo will fall in love with the Princess cruise experience. Aboard ships like the Regal Princess, you will enjoy daily cocktail parties and the chance to get dressed up and strut your stuff with like-minded older adults. After all, you already have something in common: Cruising! In the fall, the Regal Princess leaves Southampton, England, for a Belgium and Netherlands sampler cruise, giving you a taste of life in Brussels and Rotterdam over the course of a scintillating five-day sailing. From there, you can indulge your artistic side with Vincent van Gogh in Amsterdam and Piet Mondrian and M.C. Escher in The Hague. Or tour the windmills of Holland during any number of fine excursions.
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Cruise Lines With Single Cruise Cabins
So, you’ve decided to take a voyage by yourself. Whether it’s your first solo foray or you travel alone frequently, choosing a stateroom is important.
To help you plan, we’ve compiled a list of cruise lines with ships that offer solo cruise cabins. Consider booking one to avoid dreaded single supplements that can cost you as much as 100 percent of your cruise fare.
Note: “Standard amenities” generally include a full in-cabin bathroom, storage space for clothing and toiletries, a vanity and/or desk area with a chair, mirrors, a safe, a hair dryer, lighting, individual climate control, a television, a phone and electrical outlets.