A cruise is one of the best holidays around for single travellers, providing a safe environment with like-minded people and allowing them to travel to parts of the world they might be fearful of going to alone.
Most important of all, if they have been sold the right ship, there should be other solo travellers looking to strike up friendships.
Lone cruisers come in all ages, from 40-somethings to widows or widowers in their 70s and 80s who have discovered that cruising is the best way to travel alone yet still see and experience a lot.
The big difference is that whereas younger cruisers are usually happy to share cabins and want lively ships with lots of things to do on board, older people generally want a more sedate experience.
Broadly speaking, single cruisers don’t want to be surrounded by families or have only couples to talk to. They don’t want non-stop activities, but they do want to see lots of places.
They also want their own cabin, which means they often fall foul of the single supplement. These can be costly, as most cruise lines charge lone travellers the same price as if there were two people in the cabin, because they assume double occupancy when costing accommodation.
However, there are a few exceptions: cruise lines with older ships that have single cabins and a target market of 60-plus, and river cruise operators, which also target an older age group. But things are starting to change.
P&O Cruises’ Azura, launching this month, is the first new ship for many years to have single cabins. There will be 18 – six inside and 12 outside rooms – and although they will carry a premium, single passengers will not have to pay for two people.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is beating that with Norwegian Epic, which launches in July and has 128 studio cabins, all of which are being sold as single accommodation.
All the studios are inside and measure 100sq ft, which allows enough room for a bed, sink, shower and toilet. However, passengers in these cabins also have exclusive access to a two-storey lounge with TVs, a bar and a seating area where they can meet other solo travellers.
NCL senior vice-president marketing Maria Miller says: “It’s a market worth going after. Single people are well suited to cruising. They can travel alone and have their privacy but they don’t have to be alone. Cruising offers convenience and a variety of things to do, but [the single supplement] has been a huge price barrier. We are breaking down that barrier.”
The number of people cruising alone in the UK is also growing – there were about 75,000 in 2008, according to the Passenger Shipping Association, up from 53,200 in 2007.
PSA director Bill Gibbons says: “The number of single people taking a cruise is not huge, but it is growing as more people choose to lead single lives. The economics of cruising means it is better suited to two people, but singles are very valued clients. Cruise lines could do more for them.”
P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow says that in 2009 about 3.5% of the cruise line’s passengers travelled as singles. She says: “We were confident single cabins would be a welcome addition and the overwhelming demand for them shows that we were right. More than 90% of Azura’s single cabins for the 2010/11 season are already sold out.”
One of the reasons why cruise lines are chasing singles is that they have realised they are good customers. Older passengers buy lots of shore excursions, while young cruisers are big spenders when it comes to drinks and speciality dining.
For 2010, Italian line Costa Cruises has reduced its single supplement from 80% to 30%, with the lowest percentage available to those who book early. APT has cut its single supplement for European river cruises to 50%. AMA Waterways also has a 50% single supplement for cabins, but it charges 100% for suites.
Hurtigruten has no single supple-ments on its classic 12-day Norwegian coastal voyages from Bergen and Kirkenes between September 15 and December 31. This also applies to one-way cruises on those dates, as well as for its themed cruises.
Fred Olsen Cruise Line has the largest number of single cabins, with 193 across its four-ship fleet. Balmoral has the most at 76, with a mix of insides, outsides and balconies, so there is something for every budget. Boudicca has 47, there are 30 on Braemar and 40 on Black Watch.
Passengers pay a premium for these cabins – the cruise line says the cost of operating the cabin is slightly more than 50% of a twin – but it is more much reasonable than paying for two people.
In 2009, 7,700 Fred Olsen passengers booked single cabins, representing 8% of the line’s total passengers for the year. A total of 63% were female, and 37% were male.
On board, Fred Olsen lays on singles get-togethers at the start of each cruise and there’s a daily meeting point where solo travellers can hook up with people to go ashore. Come the evening, there are male and female hosts for single men and women who love to dance.
Expedition cruise lines Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery, both part of All Leisure Holidays, also target single passengers. Neither Swan’s ship Minerva nor Voyages’ Discovery have many single cabins, but both offer some twin-share rooms for single occupancy with either no or low single supplements.
All Leisure Holidays sales and marketing director Geoff Lawrence says: “Our target market is over-65 and with the older passengers, you get more singles. I would guess that every one of our cruises has singles on board.”
New cruise line Voyages to Antiquity has dropped single supplements for selected cabins during its inaugural season starting in May. General manager John Kain says the offer is indefinite for now, although it could be withdrawn at any time.
The cruise line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, has 16 single cabins, but the line will also allocate some twin-share rooms for singles depending on demand. If a single cabin is not available, lone travellers face a 50% supplement for a lower category cabin or 75% to be in concierge class.
River cruising for solos
Singles holidays specialist Just You offers a range of escorted river cruises that don’t carry single supplements.
For example, a six-day Venetian River Cruise, exploring the Venetian Lagoon and the River Po on Michelangelo, costs from £999 for July and August departures.
The price includes BA flights from Gatwick to Venice, transfers and five nights’ full-board accommodation in your own cabin.
Also included are the services of a tour manager and excursions to Ferrara and Verona, with optional excursions to Padua, and in Venice, Murano and Burano.
Further afield, its eight-day Pyramids & Nile Cruise, which costs from £1,299 in June, includes EgyptAir flights from Heathrow to Cairo, transfers and three nights’ bed and breakfast in your own room, as well as a four-night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with all meals included, plus the services of a tour manager and a range of excursions. justyou.co.uk, 0844 567 9913
Sample product
Hurtigruten offers a 12-day Classic Round Voyages from Bergen from £941 per person cruise-only for single occupancy of a twin inside room in November and December based on no single supplement. hurtigruten.co.uk, 020 8846 2666
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines offers a 14-night Western Mediterranean cruise on Balmoral departing Dover on August 7. Cruise-only price is £2,314 for an inside single cabin. fredolsencruises.co.uk, 01473 742424
Costa Cruises has a seven-night Five Baltic Cities cruise on Costa Deliziosa from Copenhagen on August 28. Single occupancy of a twin inside cabin based on 30% single supplement costs from £1,326 including flights and transfers. costacruises.co.uk, 0845 351 0552
