Going on a cruise alone may not sound the best idea considering that most people aboard cruise liners are couples on their romantic getaways, families and groups of friends. And they all prefer the company of other couples/groups. However, this doesn’t mean that cruising isn’t single travellers-friendly. On the contrary, most cruise lines put a lot of effort into making cruising aboard their ships as enjoyable as possible for all their passengers including single travellers. But it’s also true that some are more single travellers-friendly than the others.

Big Vs Small Ships

At a first glance, a bigger ship seems a better idea than a small one if you’re planning to go on a cruise alone. In reality, however, smaller ships tend to be more single travellers-friendly. On a ship with thousands of passengers it is quite difficult to find other single travellers or run into people with similar interests. On a smaller ship, on the other hand, you see the same people all the time and finding your fellow solo travellers is thus a lot easier. However, smaller ships tend to be more expensive and therefore, aren’t as attractive to young travellers, especially those travelling solo due to the single supplement. To have a great time cruising solo, you are therefore recommended to focus on ships that are popular with single travellers of similar age and interests.

Finding the Right Ship

Finding the right ship isn’t as difficult as it may appear at a first glance. You can ask a travel agent for help but you can also do some research on the world wide web. You will soon figure out which ships are popular with particular age and population groups. Another great way to increase your chances of meeting people with similar interest is to consider themed cruises.

Single Supplement

The single supplement is probably the most challenging part in the search for the right ship. Unfortunately, there are usually only a few cabins for singles which means that many single travellers stay in double-occupancy cabins. But while having some extra space is great, it comes with a price – single supplement which is sometimes as much as 100 percent of the cruise fare. The good news is that many cruise liners have lowered the single supplements to as low as 25 percent or more, with some abandoning it all together. But many still charge at least 50 percent.

To avoid or reduce the cost of the single supplement and make your cruise more affordable, you basically have three options:

• Book early. When you find the right ship, try to book as soon as possible. If you’re fast enough, you may be able to get a single-occupancy cabin and avoid the single supplement.
• Shop around. Take some time to compare the rates of single supplement between different cruise lines. As mentioned earlier, some charge only 25 percent or less.
• Share a cabin. With whom? Go on the Internet to see if anyone is looking for a roommate or let the cruise line find you a ‘match’. The idea of sharing the cabin with a complete stranger may not sound particularly appealing but you won’t pay the single supplement.