As 9 put of 10 of my cruises are as a solo cruising passenger, I am frequently asked to share my tips on how to travel cheaper, how to avoid the large 100% supplement most lines charge, how to avoid being left out or feeling lonely on board a cruise ship as a solo traveller, and also how do I make the most of cruising solo traveller.
GET EXCLUSIVE PERKS LIKE MEMBER-ONLY BONUS VIDEOS BY BECOMING A CHANNEL MEMBER:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join
Links mentioned in the videos:
* VacationsTo Go solo search: https://www.vacationstogo.com/singles_discounts.cfm
* VacationsTo Go solo hosted cruises site (https://www.vacationstogo.com/singles_cruises.cfm) and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/94234526207/)
* MyCabinMate.com https://www.mycabinmate.com
* Crewmate Finder https://cruisematefinder.freeforums.net/board/1/seeking-cruise-companion
* SilverSurfer.com https://www.silversurfers.com/silversurfers-forum/category/travel/looking-for-a-cruise-companion/
* singlestravelintl.com: https://www.singlestravelintl.com/trip-category/singles-cruises/
* Cruise Critic Roll Calls https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/20-roll-calls/
BUY MY CRUISE-THEMED T-SHIRTS
————————————————
* Check out my T-Shirt range at https://tipsfortravellers.myspreadshop.com , http://bit.ly/TFTStore or https://tips-for-travellers.creator-spring.com
SUPPORT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS
—————————————————————
* Become a Channel Member and get perks: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/Join
* Become a Patron on Patreon and get perks: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers
* Make a donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=V9STJGYSEMGLJ
* Buy my book “Cruise Traveler’s Handbook: USA Amazon https://amzn.to/2YVFmG4 and https://amzn.to/3tzIxBn
UK Amazon https://amzn.to/3oXbzYc and https://amzn.to/3qawqIQ
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
———————————————*
* Blog: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com
* Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge
* Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
* Instagram: http://www.instgram.com/garybembridge
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bembridge
* TikTok: @garybembridge
ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 96 cruises I have done to date.
#SoloCruiseTips #SoloCruising #cruisetips
00:00 Start
00:40 Where Solo Cruisers are wanted
02:44 Ship size and solo cruising
04:20 Avoiding solo cruise supplement
09:54 Solo cruise on board tips
14:15 solo cruise dining tips
source
My sister and I really enjoy traveling together but in separate cabins (so essentially solo 🙂 on Oceania & Regent and the destinations they offer, but have found that over 95% of passengers are couples. I have booked culinary classes for our next Oceania Carribean cruise in January and will use your tip to get more involved in onboard activities in hopes of meeting like minded travellers – ie. Friends, relatives, etc. Thanks, Gary!!
Thanks, Gary. This aspiring solo cruiser always appreciates tips for our tribe.
After 3 years of waiting (and multiple cancellations), I’ll finally be cruising with Saga next May. And I just put down a deposit for a 2025 Oceania transpacific cruise (100% single supplement 😢).
I rely a lot on your videos to understand which cruise lines are a good choice for me.
Excellent video Gary with absolutely accurate information. I always travel solo on Princess and what I have found that works are cruise critic roll calls pre departure, cruise critics meet up on board. In addition always share a table for breakfast, lunch dinner and afternoon tea (I'm a Princess Cruiser). By avoiding the buffet you have a great opportunity to meet more people and improve the overall experience as a solo traveller.
I'm in my late thirties and have taken 9 cruises now with NCL, more than half of them solo and the rest with my parents (so I tend to go off solo here and there anyways and let them do their romantic thing). I feel Norwegian does a very good job with their Studio cabins, the solo lounge, and the dedicated events and staff member for the solo meetups. They seem to go out of their way to treat solo travelers with respect, and I've never found it awkward going to dinner in the restaurants or even specialty dining and just asking for a table for 1. Unfortunately I don't have another cruise line to compare it to, as NCL started the whole Studio cabin thing with their NCL Epic (my first ever cruise) and I've been loyal to them ever since.
Also, be aware some cruise lines (like Princess) gives you double the number of cruise trips for their rewards program if you go solo and pay couple's rates. That is how I went up in their rewards program so quickly. Still would rather they had solo cabins and more solo focused deals… Anyway, something to also consider when comparing a couple's room with a solo cabin, if the price difference isn't much you might be better off taking the couple cabin as a solo for the rewards.
All very great information on going single!
Hi Gary, Felt the need to write and tell you I recently travelled with Oceania, travelling with my full time assistant/companion. It was an excellent trip from Darwin to Singapore on the 'Regatta". First class in everything, previous to this we travelled with Norwegian, (Star, Spirit, Dawn , Jewel). Thank you for your video on sailing with Oceania. I am also a non alcohol drinker and we are both 'halal' in diet. No issues there at all, in fact I was treated with great respect.
I must be the old grump who loves being solo. I am a very social person but if I’m travelling alone then for the most part I eat alone, never had a problem getting a single table, I spend thr majority of my time on board reading, walking, enjoying the cruising. When I want to be social I join an LGBT meet and greet or play the card tables in the casino. I seldom do group excursions as I find many are boring. I love to go exploring on my own and in truth I have had many wonderful adventures far exceeding what the people on excursions have enjoyed. So grumpy old man does not fit you typical listener this time but keep up the good work. Oh yes, I really hate the ‘supplement’ , years ago one could get a 50% supplement or some other deal. Not any more, greedy greedy greedy these lines have become.
I cruise solo almost all the time. I really disliked the NCL solo cabins on the Bliss—not for me. I cruise frequently with MSC because they offer solo deals and the single supplement is reasonable. I’m trying both Carnival, Holland America, and CrosiEurope this year. I’m very excited for my Mekong River cruise, but I’m saving this video to refer back to when I start looking for next year’s winter cruises.
Almost all my trips have been solo. This situation is unlikely to change. I’m very comfortable traveling alone. I have the resources to pay for it at least. The only way I’d share a room is with a woman I’m having a sexual relationship with. I’m probably on the spectrum, so I just give blunt “yes” responses if asked if I’m traveling alone.
I prefer shared tables, but they don’t seem to be a think on the last four trips on Royal Caribbean.
G’day mate, I agree about the large ships over 2000 being a nightmare so we opt for smaller cruise lines to have fun on
I've found that carnival cruise line doesn't recognize solo cruisers when it comes to points per night, they simply allocate 1 point per night regardless if you are solo or 2 people or more. Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean do at least give you a extra point for staying in a non solo statesroom.
Gary, I'm a veteran solo cruiser. I find what you say to be spot on for me. Though sometimes I feel like I'm a fly on the wall (well, what I would imagine).
Thank you for this video! I'm a 43 yr old single female w 6 weeks vacation a yr and I don't want to sit around and wait for someone to travel with me. These were excellent tips!
I found this very interesting, I have just started cruising and have been on four in the last year. I found that if you use the right travel agent ( I have a very good one) who specialises in solo travellers then they are able to great great deals with no supplements. I also found that many solo traveller's use them. I recently went on a 12 nights no fly cruise, no gratuities, Balcony cabin and premium drinks for under £1,200. There were over 600 solos on board , we even had a pre dinner bar just for solos. The ship was very large but this meant plenty of space where you could chill out on your own. The cruise was even hosted by the agent.
What was that bit at the end about inviting staff or entertainers to dine with you? I thought they could get in trouble for fraternizing? Could you go into a bit more detail on this?
Sounds to good to be true.
Thanks for the great info Gary. I've been doing a lot of research for my first cruise probably early spring. I'm.single and find this video very helpful. One question. If you room with a stranger , is there a way to get another safe. Is there only one safe in a room?
I don't cruise often, but my worst solo cruise was on Celebrity Summit from NY to Bermuda. My assigned dinner companions were a couple on their honeymoon with their five teenage children. They were all absolutely lovely and included me in everything. But I felt like I was imposing and didn't have the heart to ask for a change. Now I travel without a partner on Carnival, others I know are on the ship, but the staff on Carnival is no nice, I never feel alone or out of place and the cost is reasonable. It may be the opposite end of the experience you have in terms of luxury, but I have fun. Your videos are excellent, thanks.
what you say makes sense, like going to a big massive resort solo you just get swallowed up, but if you go to a small resort single you will have a LOT more fun… much much easy to get to know others and make friends
Ama has no single supplement cabins on their Seine cruises
Gary,
I must disagree. I’ve been on 7 Princess cruises as a solo. I’ve NEVER been treated differently as a solo. Some of them did not have a single supplement. Every night there is an organized Single and Solo Travelers event listed in the Patter. Usually we get together then and then have dinner as a group. I’ve met some wonderful solo travelers on Princess.
Good video as may be a solo cruiser in the future. Have you ever tried a Marella cruise? as this is one that hardly gets mentioned in any of your videos and perhaps should have been amongst the UK cruise lines that you mentioned. Given what is available in the average travel agent this is a line that Brits are more likely to pick up a brochure and then look on line or book direct. Some of those mentioned such as Carnival we are unlikely to use as they seem to be solely geared up for a North American market and from what I have seen of their product it does not look that attractive. Would like them mentioned more in your videos if you can. From past experience when they were Thompson cruises they were pretty good at organising meets for solo cruisers and would still like to know if they are as good as the brochure indicates. Being part of the TUI group they seemed to making sure everyone has a good time and my first cruise with them was great. Fixed dining was a good way of meeting up with others at the end of the day to share what we had been up to. Sharing the same flight can also break the ice as well.
I was looking at solo cabins on sailings with Holland America, and I found it frustrating. They wanted the same fare for the solo cabin as the normal cabin with the solo surcharge. I was better off paying the surcharge for a solo traveler in an inside cabin.
GREAT video. Lots of good info.
Always very informative. Thank you.
Solo not Single cruiser
'Where we're wanted' is SUCH a huge one for me. One of the reasons I'm supporting MSC so much at the moment is the fact that they've pretty much dropped their solo supplements on so many cruises.
I'm hoping to get back onto Norwegian next year – while their pricing isn't great from a solo POV, the onboard offerings are just fantastic.
Great video as always, sir!
Need more solo cabins with balconies
I would put Ponant in the first group. Almost 25% of all of their cruises have no single supplement.
Thanks for the info! My city is a cruise homeport for just two lines right now (neither of which is particularly solo-friendly), and I am sadly limited to cruises starting and ending there. The cost of travelling to another port to board/return home will more than eat up any savings I get by avoiding the solo supplementary fee. Hopefully I'll be able to afford all of that one day!
Just got a 7 night cabin on Carnivals Black Friday sale. Balcony for $1035AUD, about $350 cheaper than the total cabin price for a couple. If it wasn't such a good deal I would never have booked.
your videos are so well done and really have given me so many tips….I have not been on a cruise but hope to so much soon…on my social security retirement it is tough to save the money so the single cruise ideas were very helpful…..BTW in case no one has pointed it out to you in the past…you voice and you are so sexy lol Your partner is very lucky to have you…
A service provider attempting to satisfy everyone will end up satisfying nobody.
What a great video, Gary!! I needed this. Even though I'm married, most ofthe time my Spousal Unit can't give away to cruise!
So thank you! And Merry Christmasw to you and Mark!
I did SilverSea Silver Moon for Greek Islands and will again for western Mediterranean. Capacity is around 600 guests. Their supplement is 25%. That varies widely by ship and itinerary. I had a great time. I went shoulder season and it has no inside/solo cabins.