Booking single cruise. How?

[michaelbr]

How do you book a single cruise? through an agency? cruise line website? or any other method?

I've seen only 1 website publishing single cruise (sorry, I'm not allowed to publish its name, there's only published price, no booking, not sure if the price is real), then I went to the cruise line website, but there's no single rate, how do you book single cruise with cruise line?

ps: there are other few sites which said has single cruise with low supplement, when you click on the link, it takes you to cruise lines' site.

[jimdee3636]

I'm sure others will have different opinions, but I suggest starting with a good cruise-oriented travel agent. And then tell him or her the general itinerary and time of year you're looking for, but that you want to know only the "solo" fares.

 

I'm not necessarily saying you should book the lowest-priced quote (you may feel that paying 40-50% more for a better ship or cruise line is worth it), but you'll at least have the facts in front of you in order to make an informed decision.

 

Jim

 

[Jamietravelstheworld]

I agree with Jim. A good travel agent who specializes in cruises is important. There are several cruise lines that now have cabins specifically for solo travelers - but these cabins are small and generally not in the best locations, and the prices are not necessarily half the price of a double cabin. I know that NCL, Oceania, and Celebrity have solo cabins, but there are only a few on the ships that have them. Rather than searching for them, ask a travel agent. Some cruise lines, such as Azamara, will have solo specials for cruises that aren't fully booked, if you're flexible and can book on short notice and are less concerned about destination.

[Honolulu Blue]

On 1/11/2024 at 2:41 AM, michaelbr said:

How do you book a single cruise? through an agency? cruise line website? or any other method?

I've mostly booked directly, though I have done the TA thing a few times.

 

I generally suggest an agency for potential cruisers who have a broad range of options and need expertise to sift through them.

[michaelbr]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

I've mostly booked directly, though I have done the TA thing a few times.

You mean directly from cruise line? I don't see an option for single, or you just put in for 1 person, whatever price showed up is the one for single?

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, michaelbr said:

You mean directly from cruise line? I don't see an option for single, or you just put in for 1 person, whatever price showed up is the one for single?

I mean online, directly from the cruise line. I have always seen an option for one person, though it's not always the easiest thing to find.

[jimdee3636]

15 hours ago, Jamietravelstheworld said:

I agree with Jim. A good travel agent who specializes in cruises is important. There are several cruise lines that now have cabins specifically for solo travelers - but these cabins are small and generally not in the best locations, and the prices are not necessarily half the price of a double cabin. I know that NCL, Oceania, and Celebrity have solo cabins, but there are only a few on the ships that have them. Rather than searching for them, ask a travel agent. Some cruise lines, such as Azamara, will have solo specials for cruises that aren't fully booked, if you're flexible and can book on short notice and are less concerned about destination.

Jamie:

 

To your list of cruise lines that have single-occupancy cabins, let me add HAL. Two of their "Pinnacle Class" ships---the Koningsdam and the Nieuw Statendam---each have a total of twelve single-occupancy ocean view cabins (six on each side) at the very front of the ship on Deck 1, ranging in size from 135 to 172 square feet. They're under the theater, which means that any noise from above should be over by 10:30PM at the latest, with very little noise during the day. I just booked one for a four-night repositioning cruise, Vancouver to San Diego, October 22-26, 2024, for $394.00 plus about $130.00 in port charges and taxes, which is over $100.00 cheaper than a single-occupancy inside cabin on the same cruise.

 

Jim

 

[SoloAlaska]

A single cruise and cruising solo is two very different things. I know single cruises use to be a thing but not sure how much they are now. We were talking about this at Christmas since my uncles only cruise was a singles cruise way back in the day.

 

NCL has lots of solo cabins now with pretty much every category and there should be a solo meet-up every night before dinner. My first night on Gem almost 200 people showed up but that number later in the cruise was closer to 30 which was a nice size group. There were reserved tables in the MDR we would go to as a group and the solo coordinator was great. 
 

if your looking for solo you can just book your own trip after some research but if your looking for singles cruise then that is usually done as a partial charter.

[calliopecruiser]

Crystal also has a few cabins priced for solo occupancy -- they're actually the same cabins as the doubles, but they are more forward, and they're priced lower than the single supplement would be on the double cabin. 

[Clonmelgal]

Solo cabins are often much more than a good deal on a regular cabin. Every cruiseline asks how many occupants per cabin, just default to one. I don't know about the single supplement?  I just double the amount listed for one person. A solo doesn't pay double the port fees and taxes. The cruiseline itself will do the math and tell you what you'll pay at the end of the process. Go all the way to the final amount for that cabin and see if that's what you want to pay for your trip. If I see a cruise advertised for $545 a person, Oceanview cabin, I know I'll pay about $1100.00 plus taxes and port fees for one. I've been on two cruises with two different cruise lines and that's always how it has worked.

PS that's how hotel rooms work too. You pay for the room regardless of whether there is one or two occupants. Good luck! A cruise is a great way to travel if you are traveling solo. It's very safe and can be amazing.

[michaelbr]

Thanks so much for this tip, it took me a while to figure this one out, it's much appreciated.

[sambamama]

Find a good TA and work with them. Their agency may have a deal that gets you a better deal. They know the lines, the routes, etc. They deal with any hassles with the cruise line. Mine  checks for price drops, and sees if the cruise line will upgrade my cabin. 

[lostsoulcruiser]

On 1/11/2024 at 2:41 AM, michaelbr said:

How do you book a single cruise? through an agency? cruise line website? or any other method?

I've seen only 1 website publishing single cruise (sorry, I'm not allowed to publish its name, there's only published price, no booking, not sure if the price is real), then I went to the cruise line website, but there's no single rate, how do you book single cruise with cruise line?

ps: there are other few sites which said has single cruise with low supplement, when you click on the link, it takes you to cruise lines' site.

Others have replied regarding T/As so I'll let that be.

When I want to see a solo cruise price on-line, I will start with the cruise line and change the # of guests to 1 (standard is 2) and you can watch the prices changes. 

[michaelbr]

On 3/11/2024 at 6:11 PM, lostsoulcruiser said:

Others have replied regarding T/As so I'll let that be.

When I want to see a solo cruise price on-line, I will start with the cruise line and change the # of guests to 1 (standard is 2) and you can watch the prices changes. 

Thanks so much for this tip, now I understand it.

[michaelbr]

On 3/11/2024 at 12:57 AM, sambamama said:

Find a good TA and work with them. Their agency may have a deal that gets you a better deal. They know the lines, the routes, etc. They deal with any hassles with the cruise line. Mine  checks for price drops, and sees if the cruise line will upgrade my cabin. 

understood, thanks

[Clonmelgal]

I've worked with two agency's so far and neither o e has helped . I ended up paying more for one cruise than through the cruiseline itself. They chose my cabin and it wasn't what I wanted at all. 

From now one I'm booking  myself through the company.

[michaelbr]

2 hours ago, Clonmelgal said:

I've worked with two agency's so far and neither o e has helped . I ended up paying more for one cruise than through the cruiseline itself. They chose my cabin and it wasn't what I wanted at all. 

From now one I'm booking  myself through the company.

That's my feeling too.

[sambamama]

You may pay a bit more using a TA than booking with the cruiser line. That's to be expected. Will the cruise line track if the price drops? Does the cruise line help you pick the best line, itinerary, and cabin? Help with airfare? Give you personalized advice? Let you know what package may be best for you? Find out if there are special rates for you? Possibly rebate  some of the price back? If the price drops, get your cabin upgraded? That's what mine has done. She lets me know about special deals, too. No cruise line does that. And if the TA booked you a bad cabin, you are A) working with a bad TA and B) not doing your due diligence.

[shippmates]

Some time it is less expensive to book a double occupancy cabin opposed to a single cabin.  There are not many single cabins on each ship.  When searching on some of the cruise lines they have cabin category for single cabins. If working with a T/A, they may get an advance notice of when a cruise line is having a sale with reduced single supplements or no supplement.  You may want to look for an agent that would be willing to send you notice of these sales.