Daunting, lonely, well the term being single sums up the whole picture in between having a relationship and developing another. Sometimes this is a period of time for reflection and at other times a chance to escape and discover yourself more as well as seek out new people and fun things to do.
You’re not alone, up to 40% of the UK population is single at any one moment in time. Single people go to work, they socialise with friends and mates but occasionally they’re not always available to enjoy being in your life and you have to find something else to do. One of the pitfalls of being single is sometimes you have to get up and do things off your own back. That, after all, is how you ended up not being single in the first place – for better or worse.
Depending on your personality, whether insular or outgoing. You may need a shove by family or friends to get out and about but others look forward to the break and the ability to only think of one’s self and what enjoyment you can get out of life. A single life doesn’t need to mean lonely or insecure, in fact it can mean the exact opposite.
Going out and being single is a chance to meet new people and discover new activities. As soon as you start to embark on the new journey as a singular entity again, you begin to make friends at the yoga group or on that activity tour which is why the idea of going on a singes cruise has grown in popularity year on year and why cruise liners are trying to attract people like you!
For years, decades, cruise ship holidays were about the family and older generation in-particular. Older generation cruise ships still in service cater mostly for the over 50’s who welcome relaxation, dining and dancing. Today cruise lines know to offer more in the way of entertainment, especially for families with children in town. No matter what age, from zip lines to land and shore tours that as well as cultural allow for adventurous activities like climbing and kayaking.
So it was a natural progression that cruise ships would begin to capture more of the singles holiday market with tailor made singles cruise ship holidays. If you’re single you’re now tempted with more activities, more group events so singles can meet each other and get to know more about their fellow passengers who are seeking out adventure without a relationship.
Previously cost was also a factor. Cruise ships tend not to be made for the individual seeking sun and fun. Double rooms with an additional supplement and single rooms no bigger than a box were not that enticing. However more and more cruise lines are offering singles cruises with money off supplements – a no brainer. Let’s find out more about singles cruises.
Singles Cruises For Over 40s/50s
As generations pass, depending on our own age, we’ve come to think that life ends or begins at age 50. So seeing singles cruises for both those aged 40 and 50 could make you feel a little sea sick.
But as thirty is the new twenty and seventy the new fifty, our bodies staying trim through to older age and our looks staying on board. All of us including the cruise liners are figuring out that at any stage in our lives we enjoy adventure and life as much as before.
There are specialist cruise liners for the older generation who have been there and done it but want to see more. Saga for instance cater entirely for the over 55s and offer a more historic cruise ship journey, less about zip lines and more zimmer frames and relaxation and spas than all out surf simulators.
So with Saga you are almost guaranteed the opportunity to buy into a singles cruise holiday and a single cabin with no single supplementary charge made on your booking. the same is also true of Fred Olsen cruise liners. Although catering for all ages, their cruise ships are typically old styled so finding single cabins at the right price is never a problem.
Cruise ship sailing began with the trend setters, monied globe trotters and business people of their time, the upper classes. With the working classes positioned nearest to the hull. Then the next generation of cruise ships catered for so called pensioner holidays. A chance to relax and see the world at a slower pace in an environment within their own age group, enabling single travellers the other side of 55 and 60 to find people to socialise with and stay within tour groups when ashore.
So whether you’re single and have youth on your side or if you’re an upwardly mobile senior citizen or a gentleman or lady in your thirties or forties, there are single cruises that are either especially adapted to your age group or absolutely welcoming of the solo cruise traveller. With plenty of opportunity to join managed tours, meet other people and join in activities no matter your age group.
The Singles Cruises And Supplements Charge
In recent years there has been a big pull away from package holidays towards individual planning and apartment booking. Resorts are still busy and an option but after decades of being the child of parents taking the easy and cheap deal to discover a country, the tide has turned towards independent holidays which makes the world of holidays for singles a much brighter destination.
Cruise ship holidays operated much the same way as package holidays, cabins for two people. Deals for two people or families. Deals for groups but if you were to consider a holiday for one person you were treated as weird, an expense or a pariah.
Twenty or even five to ten years ago, if you were to embark on a singles holiday or singles cruise you would foot the bill for two people and may even be shocked to find you’d pay more than two people might for a cabin. Not all of us wish to ‘enjoy’ a club 18 to 30 style resort – and pay for that pleasure.
Playing for two and the increase supplement is no longer the case on all cruise ships and singles cruises are wide open to deals and offers to entice you into boarding popular cruise ships just as any couple or family might expect.
On select cruise ships you also need not worry about the cabins. A change of heart all round sees staterooms more than accommodating for singles as box rooms for single passengers are thrown out for a more inviting singles cruise experience. Albeit a cabin possibly positioned elsewhere in the ship are a supplementary charge for location rather than a charge for simply daring to go on holiday on your own.
There are several cruise liners that offer no single supplement singles cruises. Cruise ships offering these deals can be found with:
- Norwegian Cruise Line – http://www.ncl.com
- P&O Cruises – http://www.pocruises.com
- and Fred Olsen – http://www.fredolsencruises.com
While they do state no supplement, sometimes the rooms can be equal to that of a shared couple if the location of the cabin is in a better area of the ship or with balcony. You simply need to apply the same method of comparing singles cruise cabins in much the same manner as you would any other hotel room.
Many of the greatest cruise ship lines like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises all offer discounted single supplements as the departure date of the cruise ship nears. All cruises have an inventory to ensure is full before setting sail. It’s risky to hold out but if you have a few options for an holiday, waiting until the last minute to get the best discount on a single supplement to heve a true singles cruise could be a risk worth taking.
That said, Holland America, Princess and Crystal are some of the most welcome. While they haven’t dropped so far as to offer no single supplement yet, you can often find discounts for single travellers of up to 25% on many of their cruise ships and destinations. The aforementioned cruises are all a lot more sole friendly and while not solo cruises, are geared towards offering entertainment and facilities for all types of passenger.
You do however need to he wary of any additional packages that are touted by the cruise liner. Invariably meal packages, drinks packages and other money packages for your stay on the cruise may be for two people, so unless you drink or eat a lot, you may wish to circumvent any package not entirely tailored towards the singles cruise passenger.
When it comes to singles cruises it has often been the supplements that puts people off. Why pay twice to venture to an exotic destination when you can go somewhere else and visit two cities for the same price, twice in a year. Why pay twice to eat more than you can when money can go on other activities?
Thankfully no single supplements and discount single supplements are becoming the norm as the single person and single traveller is being tempted to journey with some of the world’s best known cruise ships.
Share A Cabin And Find A Partner Singles Cruises
Depending on how you approach life you may find throwing yourself in the deep end by sharing a cabin with a total stranger a little unsettling. However this is an option with many of the cruise liners and ensures you don’t need to seek out the no single supplements or wait for discounted offers and deals.
The cabin share is organised by the cruise liner and aims to find an appropriate room mate for your journey, same age, same sex but if it was me, hopefully an entirely different sleep pattern – a vampire for example! Cruise liners which actively offer shared cabins for singles cruise travellers are Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Lines, Fred Olsen and P&O Cruises.
The find a partner scheme is offered on most cruise ships before booking, enabling you to share a cabin without any additional supplements being levied. A situation possibly more suited for short cruise journeys so that by the time you get to know your room mate, the journey is over. Ok, so it may not be my cup of tea and the whole idea about going on a singles cruise is to meet other people and it could save you a lot of money at the outset.
Meeting Others On Board And On Land And Shore Tours
Singles cruises don’t really exist, yet. You can find cruises for the over 50’s, cruises involving hedonism and a variety of adventure tours with expedition cruises to far flung and desolate locations but cruises for single people are generally mixed affairs. For now at least.
So if a cruise for a single person isn’t wholly adapted for a single traveller experience how will you cope? How can you meet other people? You’re not green and have pointy ears, although that may make you more friends quicker. The secret of embarking upon a singles cruise holiday is that you won’t be on your own for long. Or that you can manage the companions and the time you spend with them as you and they see fit.
The majority of cruises from Royal Caribbean to Carnival and Crystal all have a vested interest in seeing passengers get along. Whether you have chosen to pay a 100% single supplement or you are sharing a cabin with a stranger, there are several ways of breaking the ice without even trying:
- Meal times, as long as you’re not eating in your cabin, are the perfect time to find a table and enjoy the entertainment and food on offer. Invariably you will find yourself seated with others which makes for the perfect time to introduce yourself and get through those awkward few minutes of chewing your food and acknowledging your company while applauding the singer or act on stage. On occasions you will have open dinging arrangement also which enable you to sit anywhere you like which makes for an interesting scenario.
- Then there’s the pool side natter. Whether you’re at the bar or relaxing on a lounger in between dives into the pool. There’s plenty of opportunity to talk to the person next to you or order a surprise drink for that handsome hunk – married with two children and or beautiful woman – captain’s daughter and has a relationship with the doctor, but who would’ve known if you hadn’t have said hello first!
Sometimes originality is the best practice and the old routines of meeting new people really do still work. However if you’re really shy and just looking for a good holiday alone without the romance and detailed chatter, book yourself on one of the many cruise ship guided tours.
You will be invited to join a coach tour where you can greet and meet other passengers interested in the same activity and you may well spend a few hours or an entire afternoon getting to know your activity or interest while joking and passing comment to those around you. Suddenly your singles cruise is paying off, you’re still single but have the six degrees of cruise ship networking working away without any effort at all.
Land and shore tours and activities are perfect for meeting others and getting to know people briefly, before possibly arranging to meet later at another event or bumping into them at a club or in the hall way. Cruise ship activities on board are equally suitable event for getting to know others, whether wine tasting or reversing out of doing the on board zip line.
If you still haven’t met anyone, then there’s always your happy cruise staff. The trusted reps will soon charge you up and get your geared towards meeting new people, offering ideas and events that are best suited for single traveller seeking out new friendships, however short term. Then of course there’s that Mr Bean moment, one step for man, one giant leap for the sole cruiser, the welcoming party for singles. Go on, have some dutch courage and dive in!
Activities And Events For Single People
If you’re like me then you’re not always comfortable doing things on your own. Which is why when self determining your future on a singles cruise it’s best to pair up or make friends as soon as you get on board. Though it’s not always essential to do so immediately. For starters you have the welcoming party for all the singles, should they wish to attend.
Then you have a great swathe of on board cruise activities and events to choose from, before getting to the really fruity action of shore and land excursions. The important aspect of your cruise holiday is doing things you like and activities that are new to you. While this is an article about singles cruises and solo travellers, the actual activities and events on a cruise ship are no different to those offered to all passengers.
Bar a few exceptions. If you’re a female traveller you have access to the cruise ship’s dedicated gentleman dancer program. When travelling with Holland America, Cunard or Crystal and NCL simply book a date with a cruise ship dedicated dancer and you’re evening’s wishes will be fulfilled. In some instances there may be female dances but as stats go, female single cruisers outnumber male singles three to one, so availability of males is short.
It may be worthwhile planning out your activities also. For instance if you’re on a seven day cruise or longer, it may be an idea to separate activities and shore excursions from that that require a partner or friends to break up the day or to enjoy the activity more.
A singles cruise schedule may run a little something like this, just so you get to know people before you truly get into experiencing the new activities or team events. Seek out wine tasting or dancing and follow up with some open dining, float around the pool, enjoy the spa, get seen on the zip lines or in the clubs.
On deck during the day you will find team sports organised, football, basketball, bowls, any number of activities organised by the cruise ship to keep people occupied and singles cruise holiday makers like yourself buy, entertained and meeting new people. Once you have immersed yourself in the cruise activities you should now have met several people who share similar interests or wish to discover new with you.
A few days in and your first port of call, now is the time to start addressing those land shore excursions. Join a guided tour and stay single or arrange that kayaking or hiking trip and cultural visit with new friends that you made. The no strings attached singles cruise can be as successful and committed as you wish it to be and all the activities can be enjoyed with a little forethought placed on whether you need to know someone beforehand to really enjoy it.
This is the key to travelling as a solo person on a singles cruise ship holiday. They are Singles Cruises that are not quite singles cruises. Before you know it, you will be laughing on board and making those same bad jokes that get a laugh back home with people that were unknown to you just days before.
Singles Cruises For The Younger Generations
Everything you read about singles cruises and holidays for singles on board cruise ships will have one thing in common. The idea that the occasion will at first be daunting, but hopefully as we’ve explained that isn’t necessarily the case. And at the end of it all you may not be all that single after all.
As you get older there is a tendency to be less outgoing, shy and retiring and while it’s possible that you have youth on your side and are still a little shy, invariably teenagers and those in their twenties know what they want, party and go all out for it. Experiencing new activities and treating life as an adventure, pushing themselves to their limits.
Can a singles cruise really offer entertainment and satisfaction and money well spent? Of course it can. Much like any city high street, there are clubs with trendy music, the swimming pools with plenty of young and single people. Then of course there are the land and shore excursions, get cultured up with a visit to a castle or museum and get chatting or experience some true adventures with 4 x 4 racing or safari.
Meeting new people is easy, having youth on your side allows for more open relationships with no strings attached and as long as all you meet and greet are able to respect you and don’t crowd your singles cruise experience, the world and the cruise ship is your oyster.
Whether you’re looking to go all out clubbing on cruise ship and shore, learn new talents in dance, cooking or take in a few cultural lectures. Perhaps drinking or dining all day long and getting a tan in the sun and visiting beaches is your thing, I’m sure that’s a favourite of others your age too.
Talking of dining… cruise liners tend to match up dinner table guests with people of their same age or interests and if that doesn’t pan out, there’s the open dining possibilities too, where you can choose where you wish to sit.
Singles cruises are for people of all ages, of all cultures, whether you’re divorced, just broke up with a girlfriend, seeking companionship or a new love, all is possible if you put yourself out there and what better way than a single cruise which has adventure and planned activities scheduled before you even pack your bags.
As long as you manage to balance the costs of no singles supplements and get a discount. Find a way to get past the uneasy ‘we’re all single and know it’ welcoming party and through yourself into a few events and sit at dinner tables with strangers, then the task of fully enjoying your singles holiday is already on a path to success. From Cunard to Carnival and Royal Caribbean, once you return, you’ll be wishing you were single again!