If you're burnt out and in desperate need of a relaxing solo vacation with minimal planning and money spent, cruises can be a great option.
Vacationing on a cruise ship is generally more economical and convenient than staying in a hotel. After all, the price to sail includes a built-in day-to-day schedule, accommodations, unlimited food, access to the pool deck, and even entertainment.
There's just one caveat: If you want to cruise alone, you could find yourself spending twice as much as you might've budgeted for. And that's all thanks to a not-so-little "single supplement" fee.
If you're not careful, this fee could add hundreds of dollars to your vacation
Most cruise ship staterooms are designed for two people. To make up for lost revenue from addons like drink packages, shore excursions, and other extras, some cruise lines will charge single travelers who book a double occupancy stateroom a "single supplement" fee on top of the base per person fare.
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With luxury brand Silversea, this fee starts at an additional 25%. On cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, this charge can double the cruise fare. If you're lucky, during select times of the year, Virgin Voyages will waive this charge, a spokesperson told Insider. But for the most part, expect to pay extra.
But this doesn't mean you have to give up on the solo cruise vacation of your dreams. To meet the demands of these independent travelers, cruise lines like Oceania, Norwegian, and Virgin Voyages have designated staterooms for solo passengers with no additional fee.
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More cruise lines are adding single-person cabins to their new ships
More people have been opting to travel alone, and it seems these cruise lines are now taking notice.
Almost 10% of travelers with the Virgin Voyages sail without a companion, a spokesperson for the adults-only cruise line told Insider. To accommodate them, its four-ship fleet has a total of 46 solo interior and ocean-view cabins.
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In 2023, premium cruise brand Oceania's new Vista vessel set sail with its first-ever single-person "concierge level" veranda staterooms. Like Oceania, in a first for Princess Cruises, the upcoming Sun Princess will sail in 2024 with accommodations designed for single travelers as well.
At the same time, Norwegian has announced a massive move in the solo cruise market. The cruise giant, which says it was the first to create solo cruising accommodations in 2010, has historically seen success with these hotel rooms at sea. To field this demand, the company will add an additional almost 1,000 of them to its 19-ship fleet in 2024. This will bring its total number of single-person accommodations to over 1,500.
And they won't just be dingy interior staterooms:Expect balcony and ocean-view cabins as well. On some of its ships, passengers in these accommodations will also have access to a private lounge dedicated to these independent travelers.
So the next time you book a solo cruise, keep an eye out for these single-person accommodations. If you don't, you could spend more than you expected.
