Stateroom match service

JoeyandDavid · October 10, 2006

Question: Does anyone know if there such a business that matches single cruisers with others in order to avoid the single supplemental charge?

avie · October 10, 2006

Joey,

I imagine there are travel agents who will make such arrangements. I am familiar with one that puts together "single" cruises, and then will match up singles to avoid the singles surcharge. Also, I believe some cruise lines will do the same thing, but I am not sure of this. If you want the web site for the "singles" cruises, I can forward it to you.

Avie

JoeyandDavid · October 10, 2006

Cheryl is looking for a roomie for her 75 yo single mom...4 our cruise...

hazelson · October 11, 2006

You could try the AARP website - it has lots of info.

Joanandjoe · October 11, 2006

The article below, taken from another board, has two links to matching services. See "consider sharing a cabin", below. There apparently is a fee for the two web sites.

Cruise "Welcome Mat" Varies for Solos <]

In many ways cruising is an ideal getaway for solo travelers. It offers the respite of a resort getaway, pampering service, opportunities to meet like-minded folk and the chance to visit a new place almost every day. Indeed, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 24 cruise lines in the North American market, reports that as many as 15 percent more singles sailed in 2003 than in 2002. Lines that offer single cabins say that these are among the first to sell out.

Many cruise lines welcome singles with receptions to meet other solo passengers and have "gentlemen" dance hosts onboard to be sure women traveling alone do not feel like wallflowers when the band strikes up. Singles gatherings are usually held early in the cruise onboard ships of Carnival, Costa, Crystal, Discovery, Holland America, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Silversea, as well as Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2. Dance hosts can be found on Discovery World Cruises' MV Discovery; QE2; Orient's Marco Polo; Crystal, Regent and Silversea ships; and on longer voyages of Holland America and NCL vessels.

However, while solo cruising may well be on the rise, some lines are more welcoming than others. The biggest hurdle? The dreaded single supplement. Typically, many lines will charge a solo traveler who wants to occupy a cabin sans roommate an extra fee. This can range anywhere from 125 percent of the cruise fare to 200 percent (which, in essence, means you are paying the same price as a couple traveling together).

Another conundrum:<] Newer ships tend to feature uniform pre-fabricated cabins for two, so there are fewer single cabins to be found. Illustrating this trend, while Cunard's QE2 was built with 122 single cabins, the new Queen Mary 2 has none.

Besides the QE2, Costa, Peter Deilmann Cruises, Holland America, NCL, Orient Line and Swan Hellenic still have a few single cabins on some of their ships, and these tend to be the older ships. Saga Holidays is one of few companies offering single cabins in a variety of categories; Saga Ruby offers 92 single cabins, which make up almost 25 percent of the entire ship's accommodations. Another exception is Discovery World Cruises; while their ship MV Discovery has only two dedicated single cabins, 169 double cabins are also designated as singles and sold at a single rate. Peter Deilmann Cruises also offers a single rate on double cabins on most of their river ships.

Another snag for singles is that the industry's trend toward bigger and bigger ships makes it a bit harder to meet others who may be traveling alone (a bit like the difference between living in a small village and Manhattan). It can be more difficult to find these fellow passengers on ships with thousands of passengers.

Still, there are ways to make it work -- we've tried 'em all! Here are some suggestions.

Shop around for the lower supplement. <]Several cruise lines now add less than 25 percent to the per person rate for singles occupying a double cabin for certain cruises. These include: Crystal, Norwegian Coastal Voyages, Regent Seven Seas, Riverbarge, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, and Silversea. Seabourn and Swan Hellenic have only a 10 percent surcharge on higher category cabins. Since some of the upscale lines are those offering price breaks to solo cruisers, you may be able to afford a luxury ship rather than a mass market ship with a heavy supplement.

Keep tabs on the latest solo "sales." <]Many cruise lines offer price breaks on occasion, depending on the season and on how many cabins are booked on individual ships. These offerings can change from week to week. At press time, for example, Swan Hellenic and Discovery are among those who were waiving the single supplement entirely on selected itineraries. Crystal was offering just a 10 percent surcharge for sole occupancy of staterooms in outside cabins in categories A-E on the Crystal Symphony on some South America cruises between Fort Lauderdale and Buenos Aires . Silversea has lowered its surcharge to 10 percent on selected sailings from September to December. Norwegian Coastal Voyage has eliminated the single supplement on many of their ships. These deals may or may not be available still -- but the point is that they are offered and you have to look for them.

Consider sharing a cabin.<] Sharing a cabin with a stranger may not appeal to everyone, but it does mean savings. Fewer lines are offering roommate matching services than in the past, but Holland America, Princess and Swan Hellenic will try to fill these requests. You ask to be paired with a roommate when you book, and if the line can match you with another solo passenger of your sex, you will pay no extra supplement. However, if no match is available, the supplement still applies.

Here's a tip: If you are interested in finding a roommate and the cruise company cannot help, you might have luck with matching services such as travelcompanions.com or travelchums.com, which pair travel-minded single people for a fee. Members of these services post their travel plans and information about themselves, and it is up to each member to contact those who sound like compatible companions.

Choose a singles' cruise.<] Singles-only travel companies will usually try to match up cabin mates when they schedule cruises. They book groups on regular cruises on major cruise lines, insuring that you will have single company on board and usually offer a group leader and special activities for your own group in addition to the ship's activities. SinglesCruise.com (800-393-5000) is the largest of these, averaging a cruise per month for 250 - 500 single passengers. They offer to match you with someone of your sex and smoking preference, but make no guarantees on compatibility. If they cannot make a match, the single supplement will apply.

VacationsToGo.com (800-680-2858) now offers singles cruises featuring exclusive cocktail parties, mixers, games, group excursions, single-mingle dining and more -- they even offer roommate matching to avoid the single supplement. Once you've reserved your cruise, you'll get private access to a chat site where you can get to know other Vacations To Go singles before you set sail.

AimHigherTravel.com (877-752-1858), which now handles the singles cruises of its sister company, Majestic Sun Tours, continues the Majestic policy of guaranteed shares. If you book 65 days in advance and request a roommate, you will pay no supplement even if they are unable to find someone to share. Osolomio.com (800-959-8568) is another large singles tour specialist with cruises among its offerings. The Golden Age Travelers Club (800-258-8880) organizes cruises for seniors, and promises discounts on fares.

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises is one of the few lines to offer singles-designated cruises.

Last Minute Traveler Alert: <]Some cruise lines may extend a solo discount on close-in sailings. Good resources for this late-breaking info include x's free weekly Last Minute Cruise Sails e-letter (click here to register); also check out the message boards (go to special interest cruising, then click on singles).

Once You've Booked a Cabin<]

There's an art to traveling singly -- and happily. Unless you're cruising solo to get away from people, here are some suggestions for mixing and mingling.

Get involved.<] The best way to meet people on board is to take part in activities, so choose a ship offering things you like to do (beyond the de rigueur singles' social), such as intriguing programs, classes or workshops. In that arena, two standouts are Cunard's QM2, which has teamed up with Britain's illustrious Oxford University to offer courses on topics ranging from classic to funky, and Crystal Cruises, which has an outstanding overall series.

Make friends with the cruise director.<] If you tell the cruise director you want to meet other singles on board, he may be able to help with introductions.

Try the piano bar<]. Sociable sing-alongs are a good way to make friends. A veteran cruiser also suggests visiting the bars and lounges on board the first night at sea. That's when other singles are most likely to be roaming to see who is on board, she says, and if no one is around, they may not return.

Choose compatible dinner partners.<] You will be seeing your dinner companions every night, so it is important that you enjoy them. Ships with assigned dining scenarios, such as Celebrity, Crystal and Royal Caribbean, offer a built-in social component (and do not be shy about asking a maitre 'd for a new table if the passengers at your original seating aren't compatible). Often, requests to be seated with other solo cruisers will be honored if possible. Also, a later seating means less families.

Take the ship's shore excursions. <]This is my favorite tried-and-true way to meet others; the wackier the excursion the more likely there will be a bonding opportunity.

A Mega-Ship Tip:<] Large ships offer glamour and lots of activities, but it can be easy to lose a potential friend in the crowd. You may meet someone you'd like to see again, but never run into them by chance. Try making up cards with your name and cabin number. That way new friends will know how to reach you to arrange to get together again.