What Travelling Solo Means - the Wheels & the Deals

What travelling solo means – the wheels and the deals.

Anyone who is, or has been a single traveller, has experienced the moment.  It's the one where you spy a great price for a tour or cruise – only to see it gilded with the dreaded asterisk.  Sure enough, it's a twin-share deal that requires a travel companion. Thanks to a healthy rise in the proportion of solo travellers on both tours and cruises, the good news is that the travel industry now caters to travellers who don’t want to be financially penalised for globetrotting solo.

When travelling solo, imposing a single supplement allows tour companies to offer a room normally occupied by two people to someone who prefers to enjoy the comfort of their own room. We believe that travelling solo shouldn’t mean having to pay more. To help you plot and plan your next travel experience, we’ve rounded up an array of trusted tour and cruise brands that offer solo traveller deals, be that reduced-price single supplements or even special solo traveller tour departures. Our advice is to be flexible. Discounts may not be offered at the exact time you hoped to travel but there may be alternate dates or itineraries which offer the same program with a saving. And when you see an itinerary you like, don’t hesitate to lock it in because single traveller offers are often capacity controlled and based on supply and demand.

In further good news, it’s also possible to travel on a twin share basis, where many tour operators will match you with a same-gender companion and of similar age. And where noted, if they’re unable to find a match, you’ll be allocated a single room for the twin share rate.

Travelling solo doesn’t always mean you’re alone. You meet marvellous people along the way and make connections that last a lifetime.

ALBATROSS

Albatross Tours offers very reasonably priced single supplements; it costs less than $100 per day additional on many of their tours. This guarantees you get your own single room while travelling.

AVALON WATERWAYS

Avalon Waterways waive the single supplement on selected European river cruises. This can represent savings of over $6000 on selected cruises.

CELEBRITY CRUISES

Celebrity Cruises have introduced a new wave of solo travel accommodations. Some of Celebrity Edge’s staterooms are designed just for passengers travelling alone, offering the same comfortable and luxurious amenities as standard rooms.

COSMOS

Save on the single supplement! Globus can pair you in share twin room with a fellow traveller of the same gender. And if they can’t, you get a single room, and only pay the share twin cost.

Many Cosmos tours offer the single supplement at very reasonable cost.

CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES

Cruise & Maritime offers a limited number of single cabins across all its ships, as well as several benefits for those cruising solo. Staterooms range from Inner Single to Standard Ocean View.

CUNARD

Cunard offers a limited number of Britannia Single Inside and Britannia Single Outside staterooms at preferential cost on all ships.

GLOBUS

Save on the single supplement! Globus can pair you in share twin room with a fellow traveller of the same gender. And if they can’t, you get a single room, and only pay the share twin cost.

Many Globus tours offer the single supplement at very reasonable cost.

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

Holland America Line offers a limited number of single staterooms aboard both Nieuw Amsterdam and Koningsdam at preferential cost.

INSIGHT VACATIONS

Save on the single supplement! Insight can pair you in a share twin room with a fellow traveller of the same gender. And if they can’t, you get a single room, and only pay the share twin cost.

On selected itineraries, you can enjoy up to 100% off standard single supplements.

INTREPID

Intrepid Travel offers the sharing option on every trip and has launched dedicated departures for solo travellers on popular, Bali, Cuba, India, Morocco, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam expeditions.

The single supplement is offered on many tours and expeditions at very reasonable cost.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Norwegian Cruise Line was the first cruise line to build staterooms and common areas specifically for the single cruiser. Their Studios are the perfect sized room for solo cruising and the Studio Lounge is a great way to meet other single cruisers.

Further, NCL offers a Solo Cruiser Discount with reduced single supplements for regular staterooms on selected cruises.

ON THE GO TOURS

On the Go Tours will pair you in a twin room with a fellow traveller of the same gender. And on some tours, you can book your own room, at no additional cost!

P&O CRUISES AUSTRALIA

P&O Cruises has a limited range of single staterooms including - Single Inside, Single Sea View and Single Balcony at preferential cost.

PEREGRINE ADVENTURES

Save on already low single supplements. Peregrine Adventures can pair you in a twin room with a fellow traveller of the same gender. And if they can’t, you get a single room, and only pay the share twin cost.

Most Peregrine Adventures offer the single supplement at very reasonable cost.

PONANT

Enjoy no single supplement payable on selected Ponant expeditions.

REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES

Enjoy special single supplements starting at only 25% above the advertised per person fare on selected voyages.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Royal Caribbean offers a Studio Interior stateroom and Studio Virtual Balcony across an array of ships, at preferential cost.

SILVERSEA

Silversea offers solo travellers single supplements starting at only 10% above their Silver Privilege Fares. Every voyage includes a welcoming reception to make it easier to meet and mingle with other solo travellers.

TAUCK RIVER CRUISES

Solo Travellers enjoy special savings in category 1 staterooms – no single supplement on all European River Cruises.

TRAFALGAR

Save on the single supplement! Trafalgar can pair you in a share twin room with a fellow traveller of the same gender. And if they can’t, you get a single room, and only pay the share twin cost.

On many specially crafted itineraries, you can enjoy up to 100%* off standard single supplements.

UNIWORLD

Uniworld has released a great range of itineraries and dates with either waived or reduced single supplements.

WENDY WU TOURS

Wendy Wu Tours now offer a selected series of tours, created especially for solo travellers, and with no single supplement to pay.