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Single Cruisers Can Go With A Group Or on Their Own by Mary Hanna
Single cruising is a lot of fun because of the friendly people you meet. Many cruise lines have special parties for single cruising passengers so that you can get to know your other single cruisers.
However, if you are a first time cruiser it is recommended that you go on an organized single cruise. There are a lot of reasons for this. First of all you are guaranteed that there will be other singles on board. As a group you will have all kinds of special activities. The first night of your cruise the group will hold a cocktail party. It is a kind of "getting to know" you soiree for the entire single cruising group. There are other advantageous, sometimes they arrange a hotel stay the night before the cruise so you will already know who your fellow single cruisers are. During the cruise they will host games, organize group tours and of course, group dining. The organizers sometime set up message boards so the group can talk before the singles cruise begins.
Don't try to go around the travel agency that is organizing the singles cruise because you think you can get it cheaper. Yes, you will be on the cruise with all the singles, but you won't be able to participate in the activities. The organizing travel agency will issue identification for the group of single cruisers and will have security at the functions so there will be no crashing the party. I spoke to a guy once who tried to do this and found out to late that he would be excluded. He even tried to pay to get into the activities but that was not allowed, so he missed out.
There are always questions on whether or not you should book a single cabin or take the risk of a roommate assigned by either the cruise line or the organizing travel agency. This depends on how agreeable you are. Of course, you might end up with someone who is rude, so you are taking a chance. If you don't want to take the chance, book your own cabin which will be a bit more expensive.
The travel agency will try to pick someone that is compatible. Criteria such as age, a smoker or not, and naturally, sex are used when trying to match cabin mates. If you opt to let them choose a cabin mate they may supply you an email address to contact the cabin mate so you can set some rules in advance. Find out what your cabin mates sleep habits are. If you're an early riser and your cabin mate likes to party, there will be a problem. Be flexible, the other person may want to set some rules too. The biggest problem with a stranger in the cabin on a singles cruise is that they might meet someone special and want to use the cabin for a few hours with you not in it.
The organizing travel agency will set up the dining arrangements. If after the first night you are uncomfortable with your table talk to the Maitre D' he will help you. From the information I have gotten, the organizing travel agency will usually mix the tables up every night so that everyone has a chance to interact. That is the ideal solution. If you have taken the plunge solo and booked your own cruise the same goes for you, speak to the Maitre D' and he will help you. Many ships now have a variety of dining options where you and pick where you want to eat and when.
Younger single cruisers should stick to three and four day cruises. One, because they're cheaper and two, you don't use up a lot of vacation time. Pick a three day cruise on a weekend that falls on a holiday and you won't use up any vacation time at all. Three days is a short time to meet people, but single cruisers are sailing with the intention of meeting people so they won't be shy. If you booking this on your own, research which cruise lines offer special single cruising dates. The over 40 crowd will be on longer cruises because they have more money and time.
If you are a single parent and you want to cruise with your kids choose a line that has a good children's program. That way your kids are supervised and you are free to do what you please. Many travel agencies are catering to this need and are setting up single cruises for parents and their kids. So do some research to find agencies that are offering a program for single parent cruisers with children.
If you are a single cruiser and you don't want to go on an organized single cruise, there are message boards out there where people post that they are looking for a roommate. It's a gamble, but if you really want to take a cruise and need to save money it is an option. There are two ways to do this. Choose a singles cruise; get the prices and the post a message to see if there are any takers. Or pick a date or an itinerary, do your post and see if anyone else is interested. It's risky but if someone answers your post you have plenty of time to talk over the internet to see if you are compatible.
Single cruising is fun but don't set your heart on finding that special someone. Take a single cruise with the idea of having fun and meeting new people that may become fast friends. Chances that you will meet your life mate are very small but it will be fun trying. Maybe, when you least expect it, your dream will come true.
For more mature female cruiser, look to the fancier cruise lines. They are a bit pricier but they usually have dance hosts and will seat you with the single gentlemen for dining.
Some cruise lines have seen the advantage of attracting single cruisers and have lessened the single supplement. In the past Crystal, Radisson and Sliversea have reduced their single cruisers supplements. These are all luxury lines.
For you single cruisers who want to brave it on your own here are some cruise lines that offer single cabins.
Cunard's QE2 was built with 122 single cabins, the new Queen Mary 2 has none. Besides the QE2, only 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. One exception to the rule 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.
Call your travel agent and talk about single cruising and what's best for you.
Happy Cruising!
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship. Visit her websites at: Cruising Tips Cruise Travel and Cruise Reviews
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