Booking as 1 person from Holland Americ, Costa, and others

I am trying to look for an eastern Mediterranean cruise for the spring or summer of this year. While NCL and Carnival let me set the number of passengers to 1 and see all the rates available to book as one person I do not see this option with Holland America and Costa cruises. I am mainly interested in rates that have no single supplement. How do I see the rates that are available for a single passenger?

Holland America is supposed to have a few single cabins. However every cruise I looked at requires to just pay for two people. I don't see how I can select their single cabins.

Costa doesn't even let me book after I select 1 person on any of their cruises that are 9-13 days. It does let me select shorter cruises but always just adds a single supplement to the total. So how do you book a longer cruise with them? Do you just add yourself twice as a passenger or what do you need to do?

Well I was able to find the "Zero single supplement option" under the "Special Discounts" on the Costa website. That option is just never available which means they are always sold out.

Any tips about searching for the single cabin rates with Holland America or other cruise lines?

Well I was able to find the "Zero single supplement option" under the "Special Discounts" on the Costa website. That option is just never available which means they are always sold out.

 

Any tips about searching for the single cabin rates with Holland America or other cruise lines?

They are not published and you need to call.

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Holland America has very few ships with single cabins. I believe Koningsdam (the newest in the fleet) and Prinsendam (the oldest) are the only ones with single cabins.

Holland Americas's booking site seems to have developed a glitch in the system when they last updated. When you go to do a dummy booking to find a price, it defaults to "2" and (after you answer about having a mariner number) then proceeds to "Stateroom". You have to click on "Edit" for "Cruise Details". They then let you enter "1" for "Number of Guests". You can then proceed through the rest of the screens.

On most sailings, HAL charges about 150-160% for solos in an ocean view or interior cabin. If you want a balcony or suite you will usually pay 200%.

 

Holland America is supposed to have a few single cabins. However every cruise I looked at requires to just pay for two people. I don't see how I can select their single cabins.

 

Another way to check for solo cruisers on the HAL site is to find the cruise of interest.Then hit the "view itinerary" link not the yellow "book now" link.

You will be taken to a page with prices for all cabins. Above the prices is the ships name, the sail date and the number of guests. 2 is the preset for number of guests, change to 1 then hit the yellow "book now" link to get the price for a solo cruiser in the cabin category selected.

Another way to check for solo cruisers on the HAL site is to find the cruise of interest.Then hit the "view itinerary" link not the yellow "book now" link.

 

You will be taken to a page with prices for all cabins. Above the prices is the ships name, the sail date and the number of guests. 2 is the preset for number of guests, change to 1 then hit the yellow "book now" link to get the price for a solo cruiser in the cabin category selected.

That's what I have been doing. It's a very tedious exercise. It would make sense to be able to filter the cruises by single occupancy price. All the cruises I looked at so far just cost double if you switch to 1 person

For Costa, have you looked at their UK website? Unlike the US version, the no-supplement cruise list actually has some shown, though they aren't always zero.

For Holland America, I find the shorter ones are normally double supplement for solos, while the 3+ week ones have a somewhat reduced supplement. For example, the 24 day Westerdam starting August 15th has a nice set of ports in the eastern Med and is 75% supplement for inside and OV.

If you care more about out-of-pocket cost than supplement % on HA, the cruise plum search engine can help, but you'll have to go somewhere else to book since it's a fan site not a travel agent.

For Costa, have you looked at their UK website? Unlike the US version, the no-supplement cruise list actually has some shown, though they aren't always zero.

 

For Holland America, I find the shorter ones are normally double supplement for solos, while the 3+ week ones have a somewhat reduced supplement. For example, the 24 day Westerdam starting August 15th has a nice set of ports in the eastern Med and is 75% supplement for inside and OV.

 

If you care more about out-of-pocket cost than supplement % on HA, the cruise plum search engine can help, but you'll have to go somewhere else to book since it's a fan site not a travel agent.

Could you give me the link to the Costa "no-supplement cruise list"?

Could you give me the link to the Costa "no-supplement cruise list"?

Gladly. Go to the link underneath from the Costa website and click the zero-supplement box under limited time offers.

http://www.costacruises.co.uk/gb/offers-cruises/index.html

Gladly. Go to link underneath from the Costa website and click the zero-supplement box under limited time offers.

http://www.costacruises.co.uk/gb/offers-cruises/index.html

Thanks. Looks like repositioning cruises only. Hope they have something else sometimes

I've never booked a single cabin on HAL, but have gotten some decent solo discounts on HAL when I booked an inside or outside cabin (no balcony). A lot depends on the itinerary and length of cruise.

Roz

Wow, Costa Favolosa transatlantic is 349 pounds in the UK ($436) but $910 USD. Unless I did something wrong, which is entirely possible, that is a big difference!

Thanks. Looks like repositioning cruises only. Hope they have something else sometimes

A couple of months ago they had a few 7 and 14 day cruises around the Indian ocean (India, Sri Lanka, somewhere else I can't remember). 7 days one way or 14 days round trip. UKP 350 or 400 for a couple of the 7 day ones. I think they were booking a month or two in advance.

Comes and goes, I guess.

Costa specific- make sure you're comparing apples to apples; Was Waterusa included, free cancellation, port charges and taxes, exact same cabin and amenity package? Costa does have different national marketing- different consumer protection laws, different cultural expectations, and yes, different what-the-market-will-bear. The national sites are supposed to be limited to residents, it's possible to work around but there are pitfalls for the unwary.

The OP originally wanted Eastern Med, this summer- too late for cheap cabins, too early for sell-offs, if any. Now he seems completely focused on cabins where the single supplement is included in the base rate, not shown separately; Time to re-state goals and priorities?

My question has been pretty much answered here. I don't think I will go with either Costa or Hal. I think I will stick with Norwegian for an eastern Mediterranean cruise unless I find someone to travel with.

I understand that Costa has no tap drinking water (even in the cabin?) and they make you pay for the water when you eat and not allow you to bring your own water to the restaurants even though the food is free?

That information varies from misleading (wasn't Waterusa mentioned?) to wrong (no water in cabin? absurd). Your source is not reliable.

NCL does sound like a good choice, some ships have single cabins where the single supplement is included in the base rate, not shown separately, although I don't think you'll get the itinerary you originally asked for with those ships.

That information varies from misleading (wasn't Waterusa mentioned?) to wrong (no water in cabin? absurd). Your source is not reliable.

NCL does sound like a good choice, some ships have single cabins where the single supplement is included in the base rate, not shown separately, although I don't think you'll get the itinerary you originally asked for with those ships.

What's the right information? The cabin has drinking water like on other ships. They charge you for the water in the restaurants and do not allow you to bring the water from the cabin?

:DA glass of water is free, if you want bottled / sparkling water you will pay.