The Solo traveller

[heilan]

Why do cruise lines still charge double for Solo's we certainly have a stateroom to ourselves but we don,t make twice the mess or use twice the towels and when it comes to food we don,t eat twice as much/we take up one seat at dinner/shows public areas there are quite a lot of us about and with some consideration there could be a lot more

[VAW]

Well said Solo Traveller, I couldn't agree more. I really enjoy cruising but the cost of solo cruising is becoming prohibitive. I am convinced that if cruise lines reduced their single supplements to 25% or even 50%, there would be many people who would jump at the chance to cruise. How about it Fred Olsen?

[Nathan Philpot]

Thanks you for your question which I’ll attempt to answer. In simple terms it’s down to a ship’s configuration and economics. Typically, a 500 cabin ship is built to sail with 1000 passengers based on two people sharing a cabin. The ship is purchased and the pricing is set to get a return for the owner on 1000 passengers.

So at £1,000 per person, 500 cabins with 2 sharing will generate £1m. If a cruise line sold its cabins to solo travellers without a single supplement, it would sell all 500 cabins with just 500 passengers and generate £500k (losing £500k). Even with a 50% single supplement, the cruise line is losing £250,000 on what it would make if it were a twin cabin.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has always attracted a high volume of solo travellers, and is able to offer the ‘personal service’ on board to make them very welcome. We are very proud that, in 2011, cruise experts at influential consumer website Cruise Critic voted Fred. Olsen ‘Best for Solo Cruisers’ in its third annual ‘Editors' Picks Awards’, and described us as ‘the line most committed to keeping the solo traveller happy’.

We understand how difficult it can be to find holidays for one without huge single supplements, so we have offered special deals on selected 2014/15 twin cabins for sole occupancy, with either no supplement or a reduced supplement, ranging from 50% to 75%, on selected twin grades. These cabins are always popular and tend to sell out very quickly. For further information, you can call Fred. Olsen’s Reservations Department on 0800 0355 150 (Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm; Saturday, 9am – 5pm; Sunday, 10am – 4pm).

For those guests who prefer a single cabin, Fred. Olsen has a number of single cabins available on each of its four ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch, covering all grades, from ‘Single Inside’ and ‘Single Outside’ cabins, to ‘Single Balcony Suites’. Overall, the fleet has 190 single cabins; Braemar offers 40 such cabins, Black Watch and Boudicca each have 43, and Balmoral has 64.

Once on board a Fred. Olsen ship, solo travellers will find exclusive gatherings for them to get to know each other, and staff on board will seat them together for dinner, and arrange companions for solo travellers when going ashore, if required. There are also Gentleman Hosts and Dance Couples on board the ships to provide dancing partners for solo guests. The relatively small size of Fred. Olsen’s fleet ships, and the relaxed and friendly atmosphere on board, make Fred. Olsen cruises especially attractive for those travelling alone.