Singles Share Program

[Travel57]

Is Holland America still offering the singles share program where they match you with another same sex nonsmoking roommate? If so can you book a cruise with any travel agency and request this?

[kryos]

HAL offers the single share on most cruises. I think on the World Cruise and Grand Voyages they don't have it. They also don't offer it on some of the longer voyages.

 

HAL also offers some of the best single supplements in the cruise industry today, sometimes as low as 30% on inside and outside cabins ... usually no more than 50% ... so I would consider taking a cabin on my own as a very real alternative too. Often, when you consider that the cabins designated for single shares are among the highest category insides and outsides, the cost difference to get a bit smaller inside or outside on your own versus doing the single share ... can be very little, making it worthwhile to consider just having your own cabin. This way you'll have a private retreat to come back to at the end of your day without having to worry about the roommate and any annoying habits she may have.

 

The important thing to remember about HAL's single share program is that they offer it as a courtesy to their single passengers. As such, they do nothing more than match people by gender. Two single women who opted for the program? Put 'em together. Two men? Same thing. There is absolutely no consideration given for passenger age or preferences. HAL takes none of this information from passengers who opt for the program in order to attempt to match them more effectively. Thus, you could get a 30 year old woman sharing a cabin with an 86 year old. You could also get an early riser sharing with someone who likes to routinely close the Crow's Nest down at night. As a result, you can have incompatibilities, especially if one of those people is not very considerate as to how much noise she makes when she gets up or retires.

 

Just presenting some ideas for your consideration ... but I would definitely consider trying to arrange my own share in advance of the cruise, or perhaps just taking the cabin as a solo. It could make the difference between a great vacation and one that is just so-so ... or worse yet, a nightmare.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[RuthC]

Yes, HAL still offers the Single Share program, and yes, you just book this way with your TA of choice.

I've used the program three times for cruises of 33, 34, and 35 days. Two roomies were wonderful, cooperative women :); one was not :(. Still, I would be happy to do it again.

The way I look at it, doing a share on those first two cruises paid for the third! :D