Matthew Smith Posted July 19, 2021 Report Share Posted July 19, 2021 Waiting for my cruise on Oasis but looking to book another cruise but will be a single cruiser. Is there any way to avoid the double occupancy costs? Do you have any tips for single cruiser bookings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdixon22 Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 48 minutes ago, Matthew Smith said: Waiting for my cruise on Oasis but looking to book another cruise but will be a single cruiser. Is there any way to avoid the double occupancy costs? Do you have any tips for single cruiser bookings? Some of the newer ships have solo studios that are not as expensive as double occupancy rates. I think you can search this blog for threads on it. Matthew Smith 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 There are ways to save as a solo but you have to be quick to find the rare solo deal. The studio cabins are the easy answer. The list of ships with studio cabins can be found in this post: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/11/03/guide-royal-caribbeans-single-and-studio-staterooms Beyond studio cabins there are reduced single supplement cruises for double occupancy cabins but they can be harder to find. The best way to score a reduced single supplement fare is to book very early soon after a ship is first released for a new season, when a ship is redeployed on short notice and/or booking off peak. During peak summer season it's harder to find reduced single fares but once in a while they are available. Going back a few years when Cuba travel was banned the cruise lines suddenly had ships they had to redeploy on short notice. To fill the ships on short notice they offered zero single supplement on some sail dates. A single person paid the same per person rate compared to a double occupancy guest. When Oasis was amplified in 2019 it came back into service right around Thanksgiving. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are often slow in the cruise industry. Oasis was offered with no single supplement for solo cruisers. Many solo cruisers flocked to these sailings. Reduced single supplement fares tend to be capacity controlled. There may be a few slots available in a particular cabin type and once they are sold they are gone. When you find one you shouldn't spend a lot of time thinking about it. Single fares beyond studio cabins are not all equal. Sometime reduced single supplements are available. Instead of 2x the per person rate it's 1.25x or 1.5x. Having a good travel agent is a good relationship to build. Often they'll hear whispers of a reduced single fare circulating around their coworkers and if you have that relationship established they'll let you know. More solo cruising blog posts: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/05/28/solo-cruises-royal-caribbean https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/02/16/what-you-need-know-about-taking-solo-royal-caribbean-cruise https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/01/12/top-10-tips-going-royal-caribbean-cruise-solo The bottom line though is that the cruise industry is built around the business model of double occupancy and they don't always make it easy to find the solo cruise deals. It's takes work and time constantly searching cruises to spot the rare single deal. BeachGal, Matthew Smith, Baked Alaska and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellcee Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 As a solo cruiser or a cruiser who travels with others but wants her own room - It's expensive. There are times the solo rooms are worth it and there are times it's worth it to get a regular room. I have to do a lot of research and saving for every cruise. Baked Alaska, BeachGal, Matthew Smith and 2 others 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianB Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 Lots of good info here for solos. For me…I always cruise solo. But I am particular in which cabin category and location aboard ship I want to pick. So no Guarantee Cabins. I like at least a balcony and some ships do have balcony solos. But I also like more cabin space. So solo cabins are no good for me. The best I can do is look for good sales and after I book, I check virtually every day for price drops. If I didn’t have the time to do that myself, than I would absolutely have a good travel agent. They do all the work and find the best deals. They can also advise when it’s the best time to pick up a good price. Plus, they can give extra perks like onboard credit. The 60% off second guest sales are good…and solo only pays tax and port fees for one. Also, I don’t get the drink package…I take advantage of the drinks that come with my C&A level and if I want to purchase a few more, it ends up being less expensive. One perk of cruising solo is you get another loyalty point for each night. So, in a balcony or below, you get 2 points each night. With the current double point offer, you get 4 points each night. Good luck on finding the best price for you and have a great time! Remember…with all the wonderful people you’ll meet aboard ship, cruising solo never means cruising alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 I typically travel solo, if it is a port heavy cruise I will opt for an inside room but mostly I stay in JS . You aren't going to save much doing that but I do have some saving tips. Unless you are a heavy drinker, stay clear of UBP. Also don't get an UDP: I find as a single person I am always approached with a reduced offer to dine in specialty restaurants, so I tend to save more buying them on board. Sailing solo will also move you up higher in RCG loyalty program, so then you will save more by taking advantage of the perks. Like @BrianB said the 60% of second guest is your friend, traveling solo comes out at a better rate with those types of sales. The best thing is you can meet people.....but you have the freedom to do everything on your own. Matthew Smith, Baked Alaska, cdixon22 and 2 others 2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Smith Posted July 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 Thanks for you responses. Very much appreciated. Will use this help to try and book my first solo cruise. cdixon22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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