Single traveler got single room at slightly higher single rate

[devilsadvocate]

I have traveld alone on two cruises and I basically got a single inner cabin at a slightly higher than single rate. i found out about the deal on Cruisemates from a cruiser who had seen it advertised. The second cruise was from VAC and the reason I go the single rate was that I asked what the single rate would be and found it was a little higher than the advertised single rate. Now here is the question, and before you answer contact a travel agent for the best rate or keep on monitoring the Cruisemate forums for special deals and check repositioning cruise announcements. I was sondering if there were any other ways that I could find out about special cruise deals at special rates. I was a little perturbed to hear that on the one cruise I was on, that a cruise group got a better deal than I had gotten which was pretty good. This is not a complaint. I am only seeking knowledge from the the knowledgable. i am not looking for the cheapest rate but I do want to avoid the single supplement charge if possible which I have done, but only by luck and a little research.
Thanks one and all for assistance.

[Villager]

The best place I have found to find single supplement fares is on Vacations to go website under Singles Discounts. If there is anywhere else where they are published I have not found it yet. It's tough to find single fares this time of year, there are usually more when the ships from the Mediterranean and Northern Europe reposition to the Caribbean.

[storybookcruises.com]

I agree with Villager - VTG is a good research site, but after you find the single sailing you're interested in, then contact your agent.

As for the group you encountered that had a better rate than you, that's not unusual. Sometimes agents will book a group many months or even years in advance and can get a group rate that is cheaper than the going rate. And if that particular sailing is popular, the rates could go up making that group rate even more attractive. For example, our agency pre-books over 40,000 cabins into group space every year. If you pick a cabin on one of those sailings, often you can not only get a better rate, but also some perks such as onboard credit, pre-paid gratuities, bottle of wine, dinner in a specialty restaurant, etc.

Pete

[SemperPup]

i gotta agree with the others. vtg seems to have the best selection of single's rates.

i'm a solo traveler too--some other stuff i've found: the rccl brands: royal caribbean, azamara, and celebrity, seem like the cut some slack for single cruisers.

but the carnival brands, i.e. princess, hal, cunard, etc. they might have specials, bu they don't much 'hand out' solo fares--unless y'all are willing to pay the whole 200%, which i've done a couple times for a good deal.

other than that, there's british company that has some good deals----usually includes r/t airfare from london and a cruise--but they have singles pricing.

oh yeah, their prices are in british sterling so i usually multiply by 1.3 (close enough)

oh yeah, check the 90 day ticker on vtg too. ever once in a while--you'll find it's less expensive to pay 200% of the double occupancy fare (without taxes/fees for the non-existent 2nd person--than the solo traveler fare.

and, if you've got a ton of time on your hands, you can look for the anomalies: the deals that aren't supposed to be there. i finally came across one of those: 3 day california coastal on princess: $28 solo fare + $70 taxes/fees. anyhow ... good luck.

s/f

vr/chandler.

over

[betsiwetsi]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

I have traveld alone on two cruises and I basically got a single inner cabin at a slightly higher than single rate. i found out about the deal on Cruisemates from a cruiser who had seen it advertised. The second cruise was from VAC and the reason I go the single rate was that I asked what the single rate would be and found it was a little higher than the advertised single rate. Now here is the question, and before you answer contact a travel agent for the best rate or keep on monitoring the Cruisemate forums for special deals and check repositioning cruise announcements. I was sondering if there were any other ways that I could find out about special cruise deals at special rates. I was a little perturbed to hear that on the one cruise I was on, that a cruise group got a better deal than I had gotten which was pretty good. This is not a complaint. I am only seeking knowledge from the the knowledgable. i am not looking for the cheapest rate but I do want to avoid the single supplement charge if possible which I have done, but only by luck and a little research.
Thanks one and all for assistance.

I have found that getting studio cabins on NCL is the best way to go. When you go to their site, make sure that where it says number of passengers is 1. They automatically put 2 when you get to the page and this hides the single rates.