Strategies for dealing with single supplements?
 

Just wondering if those of you who frequently travel alone have any helpful hints for reducing or eliminating single supplements.

Here is what I have come up with:
Some group travel companies will waive the supplement if you are willing to share. Some will waive the supplement for early signups. One agent that I have established a reputation with sometimes get them waived.

What works for you?

The only effective strategy for dealing with punitive supplements is to defer taking cruises or tours until you've got a companion to go with you. Until then, travel independently.

The packaged retail travel industry is a system that's based entirely on a double-occupancy (or more) business model. If you fit the model, you can likely avail yourself of the industry's market clout and get a better bargain than you could get by buying the different pieces as an individual. But if you don't fit the model, you'll have to pay a nonconformance penalty (which is what the "supplement" really is) that essentially eliminates the cost advantage of a packaged product.

One would think that the supposedly large number of single people would force at least some enterprising executives in the industry to rethink their cherished model. After all, they're excluding a large (and growing) market by actively discouraging them with a penalty that makes their alluring advertised bargains unaffordable. But this doesn't seem to have happened. Lacking "insider" insight, I can't figure out whether it's because of ignorance or intransigence.

As you note, the best the industry seems able to do for singles is to offer a game of "roommate roulette." That's the hammer they provide to pound the square peg of the single traveler into the round hole of their business model. Some people-- probably those with an easygoing, sunny disposition who can cheerfully get along with anyone-- will welcome this arrangement as a chance to meet a new friend, or at least to enjoy the adventure of sharing a fascinating travel experience. If that describes you, go for it-- you have your answer (the only one the industry seems interested in accepting)!

But I suspect that only a minority of singles have such a positive attitude toward sharing with an assigned roommate. The rest will probably resent the disagreeable choice of spinning the "roommate roulette" wheel or forgetting about the whole thing because the penalty makes it too expensive. They may nonetheless choose the gamble because it's basically the only choice-- unless they can do some digging and come up with an independent alternative that doesn't require a gamble or a penalty.

Hi atravelynn,

Book on line and you can get a single room in many hotels which is usually only slightly more expensive than a double per person.
The down side is that these room are often very small and usually don't have a balcony or sea view etc.
However, when I am on holiday I spend most of my time out and about so as long as the room is clean, has an en suite and A/C it doesn't really bother me.

Some cruises do offer cabins with no single supplement but they are generally inside. However I do know that Nile cruises offer out of season cabins in a standard double with no supplement.

Hopefully as solo travel increases (which it is) this will change.

Personnally I prefer not to share but I am interested that an agent you deal with is prepared to get the supplement waived. That is good news.

MSC Cruises has great single occupancy rates.

So does myowncabin.com, a pay subscription service.

For hotels I often use Priceline.

And I do not do tours nor would I share with a stranger.

I have not been on many tours but seemed close to impossible to waive the single supplements. The hotels also have a specific number of single rooms. The hotel rates for single rooms are less than the double rooms in my experience. I think you can get breaks in hotel rooms and get double rooms with the single rate, have them upgrade your room, etc. I had actually got plenty of breaks in hotel rooms in the past. In some instances I felt I was getting the break only because I was traveling alone.

I frequently travel alone but never with packaged tours so single supplement is never an issue.

Suze.
Please explain what you mean by a single supplement is never an issue.

Do you mean that you are always prepared to pay for a double room for single occupancy?

I've done both tours and cruises as a solo. Here are my thoughts...
Tours--I've had good luck with Cosmos (budget tour company) and Grand Circle Travel (mostly over 40 group). I'm ok with spending 15%-25% more for the tour for my own room if the tour price is already low. The SS for my Copper Canyon and Thailand tours thru Grand Circle were $250/$300.
Cruises--The best luck I've had is calling web based cruise companies 4-6 weeks before you want to cruise to see what they have. If you are very flexible on dates, ships, itinerary sometimes you can get a deal on a solo cabin. Also, I hear that MSC has good solo rates. Checking cruisemates and cruisecritic regularly is also helpful. I've had no luck getting a deal for a holiday sailing but I've seen deals for cruises around the holidays and January.
Faith

Cambe- I mean when I book a room directly with the hotel front desk I most often pay for a single. Many hotels are priced by number of people in the room.

"Single supplements" in my mind, are when you must pay more to join in an organized tour or cruise which is normally pricded based on a double occupancy room.