Cruise Lines Sometimes Charge Solo Cruisers More Than TWO People – Here’s Why

It does feel unfair that sometimes one person booking a cruise can be quoted more than the total price for two people sharing the exact same cabin!

This might sound like an error, but it can genuinely happen. Cruise pricing isn’t simply “price per person × the number of people”.

This is a problem solo cruisers regularly run into.

Cruise pricing is incredibly dynamic and varies by cruise line, ship, sailing, cabin type and promotion.

A standard single supplement means a solo traveller can pay close to the same price as two people sharing an identical cabin.

First: Why Do Solo Cruisers Pay More Anyway?

Cruise cabins are generally priced assuming two people will occupy them.

A cruise line earns money from:

• Cruise fare
• Drinks
• Speciality dining
• Shore excursions
• Casino
• Spa
• WiFi
• Shops
• Other onboard spending.

One person in a two-person cabin potentially means one fewer passenger spending money onboard.

This is why cruise lines traditionally charge a single supplement.

In theory…

• A £1,000-per-person cruise fare, based on two sharing, = £2,000 in cabin revenue for the cruise line.
• A solo passenger might be charged £1,700–£2,000 for the cabin, rather than £1,000.

So How Can One Person Cost MORE Than Two?

Promotions Are Often Designed Around Double Occupancy

Cruise pricing promotions can be incredibly weird.

Discounts such as: “Second guest sails free” “60% off second guest” or “Buy one get one free” reduces second passenger fares.

These may only trigger when you enter two passengers on the booking.

A solo passenger may therefore miss a promotion that dramatically reduces the total for two people.

As a result, two passengers can trigger a lower total price than a booking for one.

You may also find that although there are cheaper inside cabins available, the moment you put in one traveller, instead of two, you are only offered expensive suite cabins.

An example:

• The Solo fare might be: £2,100.
• Two sharing a cabin are charged: £ 1,000 per person each, so £2,000 in total.
• Therefore, the solo cruiser somehow pays £100 MORE while taking up less space.

A perfect example of this, Celebrity are now having a “Fall Sale” offering “75% off the second passenger fare”.

The price of an 8-night cruise to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao on Celebrity Reflection is as follows (October 2027 sailing):

Solo fares are over double the price of two passengers in each cabin category – probably as a result of the “75% off the second guest” promotion.

Cruise Lines Use Different Fare Types

Cruise pricing isn’t one fixed rate. Cabins are sold through different inventory/fare categories.

Solo bookings may have access to one fare category, while two-person bookings access another.

Even if you’re looking at the same cabin category, the underlying fare code may be different.

This is why changing “1 guest” to “2 guests” on a booking engine can sometimes produce bizarre results.

Solo Inventory Can Be Restricted

Cruise lines may only make a limited number of cabins available to solo travellers at certain fares.

Once those sell, the remaining solo fares can jump up dramatically. You might only get offered expensive suite cabins that are harder to sell.

Meanwhile, many discounted double-occupancy cabins may still be available.

This often happens on popular sailings with lots of solo demand.

Cruise Lines Aren’t Just Selling the Cabin

The cruise line isn’t just selling the cabin; it is also estimating the revenue generated by the passengers occupying it.

Two passengers potentially means:

• Two drinks packages
• Two excursion customers
• Two speciality dining customers
• Two sets of gratuities
• More casino/spa/shop spending

Cruise lines may therefore be more motivated to fill cabins with two people. It makes far more financial sense for them to do so.

Dedicated Solo Cabins Can Completely Change the Equation

Solo cruisers aren’t always stuck paying single supplements.

Cruise lines increasingly offer purpose-built or designated solo cabins to avoid traditional solo supplements.

Norwegian are a particularly strong example of this. You can book:

• Studio cabins
• Solo Inside cabins
• Solo Oceanview cabins
• Solo Balcony cabins are available on some newer ships
• There are Studio Lounges available for solo travellers on some ships
• Solo meetups are organised for solos to meet fellow travellers (if they wish to)

Booking a solo cabin is not automatically cheaper than booking a normal cabin alone.

Sometimes a standard cabin with a low single supplement offers better value.

Make sure you always compare both – or use a trusted travel agent to work out the best deal/option for you.

Have a look at the purpose-built solo studio cabins onboard Norwegian Breakaway here:

Some Cruise Lines Are Much Better for Solos Than Others

There isn’t one “best” cruise line for solo travellers.

When booking, compare dedicated solo cabins with standard cabins that offer reduced single supplements.

Look out for solo deal promotions.

Some cruise lines have hosted solo meetups and dedicated Solo lounges to help you meet others – if you want to.

Compare the number of solo cabins available – those ships with fewer solo cabins available are more likely to be able to sell them at a premium.

Some ships have balconies available for solo occupancy. On others, you may have to book an inside cabin.

Look at typical pricing, not just one unusually good sailing.

Cruiselines to consider:

• Norwegian – are the first cruise line to spring to mind; they led the way with their dedicated studio cabins for solo travellers.
• Celebrity offers Single Infinite Veranda cabins on Edge-class ships. Older ships have been retrofitted to provide solo cabins.
  • When my brother travelled solo on Celebrity Infinity, he had a standard ocean view cabin with a much reduced solo supplement.
• Royal Caribbean offer a range of studio cabin options on their newer ships.
  • Older ships offer only solo interior cabins.
• MSC offers dedicated single-occupancy staterooms called Studio cabins on its newer, larger ships.
  • Older ships weren’t built with solo cabins, so you would have a standard cabin with a solo supplement.
• Cunard offers various solo cabin categories on all its ships.
• Holland America does not have many solo cabins compared to the rest of the cruise industry.
  • Their solo stateroom inventory is among the smallest of the major lines, though they’re working to expand it.
• Virgin Voyages is widely considered to be one of the best cruise lines for solo travellers, offering dedicated single-occupancy staterooms across its entire fleet.
  • The Virgin ships are all relatively new and were designed with solo travellers in mind.
• Ambassador has a number of dedicated single-occupancy cabins on their ships.
  • These cabins have no single supplement, as they’re specifically designed only to house one traveller. However, they are popular, so it is wise to book as early as possible to guarantee a single cabin.

Typical Example of Solo Cruise Pricing

Below are prices for a seven-night sailing to Northern Europe on MSC Preziosa.

The cost for one passenger in a cabin is only about £100 cheaper than that for two passengers sharing.

Can You Book for Two and Have One Person Not Show Up?

The answer depends on the cruise line/fare.

There could be potential issues:

• Fares could be repriced.
• Promotions could disappear.
• Taxes/fees may or may not be refunded.
• Packages linked to the second guest could change.

I really wouldn’t recommend it as a loophole, they could deny your boarding or cancel your cruise.

I recommend checking with the cruise line or an experienced agent before you even consider it.

Why Using a Travel Agent Can Be Particularly Useful for Solo Cruises

Solo pricing is one of those areas where simply looking at the advertised website price doesn’t always show the best option.

An agent can compare:

• Solo cabins vs standard cabins.
• Different fare types.
• Different sailings.
• Different ships.
• Promotions with lower supplements.
• Sometimes moving by a week, switching cabin categories, or changing ships can save you a lot.

Please reach out to us at my agency, The Cruise Globe.

My team can look specifically for solo-friendly fares, so you don’t have to decipher all the different pricing tiers yourself.

You can contact my team even if you don’t know exactly what cruise you want. to book.

They can makes suggestions based on your preferences – and of course, there is no obligation to book.

Simply click on the link below, fill in the form, and we will get back to you:

Book a Cruise

Ways Solo Cruisers Can Avoid Huge Single Supplements

To avoid large single supplements, try:

• Looking for dedicated solo cabins.
• Travelling outside school holidays/peak season.
• Consider longer or repositioning cruises that fewer people consider.
• Look for reduced-single-supplement promotions.
• Compare multiple sailings on the same ship to find the cheapest sailings.
• Compare cabin categories – bizarrely, a balcony can occasionally price similarly to an inside.
• Look beyond the headline per-person price.
• Ask a travel agent to compare options.
• Book early as solo cabins are usually limited.
• Also check late deals, where cruise lines sometimes drop supplements to fill cabins.

This is exactly what happened when I sailed on Celebrity Infinity. They clearly had trouble selling the cabins, as the itinerary had changed and many passengers had cancelled.

I was able to secure a cabin for my brother with a very small solo supplement. It was a standard ocean-view cabin, so he had plenty of space and was very comfortable.

Find out more about that bargain, last-minute cruise here:

Is This Fair?

From the solo traveller’s perspective, it understandably feels ridiculous to pay as much as, and sometimes more than, two people.

From the cruise line’s perspective, they’re pricing a cabin and its revenue potential, not simply charging for the physical space one person uses.

Dynamic pricing and promotions can then create results that look completely illogical.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the cruise line is saying “one passenger should pay more than two” – it’s often an unintended result of their pricing structures.

Before You Go

Have a look at the article below where I compare cruise prices on standard cabins as a solo passenger against staying in a dedicated standard solo cabin:

Cruising Solo: Is a Studio Cabin Cheaper Than Staying in a Standard Cabin Solo?

Have a look at typical solo cabins on Marella ships here:

Marella Cruises Single/Solo Cabins – Photo Guide and Review