Sometimes we just need to get away and a cruise is a great place to go to be revitalized. Before I was partnered I’d sail solo. It never was an uncomfortable or lonely experience and by day two of the cruise I would have a friend or two to pal around with.  The only drawback that I have experienced is that if you are not sharing a stateroom you usually have to pay for double occupancy, even when traveling solo.

Being solo and gay on a cruise is just like being gay and solo anywhere. I’ve found that no matter where I go my Gaydar is my best friend. A friendly smile, a welcoming demeanor, an evening at the martini bar and voila the other gays will come.  But it’s not always about hanging with my homo-boys. Sailing solo allows you to meet and mingle with a diverse array of fellow passengers. Being a very “out” person I always introduce into my conversations that I am gay, to test the gay tolerance. I’ve meet many girlfriends who I’ve stayed with friends with long after the cruise.

One of the best ways to meet other gays on a cruise is to ask your Cruise Director to have a Friends of Dorothy Party (code for a gay mixer), that is if he/she hasn’t already scheduled one. Check out your daily news bulletin. Friends of Dorothy Parties are as common as any on-board other mix and mingles parties. The Cruise Lines recognize that if we have a great time we’ll come back.  You can also ask the Cruise Director or one of the Cruise Director’s staff to introduce you to any other LGBT people that they may know who are also cruising. Not to stereotype but the position of Cruise Director is popular of a gay career as other stereotypical careers. Single men, the high seas, non-stop partying…who wouldn’t want to be the next Julie!

What Type of Rates Are Offered to Solo Cruisers?

Depending upon your budget, the cruise that you select and the group that you may sailing solo with, there are several options available. Each cruise line has their own policies and these policies differ as much as their itineraries do.

Cruise cabins are generally sold as “double occupancy”. This means that the published “per-person, double occupancy “ rate would have to be doubled for a single person to sail in the room solo. Example: Outside published cabin rate: $999 per person, double occupancy. Two people sharing the room will pay $999 per person, or $1998 total for the room. A single person would pay the $1998 room rate unless a single rate is offered.

Guaranteed Single Rate – This is set “single-or solo passenger rate” that is published. Upon embarkation you will be assigned a cabin. With this rate you do not get to select your cabin or category so upon many occasions you will be assigned a smaller interior cabin. Sometimes, when sailings are not fully booked, a cruise line will accept an unpublished solo reservation. Have your travel agent or cruise specialist check on special rates for you before booking your cruise.

Single Supplement Rate – This rate could be called a “full passage rate plus” rate. You will pay the price of a “full fare” for a one-person rate plus a percentage of the “full fare” that the second passenger would pay (if room is booked for double occupancy). These “plus” rates differ between the Cruise Lines that offer them, with the average single supplement rate being 150% of a “full passenger fare”.

Guaranteed Share Rate – You pay for one “full fare, per –person, double occupancy fare” and the Cruise Line matches you up with another” roommate. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that you’ll be matched up with the perfect roommate so if you are not comfortable sharing a room with a total stranger this may not be the best way to cruise for you.  Some lines publish this rate and some do not, offering it on a cruise-by-cruise basis (especially when bookings are light). Ask your travel agent or cruise specialist check on special rates for you.

Single Cabins – Occasionally a cruise ship will have cabins designed for the solo cruiser. They generally offer these rooms at a “single rate”, which often is inflated above the normal “per-person, double occupancy rate” for a similar cabin.