I've been on a few cruises, but took my first hosted singles with VTG for their 2006 Halloween cruise.
To answer your question: Yes! They charged me about $100 more than I could find on my own on the internet.
BUT !!!!!!
1) They found a cabinmate for me to avoid the single supplement.
2) They had private OPEN BAR parties. (that in itself can makeup for the extra if you are a drinking man)
3) They had the entire lower floor of the restaurant reserved for the singles group.
4) They put together many singles get-togethers to mingle with everyone else in the group.
5) They promoted a few cabin-crawls during the week (these are like pub-crawls except you go from one cabin to another and get mixed drinks and Oh Yes, Jello Shots too !!
6) They put together a pre-cruise party the night before in the port city.
7) They put together a Yahoo group site for posting pics, getting answers to traveling and lodging questions, and getting to know other singles before hand so you don't have to waste so much time doing it on the ship. By the time you actually meet many of the others in the group face-to-face, it will feel as if you have already known them for a while.
You have to ask yourself how much are you willing to pay for a common shore excursion? You don't think twice about paying upwards of $100 for an afternoon of fun do you? So why not invest a little extra in an entire week of fun that you get from the hosted singles cruise?
The extra that they charge is NOTHING compared to the extra that you get in return for your money !! Just do it one time. If in the highly unlikely event that you feel that you didn't get your money's worth, then you have only gambled with a little extra cash, and most people lose much more than that in the onboard casino! Besides, you'll be on a cruise... how bad can any of it really be? Have you ever NOT had fun on a cruise ship?
I've already booked my next singles cruise with VTG for February 11. I believe that they give even better discounts to their past clients. They have given me a price as good as anywhere else I could find and with a higher cabin category too. A great price and all of the extras too?.... No wonder singles cruise companies have so much repeat business.
This is just my two cents worth, but I believe it reflects the opinion of many others.
George