Grumpy,
Quote:
Originally Posted by You
Thinking about doing 7-days in Alaska in June/July 2011. The thing on my mind is  should I just pay extra to have a single room or look for a room mate and should it be someone who is cruise seasoned. And where can I find someone other then this thread. |
I really don't recommend sharing a cabin with anybody whom you don't know well enough, before you book, to know that it's a good match.
Years ago, the major cruise lines offered a "guaranteed share" option for single cruises whereby the cruise line would attempt to match you with a roommate of the same sex, and you would have a private cabin for the "per person, double occupancy" fare if they failed to do so. Unfortunately, they started encountering so many problems with incompatible roommates that they dropped this program about five years ago. Standard shipboard cabins are rather tight quarters for two people who don't get along.
I'm not saying that I would not share a cabin, but I definitely would get to know the person well enough to know that we could get along before booking a shared cabin.
That said, there are ways to reduce the cost of solo cruising.
>> 1. Consider booking an inside cabin. There are plenty of lounges on the ship's promenades where you can watch the ocean go by, or snooze as the ocean goes by, and absolutely nobody will bother you. There are also plenty of public lounges with plenty of windows where you can look out from inside during inclement weather. Most of us don't go on cruises to hang out in our cabins, anyway!
>> 2. Be flexible as to dates. There are instances in which fares for one sailing date will be half those of another for the same itinerary on the same ship. In particular, try to cruise in in January, the first half of February, May, September, October, November, or the first three weeks of December. Schools are in session everywhere in North America during these periods, so families with school-age children are not free to travel. As a result, fares are often lower than during school vacations for identical itineraries.
>> 3. You can sometimes get substantially discounted cruises by booking after the deadline for final payment (usually 60-70 days before sailing). The cruise lines are more willing to discount fares to fill ships after this deadline because final payment locks the fares for those already booked.
>> 4. Finally, watch for specials. The "second person half price" or "two for one" fares that cruise lines sometimes offer to fill ships often are less expensive than the normal single supplement. They will give you the cabin with single occupancy for the lower price.
Happy cruising!
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